Mignon Duffy

Professor Mignon Duffy is a Sociology faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, specializing in paid care work's sociological implications. She emphasizes combining social justice principles with rigorous scientific methods in teaching and research. Duffy is dedicated to student mentorship, arranging internships like a project with Lowell Community Health Center for undergraduates studying teen healthcare access barriers.

Her research focuses on labor dynamics in healthcare, childcare, and eldercare sectors, addressing structural racism, gender disparities, and policy interventions. She directs the Emerging Scholars Program, offering year-long research fellowships, and serves as a Senior Associate at the Center for Women and Work. Duffy advocates for UMass Lowell’s community-engaged ethos, valuing its balance of academic opportunity and personal connection.

Key research themes include health equity through improved low-wage care jobs, Black women’s healthcare sector employment challenges, and care work’s global comparative analysis. Her 2011 book Making Care Count traces a century of gender, race, and care labor intersections. Duffy’s work bridges academic research with actionable policy solutions for care sector sustainability.

Her contributions span over 15 years, with publications addressing care work during crises (e.g., pandemic responses), occupational turnover dynamics, and domestic labor’s urban resurgence. Duffy’s interdisciplinary approach integrates historical analysis, labor economics, and policy advocacy to advance social justice in caregiving professions.