Gender, Emotions, and Mental Health in the United States: Patterns, Explanations, and New Directions

I want to begin by thanking Jane McLeod and Brian Powell for nominating me for this award as well as the Awards Committee. Receiving the Pearlin Award (also fondly referred to as The Lenny) has special meaning for me because Len’s 1977 article on marital status, life strains, and depression—which I read as an undergraduate back in the stone age—inspired me to pursue graduate studies in sociology. Len’s poignant writing about the myriad ways in which individuals’ structural locations shape their everyday life experiences and subsequent mental health still inspires me. I’m grateful to him, Gerrie Pearlin, and members of the Mental Health Section for your generous support and friendship over the years. I’m a member of a few ASA sections, but this one has always been my primary identity group. I’d also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge Jane and Brian as well as Sarah Rosenfield, Mary Clare Lennon, Jennifer Glass, Kathryn Lively, Peggy Thoits, Arlie Hochschild, Catherine Ross, Debra Umberson, Walter Gove, Ronald Kessler, and our beloved colleague Carol Aneshensel whose theoretical and substantive insights have influenced my research. Special thanks to Kristen Marcussen and Jennifer Caputo, who are among the many wonderful graduate students with whom I have worked, as well as my husband and kids for their unconditional love.