Department of Sociology

Danielle Bessett

Assistant Professor
1022 Crosley Tower
513-556-4717
danielle.bessett@uc.edu

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Education

Ph.D., New York University, New York, NY, 2009 (Sociology).

M.A., New York University, New York, NY, 2000 (Sociology).

B.A., Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA, 1996.

Professional Summary

Danielle Bessett received her Ph.D. and M.A. in Sociology from New York University and her B.A. from Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA). Her research interests include: reproduction; medical sociology; gender; family; the body; popular culture; social psychology; theory; qualitative research methods; and inequality.

Positions & Work Experience

2010 to Present, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.

2006-2007, Visiting Assistant Professor, Williams College, Williamstown, MA.

2007-2008, Visiting Lecturer, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA.

2005-2006, Visiting Lecturer, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA.

2004-2005, Research Associate, Five College Women’s Studies Research Center, South Hadley, MA.

Research Support

(Principal Investigator) Bessett, Danielle, Pregnancy after “Problems”: women's experiences of a stigmatized reproductive career , Charlotte Ellertson Social Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Research Funding . (8619); Date: 2009 to to Present. Status: Active.

(Co-Investigator) Foster, Angel and Danielle Bessett, Responsive health systems and empowered consumers: A strategy to reduce unplanned pregnancy among young adults in MA (through Ibis Reproductive Health), The National Campaign to Prevent Teen & Unplanned Pregnancy. Date: 2008 to 2010. Status: Completed.

(Principal Investigator) Bessett, Danielle, Defining the ‘Normal Pregnancy’, a Postscript: Retrospective Accounts of Mothers of Toddlers, Mount Holyoke College Faculty Research Grant. Date: 2008. Status: Completed.

(Co-Principal Investigator) Bessett, Danielle and Troy Duster, Defining the “Normal Pregnancy”: Knowledge and Experience in Stratified Reproduction, National Science Foundation Dissertation Improvement Grant. Date: 2004 to 2005. Status: Completed.

Peer Reviewed Publications

Bessett, Danielle (2010). Negotiating Normalization: The Perils of Producing Pregnancy Symptoms in Prenatal Care. Social Science & Medicine, 71(2), 370.

Norris, Alison; Bessett, Danielle, Steinberg, Julia R; Kavanaugh, Megan L; De Zordo, Silvia; Becker, Davida (2011). Abortion stigma: a reconceptualization of constituents, causes, and consequences. Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, 21(3 Suppl), S49-54.

Bessett, Danielle (2006). Don’t Step on My Groove’: Gender and the Social Experience of Rock. Symbolic Interaction, 29(1), 49.

Bessett, Danielle; Gorski, Katey; Jinadasa, Deepani; Ostrow, Marcy; Peterson, Megan J (2011). Out of time and out of pocket: experiences of women seeking state-subsidized insurance for abortion care in Massachusetts. Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health, 21(3 Suppl), S21-5.

Bessett, Danielle; Kathleen Gualtieri (2002). Paul Willis and the Scientific Imperative: An Evaluation of Learning to Labour. Qualitative Sociology, 25(1), 67.

Invited Publications

Bessett, Danielle; Ron Lembo (2005). Anticipating the Future: Reconsidering The Philosophy of the Present. Sociological Forum, 20(1), 175.

Reviews

Bessett, Danielle (2002). Lisa M. Mitchell, Baby's First Picture: Ultrasound and the Politics of Fetal Subjects.Canadian Journal of Sociology Online,

Other Publications

Bessett, Danielle; Prager, Joanna; Agénor, Madina; Havard, Julia; Murphy, Danielle; Foster, Angel (2010). Young adults, health insurance & access to contraception in the wake of health care reform: Results from focus group discussions in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.Cambridge, MA: Ibis Reproductive Health.

Agénor, Madina; Havard, Julia; Bessett, Danielle; Foster, Angel M (2009). Young adults and the coverage of contraceptive services in the wake of health care reform: Results from an assessment of young adult-targeted health plans in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.Cambridge, MA: Ibis Reproductive Health.

