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Emily McKendry-Smith

University of West Georgia, Sociology, Faculty Member

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Emily McKendry-Smith is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of West Georgia. She received her PhD from the University of North Carolina. Emily teaches courses in social theory, research methods, religion, and global families. Emily's research centers on interconnections between religion and family, the ways individuals use religion to define their identities, and the meanings they attach to place. She has made multiple grant-funded research trips to the Chitwan district in Nepal, where she worked with the Institute for Social and Environmental Research to study a local new religious movement, and recently, a religious pilgrimage site that provides housing to widows and other elderly Nepalis. She has also recently begun collaborating on a mixed-methods interdisciplinary study of a bike-pedestrian trail in the American South.

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Papers by Emily McKendry-Smith

Shaw, Alison & Aviad Raz (eds). Cousin marriages: between tradition, genetic risk and cultural change. 238 pp., map, tables, figs, bibliogrs. Oxford, New York: Berghahn Books, 2015. £56.00 (cloth)

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

"Enjoy the Heat of a Log, and Heed the Advice of the Elders:" Religious, Educational, and Neighborhood Determinants of Parental Influence on Spousal Choice in Nepal

The relationship between religious belief and spousal choice in Nepal is examined, looking at how... more The relationship between religious belief and spousal choice in Nepal is examined, looking at how the importance that individuals place on their own religious faith influences their decision either to allow their parents and other relatives to arrange a marriage for them or to initiate their own love marriage. How the importance attached to religious faith within the individual's family and neighborhood affects this decision, and how education modifies the relationship between religion and spousal choice are also looked at. Ordinary least squares regression models are used to examine the relationship between spousal choice and key independent variables. Interaction terms are used to examine how education may moderate the relationship between personal, family, and neighborhood religious salience and spousal choice.

"Baba Has Come to Civilize Us": Developmental Idealism and Framing the Strict Demands of the Brahma Kumaris

This article extends and complicates the theory that " strict churches are strong " based on the ... more This article extends and complicates the theory that " strict churches are strong " based on the strict demands that were followed and not followed by the Brahma Kumaris in Nepal. To be successful, strict religious groups must not only be strict, but also frame their strictness in ways that resonate with the everyday experiences and commonly held beliefs of their members. Nepali women involved with the Brahma Kumaris tend to accept and follow the group's demands when those demands have been framed as modern, and that framing is resonant with the prevailing definitions of modernity offered by Western development agencies. When the modern framing is not resonant, as with the case of framing celibacy as " spiritual birth control, " the strict demand is not followed, and the frame itself is rejected in favor of the practice being defined in different terms.

The Health Benefits of a Bicycle-Pedestrian Trail

by Emily McKendry-Smith, Lisa Gezon, and Anne Hunter

T he connection between physical activity and health is well-established. According to the Center... more T he connection between physical activity and health is well-established. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), studies show that physical activity reduces the risk of major health concerns, including strokes, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. The closeness of our ties to our neighbors, the strength of our personal relationships and the resources present in our communities are also all related to health. Recent studies in neuroscience suggest that the presence of social support can even protect against the detrimental effects of chronic stress by promoting healthy brain development and strengthening the immune system.

Cross-Cousin Marriage

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

My Debt to the Nepali People

Dna Collection in a Randomized Social Science Study of College Peer Effects

Sociological Methodology, 2009

We describe the DNA collection processes of an initial pilot and full study, which is designed to... more We describe the DNA collection processes of an initial pilot and full study, which is designed to investigate joint peer and genetic effects on health behaviors and attitudes in a college campus setting. In the main study, 2664 (79.5%) students completed a Web survey and 2080 (78.7% of the survey completers after adjusting for the ineligible) provided a saliva DNA sample. The response rate for completing both the survey and the DNA portion of the study is 62.5%. Our DNA yields are of high quality. Overall, our experiences and results demonstrate that genetic data can be successfully collected as a part of traditional social science survey research projects. To aid others in doing so, we provide extensive details of our data collection experiences and offer recommendations to future researchers seeking to do or evaluate similar work.

Book Reviews by Emily McKendry-Smith

Review: Religion, Secularism, and Ethnicity in Contemporary Nepal

Review: From Jicama to Jackfruit

Review: New Monasticism and the Transformation of American Evangelicalism

Syllabi by Emily McKendry-Smith

Shangri-La and Ideas of Utopia

The 1933 novel Lost Horizon popularized the idea of “Shangri-La” as a utopia, an earthly paradise... more The 1933 novel Lost Horizon popularized the idea of “Shangri-La” as a utopia, an earthly paradise in the mountains of Nepal and Tibet. What would it be like to live in a real utopia? What does it mean that so many people imagine utopia to be hidden somewhere in the East? In this course, we’ll examine novels, poetry, “cults,” and communes to explore the idea of “utopia” and what happens when people try to build real ones.

