Laura Backstrom

Laura Backstrom is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), where she has served since 2016 after earning her Ph.D. from Indiana University. She currently directs the department's BA Honors Program and contributes significantly to curriculum development in family studies, childhood sociology, and body theory.

Her educational background centers on doctoral training at Indiana University, though specific degree dates and prior institutions remain unspecified in the source material. Her research critically examines how small-city residency shapes parental perspectives and lived experiences, utilizing qualitative methodologies to explore embodied social dynamics.

Professor Backstrom's scholarly interests form an interconnected framework spanning structural social issues and micro-level interactions:

• Social Problems
• Culture and Social Interaction
• Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Sociology of the Body
• Childhood and Family Systems
• Deviance and Social Control
• Qualitative Research Methods

Mentorship constitutes a core professional commitment, with active engagement in graduate student development through Directed Independent Study projects and MA thesis committee service. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes writing-intensive, research-applied coursework across undergraduate and graduate levels.