My name is Deeb Kitchen, and I serve as the Chair of Applied Social Sciences and Director of the Sociology/Criminal Justice Programs, Peace and Justice Studies, and Public Health programs. My current work focuses on Teaching Sociology, Death, Dying, and grief, and Social Movements. I am trained as an end-of-life doula. I have also studied Sex and Gender, Sociological Theory, and Popular Culture.
My master's thesis examined the story of western expansion as told in popular children’s books. My doctoral thesis looked at graduate student labor unions.
Since coming to Marian University, I have co-led travel to the Navajo Nation. I love seeing students experience communities and cultures different than their own.
Courses Taught:
Principles of Sociology
Education & Social Inequality
Introduction to Social Justice
Community Organizing for Social Justice
Sociology of Sex, Gender, & Sexuality
Sociology of Religion
The Social Organization of Death and Dying
Sociology of Deviant Behavior
Sociology of Knowledge
Social Problems
Sociology of Popular Culture
Race and Media
Multicultural Issues
Social Inequalities
Social Class, Power, and Inequality
Race & Ethnic Relations
Marriage and Family
Methods of Social Research
Qualitative Research Methods
Sociological Theory
Classical Sociological Theory
Sociology Senior Capstone
Applied Social Entrepreneurship
Global Issues
Comparative Sociology: Global Issues
Internship in Sociology
Directed Independent Study
Criminal Justice
Introduction to Criminal Justice
Crime, Punishment, & Policing
Crime, Media, & Popular Culture
Juvenile Justice & Delinquency
Human Trafficking
Drugs & Social Policy
Internship in Criminal Justice
Peace and Justice Studies
Social Justice in Action
Communication for Intentional Communities
Gender Studies
Introduction to Gender Studies
Health, Wellbeing, and Public Health
Holistic Health & Wellbeing
Meditation for Wellbeing
End-of-Life Accompaniment
Advanced Internship in Public Health
Interdisciplinary Courses
University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future
Select Publications:
Kitchen, D. “Defund the Police After 2020: Polarized Public Discourse, Media Framing, and the Movement’s Current Trajectory.” RAIS Conference Proceedings, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. 2026.
Kitchen, D. “Framing Dignity in the Debate on Requested Death.” RAIS Conference Proceedings, Research Association for Interdisciplinary Studies. 2025.
Kitchen, D. “Ethics, Race, and Deception: Analyzing a Historical Medical Study.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2024.
Kitchen, D. “A Content Analysis of Bereavement Cards.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2024.
Kitchen, D. “Examining Gendered Sexuality in ‘The Contest’ Episode of Seinfeld.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2023.
Kitchen, D. “Analyzing Seinfeld Using Symbolic Interactionism.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2021.
Kitchen, D. “Constructing Binary Sex.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2020.
Kitchen, D., and A. Nelson. “The Social Construction of Sex.” TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology, American Sociological Association. 2019.
Kitchen, D. “Insider Interviewing: How to Get Good Data When You Are Already Native.” SAGE Research Methods Cases. 2019.
Kitchen, D. “Can Graduate Students Re-energize the Labor Movement?” Thought & Action. 2014.
Kitchen, D. “A Critical View of Graduate Unions.” Societies Without Borders 8, no. 2: 267–290. 2013.
Kitchen, D. “On Graduate Unions and Corporatization.” Journal of Collective Bargaining in the Academy 2. 2010.
Kitchen, D. “Project 2025: A Modern Continuation of the Business Plot.” Sociology in the News, McGraw Hill. 2024.
Kitchen, D. “Digital Strings: The Parallels Between Social Media and Manipulative Relationships.” Sociology in the News, McGraw Hill. 2024.
