Ross Matsueda


Ph.D. 1984, University of California, Santa Barbara. Criminology, juvenile delinquency, deviance, teen childbearing, statistics, methods, social psychology.

Department: Sociology
Position: Professor
Email: click here
Phone: (206) 616-2432
Box: 353340
Home page

Research Summary:

Ross L. Matsueda is Professor Sociology and Associate Director of the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences at the University of Washington. In the last three years, he has continued his research on families and child behavior problems, the processes leading to delinquent behavior, and initiated two new related projects. His work on child behavior problems (with Lingxin Hao of Johns Hopkins) has used (a) fixed-effects sibling models to examine the effects of family histories of poverty and family structure on children's behavior problems, and (b) fixed-effects covariance structure models for sibling data to estimate a dynamic decision-making model of teenage childbearing on child behavior problems. The former found consistent effects of early childhood poverty and parental physical punishment on the development of child behavior problems. The latter found that the timing of childbearing of a child is influenced by the problem behavior of an earlier sibling, supporting a model of dynamic decision-making. However, this finding did not alter the conclusion that teenage childbearing has little effect on child behavior problems. This work has resulted in three working papers. His work on modeling delinquent behavior has examined effects of parental and peer labeling on future delinquent behavior. This research finds support for an interactionist model in which delinquent self-identities are shaped by labeling by parents, peers, and teachers. This research has led to a series of published articles, beginning in 1992.

Recent Publications:

Matsueda, R., (2008), Forward, Crime: Readings, Crutchfield, R. D.; Kubrin, C. E.; Weis, J. G.; Bridges, G. S., SAGE-Pine Forest Press, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Matsueda, R. L., (2008), Differential Association, Encyclopedia of Social Problems, Parrillo, V. N., Sage, Beverly Hills, CA.

Crutchfield, R. D.; Matsueda, R.; Drakulich, K., (2006), Race, Labor Markets and Neighborhood Violence, The Many Colors of Crime: Inequalities of Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America, Peterson, R. D.; Krivo, L. J.; Hagan, J., New York University Press, New York.

Guest, A. M.; Matsueda, R. L.; Cover, J. K.; Kubrin, C. E., (2006), Neighborhood Context and Neighboring Ties, City & Community, 5: 4, 363.

Hao, L.; Matsueda, R. L., (2006), Family dynamics through childhood: A sibling model of behavior problems, Social Science Research, 35: 2, 500.

Matsueda, R., (2006), Differential social organization, collective action, and crime, Crime, Law and Social Change, 46: 1-2, 3.

Matsueda, R. L., (2006), Labeling Theory, The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology, Riztzer, G., 504-07, Blackwell, Oxford, UK.

Matsueda, R. L., (2006), Criminological Implications of the Thought of George Herbert Mead, Sociological Theory and Criminological Research: Views from Europe and the United States, Deflem, M., 77-108, Elsevier Science, Oxford, UK.

Matsueda, R. L.; Drakulich, K.; Kubrin, C. E., (2006), Race and Neighborhood Codes of the Street, The Many Colors of Crime: Inequalities of Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America, Peterson, R. D.; Krivo, L. J.; Hagan, J., 334-356, University Press, New York.

Matsueda, R. L.; Kreager, D. A.; Huizinga, D., (2006), Deterring Delinquents: A Rational Choice Model of Theft and Violence, American Sociological Review, 71: 1, 95.

Back to top


Current Research Projects PI:

Back to top

   CONTACT CSDE                                         UW LINKS: MyUW | Web Pine | Libraries | Computing | UWired | UW Directory | Campus Maps