Outstanding Publication Award for Catherine Voulgarides

Catherine Voulgarides received an Outstanding Publication in the Sociology of Disability Award from the American Sociological Association (ASA) for her book Does Compliance Matter in Special Education?: IDEA and the Hidden Inequities of Practice (New York: Teacher’s College Press).

The Awards Committee of the Section on Disability and Society (Sara Green, Chair; Sharon Barnartt; Nancy Kutner; Laura Mauldin; and Alan Santinele Martino) writes, “this book, based on rigorous qualitative methods ranging from interviews to observations and shadowing, is theoretically and methodologically rich while also written in a style that is both engaging and accessible to general readers. Throughout the book, Voulgarides deftly weaves together sociological theories, micro/meso descriptions drawn from her fieldwork, the voices and perspectives of stakeholders, and pragmatic issues faced in educational settings. The book demonstrates how racism and ableism shape the lives of disabled students, points out the limits of the way in which we currently structure special education, and suggests changes for the future.”

Dr. Voulgarides is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Hunter College. Her body of work spans the fields of special education, disability studies, sociology of education, race and ethnic studies, educational leadership, and policy and law.