MacKenzie Christensen, sociology graduate student, is the recipient of the 2024 Charles A. Lave Paper Prize for her paper, “Tracing the Gender Confidence Gap in Computing: A Cross-National Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Assessed Technological Ability.” The honor recognizes the Ph.D. student for work displaying clear creative models and theories. Below, Christensen shares her work and plans post UCI which include a move to the University of Oregon where she’s accepted a position as an assistant professor of sociology.

What made you decide to pursue your current field of study, and specifically at UCI? What interests you most about your work?

Like most young adults, I’ve grown up in an era of widespread technological change. Digital technologies—such as smartphones, social media, and gaming consoles—have rapidly changed the ways that we learn skills, access information, connect with each other, and conduct our everyday lives. Yet, we continue to know surprisingly little about how these technological advancements have shaped the culture and context of young adulthood. As a sociologist of gender, I became increasingly motivated to examine the implications of these technologies, particularly as research emerged revealing noteworthy gender differences in digital skills, motivations, and use.

I received my A.A. from Spokane Falls Community College, my B.A. in sociology from Washington State University, Vancouver, my M.S. in sociology from Portland State University, and my M.A. in Demographic and Social Analysis from UC Irvine.

Ultimately, my interest in studying the intersection of gender and digital inequalities led me to pursue a Ph.D. in sociology at UCI. Not only do we have brilliant gender and family scholars, but the department’s strengths in social demography made it a particularly inspiring context to pursue this research from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Tell us about your research. What problem will your findings help solve?

My research, building on rich traditions of feminist and demographic inquiry, employs diverse methodologies to examine the complex role of digital technologies in shaping gender inequality across the life course. In my dissertation, I capitalize on longitudinal data to examine the gendered digital divide in young adulthood. In this project, I begin by exploring the social and contextual factors shaping young adults' technology use through original latent class typologies. I then demonstrate how these latent classes—or tech typologies—shape two traditional markers of adulthood: 1) romantic relationships and 2) college enrollment.

Broadly, results reveal that even when young adults report similar patterns of technology use, young men and women benefit differently from their digital engagement. That is, despite young women being amongst the most socially digitally engaged group of digital youth, it is young men who benefit—both romantically and academically—from their social use of digital technologies. These findings suggest that alleviating digital inequalities will require more than simply promoting more or different types of technology use. Rather, policies aimed at addressing digital inequalities must consider the complex ways social realities shape–and are shaped by–digital technologies. In doing so, sociologists and digital scholars may be better able to identify and address the contemporary, digital mechanisms shaping inequalities across the life course. 

Where can your work be found if someone wanted to learn more about your research?

My independent research has been featured in journals such as Social Science Research and Sociological Perspectives, and collaborative projects have been featured in journals such as Criminology, Environmental Sociology, Urban Geography, and Journal of Family Issues.

Turney, Kristin, Katelyn Malae, MacKenzie A. Christensen, and Sarah Halpern-Meekin. “‘Even Though We’re Married, I’m Single’: The Meaning of Incarceration in Romantic Relationships.” Criminology 61(4): 795-822.

Christensen, MacKenzie A. “Tracing the Gendered Confidence Gap in Computing: A Cross-National Meta-Analysis of Gender Differences in Self-Assessed Tech Ability.” Social Science Research 111.

Christensen, MacKenzie A. “‘Tindersluts’ & ‘Tinderellas:’ Examining the Digital Affordances Shaping the (Hetero)Sexual Scripts of Young Womxn on Tinder.” Sociological Perspectives 64(3): 432-449.

McGee, Julius Alexander, Patrick Greiner, MacKenzie A. Christensen, Christina Ergas, and Mathew Clement. “Gender Inequality, Reproductive Justice, and Decoupling Economic Growth and Emissions: A Panel Analysis of the Moderating Association of Gender Equality on the Relationship between Economic Growth and CO₂ Emissions.” Environmental Sociology 6(3): 254-267.

Mahmoudi, Dillon, Amy Lubitow, and MacKenzie A. Christensen. “Reproducing Spatial Inequality? The Sustainability Fix and Barriers to Urban Mobility in Portland, Oregon.” Urban Geography 41(6): 801-822.

Christensen, MacKenzie A. “Feminization of Poverty: Causes and Implications.” In: Leal Filho W., Azul A., Brandli L., Özuyar P., Wall T. (eds) Gender Equality. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham.

