Sara Mason

Sara Mason is the Department Head of the Sociology & Human Services department at the University of North Georgia. Her expertise spans Tourism & Leisure Studies, Race and Ethnicity, Social Stratification, Culture, Memory, and Place. She teaches courses in both Sociology and the Human Services Delivery and Administration (HSDA) program.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara (2009)
• M.A. in Sociology, University of California, Santa Barbara (2002)
• B.A. in Cultural Studies, Hampshire College (1995)

Research Interests:
Dr. Mason’s research explores the intersections of race, culture, knowledge production, and power, focusing on cultural practices such as tourism, place-making, and consumption in relation to racial identities, class, history, and memory. She is currently developing a book manuscript analyzing heritage tourism’s growth alongside the politics of place-making and the emergence of a Black tourist class.

Publications Trends:
Her 2011 works highlight the sociocultural dynamics of tourism, particularly its role in shaping racial narratives and collective memory. The first article examines slavery’s representation on the Plantation Trail during the Civil War’s sesquicentennial, while the second investigates Black identity and tourism in Atlanta. Both emphasize ethnographic analysis and critique power structures in cultural consumption.