Marla H. Kohlman initially came to Kenyon as a dissertation fellow in 1998 and joined the faculty in sociology and African diaspora studies in 1999. Before coming to Kenyon, Kohlman was an attorney in Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Professor Kohlman's courses focus upon institutional frameworks of inequality (gender, race, class, sexuality, etc.), social theory and quantitative methods.
Education
2000 — Doctor of Philosophy from Univ Maryland College Park
1991 — Master of Science from American University
1991 — Doctor of Jurisprudence (Law) from American University
1988 — Bachelor of Arts from Haverford College
Courses Recently Taught
AFDS 108
The Crossroads Seminar
AFDS 108
The course is designed specifically with first-year students in mind. The seminar is taught by an interdisciplinary group of Kenyon faculty members who have interests in teaching, researching and engaging with others in the discussion of issues and concerns pertaining to African and African diaspora studies. The specific topic to be addressed each year is developed by the crossroads faculty at the end of the preceding spring semester. The seminar typically will be taught as a colloquium where several crossroads faculty offer a set of lectures serving as discrete modules. Within this format, students will explore the cultures of the African diaspora and their influences on the global culture. Students will also focus on analytical writing and public vocal expression. Enrollment is limited to 15 students. This counts toward 0.5 units in AFDS or AMST. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. No prerequisite. Generally offered every other year.
AFDS 110
Introduction to African Diaspora Studies
AFDS 110
This discussion-based course introduces students to several of the most important approaches to the study of African diaspora experiences. Students taking this course will find themselves engaged with a variety of disciplines (e.g., anthropology, history, literary study, psychology, sociology and visual and performing arts). Though some of the texts may change extensively from year to year, the focus of this course will be to undertake a preliminary investigation into the connections and the relationship between Africa and several other parts of the world. No prerequisite. Generally offered every spring.
AFDS 410
Between Womanist and Feminist Theories
AFDS 410
The objective of this interdisciplinary seminar is to offer a clear understanding of what womanist and feminist theory are, as well as how the two often overlap in history, social commentary and methodology. As such, the materials used in the course make explicit reference to the many academic and social contexts that have given rise to both feminist theory and womanist theory. During the course of the semester, we will trace several elements of the African American experience, predominantly pertaining to women, in order to understand how disparate voices have been informed by each theoretical paradigm. Fictional and academic texts, films, audio-clips, and several other examples of womanist and feminist discourses will be used to cement the understanding of these theoretical paradigms. This interdisciplinary course does not count toward the completion of any diversification requirement. Prerequisite: AFDS 110 and one mid-level course that may be counted toward the AFDS concentration or permission of instructor.
SOCY 106
Social Issues and Cultural Intersections
SOCY 106
The objective of this course is to critically examine social problems in the United States by using sociological perspectives to investigate the cultural and structural foundations of our society. Toward that end, students will learn sociological and criminological perspectives that provide a basic understanding of the principles of social-problems research from a sociological perspective. Among the topics to be covered are education, crime, the family and work, using examples from the Age of Enlightenment up to the present day. The most fundamental expectation of students in this course will be to use their sociological imaginations in every class period to engage in focused discussion of the readings and assignments completed outside of class. This is expected to aid students in the goal of mastering necessary skills of critical thinking and discussion, both verbally and in their writing about contemporary topics of interest and concern. Students may take only one introductory-level course. This counts toward the foundation course requirement for the major. No prerequisite.
SOCY 225
Notions of Family
SOCY 225
We all come from families and the family is a familiar social institution. But family is constituted not just by our individual experiences but also as a product of historical, social and political conditions. This course will examine how these conditions have shaped family life as we know it today. We will look at the social construction of the family, the psychosocial interiors of families and how governmental policy has shaped and will continue to shape families in the future. In addition, we will discuss the increasing diversity of family structures, the institution of marriage, and the social construction of childhood and parenting as represented in empirical research and legal decisions. Our underlying framework for analysis will be the gendered nature of family systems. This counts toward the culture and identity or institutions and change requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course. Offered every two years.
SOCY 231
Issues of Gender and Power
SOCY 231
The primary objective of this course is to explore the socio-legal construction of gender in U.S. society as we interrogate the power of underlying contemporary debates predicated upon gender. The focus of discussion is specifically on legal issues that seem to be particularly affected by our societal understanding of the feminine and the masculine as presently constructed for example, sexual orientation, rape and domestic violence. This course satisfies a requirement of the concentrations in women’s and gender studies and in law and society, as well as in the American studies major. This counts toward the institutions and change or culture and identity requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course, LGLS 110 or permission of instructor. Offered every two years, in rotation with SOCY 232.
