Dr. Karen Sternheimer

Biography

Karen Sternheimer’s research focuses on the intersection of popular culture and youth, particularly the construction of social problems. She has studied moral panics surrounding youth and popular culture, examining their relationship to inequality and their impact on public policies. Sternheimer is the author of six books and has edited several anthologies, emphasizing her extensive contributions to the field of sociology. As a distinguished fellow at USC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching, she has also served as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for sociology. Her notable works include 'Social Scientist’s Soapbox: Adventures in Writing Public Sociology' (2018), which reflects her interest in public sociology, and 'Pop Culture Panics: Moral Crusaders Construct Meanings of Deviance and Delinquency' (2015), where she conducts a comparative historical analysis of moral panics from the late nineteenth century to the present. She has critically examined notions of social mobility in the context of celebrity culture in her book 'Celebrity Culture and the American Dream: Stardom, Social Mobility' (2015). Her writing also addresses youth-related social issues, including violence, substance use, and the effects of media on children.

Research Interests

Awards