Overview

My research program and graduate student advising are focused on two main areas of specialization within sociology: 1) the sociology of labor markets with a special emphasis on rural areas and immigrant workers and 2) environmental sociology with an emphasis on land use policy and management. I have a long term interest and record of accomplishments in these areas and I will continue this work. My objectives are to inform local, state and national academic debates and policy discussions through the application of sociological knowledge in these areas. My target audiences include citizens, policy makers and academics.

Research Focus

My research spans several areas including land use and environmental planning, rural labor markets, rural to urban and international migration. The empirical work covers a variety of rural and urban communities, including rural/urban fringe areas. Research sites include rural New York, Mexico and Central America, and Brazil.

Outreach and Extension Focus

My applied research has informed decision making in New York communities, policies in New York State and federal agencies, and legislative priorities. Specific areas of outreach include the integration of minorities into social and economic life in New York communities, watershed management, protected area management, and land use planning.

Instruction Focus

My teaching concentrates on environmental sociology and sociological theory. Courses Taught: DSOC 6030

Additional Links

• Community and Rural Development Institute
• Development Sociology
• Link to CALS Research portal
• Link to CALS Impact statements

Honors, Awards and Appointments

• Best Poster Presentation, Rural Sociological Society - 2006

Professional Activities

• "The Underpinnings of Immigration and the Limits of Immigration Policy." Keynote Speaker, Cornell International Law Journal Symposium, Immigration Policy: Who Belongs? Cornell Law School, Ithaca, NY, February 23rd. - 2007
• "Political, Economic and Social Dimensions of Community Formation in a Watershed Context." Global Research on Water-Based Economies Symposium on Population and Environment: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, Kansas State University, November 10th. - 2006
• Max J. Pfeffer and Pilar A. Parra. "Immigrants and the Community." Forum on Hispanic Immigrants in Rural New York Communities, New York State Assembly, Albany, New York, June 13th. - 2006
• Max J. Pfeffer and Pilar A. Parra. "Community Integration of Farmworkers and Former Farmworkers in New York." Immigration and Agriculture Conference, Washington, DC, June 15th. - 2006