Marriage & Family

What is a family? How do sociologists study families? In this course, we will use sociological p... more What is a family? How do sociologists study families? In this course, we will use sociological perspectives to study past and present family forms from the US and around the world. We will examine sociological research to understand how families have changed over time, and what their current status is today. Finally, we will explore how families and family life are shaped and affected by other social phenomena, such as race, class, gender, government policies, and the economy.
The major goal for this course is for you to learn to use sociological perspectives to think about families. This will entail studying how ideas about families have changed over time and how they structure our lives today. You will learn to understand research and theories that have been developed about families, to evaluate ideas, and to form your own conclusions. In addition, you will learn how to begin doing your own sociological research related to the topic of families.

Global Families

In this class we will study family life from a comparative and international perspective. We will... more In this class we will study family life from a comparative and international perspective. We will look at the same issues that interest sociologists studying family life in America, and we will look at how those issues play out differently in different contexts around the world. Two of the most important issues we'll look at are spousal selection (how people decide who to marry or partner with) and household division of labor (how people share the work of living in a household.) We'll try to see how people in different situations make different decisions, and we'll think about how those decisions are influenced both by the situation and by people's own free will. We're also going to look at families participate in globalization, and how they are affected by it. Typically, when we think about globalization, we think about politics, or economics, or culture. But families are also affected by money, and jobs, and workers all moving across international borders and around the world. In particular, we're going to try to understand how the family-related choices that people make in some countries affect the family lives of people in other parts of the world. When comparatively wealthy people find a way to divide their household labor by hiring comparatively poor people from other countries to do their housework for them, there are consequences both at home and abroad. We want to understand both the decision to hire, and the decision to be hired, for such intimate work. And once again, we want to understand how both decisions are influenced not only by the economic situation, but also by people's hopes and aspirations.

Sociology of Religion (MA level)

Religion' is not a native term; it is a term created by scholars for their intellectual purposes ... more Religion' is not a native term; it is a term created by scholars for their intellectual purposes and therefore is theirs to define. It is a second-order, generic concept that plays the same role in establishing a disciplinary horizon that a concept such as "language" plays in linguistics or "culture" plays in anthropology. There can be no disciplined study of religion without such a horizon." -Jonathan Z. Smith "Is there a God? [pause] If not, what are all these churches for?" -Michael Scott, "The Office"

Sociological Theory

please do not email me on CourseDen)

Sociological Theory (MA level)

Sociology of Religion

The overarching purpose of this course is to examine religion as a part of the social world. In o... more The overarching purpose of this course is to examine religion as a part of the social world. In order to achieve this goal, we will examine sociologists’ major theoretical ideas regarding religion. We will examine religion as an individual-level phenomenon, looking at people’s particular beliefs and practices, as a group-level phenomenon, looking at congregations, and consider the interplay between these two levels. We will examine how religion interacts with other forces, institutions, and ideologies at play in the social world. Finally, we will explore how sociologists study religion and conduct sociological research on religion ourselves.

Shaw, Alison & Aviad Raz (eds). Cousin marriages: between tradition, genetic risk and cultural change. 238 pp., map, tables, figs, bibliogrs. Oxford, New York: Berghahn Books, 2015. £56.00 (cloth)

Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute

"Enjoy the Heat of a Log, and Heed the Advice of the Elders:" Religious, Educational, and Neighborhood Determinants of Parental Influence on Spousal Choice in Nepal

The relationship between religious belief and spousal choice in Nepal is examined, looking at how... more The relationship between religious belief and spousal choice in Nepal is examined, looking at how the importance that individuals place on their own religious faith influences their decision either to allow their parents and other relatives to arrange a marriage for them or to initiate their own love marriage. How the importance attached to religious faith within the individual's family and neighborhood affects this decision, and how education modifies the relationship between religion and spousal choice are also looked at. Ordinary least squares regression models are used to examine the relationship between spousal choice and key independent variables. Interaction terms are used to examine how education may moderate the relationship between personal, family, and neighborhood religious salience and spousal choice.

"Baba Has Come to Civilize Us": Developmental Idealism and Framing the Strict Demands of the Brahma Kumaris

This article extends and complicates the theory that " strict churches are strong " based on the ... more This article extends and complicates the theory that " strict churches are strong " based on the strict demands that were followed and not followed by the Brahma Kumaris in Nepal. To be successful, strict religious groups must not only be strict, but also frame their strictness in ways that resonate with the everyday experiences and commonly held beliefs of their members. Nepali women involved with the Brahma Kumaris tend to accept and follow the group's demands when those demands have been framed as modern, and that framing is resonant with the prevailing definitions of modernity offered by Western development agencies. When the modern framing is not resonant, as with the case of framing celibacy as " spiritual birth control, " the strict demand is not followed, and the frame itself is rejected in favor of the practice being defined in different terms.

