Nancy Wonders

Nancy Wonders Professor
Northern Arizona University
Criminology and Criminal Justice
Phone: 928-523-6336

Education

BA Western Michigan University
PhD Rutgers University 

Professional interests

  • transnational crime and justice
  • social inequality crime and justice:  gender, race, and social class
  • globalization, borders and migration
  • sustainable and just communities
  • human rights, law and society

Academic interests and affiliations

Academic interests

My research and teaching focuses on several broad themes:1) globalization and the increasingly transnational character of crime and justice; 2) the relationship between social inequality, difference, and justice, with an emphasis on the experiences of underrepresented and vulnerable populations; 3) the development of effective strategies to create sustainable and just communities.

Courses taught

(Undergraduate) Global Justice; Investigating Difference; Women, Crime and Justice; School Violence; Law in America; Introduction to Crime and Justice; Introduction to Sociology  (Graduate) Human Rights and Transnational Crime; Inequality, Crime and Justice; Feminist Justice; Elements of Sustainable Communities; Schools, Youth and Violence; Teaching Practicum; Political Sociology

Research

I have conducted global enthnographic fieldwork on sex tourism in the Netherlands and on cross-border migration in Spain and in the U.S. My current research is a comparative, international project that explores how borders are being reconstructed and "performed" at key border sites around the world.  In particular, I am examining how gender, race, and social class affect the experiences of recent border crossers.  I am also very interested in many aspects of global and human security, including those related to new technologies, food justice, and environmental dangers.

I am also actively involved in local and regional applied research on justice practices and policies. I have conducted quantitative research as an evaluator for courts in Arizona; I have also engaged in regionally relevant qualitative research, conducting interviews and focus groups with diverse populations such as recent migrants, domestic violence survivors, Native America youth, and court personnel.