Sarah Quinn
Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Areas of Expertise:
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About Sarah
Quinn uses historical research and case studies to investigate the intersection of political institutions, market practices, and systems of moralization. She is a faculty affiliate of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies and Urban@UW.
Contributions
How Debt Showdowns Encourage Credit Bubbles
Key Findings Brief,
In the News
Sarah Quinn quoted on consumer choices by Amity Addrisi, "The Psychology behind Self-Gifting with Subscription Boxes" NBC K5 , July 16, 2015.
Sarah Quinn's research on mortgage securitization discussed by , "Cracked Foundation: Reforming Housing Finance," New York Times Magazine, April 23, 2010.
Publications
"The Hidden Credit State: A Sociology of Federal Credit Programs in the United States," University of Washington, forthcoming.
Investigates the history of federal programs that direct the distribution of credit, and considers how this case matters for sociological theories inequality, social welfare, market development, and models of political action.
"Lemon Socialism and Securitization" Trajectories 20, no. 2 (2009): 3-5.
Describes a crucial turning point in U.S. housing policy to show that our current securitization market was built on a foundation of privatized profits and socialized risks.
"The Transformation of Morals in Markets: Death, Benefits, and the Exchange of Life Insurance Policies" American Journal of Sociology 114, no. 3 (2008): 738-780.
Investigates people’s ideas about whether buying a life insurance policy from a stranger is acceptable in order to investigate the means through which markets influence our sense of morality.