Stephen Scanlan, Ph.D.

Scanlan is a professor of Sociology at Ohio University. His research interests include development and comparative social change, environmental sociology, social stratification and social movements.  More specifically his published research has examined environmental justice and poverty in Appalachia; food deserts; food insecurity and the environment; gender and development; global hunger; and greenwashing and corporate environmental communication.

Scanlan teaches courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level in environmental sociology, poverty, social change, and social movements.  In addition, he directs a study abroad program in Ireland each spring titled Food, Hunger and Inequality: The Great Irish Famine in Contemporary Perspective. Finally, he has offered numerous honors tutorials including alternative food movements, food justice, and environmental justice among others.

In addition to research, he has multiple memberships in professional organizations including the American Sociological Association, the Appalachian Studies Association and the Association for the Study of Food and Society as well as multiple regional sociological organizations.

His research has appeared in a number of edited volumes in addition to being published in several academic journals including American Sociological Review; Contexts; International Journal of Comparative Sociology; International Journal of Agriculture and Food; International Journal of Comparative Sociology; Journal of Appalachian Studies; Journal of Conflict Resolution; Local Environment: The International Journal of Justice and Sustainability; Research in Social Movements, Conflicts, and Change; Sustainability, and World Development among others.

He received a bachelor’s degree in sociology with minors in history and religious studies magna cum laude from the University of Dayton in 1993.  He completed his master’s (1995) and Ph.D. (2000) in sociology from the Ohio State University.