Alexis Franzese

Professor of Sociology and Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology

Lindner Hall - Arts & Sciences, Office 212B 2035 Campus Box Elon, NC 27244

Brief Biography

Alexis T. Franzese is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Elon University. Her areas of expertise include medical sociology and social psychology.

News & Notes

Education

Dr. Franzese completed a doctoral degree in Sociology at Duke University (2007) as well as a doctoral degree in Psychology (Clinical) at Duke University (2011). Her clinical internship was completed at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center (2010-2011) in Durham, NC. Her teaching and research are informed by her training in both sociology and psychology.

Employment History

Dr. Franzese joined the Elon University faculty in the fall of 2011.

Courses Taught

Introduction to Sociology

The Self & Society

Sociology of Aging

Sociology and Mental Health

Social Construction of Deviance

The Science of Happiness (COR course)

Medical Sociology

Study USA: Happiest Place? The Science of Happiness at Disney

Upcoming:

Sociology of Reproduction and Family-Building

Leadership Positions

Dr. Franzese is faculty advisor for Alpha Kappa Delta, Elon's Sociology Honor Society.

Research

Dr. Franzese conducts research at the intersections of medical sociology, social psychology, and women/gender/sexuality studies. Specifically, she is interested in the social construction of gender expectations- embodied, and enacted over the life course, and how these factors collide within the health care system and particularly around reproductive and family-building choices. She has extensive experience in survey research and in-depth qualitative interviews with female-identifying and male-identifying individuals about their experiences and self-perceptions around identity. As reflected in her current projects, Dr. Franzese is especially interested in the extent to which individuals feel that their life choices represent an authentic or true self as opposed to being socially mandated.

Current Projects

Dr. Franzese conducts research an array of topics which are linked through their focus on issues of self and identity and the implications of these issues for well-being. She uses both quantitative and qualitative research methods to address these topics. Her scholarship is informed by both sociological and psychological perspectives and training in social psychology within both disciplines. Her main line of research is on the topic of authentic behavior and explores (a) the social determinants of authentic behavior, (b) the mental health consequences of inauthentic behavior, and (c) authenticity in the context of self-regulation. In addition, she has a new line of scholarship on issues of identity surrounding reproductive decisions and family-building.

Three current projects include:

Authenticity and Sexual Orientation
Authenticity and Extramarital Affairs
Identity, Authenticity and Family-Building

Students with interest in gaining research experience in these and/or related areas are invited to contact Dr. Franzese (afranzese@elon.edu), to discuss possible training opportunities.

Publications

Publications include:

Franzese, A.T., Stober, K., & McCurdy, A. (anticipated publication date of 2019). Family completion as part of the reproductive cycle: What it means to be “done.” In E.M Armstrong, S. Markens, and M. Waggoner (Series Eds.), B.L. Perry (Volume Ed.) Advances in Medical Sociology Volume 20: Reproduction, Health, and Medicine. Springer.

Stober, K., & Franzese, A.T. (2018). The parental experience of mothers who have children with developmental disabilities: Qualitative reflections on marginalization and resiliency. In T. Taylor & K. Bloch (Guest Eds.) Marginalized mothers, mothering from the margins (pp.73-88). Advances in Gender Research Book Series: EmeraldInsight.

Franzese, A. T., & Seigler, C. P. (2018). Symbolic interactionism. In V. Zeigler-Hill & T.K. Shackelford (Eds.), Springer encyclopedia of personality and individual differences. New York, NY: Springer.

Franzese, A. T., & Seigler, C. P. (2018). Gratitude. In B. J. Carducci (Editor-in-Chief) & J. S. Mio & R. E. Riggio (Vol. Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Vol. IV. Clinical, applied, and cross-cultural research. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Franzese, A.T., & Felten, P. (2017). Reflecting on reflecting: Scholarship of teaching and learning as a tool to evaluate contemplative pedagogies. International Journal of Scholarship on Teaching and Learning 11(1), Article 8.

Franzese, A.T. & McCurdy, A.L. Reproduction. (2016). In C. Shehan (Ed.) The encyclopedia of family studies. (Vol. 4, pp. 1677-1685). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Franzese, A.T. & Panaggio, N.C. Contraception. (2016). In C. Shehan (Ed.) The encyclopedia of family studies. (Vol.1, pp. 425-434). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Franzese, A.T. & Rurka, M.M. Theories of aging. (2016). In C. Shehan (Ed.) The encyclopedia of family studies. (Vol. 4, pp. 1936-1944). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Blackwell.

Blalock, D.V., Franzese, A.T., Mitchell, K., and Strauman, T.J. (2015). Attachment style and regulatory focus theory: How our patterns in relationships reflect broader motivational styles. Personality and Individual Differences, 87, pp.90-98.

Franzese, A.T. & Patterson, A. 2014. Sociology of deviance. In A. Scull (Ed.) Cultural Sociology of Mental Illness. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Franzese, A.T. 2013. Motivation, motives, and individual agency. In J. DeLamater (Ed.) Handbook of social psychology (2nd edition) (pp. 281-318). New York: Springer.

Webb, K B. & Franzese, A.T. 2013. Having the most difficult conversation. The North Carolina Psychologist, 65(3), p. 12.

Franzese, A.T. 2010. Being “Real” at work. The North Carolina Psychologist, 62 (4), p. 1, 4.

Franzese, A.T. 2009. Authenticity: Disciplinary perspectives and dynamic experiences. In P. Vannini, & J.P. Williams (Eds.), Authenticity in culture, self and society (pp. 87-101). London: Ashgate.

Vannini, P. & Franzese, A.T. 2008. The authenticity of self: Conceptualization, personal experience, and practice. Sociology Compass, 2, 1621-1637.

Franzese, Alexis T. 2008. Self-Presentation. In International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 2nd edition, (Vol. 7, pp.423-424). Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA.