John Reynolds

Contact Information:

Areas of Specialization:

Research:

My research areas include the sociology of education, aging and the life course, and social psychology. Currently I'm studying the psychological resources and social arrangements that shape the schooling and work trajectories of young adults. This research seeks to understand when and why some adolescents rise above challenging family and neighborhood environments, while other youth in the same environments demonstrate elevated risks for psychiatric disorders, juvenile delinquency, high school dropout, and unemployment. At the same time, I'm trying to uncover the factors that lead many economically privileged youth to suffer from mental, behavioral, and developmental challenges despite the considerable resources at their disposal. The unifying theme of this work is the premise that the payoffs to effort and the ability to achieve one's goals are moderated by both psychological makeup and social structural constraints.

Teaching:

Graduate:
- Transitions to Work and Schooling
- Sociology of Education
- Sociology of Work and Labor Markets
- Quantitative Analytic Techniques (Limited Dependent Variables)
Undergraduate:
- Social Inequality
- Research Methods
- Social Problems
- Social Statistics

Education and Recent Professional Experience:

Ph.D., Ohio State University, 1997
At Florida State University since 1997: Assistant Professor to Associate Professor.

Selected Papers and Publications:

Reynolds, John and R. Jay Turner. 2008. "Major Life Events, Their Personal Meaning, Resolution, and Mental Health Significance." Journal of Health and Social Behavior 49: 223–237.
Baird, Chardie, Stephanie Burge, and John Reynolds. 2008. "Absurdly Ambitious? Teenagers' Expectations for the Future and Realities of Social Structure." Sociology Compass 2: 944-962.
Reynolds, John and Stephanie Burge. 2008. "Educational Expectations and the Rise in Women's Post-Secondary Attainments." Social Science Research 37: 485-499
Reynolds, John, Stephanie Burge, Cheryl Robbins, Emily Boyd, Brandy Harris. 2007. "Mastery and the Fulfillment of Occupational Expectations." Social Psychology Quarterly 70: 366-383.
Reynolds, John, Michael Stewart, Lacey Sischo, and Ryan MacDonald. 2006. "Have Adolescents Become Too Ambitious? High School Seniors' Educational and Occupational Plans, 1976 to 2000." Social Problems 53: 186-206.

Teaching Awards at Florida State University:

Vitae