Jeff Guhin

Jeff Guhin is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), specializing in education, culture, religion, and social theory. His research bridges theoretical frameworks with empirical investigations of moral and social dynamics in educational settings.

His scholarly background includes a Modern Middle East Studies Certificate from Yale University and fieldwork in Damascus, Syria and Mexico City, Mexico. Though his recent work focuses primarily on the United States, he maintains active scholarly engagement with the Middle East and Latin America.

Current research centers on two interconnected theoretical projects: (1) the relationship between meritocracy and alienation, and (2) the nexus of achievement, self-worth, and moral obligation. These themes manifest in his contracted books with Columbia University Press: Against Achievement: how to talk about schools without talking about meritocracy (theoretical analysis) and Magical Citizenship: Self and Social Obligation in American Schools (empirical study based on fieldwork across six U.S. public high schools in New York City, San Diego, and Charlotte).

His 2021 monograph Agents of God: Boundaries and Authority in Muslim and Christian Schools (Oxford University Press) established foundational work on religious boundaries in educational contexts, while ongoing collaborations yield additional co-authored publications exploring U.S. educational systems and theoretical implications.