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Philip Cohen

Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland

Topics of expertise
  • Adoption & Foster Care
  • Children & Adolescents
  • Division of Labor in Families
  • Divorce, Couples Conflict, & Separation
  • Economic Inequality
  • Gender & Sexuality
  • History & Trends on Gender, Marriage & Family Life
  • Labor & Workforce
  • Marriage, Cohabitation, & Committed Relationships
  • Race, Ethnicity & Culture
  • TANF & Public Assistance
  • Work & Family

Email: pnc@umd.edu

Website: philipncohen.com
Twitter/X: @familyunequal

My research and teaching concern the sociology of families, social demography, and social inequality. I study several aspects of inequality with regard to work, including gender and race/ethnic segregation in occupations, and the division of labor within couples and families. In the area of demography, I am interested in family structure, marriage and divorce, and the way we measure, count and describe people in and around families. I’ve also published studies on children and maternal health. The latest edition of my introductory textbook on the sociology of families, titled The Family: Diversity, Inequality and Social Change, was published in 2021. I also write the Family Inequality blog.

Last Updated: 12/15/25