Several projects in progress or development extend my analysis of the problem-solution cycle into new domains.
Several projects in progress or development extend my analysis of the problem-solution cycle into new domains.
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Sexual Violence Lawsuits
Sexual Violence Lawsuits
My first book, The Price of Justice: Money and the Limits of Sexual Violence Lawsuits (University of California Press, June 2026), leverages an extensive evidentiary base, including interviews with 70 sexual violence plaintiffs’ attorneys, defense attorneys, and expert witnesses, analysis of nearly 200 civil sexual violence legal cases, and review of 55 hours of continuing legal education seminars. The monograph demonstrates how financially motivated lawyers mediate victims’ use of civil law to meet their needs and reform harmful organizations. I reveal that although civil law technically empowers many sexual violence victims to pursue a range of remedies, including monetary damages, apologies, and organizational reforms, attorneys shape legal mobilization by only taking high-value cases and narrowly focusing on financial compensation.
Social Movement Diffusion
Social Movement Diffusion
A new project examines the growth of the queer ballroom scene in Europe. Originating in 1960s New York City, balls provided Black and Latino gay men and trans women opportunities to practice liberation through performance and fictive kinship. As balls gain popularity in Europe—with its distinct racial, class, and gender dynamics—I analyze how organizers adapt (or resist adapting) practices in pursuit of liberation. With four undergraduate research assistants, I conducted 33 interviews with organizers and attendees and coded 565 Facebook events. These data form the basis of a paper on the segmented adaptation of social movement ideas and practices as they diffuse across contexts.
AI-Generated Sexual Abuse Imagery
AI-Generated Sexual Abuse Imagery
A second project in development investigates how activists demystify “deepfake” technologies—generative AI used to produce sexual abuse imagery—to raise awareness and demand reform. Since aspects of AI remain opaque even to engineers, activists develop strategies to translate its design and impact for diverse audiences, with unintended consequences for victims. The project, envisioned as a book, highlights how communication about technology shapes society as much as technology itself.
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