Summary
Ben Fields is an assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Program. He earned his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside. Fields’ research focuses on two areas: social psychology and education. As a social psychologist, Fields’ research focuses on the interrelated processes of self, identity and emotion. As a sociologist of education, Fields’ focuses on faculty and student outcomes in higher education.
Fields' research draws primarily on cybernetic control theories in social psychology, such as affect control theory (ACT) and identity theory (IT). Broadly, his research looks at how interactions and identities (micro-level processes) are impacted by the organizations and institutions (meso-level) and structures and systems (macro-level) in which they are embedded. Current research projects include studies of faculty and student identities as embedded within organizational and institutional contexts; research on work-related burnout as it relates to authenticity and self-actualization; and theoretical integrations of social psychological theories.
As a member of the faculty for the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology Ph.D. Program, Fields is excited to mentor graduate students interested in a variety of areas of social psychology. His research interests are broad and students interested in self, identity, emotions across institutions and domains are welcome to reach out.
Research interests
- Self and identity
- Affect and emotions
- Higher education
- Survey research, design and analysis
- Quantitative methods
- Social psychology of law
- Gender
Courses taught
- SOC 245: The Future of Work
- SOC 480/680: Sociology of Families
- APST 470/670: Linear Regression and Time Series
Selected publications
- Fields, Benjamin C. and Justin Huft. 2024. "'Troubled' Meanings: An Affect Control Exploration of the Conflict in Northern Ireland." Social Currents.
- Fields, Benjamin C. 2023. "ACTing Like a Lawyer: An Affect Control Explanation of Gender Gaps in Law." SOCIUS 9:1-14.
- Fields, Benjamin C. and Steven G. Brint. 2023. "The Disruption in U.S. Public Higher Education Enrollments, 2009-2018 Sources of Inter-State Variation by Tier." The Journal of Higher Education. 94(2):256-285.
Education
- Ph.D., Sociology, University of California, Riverside, 2025
- M.A., Sociology, University of California, Riverside, 2021
- M.Ed., Higher Education Administration, Vanderbilt University, 2018
- A.B., World Politics, Hamilton College, 2015