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Faculty & Staff

Tracy Xavia Karner

Tracy Xavia Karner

Associate Professor

Phone: 713.743.3961
Email: txkarner@uh.edu 
Office: 450 Philip G. Hoffman Hall


Education

Ph.D., Sociology, University of Kansas
M.A., Sociology, Idaho State University
B.S., Design, University of California-Davis

Biography

Visual sociologist, Tracy Xavia Karner, is an expert in how people use visual media to understand themselves and their worlds. An award-winning teacher and popular speaker, Xavia has lectured internationally as well as throughout the US.

In her research, she explores the social contexts of image creation and dissemination as well as the role images play in everyday visual sociability. Karner鈥檚 recent writings investigate photography in fine art venues and everyday uses, such as Facebook, and have been published in both popular and academic venues. Her most recent book, (Schilt Publishing 2023), chronicles 40 years of the Houston photography community from its inception to its development as an internationally significant destination for photography.

A nationally known expert in the field of qualitative sociology, she is the recipient of a Brown Foundation Fellowship and a number of international and national awards for her research. Professor Karner has also co-authored a popular textbook with Carol Warren, , 3rd Edition, (Oxford University Press 2014). She is the author and online presenter of a 21 segment video series used internationally in introduction to sociology courses, "Sociology on the Job," for Pearson Publishing (2013). Additionally, Professor Karner has explored visual and cultural perspectives with regard to gender, popular culture, mental health, social policy, art aesthetics, ethnicity and nationalist movements which have been published in several academic journals, including Visual Studies, Symbolic Interactionism, Qualitative Health Research, Ethnic and Racial Studies, Communication and Cognition, American Studies Journal, The Clinical Sociology Review, Journal of Aging Studies, Journal of Aging and Mental Health, The American Sociologist and the Journal of Aging and Social Policy.

Xavia serves on the Editorial Board for the international journal Visual Studies and is active in the Houston photography community. Professor Karner serves on the advisory board of Houston Center for Photography, is a supporter and past officer of Photo Forum at Museum of Fine Arts Houston and served as a reviewer for Fotofest's 2010 Meeting Place.

Selected Honors

  • Brown Foundation Fellow at the Dora Maar House, M茅nerbes, France, May 2014
  • Joseph S. Werlin Sociology Faculty Award to Promote Latin American-U.S. Cultural Understanding for AY 2012-2013 and AY 2013-2014
  • Ross Lence Teaching Excellence Award, Social Sciences, 兔子先生, 2007
  • Finalist, UH Teaching Excellence Award in Tenure/Tenure Track, 2006
  • Finalist, UH Teaching Excellence Award in Innovative Teaching, 2006
  • Research Fellowship, Friends of Women Studies, 兔子先生, 2004

Research Interests

  • Visual and Qualitative Sociology
  • Sociology of Culture, Narrative and Self
  • Community Services and Program Evaluation

Teaching

Graduate Courses

  • Qualitative Methods
  • Seminar in Visual Sociology
  • Seminar in Sociology of Culture

Undergraduate Courses

  • Qualitative Methods
  • Social Psychology
  • Sociology of Art
  • Sociology of Culture
  • Visual Sociology

