Tony Brown

There’s a stark and troubling way that incarceration may diminish the ability of a former inmate to empathize with a loved one behind bars, but existing sociological theories fail to capture it. Read More

"Ferguson is not a special case. It’s just evidence that race cleaves our nation, tensions simmer just below the surface, and far too many people who believe in justice are comfortable watching its miscarriage," writes Vanderbilt sociologist Tony Brown for The Conversation. Read More

Sociologist Tony Brown studies the pernicious and persistent effects of racism in the United States and is available to comment on the issues that have shaped and will continue to shape events in Ferguson, Mo. Read More

Watch video of the most recent presentation in the InsideOut of the Lunch Box series – The Culture of a Neighborhood – which took place on September 13. The Tennessee Repertory Theatre’s production of the Tony award-winning play Clybourne Park sets the stage for an open discussion about the culture… Read More

If someone stopped breathing, would you know how to save them? A Vanderbilt senior almost died as a little girl—and was saved by her quick-thinking dad and CPR. As VUCast’s Amy Wolf shows us, that second chance at life propelled Kristen Cattoi into a mission that’s surpassing her wildest dreams. Read More

Tony N. Brown’s office is in Garland Hall, exactly where one might expect to find a scholar in the College of Arts and Science. But the associate professor of sociology might not be in, as his teaching, research projects and secondary appointments take him all over campus. It’s a good… Read More

Researchers at Vanderbilt will begin a landmark study to examine how social stress contributes to disparities in health among minority populations. Vanderbilt University is launching a landmark study in Nashville to look at the role stress plays in the health disparities observed across socioeconomic status and race. The study will… Read More

Barack Obama's history-making election to president of the United States has many wondering what does this achievement mean for race relations in America – what now? Is there still need for affirmative action? Is there less racism in America than we might have once thought? Will the Obamas have an impact on African Americans' and others' expectations for and perceptions of family and achievement? Read More

Hundreds of lives could have been saved from Hurricane Katrina's rampage in Louisiana if the powers-that-be had followed their own crisis plans, believed the hurricane experts and communicated to residents in graphic terms the devastation that was coming their way. Read More