Margaret Hagerman Wins National Award for Early Career Research in Children and Youth Studies

Margaret A. Hagerman, associate professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, has received the Distinguished Early Career Award by the American Sociological Association’s Section on Children and Youth. She was recognized for her research achievements in the field of childhood and youth studies.

Dr. Hagerman joined the Mississippi State University faculty in 2014 as an assistant professor. She was promoted to her current role as associate professor with tenure in 2020. In addition to her primary appointment in the department of sociology, she holds faculty affiliations with the African American studies and gender studies programs.

As a scholar, Dr. Hagerman focuses her work on how children’s social contexts shape their understanding of race, racism, and racial privilege, and what that means for racial inequality on a broader scale. She is the author of two books: Children of a Troubled Time: Growing Up With Racism in Trump’s America (New York University Press, 2024) and White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege in a Racially Divided America (New York University Press, 2018).

Dr. Hagerman received her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in sociology from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.