Scornful Stories: Women’s Carework and the Sadistic State of U.S. Punishment - 2026 Carter Series Lecture

Chrysanthi Leon, professor of sociology and criminal justice and 2026 recipient of the Mae and Robert Carter Faculty Research Award, will share her research on how U.S. systems of punishment depend on women's carework while simultaneously creating structural barriers and reinforcing scornful stories that undermine them.

Leon will draw on over two decades of research into women and the justice system, in particular on recently conducted interviews with women experiencing prison re-entry. They include people who have been incarcerated and those who work in re-entry support at both state and federal prisons. The lecture will cover three interrelated themes:

women's work as a subject of researchwomen's work on addressing gender-based violencewomen collaborating on research, including work done by current UD students and alumni

Registration is requested by Monday, Oct. 19.

The Carter Series lectures are intended to provide an opportunity to explore varied topics adressing contemporary feminism and to foster an environment in which feminist ideas may thrive. They are hosted by the Department of Women and Gender Studies and supported by the Mae and Robert Carter Endowment in Women's Studies.