Printable CV

CURRICULUM VITAE

John M. Eason
Sociology Department
Duke University
272 Social/Psychology Building
Box 90088
Durham, NC 27708-0088

Tel: (919) 660-5729
Fax: (919) 660-5623
Email: je31@soc.duke.edu

 

Education
2008 Ph.D., University of Chicago, Department of Sociology
Dissertation—Big House on the Prarie:  Investigating the Effects of Punishment in Rural America (Committee:  Omar McRoberts, Richard Taub, and Bruce Western)

2004 M.A., University of Chicago, Department of Sociology
 
2002 M.P.P., University of Chicago, Irving B. Harris School of Public Policy
 
1995 B.A., University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Urban and Regional
Planning

Areas of Interest
Crime, Race, Rural Sociology, Social Control, Sociology of Punishment, and Urban Sociology.

Book Project—The Rise of the Rural Ghetto:  Race, Disadvantage, and the Politics of Proliferation
Since 1970, the U.S. has set an unparalleled pace of prison building nearly tripling the total number of facilities by constructing more than 1200 new prisons. More than 70% of the facilities constructed during the prison boom have been in rural areas. Forty years ago, most rural towns viewed prisons as a stigmatized institution and rejected placement. What caused this shift from NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) to PIMBY (Please in My Backyard)? In Rise of the Rural Ghetto, I sketch a framework showing the role of the emergence of the rural ghetto as instrumental to the prison boom. Then, I build a theory of the rural ghetto through a case study including interviews, ethnographic, and historical data. Next, I suggest prison placement does not produce racial and economic inequality, as much as prison placement results from concentrated racial and economic disadvantage. Moreover, I suggest that stigma from the rural ghetto is the source of “demand” for a town seeking a prison. Furthermore, I maintain that the interlocking interests of rural White elites and race leaders form the basis for a growth coalition to secure a prison as a form of stigma management in response to the emergence of the rural ghetto. After detailing how prisons slow economic decline in poor communities I also find that prisons distort rural demography.

Published, Forthcoming, and Conditionally Accepted
Eason, John.  “Mapping Prison Proliferation:  Region, Rurality, Race, and Disadvantage in Prison Placement”, article conditionally accepted at Social Science Research.

Works In Progress and Under Review
Eason, John.  “The Rise of the Rural Ghetto: Race, Disadvantage, and the Politics of Prison Proliferation”, book manuscript.

Eason, John. “’It’s Like the City Only Quieter’: Tracing the Emergence of the Rural Ghetto”, article submitted.

Eason, John. “Prison Placement as Reputation Management: The Function of the Stigma in Rural Ecology”, article for submission October 2009.

Eason, John, Daniel T. Lichter, and Domenico Parisi. Decomposing Residential Segregation by Civilian and Non-Civilian”, article for submission Winter 2009.

Eason, John, Raymond Garrett-Peters, and Linda Burton. “African Americans and Rural Ghettos: Issues of Race, Place, and Identity”, article for submission Winter 2009.

Teaching Experience
Instructor, Department of Sociology at Duke University. “Prison, Punishment, and Inequality”, Spring 2009.

Preceptor, Public Policy Program at the University of Chicago. Guided college seniors through Bachelor’s thesis writing seminar Fall-Spring2006-2007.

Robert E. Park Lecturer, Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago. Competitive lectureship to teach college level course in academic area of instructor’s choice “Punishment and Inequality”, 2007.

Teaching Assistant, Professor Betty Farrell, Public Policy Studies University of Chicago, “Public Policy Practicum”. Winter-Spring 2004, Winter-Spring 2005, & Winter-Spring 2006.

Teaching Assistant, Professor Omar McRoberts, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago, “Ethnographic Methods”. Winter 2005 & 2006.

Scholarly Presentations
"Mapping Prison Proliferation:  Region, Rurality, Race, and Disadvantage in Prison Placement". American Sociological Association.  San Francisco, California, August 2009.

“Decomposing Residential Segregation Patterns:  The Ecological Impact of Prisons on Rural Communities”.  Eason, John, Lichter, Daniel T., and Parisis, Domenico.  Rural Sociological Society.  Madison, Wisconsin, July 2009.

“’It’s Like the City, Only Quieter’:  Making the Rural Ghetto”.  Association of Black Sociologists.  New Orleans, Louisiana, June 2009.

“Negotiating Place in Rural America: Identity, Morality, and Punishment Systems.” Burton, L.M., Garrett-Peters, R. & Eason, J. National Cancer Institute Place, Health, and Equity Conference at the University of Seattle. Seattle, Washington, May 2009.

“The Politics of Prison Proliferation”. Southern Sociological Society, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2009.

““Extending the Hyperghetto: Considering Race, Place, and Space in Prison Siting”. Duke University Department of Sociology. Durham, North Carolina, November 2007.

