781-283-2934
Education
- University of Virginia, 2004 Ph.D.
- University of Memphis, 1997 M.A.
- Mississippi College, 1995 B.A.
Research and Teaching Areas
cultural sociology, social inequality, sociological theory, language & power, religion & the sacred
Biography
Markella “Kelly” Rutherford is assistant professor of sociology at Wellesley College, where she teaches courses on cultural sociology, social inequality, and sociological theory. Kelly’s research interests center on the intersection between cultural ideals, the sacred, status inequality, and public discourse.
Kelly completed her Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Virginia in May 2004. Her dissertation, entitled “The Sacralization of a Secular Ideal: The Ascendancy of Choice in American Culture,” documents the ascendancy of the rhetoric of individual choice in ceremonial speeches across the 20th century and argues that this rhetorical ascendancy evidences the sacred power of the ideal of choice in contemporary American culture.
Rutherford’s current research continues to focus on the sacralization of the individual in American culture, as revealed in the rhetoric prominent in commencements, inaugurations, weddings, and child-rearing advice. Her current manuscript, tentatively titled In Choice We Trust, is a revision and extension of her doctoral dissertation. A second research project focuses on a social movement for social and educational inclusion of disabled children in Ukraine.