Jean Halley

Jean Halley is a Professor of Sociology at the Graduate Center and College of Staten Island of the City University of New York (CUNY). She holds a PhD in Sociology from CUNY’s Graduate Center (2003) and a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard University (1992). Her research intersects with gender, race, animal studies, migration, and social power, blending academic rigor with memoir-driven insights. She has authored/co-authored influential books including Seeing White (2011/2022), Horse Crazy (2019), and The Roads to Hillbrow (2022), exploring themes from white privilege to migrant life in Johannesburg.

Halley’s work often critiques systems of power, such as in The Parallel Lives of Women and Cows (2012), which links gender roles to cattle ranching, and Boundaries of Touch (2007), examining adult-child intimacy norms. She has received awards for teaching and civic engagement, though specifics remain unlisted. Her current projects include a memoir on gender-based violence and her family’s involvement in organized white supremacy. She resides in New York City, having grown up in the Rocky Mountains with horses, which deeply influences her scholarship.

• Education:
  • PhD, Sociology, CUNY Graduate Center (2003)
  • MA, Theological Studies, Harvard University (1992)
  • BA, Psychology, Colorado College (1989)
  • Semester Abroad, Universidad de Alicante, Spain (1987)
• Key Works:
  • Seeing White (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022)
  • Horse Crazy (University of Georgia Press, 2019)
  • The Roads to Hillbrow (Fordham University Press, 2022)
  • The Affective Turn (Duke University Press, 2007)
• Research Interests: Whiteness studies, gender/sexual privilege, human-animal relationships, migration patterns, and social justice.