The Health Benefits of a Bicycle-Pedestrian Trail

by Emily McKendry-Smith, Lisa Gezon, and Anne Hunter

T he connection between physical activity and health is well-established. According to the Center... more T he connection between physical activity and health is well-established. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), studies show that physical activity reduces the risk of major health concerns, including strokes, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer. The closeness of our ties to our neighbors, the strength of our personal relationships and the resources present in our communities are also all related to health. Recent studies in neuroscience suggest that the presence of social support can even protect against the detrimental effects of chronic stress by promoting healthy brain development and strengthening the immune system.

Cross-Cousin Marriage

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 2016

My Debt to the Nepali People

Dna Collection in a Randomized Social Science Study of College Peer Effects

Sociological Methodology, 2009

We describe the DNA collection processes of an initial pilot and full study, which is designed to... more We describe the DNA collection processes of an initial pilot and full study, which is designed to investigate joint peer and genetic effects on health behaviors and attitudes in a college campus setting. In the main study, 2664 (79.5%) students completed a Web survey and 2080 (78.7% of the survey completers after adjusting for the ineligible) provided a saliva DNA sample. The response rate for completing both the survey and the DNA portion of the study is 62.5%. Our DNA yields are of high quality. Overall, our experiences and results demonstrate that genetic data can be successfully collected as a part of traditional social science survey research projects. To aid others in doing so, we provide extensive details of our data collection experiences and offer recommendations to future researchers seeking to do or evaluate similar work.

Review: Religion, Secularism, and Ethnicity in Contemporary Nepal

Review: From Jicama to Jackfruit

Review: New Monasticism and the Transformation of American Evangelicalism

Shangri-La and Ideas of Utopia

The 1933 novel Lost Horizon popularized the idea of “Shangri-La” as a utopia, an earthly paradise... more The 1933 novel Lost Horizon popularized the idea of “Shangri-La” as a utopia, an earthly paradise in the mountains of Nepal and Tibet. What would it be like to live in a real utopia? What does it mean that so many people imagine utopia to be hidden somewhere in the East? In this course, we’ll examine novels, poetry, “cults,” and communes to explore the idea of “utopia” and what happens when people try to build real ones.

Marriage & Family

What is a family? How do sociologists study families? In this course, we will use sociological p... more What is a family? How do sociologists study families? In this course, we will use sociological perspectives to study past and present family forms from the US and around the world. We will examine sociological research to understand how families have changed over time, and what their current status is today. Finally, we will explore how families and family life are shaped and affected by other social phenomena, such as race, class, gender, government policies, and the economy.
The major goal for this course is for you to learn to use sociological perspectives to think about families. This will entail studying how ideas about families have changed over time and how they structure our lives today. You will learn to understand research and theories that have been developed about families, to evaluate ideas, and to form your own conclusions. In addition, you will learn how to begin doing your own sociological research related to the topic of families.

Global Families

In this class we will study family life from a comparative and international perspective. We will... more In this class we will study family life from a comparative and international perspective. We will look at the same issues that interest sociologists studying family life in America, and we will look at how those issues play out differently in different contexts around the world. Two of the most important issues we'll look at are spousal selection (how people decide who to marry or partner with) and household division of labor (how people share the work of living in a household.) We'll try to see how people in different situations make different decisions, and we'll think about how those decisions are influenced both by the situation and by people's own free will. We're also going to look at families participate in globalization, and how they are affected by it. Typically, when we think about globalization, we think about politics, or economics, or culture. But families are also affected by money, and jobs, and workers all moving across international borders and around the world. In particular, we're going to try to understand how the family-related choices that people make in some countries affect the family lives of people in other parts of the world. When comparatively wealthy people find a way to divide their household labor by hiring comparatively poor people from other countries to do their housework for them, there are consequences both at home and abroad. We want to understand both the decision to hire, and the decision to be hired, for such intimate work. And once again, we want to understand how both decisions are influenced not only by the economic situation, but also by people's hopes and aspirations.

Sociology of Religion (MA level)

Religion' is not a native term; it is a term created by scholars for their intellectual purposes ... more Religion' is not a native term; it is a term created by scholars for their intellectual purposes and therefore is theirs to define. It is a second-order, generic concept that plays the same role in establishing a disciplinary horizon that a concept such as "language" plays in linguistics or "culture" plays in anthropology. There can be no disciplined study of religion without such a horizon." -Jonathan Z. Smith "Is there a God? [pause] If not, what are all these churches for?" -Michael Scott, "The Office"

Sociological Theory

please do not email me on CourseDen)

Sociological Theory (MA level)

Sociology of Religion

The overarching purpose of this course is to examine religion as a part of the social world. In o... more The overarching purpose of this course is to examine religion as a part of the social world. In order to achieve this goal, we will examine sociologists’ major theoretical ideas regarding religion. We will examine religion as an individual-level phenomenon, looking at people’s particular beliefs and practices, as a group-level phenomenon, looking at congregations, and consider the interplay between these two levels. We will examine how religion interacts with other forces, institutions, and ideologies at play in the social world. Finally, we will explore how sociologists study religion and conduct sociological research on religion ourselves.