Shai M. Dromi

Associate Senior Lecturer on Sociology at Harvard University

Welcome! I am a cultural and comparative-historical sociologist. My research explores a central question: How do moral frameworks—our definitions of the "good"—shape the institutions we build, the knowledge we produce, and the way we navigate contemporary crises?

My current research centers on three core themes, with projects ranging from debates inside sociology to conflicts over land, memory, and intergroup relations:

  • Contested claims and suffering in public life: How are reports of harm made credible or contestable in university settings and beyond? I examine how public justifications for claims of injustice reflect broader moral frameworks, and how dialogue and encounter initiatives are defended or criticized in conflicts at the intersection of religion, identity, and politics.

  • The moral architecture of social science: From everyday research practices to struggles over the sociological canon, I investigate how academic controversies reflect competing visions of the discipline’s moral commitments, intellectual boundaries, and visions of the public good.

  • The sociology of morality and pluralism: I map how sociologists approach fundamental questions of fairness, dignity, and justice, exploring how diverse methods and theories contribute to a more nuanced understanding of moral life.

I am Associate Senior Lecturer at Harvard, Treasurer of the Social Science History Association, and Chair of the ASA Section on Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity.

My recent books include Moral Minefields: How Sociologists Debate Good Research (University of Chicago Press, 2023, with Samuel D. Stabler) and Above the Fray: The Red Cross and the Making of the Humanitarian NGO Sector (University of Chicago Press, 2020). I am also co-editor of the Handbook of the Sociology of Morality, vol. 2 (Springer, 2023, with Steven Hitlin and Aliza Luft) and of the Palgrave Studies in Altruism, Morality, and Social Solidarity book series (with Peter Callero and Matthew T. Lee). See my research page for more details.

I teach courses on nonprofit organizations, humanitarian aid, cultural sociology, sociology of religion, sociological theory, and related topics. For more details, please see my teaching page.

Contact me at shai.dromi@g.harvard.edu, and follow me at @dromishai.bsky.social‬ .

Photo credit: Mira Whiting Photography.