Contested Illnesses Research Group
Brown University , Providence RI
Brian Mayer received his PhD in Sociology from Brown University in 2006. His research areas include environmental sociology, medical sociology, social movements, and the sociology of science. Dr. Mayer's research focuses on the intersection of these sociological disciplines, where social movement actors contest with scientists and policy makers over environmental causes of disease. In addition, Dr. Mayer is interested in social stratification and inequality, especially the distribution of environmental inequalities in our society. Dr. Mayer's book,Blue-Green Coalitions: Fighting for Safe Workplaces and Health Communities (2008, Cornell University Press), examines the formation of social movement coalitions between labor and environmental organizations in the United States. Other projects include an analysis of the public's perception of the relationship between asthma and air pollution and a new project investigating the role of environmental discourses in the national debate over chemical safety and security.