Graduate Students
Sara Rocks
CONTACT
Office: CPR 233
Email
BIO
Sara Rocks (M.A., 2022) is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida. Her research concerns emotion rules (or codes) and how these rules produce widespread cultural meaning systems. In her dissertation research, Sara is currently examining how emotion codes are used as a cultural resource to manage boundaries of wellness. The project takes a deep dive into three prominent domains of wellness including: mental, relational, and physical wellness using narrative analysis of several in-depth interviews and online data. Her dissertation contributes to existing knowledge by illuminating narrative as a mechanism for boundary work and showing that an analytical focus on emotion allows for a deeper understanding of the complex ways broader social conditions (such as therapeutic culture) influence why and how people engage in boundary work. She takes great joy and honor in teaching undergraduate students having designed and taught courses such as Introduction to Sociology, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, and Emotions and Society.
research interests
Sociology of Emotions, Medical Sociology, Cultural Sociology, Disability Studie