Assistant Professor Social Sciences
Rachel Feinstein, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of social science for the OU College of Professional and Continuing Studies. She received a Ph.D. in sociology from Texas A&M University, specializing in race/ethnicity, criminology and earning a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies.
After graduate school, Feinstein worked as an assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice at Carthage College in Wisconsin for three years. Here, she worked closely with students, leading lectures and seminars, mentoring those interested in research, and co-teaching a short-term study abroad course in London.
She relocated to California, where she continued teaching sociology courses at California State University Fullerton for five years and criminology courses at the University of California, Irvine. She enjoys teaching a variety of social science classes on topics of gender, race, theory, crime, and many others.
Before coming to OU, Feinstein worked as a Researcher for Resolution Systems Institute, a non-profit organization focused on increasing access to justice. In this role, she led an extensive study involving six focus groups in three areas of the United States to uncover the barriers self-represented litigants are likely to face when attempting to use online dispute resolution. This collaborative project resulted in tools that are now available for civil courts to use when developing their own communications to the public to ensure most people can use them without the assistance of an attorney.
Feinstein’s previous research focuses primarily on juvenile delinquency and justice, the experiences of incarcerated juveniles, and sexual violence historically. She has published this work in several journals for academics and practitioners, as well as a book, When Rape Was Legal: The Untold History of Sexual Violence During Slavery.
Email Rachel - Rachel.A.Feinstein-1@ou.edu