“Extending the Hyperghetto: Considering Race, Place, and Space in Prison Siting”. Midwest Sociological Society Conference, Chicago, Illinois, May 2007.

“Neva No in Betweens: Considering Urban Blacks as Subjects in Academia”. American Sociological Association, Blacks and African-Americans Panel in Montreal, Canada, August 2006.

“Development by Arrest: Examining the Growth of Prisons in Rural America”. American Sociological Association, Law and Society Roundtable in Montreal, Canada, August 2006.

“Development by Arrest: Examining the Growth of Prisons in Rural America”. Penal State Conference, University of California, Berkeley, May 2006.

“Development by Arrest: Examining the Growth of Prisons in Rural America”. Binghamton Justice Projects, SUNY Binghamton, February 2006.

“CAP-tured by the Machine: The Politics of Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy”. Ethnography Conference, University of Illinois at Chicago, February 2005.

Work Experience
Provost’s Post-Doctoral Associate, Duke University, 2008-2010.

Consultant, Chicago Metropolis 2020, 2004-2006. Criminal Law Edit Alignment and Reform (CLEAR) commission lead by former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson was developed to impact Illinois criminal justice policy on statewide codification and sentencing laws. Designed, coded, and produced results of a survey of defense/prosecuting attorneys use of Illinois criminal code. Provided commission with relevant codification and sentencing examples from other states. Researched, aided in graphic design, and wrote portions of the Chicago Metropolis 2020 Criminal Justice Index. The Index provides an overview of statistics on crime, incarceration, victimization, and other facets of the criminal justice system in the State of Illinois and Chicago region.

Resident Head, University of Chicago, Department of Undergraduate Student Housing, 2002-2006. Provided guidance and mentorship to students in the college.

Director, Westside Federation Restoring the Legacy Project, 2003-2004. $100,000 project funded by Chicago Community Trust to develop a report on the “State of the Westside”. Designed and implemented survey. Conducted interactive survey with community residents. Oversaw data collection for target area. Managed GIS mapping team and directed design of asset-based survey of community through workshop course members at University of Illinois Chicago.

Campaign Coordinator, Barack Obama for Congress 2000, 1999-2000. Promoted to position after volunteering on prior Illinois State Senate campaigns and serving as Field Operation Coordinator in another successful bid in 1998. Worked extensively with candidate to deliver clergy to candidates campaign inauguration. Devised and implemented campaign strategy to heighten candidate’s name recognition and increase voter turn-out. Trained staff on strategy implementation. Trained volunteers in all facets of campaign field operations ranging from contribution drives to door-to-door outreach campaigns. Raised contributions and recruited volunteers.

Lead Organizer, Alliance of Congregations Transforming the Southside (ACTS), 1997-2000. Terminated over a dozen illegal drug operations, bus lines saved, and affordable housing campaign initiated as a result. Instituted annual fundraiser 300 in attendance. Produced annual budget of $130,000 through dues collection, fundraiser, and successful proposal writing (i.e. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, and Campaign for Human Development).

Organizer, Metropolitan Alliance of Congregations (MAC), 1995-1997. 5,000 person Convention; U.S. Drug Czar increased High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area funds by $3 million. U.S., state, and local legislators on hand to be held accountable for platform. Issues Assemblies- 3,500 persons; Mayors, States Attorney, State Legislators, in attendance to address concerns of jobs, education, public safety, transportation, tax-base sharing, transportation, and community development. Public safety and fair/equitable education funding campaigns initiated. Received promotion to lead organizer/executive director of ACTS a MAC affiliate.

Professional Affiliations
American Sociological Association

American Society of Criminology

Association of Black Sociologists

Society for the Study of Social Problems

Southern Demographic Association

Southern Sociological Society

Honors and Awards
American Sociological Association Funds for the Advancement of the Discipline Award Recipient, 2009 for the Rural Disadvantage and Prison Proliferation Project.

Crime, Law, and Deviance Section Student Paper Competition Award Recipient, American Sociological Association, 2009.

Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, Duke University, 2008-2010. Current.

National Poverty Center Post-Doctoral Award Recipient, University of Michigan, 2008. Declined.

Dissertation Fellow, Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture at the University of Chicago, 2007-2008.

Lecturer, Robert E. Park Lectureship, University of Chicago, 2007.

Fellow, Diversifying Faculty in Illinois, 2002-2005.

Fellow, Illinois Consortium of Educational Opportunity Program, 2002-2005.

Fellow, University of Chicago Trustees, 2002-2007.

References
Omar McRoberts, University of Chicago
Richard Taub, University of Chicago
Bruce Western, Harvard University
Linda Burton, Duke University
Eduardo Bonilla-Silva, Duke University
William Darity, Duke University