Jocelyn Viterna

Jocelyn Viterna is Chair of Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality and Professor of Sociology at Harvard University. Her research focuses on gender norms and social mobilization in politics, warfare, and communities. Key areas include activism around reproductive rights in El Salvador, the impact of abortion bans on women’s health, gender discourse in U.S. social movements, and pedagogical approaches to sociological theory. She leads projects to mitigate gender bias in Latin American courts and collaborates on reimagining the teaching of classical sociological theory.

• Roles: Chair of WGS, Professor of Sociology
• Research Themes: Gender equity, judicial reform, reproductive rights, social movements, U.S. political discourse
• Notable Projects: Training programs for Latin American courts, comparative analysis of U.S. conservative and progressive movements

Her book Women in War: The Micro-processes of Mobilization in El Salvador (2013) won multiple awards and is being translated into Spanish. Viterna’s work bridges academic research with practical interventions, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and policy impact.

• Awards: Four distinguished book awards and an honorable mention
• Key Publications: Over 30 articles in top journals including American Journal of Sociology and American Sociological Review

Her advising and grants emphasize global gender equity and judicial reform. Viterna’s lab focuses on transnational social protection frameworks and the intersection of gender with political institutions.