Robert S. Jansen

Robert S. Jansen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Michigan. He is an affiliated faculty member of Organizational Studies and holds a Ph.D. from UCLA (2009). His research focuses on comparative-historical sociology, with emphases on politics, culture, collective memory, and the built environment. He has served as Associate Director and Director of Graduate Studies (2018–2021) and teaches courses such as 'Introduction to Sociology' and graduate seminars on professional writing in sociology.

His first book, Revolutionizing Repertoires, examines populist mobilization in early 20th-century Peru, while his current project, Materializing Memory, explores the history of historic preservation in the U.S. Collaborative work with Andrew Deener addresses sociotechnical infrastructures' development and resilience. His scholarship has earned awards from the American Sociological Association's Comparative-Historical and Theory Sections.

• Education: Ph.D., Sociology, UCLA, 2009

Dr. Jansen has advised numerous doctoral students, including Jen Triplett (University of Colorado Boulder) and Simeon Newman (University of Toronto). His research bridges historical analysis with contemporary sociological theory, addressing topics like political innovation, cultural memory, and the material dimensions of social processes.

• Awards: Theda Skocpol Dissertation Award, ASA Theory Prize

His work often integrates archival research with theoretical frameworks, such as American pragmatism, to explore how social practices and infrastructures shape political and cultural landscapes.