Dr. Ben Cowan

Biography

Ben Cowan received his AB from Harvard University and both his MA and PhD from UCLA. His research interests include right-wing radicalism, morality, sexuality, and 20th-century imperialism, particularly focusing on Cold War Brazil. He specializes in cultural and gender history in the post-1964 era. Cowan’s book, 'Securing Sex: Morality Repression Making Cold War Brazil' published by University of North Carolina Press in 2016, won several awards including the prestigious Brazil Section Book Award from the Latin American Studies Association. In 2021, he published another monograph, 'Moral Majorities Americas: Brazil, United States, Creation Religious Right,' which also received the Roberto Reis Prize from the Brazilian Studies Association and was named a Choice Outstanding Academic Title. His work has appeared in several academic journals including the Hispanic American Historical Review, Luso-Brazilian Review, American Quarterly, Journal of the History of Sexuality, and Radical History Review, among others. Cowan is currently researching a book on Latin American histories of mountaineering. His research has been supported by grants from notable organizations such as the John W. Kluge Center, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the American Philosophical Society, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Prior to joining UCSD, he taught at Occidental College, Dalhousie University, and George Mason University.

Research Interests