Kenneth Gourlay
PhD Candidate
2248 Faculty/Administration Building
656 W. Kirby St.
Detroit, MI 48202
Website(s)
Social media
Department
Sociology
Kenneth Gourlay
Kenneth Gourlay is in the PhD Sociology program. After a prior career in Internet software development and an unanticipated experience with the criminal legal system, he decided to refocus his life toward social justice and academic research. He is now focusing his studies on social narratives and discourse regarding sex and sexuality and the harms they perpetuate. In addition to studying at WSU, Kenneth works as an online marketing consultant and is a wooden boat enthusiast.
Research interest(s)/area of expertise
- Sex, Sexualities, and Gender
- Crime, Law, and Deviance
- Mental Health
- Queer Theory
Research
Kenneth's research focuses on the way we talk about sex: what we say, and what we don't. His PhD dissertation project will analyze state and national bills and laws affecting access to healthcare for transgender people, with an eye toward the narratives that are employed in defense of such restrictions and the ways in which those narratives inform people's sexual self-identity.
Education
- Wayne State University, MA Sociology
- University of Michigan, BS Education