Matthew Soener

Matthew Soener is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, within the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. His research integrates economic sociology, political economy, and social theory to analyze transformations in global capitalism, inequality, and climate change.

• Ph.D. in Sociology, The Ohio State University (2018)
• B.A., University of Kansas
• Postdoctoral Researcher, Sciences Po, Paris

His research centers on financialization, corporate and state power, labor-capital inequality, and the socio-economic roots of climate change. He investigates how shifts in power and distribution under global capitalism have shaped workplace dynamics, financial accumulation, and environmental outcomes. His theoretical work draws from classical and contemporary political economy, including the thought of Nicos Poulantzas.

Matthew's recent publications explore shareholder exploitation, the impact of IMF policies on emissions, decarbonization challenges under capitalism, and the legal structures reinforcing elite economic power. His work frequently appears in leading sociology and political economy journals such as Social Forces, Socio-Economic Review, and Economy and Society, reflecting a sustained interdisciplinary engagement with core issues of inequality and systemic change.

He has not been mentioned as receiving any scientific awards or prizes in the provided text.

Matthew Soener advises students and conducts research within the sociology department at UIUC. While specific grants are not listed, his externally funded research is evident through his publication record in high-impact journals. He teaches core theoretical and substantive courses including Introduction to Social Theory, Classical and Contemporary Social Theory, Political Sociology, and Political Economy.

There is no mention of specific labs or research teams in the provided materials, though his collaborative publications suggest active research partnerships with scholars such as Davon Norris, Olivier Godechot, Mirna Safi, and Michael Nau.