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Travers (they/them/their)

Professor of Sociology
Sociology & Anthropology

Biography

Dr. Travers is a Professor of Sociology at Simon Fraser University. Their recent book, The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) Are Creating a Gender Revolution, situates trans kids in Canada and the US, white settler nations characterized by significant social inequality. In addition to a central research focus on transgender children and youth, Dr. Travers has published extensively on the relationship between sport and social justice, with particular emphasis on the inclusion and exclusion of women, queer and trans people of all ages. A current research program in this field focuses on gender equity in youth baseball. Travers is also the leader of an interdisciplinary research team examining electric micro-mobilities (electric scooters/skateboards/unicycles/bikes) from a mobility justice perspective.  

Education

PhD (Sociology), University of Oregon
MA (Sociology), University of British Columbia
BA Hons. (Political Science), Simon Fraser University

Areas of Interest

Social theory (classical, feminist, queer and trans/gender); sociology of sport; children and gender justice; social issues and movements; gender and technology.

Select Publications

Books

Peer-Reviewed Articles

  • 2023    Travers, Scott, N., Reed, K. J., Hall, P., Winters, M., Kwan, G., & Park, K. Moral Panic and Electric Micromobilities: Seeking Space for Mobility Justice. Sociological Perspectives.
  • 2016    Travers, A. and M. Shearman, “The Sochi Olympics, celebration capitalism and homonationalist pride,” Journal of Sport & Social Issues, online Dec 31, pp. 42-69.
  • 2015    Manning, Kimberley Ens; Cindy Holmes, Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Julia Temple Newhook, Ann Travers. “Fighting for Trans* Kids: Academic Parent Activism in the 21st Century,” Studies in Social Justice Journal, Vol. 1(9), 118-135.
  • 2013    Travers, A. “Thinking the unthinkable: Imagining an ‘un-American,’ Girl-friendly, Women- and Trans-Inclusive Alternative for Baseball,” Journal of Sport & Social Issue, Vol 37(1), pp. 78-96.
  • 2013    Travers, A. “Transformative Sporting Visions,” Journal of Sport & Social Issue, Vol 37(1), pp. 3-7.
  • 2011    Travers, A. “Women’s Ski Jumping, the 2010 Olympic Games and the Deafening Silences of Sex Segregation, Whiteness and Wealth,” in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues,Vol. 35, No. 2, May, pp. 126-145.
  • 2010    Travers, A. and J. Deri. “Transgender Inclusion and the Changing Face of Lesbian Softball Leagues,” International Review for the Sociology of Sport. Volume 46, No. 4, December, pp. 488-507.
  • 2009    Travers, A. “Jackie Robinson’s Legacy and Women “Cross-over Athletes”: A Comparison of New York Times’ Coverage,” Open Sociology Journal, Volume 2, pp.30-41 (12). http://www.bentham.org/open/tosocij/openaccess2.htm
  • 2008    Travers, A.  “The Sport Nexus and Gender Injustice,” in Studies in Social Justice Journal.  Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 79-101.
  • 2006    Travers, A.  “Queering Sport:  Lesbian Softball Leagues and the Transgender Challenge” in International Review for the Sociology of Sport.  Volume 41, Number 3-4, September/December, pp. 431-446.

Book Chapters

  • 2016    Travers, A. “Transgender and Gender nonconforming kids and the binary requirements of sport participation in North America,” Child’s play: sport in kids’ worlds. Messner, M. and M. Musto, eds. New Brunswick, New Jersey and London: Rutgers University Press.
  • 2014    Travers, A. “Transformative Gender Justice as a framework for normalizing gender variance among children and youth,” In Meyer, E. & Pullen-Sansfaçon, A. (eds.) Supporting transgender and gender creative youth: Schools, families, and communities in action. Peter Lang: New York, 54-68.

Editing

  • 2013    Guest Editor, Special Issue on Transformative Visions of Sport, Journal of Sport and Social Issues, November.

Awards & Funding

  • Travers wins 2021 competition for a two-year Seed Grant research proposal entitled"Gender+ Equity in Youth Baseball," from the Canadian Gender+ Equity in Sport Research Hub (E-Alliance).
  • 2019  Winner in the category of Social Sciences Anthropology, Criminology, and Sociology in The Association of American Publishers PROSE for their book The Trans Generation: How Trans Kids (and Their Parents) are Creating a Gender Revolution.
  • 2018 One of the recipients of the 2018 Excellence in Teaching Awards at Simon Fraser University.  

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