Overview

My research interests fit under the general headings of family sociology, development sociology, and demography, and are typically focused geographically in the United States and Southeast Asia. My most recent published work has examined (1) issues surrounding family formation (for example, changing attitudes toward marriage in Southeast Asia), (2) issues surrounding fertility attitudes, intentions, and behavior (most recently among couples in the Philippines, and previously regarding both women`s and men`s experiences with unplanned pregnancy in the United States), and (3) theory and methods in the study educational attainment of children (most recently in Thailand). The content of all of my research speaks to the courses I teach in my regular rotation. In addition, as a member of the Institute for Social Sciences` inaugural theme project on the Evolving Family, I co-taught a course on the Changing Family in Asia. My colleague in that project was Stefan Klonner (Economics). We compared and contrasted contributions of Economics and Sociology to the study of the forms and functions of the family in different contexts in Asia. We also highlighted the processes that have transformed society in the last century, including shifts in gender roles and statuses, changes in household division of labor, and inter-personal dynamics. In this and my other classes, I share insights with students about the theories, data, and methods that are used to generate the information they read for class, and that they may use themselves in the years ahead.

Research Focus

My research focuses primarily on family sociology/demography in Southeast Asia and the United States. The range of specific topics is broad, covering issues that span the life-course (e.g. from whether or not conceptions were intended (U.S. and the Philippines), to school outcomes for children (Thailand and Cameroon), to matters surrounding cohabitation and marriage (the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam), to contraception and fertility (Indonesia and the Philippines), to the inclusion or exclusion of elderly family members from important household decisions (the Philippines, Singapore, and Taiwan). Despite the diversity of the specific topics, they converge thematically in three sub-areas of family sociology/demography.

Instruction Focus

Courses Taught in 2007: DSOC 2010 Population Dynamics;DSOC 6150 Qualitative Research Methods; Other courses: DSOC 6120 Population and Development in Asia; DSOC 4800 Changing Family in Asia

Additional Links

• Cornell University Institute for the Social Sciences
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Selected Publications

• 2007 - Lindy Williams, Maria Midea M. Kabamalan, and Nimfa B. Ogena, "Cohabitation in the Philippines: Attitudes and Behaviors among Young Women and Men, " Journal of Marriage and Family 69: 1244-1256. 2007
• Philip Guest, and Anchalee Varangrat, "Early 40s and Still Unmarried: A Continuing Trend in Thailand, " International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 47 (2): 83-116. 2006
• Parfait M. Eloundou-Enyegue and Linda B. Williams. "Family Size and Schooling in sub-Saharan African Settings: A Reexamination, " Demography, 43(1): 25-52. 2006
• Shelley Feldman and Linda Williams, "Women, Gender and Development and Family: Overview, " Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures. 2006
• ___ and Shelley Feldman, " Women, Gender and Development and Family: Southeast Asia, " Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures. 2006
• Scott Johnson and ___, "Deference and Denial: Men Talk About Contraception and Unplanned Pregnancy, " International Journal of Men's Health,. 4(3). 2005
• Umaporn Pattaravanich, ___, Thomas A. Lyson, and Kritaya Archavanitkul, "Inequality and Educational Investment in Thai Children, " Rural Sociology, 70(4): 561-583. 2005
• ___ and Teresa Sobieszczyk, "Couple Attitudes and Agreement Regarding Pregnancy Wantedness in the Philippines, Journal of Marriage and the Family 65: 1019-1029. 2003
• Kristine Althucher and ___, "Family Clocks: Timing Parenthood, " in Phyllis Moen (ed.) It`s About TimeCouples and Careers , Cornell University Press. 2003
• Williams, Linda B., Linda Piccinino, Joyce Abma, and Florio Arguillas, "Pregnancy Wantedness: Attitude Stability Over Time. " Social Biology 48(3-4): 212-233. 2001
• Williams, Linda B. and Teresa Sobieszczyk, "Consistency between Survey and Interview Data Concerning Pregnancy Wantedness in the Philippines." Studies in Family Planning 32(3): 244-253. 2001
• Williams, Linda B. and Joyce Abma, "Birth Wantedness Reports: A Look Forward and A Look Back." Social Biology, 47 (3-4):147-163. 2000
• Williams, Linda B., T. Sobieszczyk, and A. Perez, "Couples` Views about Planning Fertility in the Philippines." Rural Sociology 65(3): 484-514. 2000

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