David Bills, Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Programs
Contact Information |
| Mailing Address |
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- N491 Lindquist Center
- Educational Policy, and Leadership Studies
- College of Education
- The University of Iowa
- Iowa City IA 52242 USA
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Email:david-bills@uiowa.edu
Telephone: 319/335-5366
Facsimile: 319/384-0587 |
| Affiliations within the College |
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| Research Interests |
I concentrate my research on social inequality and social stratification, with a focus on the articulation between educational institutions, labor markets, and the workplace. It proceeds along three interrelated strands. These are:
1) the demand side of labor markets and "job matching"
2) changes in the world of work
3) schools and socioeconomic inequality.
Some specific research projects:
The Evaluation of Educational Credentials in Hiring and Promotion Decisions
The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of organizations in social stratification by examining the practices and policies of employers pertaining to hiring and promotion decisions. This research began with a grant from the National Science Foundation. This study consisted of six case studies of Chicago organizations, both public and private. I have extended this work with several smaller grants.
Participation in Adult Education: Results from the National Household Education Survey
I am researching the participation of American adults in various forms of adult education. I am particularly interested in the support they receive from their employers for their participation, and in patterns of course-taking for personal development rather than economic reasons.
The Sociology of Job Training
I recently edited Volume 12 (2003) of the JAI series Research in the Sociology of Work. The theme of this volume is "The Sociology of Job Training." Please refer to http://www.sociology.ohio-state.edu/work/volume12-training.htm for more information.
Franchising, Displaced Managers, and the Transformation of Self-Employment
The purpose of this project is to examine how differences in the employment and educational histories of franchise owners lead to differences in their ability to use various skills at work and in their self-definitions as entrepreneurs and community members. The study grows out of extensive fieldwork that I have conducted on Iowa franchisors and franchisees.
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| Professional Organization Memberships |
- American Sociological Association
- Midwest Sociological Society
- International Sociological Association Research Committee on Social Stratification and Mobility
- Southern Sociological Society
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| Recent Publications |
- Bills, David B. (2004). "Credentials, Signals, Screens, and Jobs: Explaining the Relationship between Schooling and Job Assignment." Review of Educational Research.
- Bills, David B. (2004). The Sociology of Education and Work London: Blackwell Publishers.
- Bills, David B. (ed.). (2004). The Shape of Social Stratification: Papers in Honor of Archibald Haller. Social Stratification and Mobility volume 22. Elsevier Publishing.
- Bills, David B. (ed). (2003). The Sociology of Worker Training. Research in the Sociology of Work, volume 12, Elsevier Publishing.
- Bills, David B. and Mary Ellen Wacker. (2003). "Acquiring Credentials When Signals Don't Matter: Employer Support of Employees Who Pursue Vocational Degrees." Sociology of Education 76:170-187.
- Bills, David B. and Anthony Q. Stanley. (2001). "Social Science Labs as Sites for Teaching and Learning: Challenges and Solutions in Their Design and Maintenance." Teaching Sociology.
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| Courses typically taught |
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