Shafer, Emily Fitzgibbons and MacKenzie A. Christensen. “Flipping the (Surname) Script: Men’s Nontraditional Surname Choice at Marriage.” Journal of Family Issues 39(11): 3055-3074.

I also have multiple collaborative projects currently under review:

Christensen, MacKenzie A., Kristin Turney, Suyeon Jang. “The Carceral Contradictions of Motherhood.” Revise and Resubmit at the American Sociological Review.

Turney, Kristin, Rachel Bauman, MacKenzie A. Christensen, and Rebecca Goodsell. “Intergenerational Stress Proliferation: Linking Son’s Incarceration and Mothers’ Health." Revise and Resubmit at Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Christensen, MacKenzie A. and Judith Treas “Digital Boundary Work and Work-to-Family Spillover in Europe: Examining the Role of Digital Skills” Under review at Community, Work & Family.

What organizations, foundations, and other have funded your research while you’ve been at UCI? 

My work has been funded by the UC President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship and the Associate Dean’s Fellowship, and I also received the Ph.D. Provost Fellowship and a Diversity Recruitment Fellowship by the School of Social Sciences.

Tell us about your campus and community involvement and any awards you’ve received while an Anteater.

At UCI, I have been the sole statistical consultant for the Department of Sociology for nearly four years, where I have had the unique opportunity to work with graduate and undergraduate honors students on their thesis and dissertation projects. I have also served as a lead writing mentor for the Cascading Writing Mentorship program and participated in the DTEI Summer Teaching Apprenticeship Program (STAP) and the DTEI Scholars Program. I have also been involved with Water UCI as a Program Coordinator for the Research Opportunities for Community College Teachers (ROCCT) and the Middle School Challenge.

Further, in addition to the Charles A. Lave Paper Prize Award, I have received several awards for my research and teaching:

2024, A. Kimball Romney Award for Outstanding Graduate Paper. School of Social Sciences
2024, Judith Treas Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award. Department of Sociology
2023, Most Promising Future Faculty Award. Council on Teaching, Learning, and Student Experience (CTLSE), Graduate Division, and Division of Teaching Excellence & Innovation (DTEI)
2023, Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Department of Sociology
Robin M. Williams Paper Award for Best Empirical Graduate Paper. Department of Sociology
2021, Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Department of Sociology
2020, Outstanding Research Award. Department of Sociology

Who have been your faculty mentors while here, and what impact have they had on your graduate career?

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such incredible scholars and mentors here at UCI. As an advisor, Dr. Goldberg's dedication to mentorship has been nothing short of heroic. She has not only pushed me to become a better, more well-rounded scholar but has also been a true exemplar of the importance of advising with care and compassion. Rachel has always believed in me and my ability to become a sociologist—often while I have not believed in myself.

I have also been lucky enough to have the tremendous support of my committee members, Dr. Judith Treas and Dr. Kristin Turney, who have been deeply impactful in my academic and professional development. Dr. Treas has provided consistent guidance and mentorship even prior to the start of my Ph.D., pushing me to learn new methodologies and advancing my theoretical understanding of the life course. Additionally, Dr. Turney has been transformative in my own approach to research and mentorship. Dr. Turney consistently raises the bar for what it means to be an effective and impactful scholar. I cannot understate the impact that Rachel, Kristin, and Judy have had on my academic career thus far. These women imagined a future for me in academia that I never imagined for myself, and I would not be here today without their guidance and support.

When do plan to complete your Ph.D.? What are your plans thereafter? How has UCI prepared you well for this role?

I recently defended my dissertation and will graduate this spring with my Ph.D. in sociology. After graduation, I will be moving back to Oregon, where I have accepted a position as an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Oregon!

Any unique life experiences that have guided your educational journey? Give us some background.

As a first-generation student and community college graduate, I could have never imagined attending an institution like UC Irvine. However, with the guidance of mentors and advisors who taught me the hidden curriculum of academia, I have managed to accomplish things I never imagined. Now, in the next phase of my career, I hope to continue this legacy by contributing to efforts to recruit and support incoming generations of first-generation scholars, whether through collaborative research, inclusive teaching practices, or sustained mentor relationships.

Any other tidbits you’d like to share?

I would be remiss not to acknowledge the incredible graduate and undergraduate students (shout out to those first-year graduate statistics cohorts) who have made my time at UCI so incredible and have given me hope for the future of academia. Despite navigating higher education under conditions of extreme precarity, I’ve seen these students continue to show up for one another to build and maintain an incredibly supportive community here at UCI, and I feel incredibly proud to be graduating alongside many of them!