Faculty Projects & News

Furman’s professors are very active with research and publications, occasionally involving students with the process.

Our department has had some recent updates related to our faculty and their accomplishments.

Dr. Ken Kolb recently published Retail Inequality: Reframing the Food Desert Debate. 

His book follows the plights of two black neighborhoods within Greenville, South Carolina and the difficulties they face with the local food retail. Outsiders claimed healthier food options and grocery stores would resolve the problem within the community; however, residents continued consuming their usual diet.  Dr. Kolb speaks as to why this occurs and how public policy and racism play a key part in the system. The issue in the community was not the quality of the food, but the lack of equal retail options compared to other areas. Food retail equality remains an issue across the United States.

In 2014, Dr. Kolb published the award-winning book Moral Wages. You can read more about in it our news.

New Faculty

We recently hired visiting professor, Claire Gilliland. Dr. Gilliland teaches Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Poverty Studies, and Methods of Social Research. Dr. Gilliland has specific research interest in the sociological study of religion.

For more information about our professors and their research interests, be sure to check out our faculty!