Cara Chiaraluce
Dr. Cara Chiaraluce conducts research in the fields of medical sociology, healthcare empowerment, and gender and family.
She recently received her Ph.D. in Sociology from University of California- Davis, where she completed her dissertation titled "Missing Pieces of the Autism Puzzle: Caregiver Narratives, Community Dynamics & Healthcare Empowerment." She has an article in press, "Becoming an Expert Autism Caregiver: Health Literacy & Community Catalysts" in Research in the Sociology of Health Care (2015), and forthcoming articles on caregiver narratives of autism and identity transformation, and demedicalization in environmental health and asthma advocacy organizations.
Prior to joining the department, she taught Sociology at UC Davis (where she won the 2013 "Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award") and California State University- Sacramento, conducted research on the use of narratives in psychiatric health as a CrossUniversity of California Fellow in Medical Humanities. At Santa Clara, she teaches the following classes: Principles of Sociology, Sociology of Gender & Family, Human Services, and Cultures & Ideas I & II.