Bessett, Danielle (2005). Gender in the Public Sphere. Sociological Concepts and the Sociology of Gender, 2nd edition, Eds. Stalp, Marybeth and Julie Childers.. Washington, D.C.: American Sociological Association Teaching Resources Center.

Gorski, Katey; Danielle Bessett (2011). Experiences of Women Seeking State-Subsidized Insurance for Abortion Care in Massachusetts: An Evaluation by the Massachusetts Abortion Funds. Cambridge, MA: EMA Fund, an affiliate of the National Network of Abortion Funds.

Danielle Bessett (2011). “’Making it feasible for people’: Young adults on Massachusetts health care reform.” Published online at www.momsrising.org on March 22, 2011.

Invited Presentations

Danielle Bessett (06-2010). Pregnancy after Abortion: women’s experiences of a stigmatized reproductive career. Pregnancy and Pregnancy Planning in the New Parenting Culture, Kent University, Kent, UK.

Davida Becker, Danielle Bessett, Silvia DeZordo, Megan Kavanaugh, Alison Norris, and Julia Steinberg (04-2010). Conceptualizing abortion stigma: A multi-level approach. Social Science Networking Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.

Poster Presentations

Danielle Bessett (04-2009). Women’s Perspectives on Maternity Leave and Its Effects on Pregnancy Practices and Birth Outcomes. Council of Contemporary Families, Chicago, IL.

Danielle Bessett, Katey Gorski, Marcy Ostrow, Deepani Jinadasa, and Megan J. Peterson. (10-2011). Consequences of Delays for Women Seeking State-Subsidized Insurance for Abortion Care in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. North American Forum on Family Planning, Washington, DC.

Britt Wahlin, Amanda Jo Dennis, Angel M. Foster, Danielle Bessett, Denisse Córdova, Kelly Blanchard, Jill Clark, Jennifer McIntosh, Lenore Tsikitas, and Karen Edlund (10-2011). Access to contraception in the wake of Massachusetts health care reform: Research and recommendations. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC.

Paper Presentations

Bessett, Danielle. Pregnancy after ‘Problems’: Women’s Experiences of Stigmatized Reproductive Careers. Eastern Sociological Association, Boston, MA. 2010.

Bessett, Danielle. ’Normality’ in Fetal Development and Prenatal Care: Women’s Interpretations in a Context of Inequality. American Sociological Association, San Francisco, CA. 2009.

Bessett, Danielle. Pregnancy Mythologies: The Role of Devalued Cultural Knowledges in Women's Reproductive Experiences. Eastern Sociological Association, Baltimore, MD. 2009.

Bessett, Danielle. Producing the Fetus: How women construct the fetus within medical hegemony. National Women’s Studies Association, Cincinnati, OH. 2008.

Bessett, Danielle and Christine Morton. What Do Activists Want? Public Sociology for Feminist Scholars of Reproduction. American Sociological Association, New York, NY. 2007.

Bessett, Danielle. Competing Definitions, Contested Knowledge: Biomedical and Maternal Constructions of Normal Fetal Development. Eastern Sociological Association, Philadelphia, PA. 2007.

Bessett, Danielle and Christa Kelleher. Accounting for Time: Methodological Considerations of Time in Social Science Research on Women’s Reproductive Experiences. Eastern Sociological Association, Boston, MA. 2006.

Bessett, Danielle. Bearing the Fetus: The Normalization of Pregnancy Symptoms. American Sociological Association, Philadelphia, PA. 2005.

Bessett, Danielle and Kiley Kraskouskas. Feminists on Agency in Contemporary Reproduction: A Critical Review. Mothering and Feminism Conference, Association for Research on Mothering, Toronto, Canada. 2004.

Bessett, Danielle. Generational Disconnect? Mothering Mothers-to-be. American Sociological Association, San Francisco, CA. 2004.

Bessett, Danielle. Normalizing Pregnancy: Bodily Symptoms and the Ideal of Fetal Perfection. Society for the Study of Social Problems, San Francisco, CA. 2004.

Bessett, Danielle. Defining 'Normality': Experience and Knowledge in Pregnancy. Eastern Sociological Association, Boston, MA. 2002.

