Kateri Boucher ’17 recently presented a research paper at the Association for the Sociology of Religion (ASR) conference in Seattle. Her paper, ‘Too Smart to be Religious?’ Discreet Seeking Amidst Religious Stigma at an Elite College,” was completed through an independent study at Hamilton and then published this spring in Social Inclusion. She also attended the annual American Sociological Association (ASA) conference which took place concurrently in Seattle.
Boucher presented on a panel organized by Hamilton Assistant Professor of Sociology Jaime Kucinskas, who was faculty adviser for her research paper. “Although I individually presented the paper at Hamilton and at the 2015 NY6 Conference, it was a totally new and valuable experience to present on a panel in front of a roomful of sociologists,” said Boucher. “I was also lucky that the ASR conference was right next door to the ASA conference, which draws thousands of sociologists from around the country.”
Major: Sociology
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
High School: Brighton High School
The theme of the ASA this year was Rethinking Social Movements, with specific focuses on the Movement for Black Lives, Occupy, and Labor Movements. Boucher remarked, “I attended sessions led by activists and organizers in these fields, and it was an incredible experience for me to see how scholarship and activism can be combined. I also engaged in important discussions, especially with other young people at the conference, about how we can use our academic backgrounds to engage better in making meaningful changes in our communities.”
Boucher said that as a sociology major, she had hoped to go to one of these conferences, and they exceeded her expectations. “I wouldn't have been able to go without Hamilton's financial support, and the support and encouragement from Professor Kucinskas,” Boucher added. “For me, this experience exemplified the way that Hamilton can provide students with such meaningful, personalized experiences in the way that many other colleges cannot.”
