Kate Burrows

Scholarship

I am a sociologist by training and am interested in medical and mental health sociology and the intersection between health, mental health, and ability and technology. I have published in a wide variety of sub-disciplines in sociology, including papers about dating and social meme theory, gender and cancer, mental health, culturally relevant teaching, and the history of medical technology. My most recent publication is as the editor of the volume, “Medical Technology and the Social: How Medical Technology is Impacting Social relations, Institutions, and Beliefs about what is Normal.” I am currently writing my first solo book project, about the social history of the surveillance and monitoring of psychiatric patients, culminating in the recent development of Bluetooth-enabled “smart pills” that enable doctors and others to be notified when a patient takes antipsychotic medication.I also was a contributor to an open-access textbook series for undergraduates and teaches sociology classes for undergraduates and graduate students ranging from Intro, to advanced courses in mental health sociology, gender, disability, and classical and mid-century sociological theory. I attended a small liberal arts college in Portland, Oregon for my undergraduate degree, and did all my requirements for my PhD at Rutgers University in New Jersey and finished my dissertation at Portland State University in Portland. I own a small consulting business that focuses on applying sociology to solve real-world problems.

My current research interests take two forms. The first is an interest in medical technology and medical surveillance and the use of biopower to control and shape deviant bodies and minds. Secondly, I am interested in diagnostic creep and nosology, especially as it relates to Pediatric Bipolar Disorder. I also coauthor publications with my clients, so have had an opportunity to explore many fields far-flung from my own interests.