Thomas Macias is the Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences at ¶¶Òõ̽̽ where he is also a professor and was previously department chair in sociology. Macias’ research interests include immigration, race and ethnic relations, consumerism, and environmental justice.
His interest in the social sciences began in the 1990s when he used his bachelor’s degree in marketing to enter the Peace Corps. At the time, the US promoted micro-enterprise development in Eastern Europe and Latin America. He spent two years in Costa Rica and one year in Argentina. There, Macias quickly developed an interest in global social inequity.
As the grandson of immigrants himself, Macias feels a personal connection with the field. His grandparents migrated to the United States in the early 20th century during the Mexican Revolution. Despite coming to the US during one of the toughest economic periods of the modern age, the Great Depression, Macias’ mother had fond memories of growing up the youngest of thirteen in rural Arizona. These stories and themes of community inspired much of his early work in sociology - do immigrant communities cultivate strong interpersonal bonds? What happens to these bonds over generations? And, what role does American consumer society and culture play in tearing those bonds apart?
On the whole, Macias argues that finding solutions to our problems through direct interaction with each other tends to create bonds of trust and a broader sense of community. Consumer capitalism, by contrast, allows us to conveniently resolve our problems without communal ties, often in ways that negatively impact the environment.
This ties back to Macias’ focus on immigration, as his research shows that Mexican immigrants stand out as a category of people who are very willing to engage in pro-environmental behavior such as household energy and water conservation, driving less, and even paying higher taxes directed towards environmental protection if given the option. His research is consistent with an understanding that marginalized groups migrating from the global south are likely bringing with them greater sensitivity to the direct impacts of climate change on their livelihoods and wellbeing.
Thomas has also conducted a study in Marseille, France, which he was able to do via a Fulbright Grant. There, he continued his focus on immigrant populations and their willingness to engage in water and energy conservation. The results from his time there were consistent with his findings in the U.S. He plans to explore these connections using cross-national comparative data in the future.
Today, Thomas teaches these theories and more in his lectures. He is a very well-spoken and intelligent professor. If you are majoring in sociology or want to learn more about the connections between sociology and environmental issues, consider taking one of his classes.