Richard J. Petts joined the sociology department in 2008, He received a B.A. from Michigan State University, and earned his M.A. and Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 2008. His research focuses on family inequalities, with a specific emphasis on parental leave, father involvement, and workplace flexibility as policies and practices that can reduce gender inequality, promote greater work-family balance, and improve family well-being. His current projects focus on understanding how the pandemic has affected mothers and fathers, the role of fathers in promoting gender equality, and how parental leave policy design affects perceptions of leave-taking. He has published extensively in academic outlets, and his work has been featured in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and Bloomberg. In addition to research, he currently teaches courses in sociological research methods, population dynamics, family sociology, social problems, and introduction to sociology.
Areas of Interest
Family; Religion; Children & Youth
Related Link
Vita