Benjamin Fields

Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Redlands
​PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of California, Riverside
My research interests lie at the intersection of identities, organizations, and institutions. Using social psychological theories of identity – identity theory and affect control theory – I explore issues of emotions, workplace satisfaction and burnout, and attitudes as they relate to the broader meso and macro-level social arenas in which people interact. My current projects include research on anti-Semitism and Jewish identity, non-religious identity verification, and my dissertation on academic faculty identities and burnout. ​

In my dissertation, I draw on affect control theory of selves to suggest a multi-level model of burnout stemming from organizational factors such as culture and commitment and a lack of self-actualization driven by differences in individuals’ fundamental selves and their workplace identities. In this project, I investigate different types of identity actualization including: self-actualization through personal identity meanings and fundamental self-meanings and verification through personal identity meanings and reflected appraisals. 

In addition to my research agenda, I am passionate about teaching sociology. In my courses, I emphasize the importance of sociology as a toolkit for analyzing one's own social world as well as the broader social phenomena students may encounter. I have taught courses on the sociology of family, formal organizations, work and organizations, and sociology education. Additionally, I have served as a teaching assistant for classes ranging from introductory-level methods and statistical analysis to upper-division social psychology. 

Recent Publications

Cross-national Governmental Treatment toward Atheists since 1816
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“Troubled” Meanings: An Affect Control Theory Exploration of the Conflict in Northern Ireland

ACTing Like a Lawyer: An Affect Control Theory Explanation of Gender Gaps in Law

An Uneasy Peace: How STEM Progressive, Traditionalist, and Bridging Faculty Understand Campus Conflicts over Diversity, Anti-Racism, and Free Expression​