Assistant Professor of Sociology
Sociology & Anthropology / Academic
- Office:
- Hopkins Center 108
- Mailbox:
- 61605
- Phone:
- 903.813.2358
Education:
B.A., Saint Mary’s College.
M.A., University of Pittsburgh.
Ph.D., University of Colorado.
Faculty Bio:
As a public sociologist, my research is focused at the crossroads of immigration policy and labor studies, with a specific focus on how and why U.S. immigration policy is changing from a family reunification and humanitarian-based model to one that increasingly privileges short-term immigration for labor purposes.
I am also an activist and a proud member of Migration that Works, a coalition of labor, migration, civil rights, anti-trafficking organizations and academics advancing a labor migration model that respects the human rights of workers, families and communities and reflects their voices and experiences.
When I started my career, I thought I was destined for advocacy and public policy. I spent years working as a case manager and then legal advocate for human trafficking survivors in New York City and Colorado. I then worked for the State of Colorado as a Human Trafficking Program Coordinator, helping to shape anti-trafficking policy statewide. But when my doctoral studies were coming to an end, I realized how much I loved teaching and working to advance public understanding of social issues through scholarship. I am so excited to be at Austin College, with its diverse and talented students, and to work closely with students to meet their academic goals!
When I’m not working, I love exploring nature and eating ice cream with my spouse Scott and our two boys, James and Theo.
Recent Courses:
- Labor in the Global Economy
- International Migration
- Race and Ethnic Relations
- Sex, Gender and Society
- Classical Social Theory
Research Interests:
Sociology of immigration, migrant labor policy, sociology of work, law and society, race and ethnicity
In the News:
Professor Bowman was interviewed for a June 2020 Pro Publica article on the impacts of Covid-19 for international student workers on the J-1 visa.
She was also interviewed for a January 2020 Boise State Public Radio piece on the J-1 Summer Work Travel Program.
Her research was featured in a July 2019 report by Migration that Works, a coalition of coalition of labor, migration, civil rights, anti-trafficking organizations and academics advancing a labor migration model that respects the human rights of workers, families and communities and reflects their voices and experiences.
Publications:
Bowman, Catherine. 2019. “The Rise of the J-1 Summer Work Travel Program and its Links to Youth Unemployment” in The Crisis in Global Youth Unemployment, edited by Tamar Mayer, Sujata Moorti, and Jamie McCallum. New York, NY: Routledge.
Bowman, Catherine and Bair, Jennifer. 2017. “From Cultural Sojourner to Temporary Migrant Worker? The Historical Transformation and Contemporary Significance of the J-1 Visa Summer Work Travel Program.” Labor History, 58(1): 1-25.
Medige, Patricia and Bowman, Catherine. 2012. “U.S. Anti-trafficking Policy and the J-1 Visa Program: The State Department’s Challenge from Within.” Intercultural Human Rights Law Review 7: 103-145.