Cassandra Cotton

Cassandra Cotton is a family demographer and sociologist whose work primarily investigates kinship and family dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa, and romantic relationships & dating experiences across the life-course in the US. 

Her research broadly explores motherhood, changes in kinship roles and networks, and child fostering in sub-Saharan Africa. Current projects examine women’s decisions about childrearing in the context of internal migration into informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, the impact of mothers' migration patterns on child residence and child well-being across sub-Saharan Africa, and strategies to raise children in urban informal settlements. Her work on these topics has been published in Demography, Population and Development Review, Journal of Marriage and Family, Studies in Family Planning, Health & Place, and Demographic Research.

Cotton also conducts research on romantic relationship experiences over the life-course. She recently finished collecting data on Romance and Dating in Later Life, which you can read more about at her ASU website for the project. She is also working with data about relationship formation and aspirations among young people in Arizona. Work on these areas has been published in American Behavioral Scientist and Sociological Forum.

Cotton is also interested in family formation, dating experiences, child well-being, and child adoption, particularly international and transcultural adoption. Prospective students for the Sociology PhD program interested in family sociology should reach out for more information.