Faculty and Research

Sociology

Biography

Dr. Jason Ford is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. He has B.A. degrees in both History and Sociology from Bowling Green State University. He went on to Kent State University where he received an M.A. in Criminal Justice Studies. His Ph.D., also from Bowling Green, is in sociology with a minor area of concentration in quantitative methodology and a major area of concentration in crime and deviance. He has taught the following courses at UCF: Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Criminology, Juvenile Delinquency, Patterns of Alcoholism in Society, Patterns of Drug Abuse in Society, Sociological Criminology (graduate course), and Sociology of Alcohol and Drugs (graduate course).

His research focuses on two areas. First, he has published several articles on substance use among adolescents and young adults. His research on substance use has focused on involvement in athletics, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity. In recent years, his research on substance use has focused on “legal highs,” including prescription drug misuse, the use of legally available drugs such as salvia, synthetic marijuana, and over-the-counter medications.  Second, his research also examines factors related to stability and change in delinquent/criminal offending over the life course. This line of research has focused on the transitional period between adolescence and adulthood, focusing on the influence of higher education and substance use.

Research Interests

  • Substance Abuse
  • Criminological Theory
  • Crime and Deviance over the Life Course

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