I am an economic sociologist who studies how interactions and social psychological processes shape outcomes for households, organizations, and markets. Much of my existing work uses data from development organizations and small-scale entrepreneurs in emerging markets. My newer projects examine the effects of social psychological processes on economic behaviors in both developing and advanced economies. I often mix methods, using ethnography and interviews to understand mechanisms on the ground, and then analyze large-scale databases to track aggregate effects.
Journal Articles
Doering, Laura & Amandine Ody-Brasier. Forthcoming. "Time and Punishment: How Individuals Respond to Sanctions in Voluntary Associations." American Journal of Sociology.
Doering, Laura & Kristen McNeill. 2020. “Elaborating on the Abstract: Group Meaning-Making in a Colombian Microsavings Program.” American Sociological Review. 85(3):417–50.
Doering, Laura & Chris Liu. 2019. “From the Ground Up: Gender, Self-Employment, and Space in a Colombian Housing Project.”
Sociology of Development. 5(2): 198-224.
Ranganathan, Aruna & Laura Doering. 2018. “The (State-Private) Ties that Bind: Status, Occupations, and Economic Development in India.” Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. 2018 (1): 10794.
Doering, Laura. 2018. “Risks, Returns, and Relational Lending: Personal Ties in Microfinance.” American Journal of Sociology 123(5): 1341-81.
Doering, Laura & Sarah Thébaud. 2017. “The Effects of Gendered Occupational Roles on Men's and Women's Workplace Authority: Evidence from Microfinance.” American Sociological Review 82 (3): 1-26.
Doering, Laura. 2016. “Necessity is the Mother of Isomorphism: Poverty and Market Creativity in Panama.” Sociology of Development 2(3) 235-264.
Book Chapters & Reviews
Doering, Laura. 2018. "Book Review: Freedom from Work." American Journal of Sociology 123(4):1230-1231.
Doering, Laura and Mauro Small. 2016. “Sustainable Enterprise in Panama.” Pp. 122–28 in The World Guide to Sustainable Enterprise. Vol. 4, edited by W. Visser. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf.
Yenkey, Christopher, Laura Doering, and Pete Aceves. 2015. “Is Kenya’s Digital Revolution Informalising Financial Inclusion?” Pp. 183–210 in Kenya’s Financial Transformation in the 21st Century, edited by A. Heyer and M. King. Nairobi: FSD Kenya.
Doering, Laura. 2014. “Book Review: The Outsider Entrepreneurs.” American Journal of Sociology 120(4):1245–47.
Working Papers
Doering, Laura & Tyler Wry. “Social Impact at the Base of the Pyramid: Serving the Poor and Employee Exit.” Revise and resubmit at Journal of Business Venturing.
Ranganathan, Aruna & Laura Doering. "Pursuing Social Closure: How Exclusionary Tactics Shape State-Private Collaborations for Economic Development."
Journal Articles
Doering, Laura & Amandine Ody-Brasier. Forthcoming. "Time and Punishment: How Individuals Respond to Sanctions in Voluntary Associations." American Journal of Sociology.
Doering, Laura & Kristen McNeill. 2020. “Elaborating on the Abstract: Group Meaning-Making in a Colombian Microsavings Program.” American Sociological Review. 85(3):417–50.
Doering, Laura & Chris Liu. 2019. “From the Ground Up: Gender, Self-Employment, and Space in a Colombian Housing Project.”
Sociology of Development. 5(2): 198-224.
Ranganathan, Aruna & Laura Doering. 2018. “The (State-Private) Ties that Bind: Status, Occupations, and Economic Development in India.” Academy of Management Best Paper Proceedings. 2018 (1): 10794.
Doering, Laura. 2018. “Risks, Returns, and Relational Lending: Personal Ties in Microfinance.” American Journal of Sociology 123(5): 1341-81.
Doering, Laura & Sarah Thébaud. 2017. “The Effects of Gendered Occupational Roles on Men's and Women's Workplace Authority: Evidence from Microfinance.” American Sociological Review 82 (3): 1-26.
Doering, Laura. 2016. “Necessity is the Mother of Isomorphism: Poverty and Market Creativity in Panama.” Sociology of Development 2(3) 235-264.
Book Chapters & Reviews
Doering, Laura. 2018. "Book Review: Freedom from Work." American Journal of Sociology 123(4):1230-1231.
Doering, Laura and Mauro Small. 2016. “Sustainable Enterprise in Panama.” Pp. 122–28 in The World Guide to Sustainable Enterprise. Vol. 4, edited by W. Visser. Sheffield, UK: Greenleaf.
Yenkey, Christopher, Laura Doering, and Pete Aceves. 2015. “Is Kenya’s Digital Revolution Informalising Financial Inclusion?” Pp. 183–210 in Kenya’s Financial Transformation in the 21st Century, edited by A. Heyer and M. King. Nairobi: FSD Kenya.
Doering, Laura. 2014. “Book Review: The Outsider Entrepreneurs.” American Journal of Sociology 120(4):1245–47.
Working Papers
Doering, Laura & Tyler Wry. “Social Impact at the Base of the Pyramid: Serving the Poor and Employee Exit.” Revise and resubmit at Journal of Business Venturing.
Ranganathan, Aruna & Laura Doering. "Pursuing Social Closure: How Exclusionary Tactics Shape State-Private Collaborations for Economic Development."