{"id":16668,"date":"2023-09-07T13:52:05","date_gmt":"2023-09-07T20:52:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=16668"},"modified":"2023-10-12T16:03:10","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T23:03:10","slug":"renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Pioneering sociologist merged medical sociology and race relations before it was common practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  H. Edward Ransford served as director of undergraduate studies for USC Dornsife\u2019s Department of Sociology for nearly 20 years. (Photo: Courtesy of the Ransford family.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=faculty\">Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>Pioneering sociologist merged medical sociology and race relations before it was common practice<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Professor Emeritus of Sociology H. Edward Ransford conducted influential research into the Watts Riots and taught thousands of students during his four decades at USC.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Margaret Crable<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">September 7, 2023<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default 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class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Professor Emeritus of Sociology H. Edward Ransford brought a calm professionalism to his scholarly work, influenced by his two favorite hobbies of playing stand-up bass and riding waves.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor decades, we in the sociology department benefited from Ed\u2019s calm demeanor; he was a Southern California surfer and a jazz musician,\u201d says Professor Emeritus of <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/soci\/\">Sociology<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/michael-messner\/\">Michael Messner<\/a>. \u201cAbove all, Ed was devoted to undergraduates. During, and after, his many years as the department\u2019s director of undergraduate studies, Ed\u2019s office door was always open to students, and his classes inspired generations of young people.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ransford, a pioneering researcher, merged medical sociology and race relations before it became a common practice. He was with the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences since 1969 and taught thousands of students over his tenure.<\/p>\n<p>He died July 24 at 86.<\/p>\n<h2>Growing up curious<\/h2>\n<p>Ransford was born in 1936 in Pasadena, California, where his father was a marketing and advertising manager and his mother was an artist, producing pottery in a home studio. His father, hailing from Georgia, built a southern-style house in the neighborhood complete with decorative columns.<\/p>\n<p>As a teen, Ransford learned to surf and also gained an interest in music. He and a friend built a radio station in Ransford\u2019s backyard, dubbing themselves \u201cKER\u201d and broadcasting to the neighborhood. Surfing and playing the upright bass became life-long hobbies.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford was part of a cohort of children bussed to schools outside their district, an effort to integrate schools that predated the official end of school segregation in Los Angeles County in 1976. This experience sparked curiosity about America\u2019s complex systems of discrimination and segregation, and later shaped his sociology research.<\/p>\n<p>He received a bachelor\u2019s degree in sociology from Occidental College in 1958 and then a master\u2019s degree in sociology from UCLA.<\/p>\n<p>On Aug. 11, 1965, California Highway Patrol officers pulled Black motorist Marquette Frye over for drunk driving in South L.A. The incident turned violent after a scuffle broke out between officers and bystanders, leading to accusations of police brutality. Protests, rioting and unrest, fueled by Black Angelenos\u2019 long-standing frustration at inequality in the city, shook Los Angeles for nearly a week.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16669\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16669\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16669\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_instorya-411x550.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_instorya-411x550.jpg 411w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_instorya-764x1024.jpg 764w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_instorya-768x1029.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_instorya.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16669\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ransford pictured in 1972, when he was promoted to associate professor of sociology. (Photo: Courtesy of USC University Archives.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Moved by the uprising, Ransford, then completing his sociology PhD at UCLA, embarked on research into the motivations of those who participated. Prior research had found that broader causes such as housing segregation and poverty were underlying reasons for expressions of violent outrage. Ransford probed for more personal reasons, with his research concluding that feelings of isolation and powerlessness were also important drivers for violence.<\/p>\n<p>This work eventually became his doctoral dissertation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.journals.uchicago.edu\/doi\/abs\/10.1086\/224532\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a paper<\/a> published in the <em>American Journal of Sociology<\/em>, and is still cited today by experts looking back at the incident.<\/p>\n<p>After receiving his PhD in 1968, Ransford taught at California State University, Fullerton until he moved to USC Dornsife in 1969. Over the course of his career, he fused medical sociology with his research into race relations. In 1977, he published <em>Race and Class in American Society<\/em>. In 1980, he published <em>Social Stratification: A Multiple Hierarchy Approach<\/em>. His most recent research focused on identifying the barriers to health care among Latino immigrants in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n<h2>Service and guidance<\/h2>\n<p>Across nearly four decades at USC Dornsife, he taught popular classes to undergraduates and advised graduate students on their PhDs, with the sociology department often turning to him for help with those who were struggling.