Hugo Ceron Anaya

Hugo Ceron Anaya is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University, specializing in the study of elites and social inequality. His research examines the intersection of class, race, and gender in Latin America, particularly in Mexico, to understand how privilege perpetuates systemic exclusion.

• Education: Ph.D. in Sociology (University of Essex, 2009), M.A. in Sociology (University of Essex, 2003), B.A. in History (National University of Mexico, 1998)

His work challenges traditional poverty-focused analyses by adopting a “studying up” approach to examine affluent groups. His award-winning book Privilege at Play (OUP, 2019) uses ethnographic studies of elite golf clubs in Mexico City to reveal how racialized and gendered narratives justify inequality. He has also published extensively on whiteness in Latin America, co-editing a special issue for Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies.

Key research trends include:

• Analysis of spatial segregation and elite social spaces
• Critical examination of racialization processes among affluent groups
• Intersectional studies of gender and class privilege
• Policy implications for anti-poverty programs

Scientific Awards:

• Outstanding Book Award, 2020 (North American Society for the Sociology of Sports)
• Fulbright Specialist (2022) at Federal University of Ceará, Brazil
• Research Fellow (2021) at Maria Sibylla Merian Center, Mexico

Ceron Anaya has taught courses on race and ethnicity in the Americas, immigration, sociology of sports, and the Latin@X experience. In 2024-2025, he will direct Lehigh Launch program in Santiago, Chile, focusing on global inequality studies.