Selected Publications

• Erika Styger, Harivelo M.Rakotondramasy, Max J. Pfeffer, Erick C.M. Fernandes, David M. Bates. "Influence of Slash-and-Burn Farming Practices on Fallow Succession and Land Degradation in the Rainforest Region of Madagascar. " Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 119:257-269. 2007
• Linda Wagenet and Max J. Pfeffer. "Organizing Citizen Engagement for Democratic Environmental Planning. " Society and Natural Resources 20(9)801-813. 2007
• "Volunteer Environmental Monitoring, Knowledge Creation and Citizen-Scientist Interaction. " Chapter 16 in Jules Pretty, Andrew Ball, Ted Benton, Julia Guivant, David Lee, David Orr, Max J. Pfeffer and Hugh Ward (eds.) Sage Handbook on Environment and Society. London: Sage Publications. With Linda Wagenet. 2007
• Linda P. Wagenet and Max J. Pfeffer. "The Social Context of Volunteer Environmental Monitoring. " Impact 9(5):6-8. 2007
• Jules Pretty, Andrew Ball, Ted Benton, Julia Guivant, David Lee, David Orr, Max J. Pfeffer and Hugh Ward (eds.) Sage Handbook of Environment and Society. London: Sage Publications. 2007
• Jules Pretty, Andrew Ball, Ted Benton, Julia Guivant, David Lee, David Orr, Max J. Pfeffer and Hugh Ward. "Introduction to Environment and Society. " Chapter 1 in Jules Pretty, Andrew Ball, Ted Benton, Julia Guivant, David Lee, David Orr, Max Pfeffer and Hugh Ward (eds.) Sage Handbook on Environment and Society. London: Sage Publications. 2007
• "Immigration and Community Response. " New York Opinion Index: Empire State Poll 2007. Report 3. Survey Research Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; 2007 "New Yorkers' Perceptions of Immigrants and Immigration. " Research and Policy Brief Series 3, Community and Rural Development Institute, March. 2007
• "Fifty Years of Farmland Change: Urbanization, Population Growth and the Changing Farm Economy. " Pp. in David L. Brown and William Kandel, Population Change and Rural Society in the 21st Century. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers (forthcoming). With Joe D. Francis and Zev Ross. 2006
• Max J. Pfeffer, John Schelhas and Catherine Meola. "Environmental Globalization, Organizational Form, and Expected Benefits from Protected Areas in Central America. " Rural Sociology 71(3):429-450. 2006
• Erika Styger, Harivelo M.Rakotondramasy, Max J. Pfeffer, Erick C.M. Fernandes, David M. Bates. "Influence of Slash-and-Burn Farming Practices on Fallow Succession and Land Degradation in the Rainforest Region of Madagascar. " Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment (forthcoming doi:10.1016/j/agee.2006.07.012). 2006
• Pilar A. Parra and Max J. Pfeffer. "New Immigrants in Rural Communities: The Challenges of Integration." Social Text 88 24 (3):81-98. 2006
• "Reconciling Different Land Use Value Spheres: An Example at the Rural/Urban Interface. " Pp. 186-201 in Stephan Goetz, James Shortle and James Bergstrom (eds.), Land Use Problems and Conflicts: Causes, Consequences and Solutions. London: Routledge. With Linda P, Wagenet, John Sydenstricker-Neto, and Catherine Meola. 2005
• "Population, Conservation, and Land Use Change in Honduras. " Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 110 (1-2):14-28. With John Schelhas, Stephen DeGloria and Jorge Gomez. 2005
• John Schelhas and Max J. Pfeffer. "Forest Values of National Park Neighbors in Costa Rica. " Human Organization 64(4):385-397. 2005
• Niamah O'Leary, Tom Vawter, Max J. Pfeffer and Linda P. Wagenet. "Assessing Water Quality Using Two Taxonomic Levels of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Analysis: Implications for Volunteer Monitors. " Journal of Freshwater Ecology 19(1):584-586. 2004
• Platt, Rutherford H., Paul K. Barten, and Max J. Pfeffer. "New York Protege Ses Sources Rurales Pour Fournir de Leau Potables Ses Habitants. " [ "New York City Protects Rural Sources of Potable Water for its Residents]. LaRevueDurable 7: 38-41 [The Sustainability Journal], Fribourg, Switzerland. 2003
• Tania Schusler, Daniel Decker and Max J. Pfeffer. "Social Learning for Collaborative Natural Resource Management." Society and Natural Resources 15:309-326. 2003
• "The Watershed as Community. " In Christensen, Karen and David Levinson (ed.s). Encyclopedia of Community: From the Village to the Virtual World. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. 2003
• "Immigrant Environmental Behaviors in New York City. " Social Science Quarterly 83(1):65-81. With J. Mayone Stycos. 2002
• "Forging New Connections Between Agriculture and the City." In Otto Solbrig, Robert Paarlberg and Francesco DiCastri (eds.), Pp. 419-446 in Globalization and the Rural Environment. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. With J. Mayone Stycos, Leland Glenna and Joyce Altobelli. 2001
• "Forest Conservation, Value Conflict, and Interest Formation in a Honduran National Park. " Rural Sociology 66(3): 382-402. With John Schelhas and Leyla Day. 2001
• Nick van de Giesen, Luis Mata, Pertra Doel, Arjen Hoekstra, Max J. Pfeffer, Jorge Ramirez. "Modeling Water Availability: Scaling Issues. " Pp. 245-253 in Eckhart Ehlers and Thomas Kraft (eds.), Understanding the Earth System: Compartments, Processes and Interactions. Berlin: Springer. 2001
• Rutherford H. Platt, Paul K. Barten and Max J. Pfeffer. "A Full, Clean Glass? Managing New York City's Watersheds. " Environment 42(5): 8-20. 2000
• "Class, Ethnicity and Marginal Employment: African-American and Cambodian Day-Haul Farm Workers in Philadelphia. " Research in the Sociology of Work 9:73-93. 2000
• Martha Perales and Max J. Pfeffer. "Desarrollo Sostenible: Un Desarrollo Alternativo? " Red Gestio`n de Recursos Naturales 2(21):7-15. 2000
• Laura J. Ehlers, Max J. Pfeffer, and Charles R. O'Melia. "Making Watershed Management Work in New York City. " Environmental Science and Technology. 34(21):464-471. 2000

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