
Biography
I am a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at the University of Washington, with a Special Concentration in Social Statistics. My research examines how rituals shape national belonging and collective identity in multiethnic societies, with a particular focus on Iran and Turkey. In my dissertation, Veils of Belonging: Ritual, Identity, and Nationhood in the Modern Middle East, I combine quantitative analyses of large-scale survey data with qualitative casework to understand how the intensity of religious practices fosters—or fails to foster—cross-ethnic solidarity.
My broader research agenda bridges theories of nationalism, religion, and social movements, while also engaging with questions of environmental justice and ethnic mobilization. My article “Making and Transcending Boundaries: The Effect of Ritual on Nationalism” (Theory and Society, 2024) develops a theory of ritual intensity to explain why some rituals bring dominant and minority groups together, while others reinforce divisions. I am currently testing this framework through comparative studies of Iran, Turkey, and Belgium, as well as cross-national datasets that trace how ritual practices vary globally. Alongside this work, I am developing a second line of research on environmental justice, analyzing how ethnic grievances shape responses to crises such as drought and water scarcity.
Teaching and mentoring are central to my academic practice. I have taught courses including Contemporary Social Movements, Global Social Movements, Introduction to Sociological Theory, and Sociology in Practice: Community/Civic Internship Program at the University of Washington, Hofstra University, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Everett Community College. In the classroom, I emphasize inclusive pedagogy, scaffolded assignments, and mentorship that helps students connect theory to lived experience.
Beyond academia, I am committed to public scholarship and community engagement. I serve as President of the Foundation for Inclusive Society, a Seattle-based nonprofit that publishes human rights and environmental reports on minority-populated regions of Iran. I am also Chief Editor of EtekYazi.com, a multilingual platform for social scientists writing in Azerbaijani Turkish and Persian. I give talks at international conferences and contribute commentary to media outlets including BBC, Voice of America, and The National Interest.
Through this combination of research, teaching, service, and public engagement, I aim to contribute scholarship that not only advances theory but also speaks to urgent issues of nationalism, inequality, and environmental justice in today’s world.
Awards and Honors
Research
Selected Research
- Jabbarli, Ramin. Making and transcending boundaries: the effect of ritual on nationalism. Theory and Society (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-024-09581-4 Download PDF
- Jabbarli, Ramin. 2021. "Making and Transcending Boundaries: The Effect of Ritual on the Nationalism among Dominant and Subordinate Ethnicities in the Near East." M.A. Thesis, Department of Sociology, University of Washington.Adviser: Edgar Kiser
- Jabbarli, Ramin. “Drought and Disparity: How Ethnic Grievances Shape Perceptions of Water Scarcity.” In progress.
- Jabbarli, Ramin. “Drawing the Boundaries: The Dynamics of Exclusion and Inclusion through Rituals in Iran.” In progress.
- Jabbarli, Ramin. “Fragile Boundaries: Rituals, Ethnicities, and the Challenge of National Belonging in Turkey.”In progress.
- Jabbarli, Ramin and Steven Pfaff. “The Decline of National Identity in Multiethnic Societies: Religion and Nation in Iran and Belgium.” In progress.
- Jabbarli, Ramin. Testing the Boundaries: Ritual Intensity and National Belonging in Turkey and Iran. In Progress
Courses Taught
Winter 2024
Autumn 2023
Summer 2023
Spring 2023
Winter 2023
Autumn 2022
Summer 2022
Spring 2022
Winter 2022
Courses designed and taught as an Instructor of Record:
University of Washington (UW)
SOC 247: Contemporary Social Movements – Multiple quarters
SOC 404: Sociology in Practice (Community/Civic Internship Program) – Winter 2023
SOC 316: Introduction to Sociological Theory – Summer 2024
Hofstra University
Classical Sociological Theories – Spring 2025
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Global Social Movements – Fall 2021
Everett Community College
SOC& 101: Introduction to Sociology – Fall 2025
Other Teaching
Sociology of Social Movements – Remote course for Azerbaijani Civic Nation (Non-Profit Organization), Toronto, Canada – Winter 2023
Courses Taught as Teaching Assistant:
SOC 316: Introduction to Sociological Theory – Fall 2019, Fall 2022
SOC 257: Sociology of Religion – Fall 2020
STAT 221: Statistical Concepts and Methods for the Social Sciences – Multiple quarters
SOC 110: Survey of Sociology – Winter 2021
SOC 222: Sociology of Sport – Winter 2020
SOC 300: Foundations of Social Inquiry – Fall 2018, Winter 2022