E-mail this pageSociology Faculty - Dr. Lynda Ames
Professor of Sociology
"I am interested primarily in the how society arranges work and rewards. I study what "work" means in our society, how it is organized, and what our working lives are like. An integral part of this study is how we get paid for this work. I've spent many years analyzing the disparity between the pay of men and that of women, and assisting organizations wishing to rectify any bias in their pay-setting systems. These organizations include various states, cities, and counties in the U.S., and labor unions and provincial and federal governments in Canada. I conducted research with a colleague here in the North Country with low-income women. Our book documents their struggles for respect and for the resources to move their families out of poverty.
"I am also working on reducing violence against women. I've analyzed the efforts of Clinton County against domestic violence. I help administer a federal grant on campus to reduce sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking at Plattsburgh State." For more information, please visit http://www.research.plattsburgh.edu/vaw.
Dr. Ames earned her B.A. at U.C.L.A. and her graduate degrees at the University of California at Santa Barbara. She now lives happily (on the opposite end of the country) with her partner, two large dogs, and four cats in a tiny hamlet between the forest and the lake.
Education
- Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1986
- M.A. in Sociology, University of California at Santa Barbara, 1982
- B.A. in Sociology, University of California at Los Angeles, 1976
Teaching Areas
- Social Stratification: analyzes the way societies distribute rewards like money, power, and status
- Working in Society: focuses on the world of work and what it means in this society
- Sociology of Organizations: the nature and structure of bureaucracies and organizations, focusing on the impact they have on individuals - such as alienation - and on society itself
- Applied Sociology Internships: Dr. Ames coordinates the department's internship program and leads the seminar required in that program
Research Areas
- Domestic violence and sexual assault
- Pay Equity
- Workplace democracy
Recent Publications
- "Assymptotic Justice" reports on the utility of probation in cases of intimate partner violence, Violence Against Women
- Women Empowered, Women Reformed documents low-income women in the North Country and their struggles for respect and for the resources to move their families out of poverty, Temple University Press
Awards
Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
Faculty Website
Contact Dr. Lynda Ames
Office: Redcay Hall 218
Phone: (518) 564-3303
E-mail: ameslj@plattsburgh.edu