Selected Publications

  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2023. Making a Scene! How Visionary Individuals Created an International Photography Scene in Houston, Texas. Amsterdam: Schilt Publishing.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2020. 鈥淔aces of Kakuma,鈥� photo essay in No Man鈥檚 Land, Marti Corn. Houston: The Station Museum.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2019. 鈥淔rom Direct Light鈥� foreword to Light Forms: The Photographs of Deborah Bay. Houston: PhotoRelevance.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2017. "The Facebook Gaze: Disciplining Action in Online Interpersonal Space" Pp. 119-136 in Social Spaces and Social Relations, edited by M. Bogunia-Borowska. Switzerland: Peter Lang Publisher.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2017. "Storied Lives" foreword to The Ground on Which I Stand: Photographs of Tamina, Martha Corn, pp. xi-xii. College Station, Texas: A & M Press.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2017. 鈥淰isual Sociability: Photography and Contemporary Life鈥� in The Sociology Project: Introducing the Sociological Imagination, 兔子先生 edition, edited by J. Manza, R. Arum, and L. Haney. New York: Pearson.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2015. "An Experiential Glimpse" foreword to Briefly Seen: New York Street Life, Harvey Stein, pp. 4-6. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2014. "A Visual Typology of Urban Narratives: the photographs of Susan A. Barnett." Visual Studies 29(3):294鈥�298.
  • Warren, Carol A.B., and Tracy Xavia Karner. 2014. Discovering Qualitative Research: Ethnography, Interviews, Documents, and Images, 3rd New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2011. "The Photographs of 脴yvind Hjelmen" foreword to Elswhere, 脴yvind Hjelmen. Heidelberg, Germany: Kehrer Verlag.
  • Warren, Carol A.B., and Tracy Xavia Karner. 2010. Discovering Qualitative Research: Ethnography, Interviews, Documents, and Images, 2nd New York: Oxford University Press.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2009. 鈥淒ualities of Gender and Transformation鈥� foreword to Hard Knocks: Rolling with the Derby Girls, Shelley Calton, pp. 12-20. Germany: Kehrer Verlag.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2009. 鈥淔earless, Outspoken, and Absolutely Free: Women and Creativity鈥� Pp. 16-19 in Thrive, edited by C. Goeser. Houston: Women鈥檚 Studies at the 兔子先生.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2008. 鈥淧hotographic Knowing: Engaging Perspectives through Photography.鈥� SPOT 贵补濒濒:22鈥�25.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2009. 鈥淐hanging Lens: An Autoethnographic Account of Seeing and Knowing鈥� Pp. 375-385 in Selected Articles from the 2nd Annual Congress on International Qualitative Research (Selecci贸n de art铆culos del segundo congreso internacioal de investigaci贸n cualitativa). Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2008. 鈥淚f Only Time Healed All Wounds: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in Older Men.鈥� Special issue, Generations: Journal of the American Society on Aging 32: 82鈥�
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia, and Donna Bobbit-Zeher. 2006. 鈥淟osing Selves: Dementia Care as Disruption and Transformation.鈥� Symbolic Interaction 28(4):549鈥�570.
  • Warren, Carol A.B., and Tracy Xavia Karner. 2005. Discovering Qualitative Research: Ethnography, Interviews, Documents, and Images, 1st New York: Oxford University Press. Los Angeles: Roxbury.
  • Karas, Jennifer, and Tracy Xavia Karner. 2005. 鈥淯nderstanding the Diabetic Body-Self.鈥� Qualitative Health Research 15(8):1086鈥�1104.
  • Whitney, Julie, Mark E. Kunik, Victor Molinari, Frederick G. Lopez, and Tracy X. Karner. 2004. 鈥淧sychological Predictors of Admission and Discharge: Global Assessment of Functioning Scale Scores for Geropsychiatric Inpatients.鈥� Journal of Aging and Mental Health 8(6):505鈥�513.
  • Montgomery, R., Tracy Xavia Karner, and K. Kosloski. 2003. 鈥淲eighing the Success of a National Demonstration to Create State Responsibility for Long Term Care.鈥� Journal of Aging and Social Policy 14(3-4):119鈥�139. Reprint, New York: Haworth, 2002.
  • Starns, M., T.X. Karner, and R. Montgomery. 2002. 鈥淓xemplars of Successful Alzheimer鈥檚 Demonstration Projects.鈥� Home Health Care Quarterly 21(3-4):141鈥�175. Reprint, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002.
  • Karner, T.X. and Hall, L.C. 2002. 鈥淪uccessful Strategies for Serving Diverse Populations.鈥� Home Health Care Quarterly 21(3-4):107鈥�132. Reprint, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002.
  • Montgomery, R., T.X. Karner, K. Kosloski, and J. Schaefer. 2002. 鈥淚nitial Findings from the Evaluation of the Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Demonstration Grant to States Program.鈥� Home Health Care Quarterly 21(3-4):5鈥�32. Reprint, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002.
  • Kosloski, K., J. Schaefer, T.X. Karner, and D. Allwardt. 2002. 鈥淭he Role of Cultural Factors on Clients鈥� Attitudes toward Caregiving and Perceptions of Services.鈥� Home Health Care Quarterly 21(3-4):65鈥�88. Reprint, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Press, 2002.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 2001. 鈥淐aring for an Aging Society: Cohort Values and Eldercare Services.鈥� Journal of Aging and Social Policy 13(1):15鈥�36.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 1999. 鈥淩acconti visuali di esperienze. Ri-raccontare se stessi attraverso una narrazione culturale del Vietnam鈥� Pp. 395-412 in Mondi da Vedere 鈥� Verso una Sociologia Piu鈥� Visuale, edited by P. Faccioli and D. Harper. Milano: Angeli.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 1998. "Engendering Violent Men: Oral Histories of Military Masculinity鈥� Pp. 197-232 in Masculinities and Violence, edited by L.H. Bowker. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
  • Karner, Tracy Xavia. 1998. 鈥淧rofessional Caring: Homecare Workers as Fictive Kin.鈥� Journal of Aging Studies 12(1):69鈥�82.
  • Karner, T.X., R.J. Montgomery, D. Dobbs, and C. Wittmaier. 1998. 鈥淚ncreasing Staff Satisfaction. The Impact of SCUs and Family Involvement.鈥� Journal of Gerontological Nursing 24(2):39鈥�44.

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