Cameron McAlister (2022)

Cameron McAlister is a doctoral candidate in Sociology at the University of Kentucky. With specialties in rural sociology and spatial demography, his research examines how uneven development differentially impacts rural opportunity structures and outcomes for health and mortality.

His dissertation examines “Deaths of Despair”, elevated suicides and drug and alcohol related mortalities among working class residents of rural areas. This project seeks to understand how “Deaths of Despair” are cultivated in place as a result of historical patterns of economic turbulence and resource deprivation. The analyses will utilize exploratory spatial data analysis and multilevel growth curve modeling across various spatial categorization schemes. A more granular picture of deaths of despair across heterogenous rural areas will highlight and advocate for place-specific interventions in contrast to one-size-fits-all approach to policy.

The 2022 National Institute of Social Sciences Dissertation Grant will support this dissertation, including attendance to workshops on spatiotemporal data analysis and attendance to conferences to disseminate findings. Prior to attending the University of Kentucky, he received a M.A. in Sociology from Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, and a B.S. in Psychology from Indiana University Bloomington.