Cory Anderson , Ph.D.

I study how structural-cultural arrangements produce social changes among groups self-defining as non-mainstream. I am broadly interested in various populations, though I pay particular attention to rapidly growing ethnic sectarians in North America, including the Amish and Mennonites. Because the rapid growth of non-mainstream populations creates numerous social challenges, I regularly pose applied research questions while engaging non-mainstream populations with community participatory approaches.

Across my 40+ research publications, I have mobilized originally compiled datasets to answer questions specific to health, demography, social disparities/inequity, and sociological theory. As my population-based questions are multifaceted, I have pragmatically employed methods in statistics, spatial science, and qualitative content analysis. In academic networks, I have advanced cross-disciplinary collaborations and co-developed new knowledge networks, including the Amish & Plain Anabaptist Studies Association and Journal of Amish and Plain Anabaptist Studies.