Soma Chaudhuri

Assistant Professor (joint with Sociology and School of Criminal Justice)

Dr. Soma Chaudhuri’s (Ph.D., Vanderbilt University, 2008) research focuses violence (collective violence and domestic violence), social movements, gender and witch hunts.

Dr Chaudhuri has published articles in journals such as American Journal of Sociology, Mobilization, Violence Against Women, and Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Some of her current projects include contemporary witch hunts in the tea plantations of Jalpaiguri, India (under contract with Lexington Books); and the negotiation of strategies to combat domestic violence in Gujarat, India.

Dr Chaudhuri holds M.A. degrees in sociology from Vanderbilt University (2005) and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (2000), and a B.A. degree in sociology from Presidency College, Calcutta (1998). At Michigan State University, she holds a joint position in Sociology and the School of Criminal Justice.

Research Interests

• Violence, Social Movements, Witch Hunts and Gender

Areas of Specialization: Family; Migration; Community and Urban

Recent Publications

Chaudhuri, Soma. 2012 Women as Easy Scapegoats: Witchcraft Accusations and Women as Targets in Tea Plantations of India. Violence Against Women Volume 18 (10)

Chakravarty, Anuradha and Soma Chaudhuri.* 2012. Strategic Framing Work(s): How Micro-credit Loans facilitate Anti-Witch Hunt Movements. Mobilization an International Journal Vol. 17 (2) (*Equal Authors)