Tomas Gold

Political Sociology, Cultural Sociology, Social Theory, Comparative-Historical & Qualitative Methods, Social Movements, Development & Global Sociology

Hello! My name is Tomás Gold, and I am a political sociologist studying how collective actors build and adapt their strategies amid change and uncertainty, with a focus on the transnational rise of the right. I ground this comparative work primarily in Latin America, identifying similarities and differences with other world regions.

I am currently Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern California. Previously, I was a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, and I received my PhD from the University of Notre Dame. My research has been published in the American Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, Sociological Theory, Social Movement Studies, Information, Communication & Society, and Latin American Politics & Society, among other outlets, and has received awards from multiple sections of the American Sociological Association.

Some of the topics I’m working on now include:
* Why civil society organizations are taking on functions and roles traditionally performed by political parties.
* Why conservative philanthropy is expanding worldwide, and how (and if) it reshapes local advocacy efforts.
* How cultural repertoires of protest change over time.
* When think tanks succeed in driving long-term political change, with a focus on the policy resilience of neoliberalism.

• Ph.D. Sociology, University of Notre Dame, 2024
• M.A. Political Science, Universidad Nacional de San Martin, 2017
• B.S. Political Science, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 2014