
James Fraser
Lecturer in SociologyContact Information
Office Hours
By appointment only.
Dr. James Fraser is a human geographer/sociologist with specializations in urban development, community development, housing justice, urban ecology, and human-environment interactions/relations. His scholarly and applied work centers around multiple axes of social justice as they relate to urban/rural redevelopment and housing, community building, and environmental risk. In addition, he teaches methods, grant writing and project development, statistics, and social theory. His research has been used by the U.S. Congress in policymaking, as well as by national foundations and nonprofit housing providers, and a range of local government agencies, advocacy groups, and activist organizations.
Education
Ph.D. in Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Major Fields: Urban Studies (sociology/geography/planning); Environmental Studies; Social Justice/Poverty; Research Methods/Data Analysis; Public Policy.
M.A. in Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA. Major Fields: Urban Studies (sociology and geography); Environmental Studies; Social Inequality/Poverty.
B.A. in Sociology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA. Major Fields: Urban Studies.
Courses Taught
Urban Studies
- Urban Geography
- Urban Geography & Planning
- Urban Geography & Community Development
- Critical Geographical Thought
- Gentrification & Urbanization
- Social Justice and the City
- Urban Sociology
- The American City
Environmental Studies
- Urbanization & the Environment
- Sustainability, Justice & the City
- Human Dimensions of Environmental Change
- Human & Physical Dimensions of Flooding
- Geographies of Water
Social Inequality
- Social Inequality
- Theories of Inequality
- Social Stratification
- Social Problems
- Community Development Research
- Development of Social Justice Theory
Research Practice
- Critical Methods & Epistemology
- Research Methodology
- Advanced Research Methods
- Research Design in Geography
- Qualitative Methods in Social Research
- Development Project, Design & Evaluation
- Statistics
Selected Publications
Fraser, J., Schwartz, D., and D. Oakley. December 2021. Thriving, Not Just Surviving: Making Mixed-Income Neighborhoods Work for Low-Income Households. Baseline Report for Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH Communities).
Addie, J.P., and J.C. Fraser. (2019). After Gentrification: Social Mix, Settler Colonialism, and Cruel Optimism in the Transformation of Neighborhood Space. Antipode. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12572.
Fraser, J., Bazuin, J. T., & Hornberger, G. (2016). The privatization of neighborhood governance and the production of urban space. Environment and Planning A, 48(5), 844-870.
Fraser, J. C., & Kick, E. L. (2014). Governing urban restructuring with city-building nonprofits. Environment and Planning A, 46(6), 1445-1461.