Mario Luis Small is a sociologist whose research looks at the fundamental questions of who we connect with, why, and how we use those connections. He investigates urban poverty and personal networks, and in so doing analyzes the relationship between qualitative and quantitative research methods. Small’s research contributions show how social, neighborhood, and organizational contexts affect people’s ability to meet their needs.
Professional positions
- 2022–present: Quetelet Professor of Social Science, Columbia University
- 2014–2021: Grafstein Family Professor of Sociology, Harvard University
- 2006–2013: Associate (2006–2009) and full (2009–2013) professor of sociology and of the college, University of Chicago
- 2002–2006: Assistant professor of sociology, Princeton University
Notable publications
- Small, Mario Luis, and Jessica McCrory Calarco. 2022. Qualitative Literacy: A Guide to Evaluating Ethnographic and Interview Research. University of California Press.
- Small, Mario Luis. 2017. Someone to Talk To. Oxford University Press.
- Small, Mario Luis. 2009. Unanticipated Gains: Origins of Network Inequality in Everyday Life. Oxford University Press.
- Small, Mario Luis. 2004. Villa Victoria: The Transformation of Social Capital in a Boston Barrio. University of Chicago Press.
Degrees
- PhD, sociology, Harvard University
- MA, sociology, Harvard University
- BA, sociology and anthropology, Carleton College
In The ANNALS
- Volume 689, May 2020: Do Networks Help People to Manage Poverty? Perspectives from the Field (coedited with Miranda J. Lubbers and Hugo Valenzuela García)
- Volume 647, May 2013: Reconsidering the Urban Disadvantaged: The Role of Systems, Institutions, and Organizations (coedited with Scott W. Allard)
- Volume 629, May 2010: Reconsidering Culture and Poverty (coedited with David J. Harding and Michèle Lamont)
