expertise
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Inter-/Intra-group Dialogue
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Gender, Body, and Embodiment
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Race and Ethnicity
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Qualitative Methodologies
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Social Identities and their Intersections
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Social Justice Pedagogies
kristie's Story
During her 17 years in academia, Dr. Kristie Ford has served in a number of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) administrative roles including Director of Intergroup Relations (IGR), Director of Academic Diversity Initiatives, Director of the Center for Leadership, Teaching, and Learning, Associate Provost for DE&I, and Director of the Center for Intergroup Dialogue (IGD).
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As a Professor of Sociology and Critical Race & Political Economy, Ford’s research and teaching interests explore the connections between race, gender, and intersecting social identities in relation to two broad fields of study: (1) body management practices, and (2) social justice-focused pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning. Recent publications include a co-edited book, Intergroup Dialogue: Engaging Difference, Social Identities, and Social Justice: Research Perspectives and New Directions (Routledge, 2014), an article on the possibilities and challenges of white students developing alliances with people of color in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (2015), and Facilitating Change through Intergroup Dialogue: Social Justice Advocacy in Practice (Routledge, 2018).
Based on her expertise in the field, Ford consults widely with higher educational institutions, K-12 schools, non-profits, and government agencies across the United States; in the last ten years, she has facilitated over one hundred workshops on teaching and learning as well as diversity, inclusivity, and social justice. For her work, she has received several honors, including the President's Award at Skidmore College, the NAACP Community Service Award, and New York's Capital District Regional Leadership Council on Inclusion Award. She was also named as Skidmore’s Endowed Quadracci Chair in Social Responsibility in June 2019.
Ford received her B.A. in sociology from Amherst College and her M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology
from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
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consultations
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"Kristie and her co-facilitator were amazing. You can tell they have a ton of experience with these workshops as every single question that was hurled at them was answered immediately and thoughtfully. I was in awe by their professionalism and consideration throughout." - 2021
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BOOKs
Intergroup Dialogue: Engaging Difference, Social Identities and Social Justice
Intergroup dialogue is a form of democratic engagement that fosters communication, critical reflection, and collaborative action across social and cultural divides. Engaging social identities is central to this approach. This edited volume provides a thoughtful and comprehensive overview of intergroup dialogue spanning conceptual frameworks for practice, and most notably a diverse set of research studies which examine in detail the processes and learning that take place through dialogue.
Facilitating Change through Intergroup Dialogue: Social Justice Advocacy in Practice
This book traces the impact of Intergroup Dialogue (IGD) courses on peer-facilitators who delivered Skidmore College’s IGD curricula over a five-year period. Through a series of in-depth qualitative interviews and auto-ethnographies, this book explores how former IGD facilitators are applying what they learned to their personal and professional lives three to five years post-college. By exploring facilitators' application of IGD skills, understanding of social justice, and the challenges inherent in this work, Facilitating Change through Intergroup Dialogue offers concrete strategies for supporting undergraduate students in their enduring efforts towards justice.