Faculty

Alesia Montgomery specializes in urban sociology, with a particular focus on the structure, meaning, and impact of spatial practices within and across racial geographies and nation states. Complementing this line of research, she also engages in research and outreach related to K-12 and adult education, school-to-work transitions, work/family issues, transnational networks, and “virtual” communities.

Education and Background

Montgomery received her Ph.D in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Michigan State University, Montgomery was a postdoctoral fellow at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation/UCLA Center on Everyday Lives of Families, where she was part of an interdisciplinary team that videotaped and analyzed the mundane routines of ethnically diverse families in economically disparate areas of Los Angeles.

Current Research

Montgomery’s current research includes a comparison of the spatial maneuvers of middle class African American families in California and Michigan.  Specifically, she is exploring how and why (and at what costs to families and communities) middle class black parents navigate metropolitan areas to find beneficial settings for their children.         

460A Berkey Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
(517) 353-4465
montg143@msu.edu