SOCY 232
Sexual Harassment: Normative Expectations and Legal Questions
SOCY 232
This course provides the opportunity for students to become conversant with the wide range of experiences that may appropriately be called sexual harassment. The course is guided by the principle that sexual harassment is not, as many seem to think, simply a byproduct of sexual desire or misguided attraction. Sexual harassment is about power gaining power or retaining power in institutional settings. We will explore this concept both as legal construction, calling for specific determinants, and as a normative concept that arises in casual conversation and lived experience. This course counts toward the African Diaspora Studies and Law and Society Concentrations, and also toward the American Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies Majors. This counts toward the institutions and change requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course, LGLS 110 or permission of instructor. Offered every two years.
SOCY 240
Sociology of Crime and Deviance
SOCY 240
Our common sense tells us that certain acts are "wrong"; that particular persons who engage in them are "deviant." But common sense suggests little about how and why a particular act or actor comes to be understood in this way. The objective of this course is to explore the significance of deviance and crime within social life. We carry the distinction between being different, being deviant and being criminal throughout the semester. This course provides a substantial introduction to criminology, with consideration of the social characteristics of offenders and victims, crime rates and various justifications of punishment. This course should be of interest to students within many majors who are concerned with theoretical, practical and ethical questions concerning the concepts of good and evil as foundations of human society. This counts toward the institutions and change or culture and identity requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course or permission of instructor. Offered every other year.
SOCY 241
Sociology of Gender
SOCY 241
Sociology has long recognized the different roles of men and women in society, but the systematic, sociological analysis of how and why these roles have been developed and maintained continues to be a contested terrain of scholarship and popular debate. This course will analyze the social construction of gender and its salience in our everyday lives. Using sociological theory in the context of gender, we will link the private experiences of individuals to the structure of social institutions. The course will begin with the familiar world of socialization and move to the more abstract level of institutions of social control and sex-based inequalities within social institutions, including the economy and family. This counts toward the culture and identity or the institutions and change requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course or permission of instructor. Offered every two years.
SOCY 250
Systems of Stratification
SOCY 250
The objective of this course is to investigate systems of stratification through reading texts and empirical investigation. We will also provide regular opportunities to investigate several different data sets to pursue questions that arise from a reading of the texts we cover during the course of the semester. Stratification topics to be covered include education, gender, class, sexuality and race as they have permeated U.S. society and, therefore, as they have shaped the everyday lived experience of U.S. citizens. With a heavy emphasis upon the critical assessment of quantitative information as presented in the readings for this course, as well as the use of quantitative analysis, this course satisfies the quantitative reasoning requirement. This course satisfies a requirement of the African Diaspora Studies Concentration and may be counted toward the American Studies Major. This counts toward the institutions and change requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course or permission of instructor. Offered every two years.
SOCY 262
Linking Classical Tradition to Contemporary Theory
SOCY 262
This course will help to guide students to draw linkages from classical theory to the formation of contemporary sociological theory. Discussion will be guided by the personal biographies of the theorists: their family background, where they were educated and what events or persons they were influenced by as they formulated the theories for which they are known. Emphasis is placed upon acquiring breadth of knowledge, rather than depth. For a more comprehensive understanding of many of the theorists discussed in this class, students are directed to SOCY 361 and SOCY 362. This course is not intended for seniors, although it is required for all majors. Students are advised to enroll in this class as soon as they begin to consider majoring in sociology. This counts toward the theory requirement for the major. Prerequisite: 100-level sociology course. Offered every year.
SOCY 372
Quantitative Research Methods
SOCY 372
Ever wonder how sociologists gather the information upon which they base their claims? Curious about all those charts and graphs in newspapers and magazines? Thinking about a career in marketing, survey research or program evaluation? This course is designed for students who want to become proficient in doing and understanding quantitative social research using SPSS. The focus of this class is survey research and design. Students will learn the basics of data mining, recoding and analysis while also learning to write and present their research findings. This counts toward the methods requirement for the major. Prerequisite: sophomore standing, 100-level sociology course and SOCY 271. Offered every two years.
