Eiko Strader

Eiko Strader is an interdisciplinary scholar with a deep interest in the role of welfare state policies and practices in shaping social inequality, particularly in relation to gender. Her scholarship examines how work-family policies and public organizations reduce, maintain, or exacerbate social stratification. Another line of her research interrogates the notion of social citizenship, the right to a modicum of economic welfare and security, by probing whether and how marginalized people access social services. Professor Strader’s research is guided by one overarching question: how can we build a more equitable society?

Professor Strader’s research and teaching are grounded in sociological and feminist theories. She actively collaborates with a diverse group of scholars, practitioners, and students to critically examine the interplay between public policies, practices, and social inequality. Her work also emphasizes the potential of welfare state institutions to foster social equity.

She holds a joint appointment in the Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Professor Strader earned a doctorate in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was a Pardee RAND Faculty Leader Fellow, a winner of the 2018 Council of Graduate Schools ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award in the field of social sciences, and a visiting fellow at Smith College's Kahn Liberal Arts Institute.