Dr. Georgiann Davis, Associate Professor, Sociology

Name:

Dr. Georgiann Davis

Title:

Associate Professor

Department:

Sociology

Describe your research in about 200 words.

My intellectual passion is nestled around the social construction of medical knowledge, specifically how diagnoses are defined and experienced through a gendered framework by medical professionals, patients, and their families. Given such, my research is centered on theoretical questions, concepts, and intellectual concerns that bridge medical discourse with gender scholarship. In my first book, Contesting Intersex: The Dubious Diagnosis, I looked at how intersex is experienced in contemporary U.S. society, while also telling the story of how “intersex” became a “disorder of sex development.” I’m currently working on a new book where I question normalcy and explain why we ought to reject it. I identify as a scholar-activist and find myself intrigued by all sides of the hospital bed, including the social construction of medical diagnoses and the implications of such diagnoses, as well as patterns of medical specialization.

What’s the most interesting thing you have learned from a student?

When I’m with students, I’m reminded that knowledge is multifaceted and not tied to a degree. I’m always learning from them.