Dr. Robert Jansen

Biography

Robert S. Jansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan, specializing in comparative-historical sociology. His substantive interests include politics, culture, collective memory, and the built environment. Jansen's notable work includes his book 'Revolutionizing Repertoires,' which explores the historical emergence of populist mobilization in early twentieth century Peru. He has developed a practice-based understanding of populism that introduces a new approach to explaining 'situated political innovation' rooted in American pragmatist theories of action. His current book project, 'Materializing Memory,' examines the emergence and institutionalization of historic preservationist movements, ideas, and practices in the United States from the early nineteenth century to the present. Jansen has also collaborated with Andrew Deener from UCSB to elaborate a sociological approach to the study of large-scale sociotechnical infrastructures, focusing on infrastructural development, resilience, and change. His early articles demonstrated 'path dependence' regarding political reputations and illustrated how physical environments can both enable and constrain intersubjectivity-sustaining practices. Jansen has received several awards for his scholarship, including the Theda Skocpol Dissertation Award from the American Sociological Association's Comparative-Historical Section and the Theory Prize from the Theory Section. He is currently serving as Chair-Elect of the Comparative-Historical Sociology section of the American Sociological Association.

Research Interests

Experience