Talia Shiff

T-Shiff2014@nlaw.northwestern.edu
Advisor: Orloff

Joint Program: JD-PHD (Department of Sociology and Northwestern School of Law)

Areas of Interest

Law, Culture, Gender, Comparative Historical Sociology, Theory

Current Research

My research is primarily concerned with the interplay of law and society. My work examines the ways in which law is embedded in social life and the processes through which social norms and institutions inform legal categories.

My current research is concerned with the process through which gender persecution was adopted as a standard for determining refugee status: how did gender persecution come to be framed, what legal and political strategies were employed in the process and by whom, and how does gender asylum fit within broader developments of refugee policy? One of my surprising findings about the politics of gender asylum is that this new discourse of rights has come to be widely adopted at a time of increasing suspicion and hostility towards immigrants and foreigners.

Awards/Honors

2011, MacArthur Foundation Summer Research Grant (with Professor Ann Orloff)

2011, Buffett Center’s Crown Family Middle East Research Travel Awards program

2011, The Robert F. Winch Memorial Award 2010-2011 Outstanding Teaching Assistant

2011-2012, Sociology Graduate Student Association co-President

2009, Jonathan Shapira Scholarship for M.A. Thesis, (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

2008, Rector’s Teaching Award, Best Teacher among Junior Teaching Staff, Faculty of Social Sciences, (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

2008, Dean of Social Sciences Scholarship for Distinctive Scholarly Achievements, (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

2007, Department of Sociology’s Scholarship for Scholarly Achievements, (Tel Aviv University, Israel)

William Henry Exum Award

The intent of this prize is to honor the memory of William Henry Exum, a member of the Department of Sociology and the African American Studies Department, who died in 1986 at the age of 37. Exum was concerned with the quality of writing and research analysis in student papers. He was also interested in racial problems facing minority youths in higher education. This award was established as a means of continuing his goals of breaking barriers for all minorities.

The award submission deadline is April 27, 2012. All interested students should submit a 15-20 page paper, typed and double-spaced, on a topic dealing with race and ethnicity. Students are not limited to a sociological approach in preparing their submissions, nor is the award limited to sociology or social science majors.

The paper should include a cover sheet with the student's name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, year in school, and major.

Three copies of the essay must be submitted by the announced deadline to the Exum Award - Department of Sociology, 1810 Chicago Ave., Evanston Campus or one copy by email to sociol@northwestern.edu.

This award is open to all undergraduate students from all disciplines.

Upcoming Events

COLLOQUIUM: Aldon Morris, Sociology, Northwestern University
May 24, 2012 • 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM