Department of Gender and Race Studies

Dr. Ariane Prohaska is an associate professor of sociology in the Department of Gender and Race Studies at the University of Alabama. She comes to GRS from the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at UA. Dr. Prohaska received her PhD in Sociology in 2006 from the University of Akron. Her research mainly focuses on the sociology of gender and bodies, fat studies, and social inequality after disasters.  Her most current work investigates at the influence of neoliberalism and postfeminism on beauty practices, including weight loss and pageantry. Dr. Prohaska is also a Faculty Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences Leadership Board (2020-2023), Dean’s Administrative Fellow for the College of Arts and Sciences (2022-2023), and the Southern Hand Mentoring Coordinator for Sociologists for Women in Society-South (through April 2023).