people

Linda Burton

James B. Duke Professor of Sociology
CCFP Faculty Fellow

My program of research is conceptually grounded in life course, developmental, and ecological perspectives and focuses on three themes concerning the lives of America's poorest urban, small town, and rural families: (1) intergenerational family structures, processes, and role transitions; (2) the meaning of context and place in the daily lives of families; and, (3) childhood adultification and the accelerated life course. My methodological approach to exploring these issues is comparative, longitudinal, and multi-method. The comparative dimension of my research comprises in-depth within group analysis of low income African American, White, and, Hispanic/Latino families, as well as systematic examinations of similarities and differences across groups. I employ longitudinal designs in my studies to identify distinct and often nuanced contextual and ethnic/racial features of development that shape the family structures, processes (e.g., intergenerational care-giving) and life course transitions (e.g., grandparenthood, marriage) families experience over time. I am principally an ethnographer, but integrate survey and geographic and spatial analysis in my work. I was one of six principal investigators involved in an multisite, multi-method collaborative study of the impact of welfare reform on families and children (Welfare, Children, and Families: A Three-City Study). I directed the ethnographic component of the Three-City Study and was also principal investigator of an ethnographic study of rural poverty and child development (The Family Life Project).

Research Interests

• Poverty,
• Intergenerational Families,
• Family Life Course Transitions,
• Neighborhood Context,
• Ethnographic Methods

Education:

• PhD Sociology, University of Southern California - 1985
• MA Sociology, University of Southern California - 1982
• BS Gerontology (with honors), University of Southern California - 1978

Teaching Fall 2012:

• SOCIOL 495S.01, SOCIOLOGY HONORS SEMINAR 1 Synopsis
  Languages 312, W 03:05 PM-05:20 PM

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Burton, L.M., Garrett-Peters, R., & Eason, J (2011). Morality, Identity, and Mental Health in Rural Ghettos.   . NY: Springer.


2. Burton, L.M., Bonilla-Silva, E., Ray, V., Buckelew, R., & Hordge Freeman, E. (2010). Critical race theories, colorism, and the decade's research on families of color. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 440-459.  [abs]


3. Burton, L.M., & Bromell, L. (2010). Childhood illness, family comorbidity, and cumulative disadvantage: An ethnographic treatise on low-income mothers' health in later life. Annual Review of Gertontology and Geriatrics, 231-263.  [abs]


4. Burton, L.M., Cherlin, A., Winn, D.M., Estacion, A., & Holder-Taylor, C. (December, 2009). The role of trust in low-income mothers' intimate unions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 71, 1107 - 1127.  [abs]


5. Burton, L.M. & Tucker, M.B. (2009). Romantic unions in an era of uncertainty: A post-Moynihan perspective on African American women and marriage. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 62, 132-148.


6. Burton, L.M. (2007). Childhood adultification in economically disadvantaged families: An ethnographic perspective. Family Relations, 56(329-345).

1. A treatise on "coming to Jesus:" The place of race, ethnicity, and colorism in contemporary family research, Invited address presented at the University of Georgia, Athens, Athens, GA, April 2011
2. Journeys to the altar: The intimate union patterns of low-income urban and rural mothers, Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA, April 2011
3. Critical race theories, colorism, and the decade's research on families of color: Reflections on process and knowledge, Invited plenary address presented at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA, April 2011
4. Inequality in place: Ethnographic perspectives on poverty and mental health in rural communities, Invited address presented at the National Cancer Insitutes-sponsored conference, "Social Inequality and Health," University of Washington, Seattle, WA, February 2011
5. The intimate unions of low-income mothers, Invited address presented at the University of California, Los Angeles, May 2011, 29 December 2011