Mitchell Duneier

Mitchell Duneier is the Gerhard R. Andlinger ’52 Professor of Social Sciences and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Princeton University. He holds a dual affiliation with the City University of New York Graduate Center as an urban ethnographer. His work bridges urban ethnography, social inequality, and public policy, with a focus on marginalized communities.

Education: Graduated from the University of Chicago, where he immersed himself in urban ethnographic traditions established in the 1920s.

Research Interests: Duneier’s research explores urban poverty, social marginalization, and the intersections of ethnography with public policy. His seminal works include Sidewalk (winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize), Ghetto, and Slim’s Table. He emphasizes methodological rigor and the application of sociological insights to real-world issues.

Teaching: Teaches courses such as “Introduction to Sociology,” “The Ghetto,” and “Sociology from E-Street: Bruce Springsteen’s America.” Graduate seminars include “Ethnography and Public Policy” and “Ethnographic Methods.”

Awards: The Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Sidewalk (2000) and recognition for contributions to urban ethnography and public sociology.

Film: Co-directed Sidewalk (2010), a documentary expanding on his ethnographic research of urban vendors.