Julia Meszaros, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator for Sociology

Originally from Wisconsin, Julia Meszaros attended a regional undergraduate university similar to Texas A&M University-Commerce. Meszaros went to Miami to finish her Ph.D. at Florida International University, and then moved all over the country to pursue her dream of being a professor. It was her undergraduate experience that drew Meszaros to working at TAMUC. Her passions are teaching and conducting research, and she loves being able to share her research on global issues with her students at TAMUC.

A Conversation with Dr. Meszaros

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

I would tell the student that Texas A&M University-Commerce is a student-oriented school with many resources for first generation students. We provide a great education at a reasonable price.

What draws you to your discipline?

What drew me to sociology was its focus on the inequalities of everyday life and the socially constructed nature of our experiences. Sociology gave me the critical thinking tools to analyze the things I see every day in new and interesting ways that challenge the status quo.

What has been your favorite course to teach?

My favorite course to teach is the Sociology of Gender, as I focus on gender in my research. I can bring in my own research to the course and get students thinking about how we as a society define gender, biological sex, and sexuality and how those definitions change based on cultural and historical contexts.

Tell us about a project you are currently working on or recently completed.

I am currently working on a book about the ‘mail-order bride' industry, which I call the international dating industry. My book examines the development of this industry on a global scale, from Ukraine to Colombia to the Philippines, and how it markets itself to western men. I have interviewed numerous people in the industry, as well as the men and women who participate, to create a unique snapshot of the industry that challenges perceptions that it is a form of human trafficking.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Global Sociocultural Studies, Florida International University, 2014
• M.A., Political Science, San Diego State University, 2006
• B.A., Political Science, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, 2004

Academic Positions

• Assistant Professor, Lebanon Valley College, Pennsylvania
• Provost's Post Doctoral Fellow, University of South Florida

Awards and Honors

• 4500$ Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Grant. TAMUC, 2020
• 750$ Global Fellows Travel Grant. TAMUC, 2020
• 2500$ Faculty Travel Grant. TAMUC, 2019

Professional Organizations

• Society for Women in Sociology
• American Sociological Association
• National Women's Studies Association

Research Interests

• Globalization
• Gender
• Sexuality

Publications

• Meszaros, Julia. 2020. “Commodification of Intimacy and Sexuality”. In Companion to Sexuality Studies, edited by Nancy Naples. Pp. 158-178. Wiley Blackwell Publications: Hoboken, NJ.
• Meszaros, Julia. 2018. “Race, Space and Agency in the International Introduction Industry: how American men perceive women's agency across space in Colombia, Ukraine and the Philippines” Gender, Place and Culture 25(2): 268-287
• Meszaros, Julia. 2017. “American Men and Romance Tourism: Searching for Traditional Trophy Wives as Status Symbols of Class Privilege” Women's Studies Quarterly 45 (1 & 2): 225-242.

Featured Courses

ANTH 2351 US-World Cultures: Perspectives from Anthropology
SOC 323 Global Sociology of Health and Illness
SOC 311 Social Class, Wealth and Power
SOC 335 Global Social Issues