Alford Young, Jr., PhD

Edgar G. Epps Collegiate Professor and Chair, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, Associate Director, Faculty Director of Scholar Engagement and Leadership 

University of Michigan, Department of Sociology, Afroamerican and African Studies, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, Center for Social Solution, National Center for Institutional Diversity

Professor Alford Young, Jr. is pursuing research in three general areas, all of which concern the phenomenon of race or the social experiences of African Americans, and all of which employ ethnographic interview-based research methods. First, he is engaged in a series of projects on urban-based, low-income African Americans, exploring how they conceive of work opportunity and the world of work in modern society. Second, he is conducting a study of how African American scholars who research and teach about the African American experience address issues concerning the social utility of their scholarship and how that relates to their sense of mission and purpose as academics. Third, he is involved in a several small-scale studies of American higher education that address the experiences of faculty and students of color.