SOCY 421
Gender Stratification
SOCY 421
This course critically examines several genres of literature on the social roles of men and women at both the social-psychological and structural levels of society. We will discuss, in particular, how gender relates to concepts such as socialization, attitudes, interpersonal behavior, work roles and stratification by race, sexuality and class; and social problems that arise as a result of gender inequality. This counts toward the culture and identity or institutions and change requirement for the major and also counts toward the African Diaspora Studies, Law and Society, and Women and Gender Studies Concentrations. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of instructor. Offered every two to three years.
SOCY 422
Topics in Social Stratification
SOCY 422
The primary objective of this course is to pursue a comprehensive examination of contemporary issues which determine social stratification in the United States and, thereby, impact public policy and societal values. Some topics that may be addressed are race relations in the United States, gender, work, family, sexuality, poverty and religion. Topics may vary from semester to semester, but they will be of importance to any discussion of the institutional forces that govern our society. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission of the instructor. Offered every two to three years.
SOCY 463
Intersectional Theory
SOCY 463
This course explores the theoretical paradigm of intersectionality. Its principal objective is to develop an understanding of the ways in which the salient identities of class position, race and gender function simultaneously to produce the outcomes we observe in the lives of individuals and in society. While there is a large body of literature in each of the three areas (class, race, gender), only recently have theorists and researchers attempted to model and analyze the "simultaneity" of their functioning as one concerted force in our everyday lives. We will pursue this objective by exploring the roles of gender and race/ethnicity in the United States during the early development of capitalism and in the present, by re-examining key concepts in conflict theory through the lens of intersectional theory, and by studying the roles of class, gender and race/ethnicity at the level of the global economy today as in the past. This counts toward the culture and identity or theory requirement for the major. This also counts toward the senior seminar requirement for the African Diaspora Studies Concentration and toward the American Studies and Women's and Gender Studies Majors. Prerequisite: Junior standing and SOCY 262 or 361, or permission of instructor. Offered every two to three years.
SOCY 497
Senior Honors
SOCY 497
This course is for students pursuing departmental honors. Permission of instructor and department chair required. Prerequisite: senior standing and sociology major.
Academic & Scholarly Achievements
2017
The Legacy of Sandra L. Bem: Discourses on Gender and Sexual Inequality. volume 23 of the Advances in Gender Research series. United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing Group, Ltd. United Kingdom. [with Dana B. Krieg]
2013
2013
Notions of Family: Intersectional Perspectives, volume 17 of the Advances in Gender Research series, Emerald Publishing Group, Ltd. United Kingdom. [with Dana B. Krieg and Bette Dickerson]
2008
Kohlman, Marla H. and Bette J. Dickerson. 2008.Intersectional Analyses of the Family for the 21st Century, a special edition of The International Journal of Sociology of the Family 34:2.
2017
“For the Sake of Hearth and Home: Gender Schematicity in the Romance Novel” in Advances in Gender Research, The Legacy of Sandra L. Bem: Discourses on Gender and Sexual Inequality. volume 23 United Kingdom: Emerald Publishing Group, Ltd. [with Samantha Simpson]
2016
“Chapter 26: Women’s Social Movements and Activism within the US Military” in The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Women’s Social Movement Activism, edited by Holly J. McCammon, Lee Ann Banaszak, Verta Taylor, and Jo Reger. New York: Oxford University Press. [with Tiffany Sanford-Jenson
2016
“Chapter Two: Beyoncé as Intersectional Icon: Interrogating the Politics of Respectability” in The Beyoncé Effect: Connecting Gender, Race, and Body Politics, edited by Adrienne Trier-Bieniek. Pp. 27-39. Jefferson, NC: McFarland Publishing.
2016
“Sexual Harassment: An Old Problem in a Modern World” in The American Middle Class: An Economic Encyclopedia of Progress and Poverty. Santa Barbara: CA: Greenwood Press. [with Alma Urbano-Torres]
2014
“Chapter 23: The Demography of Sexual Harassment” in Intersectionality: A Foundations and Frontiers Reader, edited by Patrick R. Grzanka. Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press. Pp. 175-183.
2012
“Chapter 8: Intersectionality: A Transformative Paradigm in Feminist Theory and Social Justice” in Handbook of Feminist Research, Second Edition, edited by Sharlene Hesse-Biber. Pp. 154-174. [with Bonnie T. Dill]