Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer

Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer is a Lecturer at the Centre for Anglophone Studies (CAS), University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès, where he teaches U.S. civilization and conducts research at the intersection of sociology, law, and gender studies. He previously held a lectureship at Bordeaux Montaigne University (2016–2022). His work focuses on the sociology of knowledge, expertise, and scientific authority, particularly in transnational debates on same-sex marriage, abortion, climate change, and LGBT families, with a comparative focus on France and the United States.

His research explores how experts shape public policy and legal controversies through the production of 'expert capital'—the credibility and authority that experts wield in democratic debates. He investigates how cultural norms, institutional contexts, and social movements influence which experts are heard and trusted in different national settings. His forthcoming book, By the Power Vested in Me: How Experts Shape Same-Sex Marriage Debates (Columbia University Press, 2025), is a major contribution to this field.

His recent publications span peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and edited volumes, covering topics such as reproductive rights, queer family recognition, scientific neutrality, and anti-gender movements. He has co-edited the Research Handbook on the Sociology of Gender (2024) and authored numerous influential articles in journals like International Social Science Journal, Social Movement Studies, and Annual Review of Sociology.

Stambolis-Ruhstorfer holds a PhD from UCLA and EHESS, awarded with 'Very Honorable with Congratulations.' He is a Junior Member of the University Institute of France (IUF) since 2021. He holds several leadership roles: co-delegate of the Southwest Pole of the Institute of the Americas, associate editor of the International Social Science Journal, and responsible for major prizes in the American Sociological Association’s Sociology of Science, Knowledge and Technology section.

• Junior Member, University Institute of France (IUF), 2021
• Responsible, Haker-Mullins Prize, ASA Section on Sociology of Science, 2023–2024
• Responsible, Star-Nelkin Prize, ASA Section on Sociology of Science, 2024–2025
• Associate Editor, International Social Science Journal, since 2016

He supervises PhD students, including Camille Dupuy (Cinematographic Studies). He is active in multiple research networks, including the Gender and Sexuality Research Network of the Council for European Studies and the LGBT research network at the European Conference on Politics and Gender. He regularly presents at major international conferences and contributes to public discourse through blog posts and policy-relevant research.