Lisa A Keister, Professor and Director of the Markets & Management Program

Contact Info:

Office Location:	336 Soc/Psych Bldg
Office Phone:	(919) 660-5624
Email Address:

Teaching (Fall 2009):

• SOCIOL 154.01, GETTING RICH Synopsis

  Perkins 2-071, TuTh 01:15 PM-02:30 PM

• PhD Sociology, Cornell University 1997
• MA Sociology, Cornell University 1995
• MA Economics, University of Oklahoma 1991
• BA (magna cum laude and With Distinction) comparative area studies, Duke University 1989

Research Interests:

My research is concentrated in two areas in economic sociology: the study of wealth inequality and the study of complex organizations, particularly in China. Both research agendas explore the emergence of social structure and the subsequent effect of social structure on the behaviors of actors. I conduct research in two diverse contexts and on two types of actors (people and corporations) in order to study how some of the same principles operate in diverse contexts. In addition, by focusing on subjects that cross traditional disciplinary boundaries, I am able to draw on a broader set of ideas in answering the questions and to ask new questions that move beyond traditional academic borders.

Areas of Interest:

Economic sociology
Organizations and organization theory
Social stratification
Chinese economic transformation
Chinese society

Curriculum Vitae

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

1. Lisa A. Keister, Social Stratification and Inequality (Forthcoming), Cambridge University Press .
2. Lisa A. Keister, Getting Rich: America’s New Rich and How They Got That Way (2005), Cambridge University Press .
3. Lisa A. Keister, Race, Family Structure, and Wealth: The Effect of Childhood Family on Adult Asset Ownership, Sociological Perspectives, vol. 47 (2004), pp. 161-87 .
4. Lisa A. Keister, Capital Structure in Transition: The Transformation of Financial Strategies in China's Emerging Economy, Organization Science, vol. 15 (2004), pp. 145-58 .
5. Lisa A. Keister and Jin Lu, Financial Resources and Product Market Development: Strategic Choice and Institutional Processes During China's Transition, Sociological Forum, vol. 19 (2004), pp. 229-254 .
6. Lisa A. Keister, Religion and Wealth: The Role of Religious Affiliation and Participation in Early Adult Asset Accumulation, Social Forces, vol. 82 (2003), pp. 173-205 .
7. Lisa A. Keister, Sharing the Wealth: The Effect of Siblings on Adults’ Wealth Ownership, Demography, vol. 40 (2003), pp. 521-542 .
8. Lisa A. Keister, Repealing the Estate Tax: A Recipe for More Inequality?, Contexts, vol. 2 (2003), pp. 42-49 .
9. Lisa A. Keister, Adapting to Radical Change: Strategy and Environment in Piece-Rate Adoption During China’s Transition, Organization Science, vol. 13 (2002), pp. 459-474 .
10. Lisa A. Keister, Banking and Financial Markets in Sociology, Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 28 (2002), pp. 39-61 .