Overview
Katharina is a PhD student in the Department of Sociology. Her research interest lies at the intersection of family, gender, and legal frameworks, including criminal law and immigration enforcement. Her research explores how families interact with governmental institutions and how institutionalized norms shape family life and gender dynamics. Specifically, Katharina’s work examines how routine bureaucratic processes influence everyday experiences and decision-making in romantic relationships, parenthood, and childhood. By examining these interactions, Katharina’s work aims to shed light on systemic inequalities affecting marginalized families, particularly as they relate to access to resources, institutional support, and outcomes within legal systems.
Originally from Germany, Katharina has spent the last decade in the U.S., earning her BA in Sociology and Economics from Smith College.