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe supervised many over the years, including a few who, due to health or other difficulties, were having trouble finishing. Ed shepherded several such students to completion,\u201d says Messner.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford also served as director of undergraduate studies in the department for nearly 20 years and participated in numerous department committees. Although he retired in 2012, he returned regularly over the years to teach his popular classes on medical sociology and race relations.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford lent a hand in less formal ways, as well. For instance, when Messner first arrived at USC Dornsife, he struggled to figure out the right wardrobe approach that was scholarly without being stuffy. After a few failed tries, Professor Emerita of Sociology <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/profile\/pierrette-hondagneu-sotelo\/\">Pierrette Hondagneu-Sotelo<\/a> suggested he look to Ransford\u2019s relaxed, yet professional style for inspiration. It did the trick, says Messner.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford raised two children, Todd and Jeff, with his first wife Lynn Todd remembers him as a devoted father and excellent role model who taught him how to ride a bike, swim and throw a football with a proper spiral. He insisted on having his dad continue to read to him long past the time Todd could read on his own, just because he liked the sound of his voice.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLater, when I became a father myself, I developed a new appreciation for all he had done because much\u00a0of\u00a0the time I could just do what felt natural and that was the right thing to do,\u201d says Todd.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford met his second wife, Christine Fredericks, while at USC Dornsife. Fredericks, then the director of undeclared advisement for the College, first met Ransford when she sent students his way for advising help. When they both found themselves divorced in the 1990s, they began dating and eventually married in 2000.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEd was the best thing that ever happened to me,\u201d says Fredericks, who recalls his kindness as well as his humble nature. For instance, Ransford had won numerous teaching awards over the years at USC Dornsife but never put them on display. \u201cI was always telling him to get them framed, but he never did. Not because he wasn\u2019t proud, but because he just never wanted to toot his own horn,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<p>Ransford was riding waves well into his golden years, and played bass regularly in the bands Jazz Mandala and The Americana Cats in Carpinteria, where he moved after retirement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEd always seemed so relaxed. He floated gently through the department, like a California surfer boy, waiting patiently for just the right wave,\u201d says Messner. \u201cWatching Ed move, I saw him as a good lesson for all of us in academia, during this era of frantic work speed-up. Ed was never in a hurry, yet he was always getting somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ransford is survived by his wife Christine Fredericks, sons Todd and Jeff, four grandchildren and one great grandchild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/bad-bunny-says-reggaeton-is-puerto-rican-but-it-was-born-in-panama\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Bad Bunny says reggaeton is Puerto Rican, but it was born in\u00a0Panama<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/us-catholics-at-a-crossroads-sociologist-explains\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >No matter who the next pope is, US Catholics stand \u2018at a crossroads\u2019 \u2212 a sociologist explains<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/drug-overdose-deaths-effect-on-children\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >Over a million US children scarred by drug overdoses<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Remembering H. Edward Ransford, sociologist and pioneering race relations expert who led influential research on the 1965 Watts Riots and taught for four decades at USC.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":16670,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[1106,125,1917,90],"class_list":["post-16668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty","tag-emeriti","tag-obituary","tag-soci","tag-sociology"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Pioneering sociologist merged medical sociology and race relations before it was common practice<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Retired longtime USC Dornsife sociology professor led influential research on the 1965 Watts Riots and taught thousands of students over four decades.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"H. Edward Ransford, renowned sociologist and pioneering race relations expert\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Retired longtime USC Dornsife sociology professor led influential research on the 1965 Watts Riots and taught thousands of students over four decades.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Dornsife News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-07T20:52:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-12T23:03:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1150\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Liu\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uscdornsife\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Liu\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/d03084ed5319ed7575c96017879a7447\"},\"headline\":\"Pioneering sociologist merged medical sociology and race relations before it was common practice\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-09-07T20:52:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-12T23:03:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\"},\"wordCount\":13,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2023\/09\/ransford_obit_top.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"emeriti\",\"obituary\",\"soci\",\"sociology\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Faculty\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/renowned-sociologist-race-and-relations-expert\/\",\"name\":\"H. 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