Bessett, Danielle. ‘Don’t Step on My Groove’: Women and the Social Experience of Rock. American Sociological Association, Washington, D.C.. 2000.

Bessett, Danielle and Kathleen Gualtieri. Paul Willis and the Scientific Imperative: A Critical Reading of Learning to Labour. Eastern Sociological Association, Baltimore, MD. 2000.

Bessett, Danielle. Ireland, Its Evils, and Their Remedies: The Development of the 1838 Irish Poor Law. Eastern Sociological Association, Boston, MA. 1999.

Angel M. Foster, Danielle Bessett, Britt Wahlin, Andrea Miller, Stacie Garnett, Karen Edlund.. Young adults, contraception & health care reform: Findings & lessons learned from the REaDY Initiative. Reproductive Health 2010, Atlanta, GA. 09-2010.

Danielle Bessett. Experiences of Women Seeking State-Subsidized Insurance for Abortion Care in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Eastern Sociological Society, Philadelphia, PA. 02-2011.

Danielle Bessett. “Pregnancy after Abortion: women’s experiences of a stigmatized reproductive career. Psychosocial Factors in Population Change, Washington, DC. 03-2011.

Angel M. Foster, Danielle Bessett, Britt Wahlin, Andrea Miller, Stacey Garnett, and Karen Edlund. The Reproductive Empowerment and Decision Making for Young Adults (REaDY) Initiative: An initiative to prevent unplanned pregnancy & promote sexual health in the wake of health care reform in Massachusetts.. Reproductive Justice & Health Care Reform: The Impact of Reform on the Reproductive Health of Underserved Women and Youth, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. 05-2011.

Events Organized

Prof. Meeting. Sociology of Reproduction panels, Eastern Sociological Society, with Theresa Morris (02-2011), Philadelphia, PA.

Prof. Meeting. Authors Meet Critics, Social Science Networking Meeting (04-2011), Chicago, IL.

Prof. Meeting. Sociology of Reproduction miniconference, Eastern Sociological Society with Theresa Morris. (02-2012), New York, NY.

Honors & Awards

Rose Laub Coser Best Dissertation Proposal in Family or Gender Studies, Eastern Sociological Society, 2007.

Dr. Mary P. Dole Medical Fellowship, Mount Holyoke College Alumnae Association, 2004.

Service

Conference Organizer, 04-2011.

04/20/2011.

Consultant, Women & Infant Vitality Network, Hamilton County Office of Maternal & Infant Health and Infant Mortality Reduction 01/04/2011.

Consultant, 2010 to 2011.

Committee Member, Society of Family Planning Junior Fellows Committee, 09-2010 to 11-2011.

Committee Member, American Sociological Association Culture Section Suzanne Langer Prize Committee, 2010 to 2011.

Review Board/Panel, Society of Family Planning 2011.

Peer Review/Referee, Women’s Health Issues 2011 to 2011.

Peer Review/Referee, Social Science & Medicine 2010 to 2011.

Peer Review/Referee, Gender Studies 2010 to 2010.

Peer Review/Referee, American Public Health Association Section on Population, Reproduction, and Sexual Health, 2010 to 2011.

Committee Member, Sociology RPT, 2010 to 2011.

Committee Member, Sociology Colloquium, 2010 to 2011.

Secretary, Sociology 2010 to 2011.

Other, University of Cincinnati VOX student organization 2010.

Post Graduate Training & Education

2008-2010, Charlotte Ellertson Social Science Postdoctoral Fellowship, Ibis Reproductive Health, Cambridge, MA.

Other Experience and Professional Memberships

2009-to Present, Member, American Public Health Association.

1999-to Present, Member, American Sociological Association.

2007-to Present, Member, Council on Anthropology and Reproduction.

1998-to Present, Member, Eastern Sociological Society.

2010-to Present, Member, Medical Humanities Group University of Cincinnati.

2008-to Present, Junior Fellow, Society of Family Planning.

1999-to Present, Member, Sociologists for Women in Society.

Courses Taught

15-SOC-141 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY.

15-SOC-501 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY.

15-SOC-141 INTRO TO SOCIOLOGY.

15-SOC-820, Sociology of Reproduction.