Ashley Baber

Ashley Baber is a comparative urban and political sociologist from Chicago. Her research and teaching interests are in inequality, urban governance, urban labor markets, the gig economy, the political economy of urban education systems, poverty mitigation and spatial analysis. Ashley has two on-going research projects. The first project investigates how cities shape local labor markets, directly and indirectly, through regulations. Using archival and interview data, she compares how Chicago, New York and Austin regulate transportation network companies such as Uber and Lyft. Working through the complicated regulatory process within each city reveals key insights into how regulatory outcomes are the result of competing special interests and the organization of regulatory bodies. Furthermore, through her comparative case study she finds that economic capital does not necessarily translate into political power. Instead, her research points to the structure of the local state as an important factor when considering regulatory processes and outcomes. Her second project is in collaboration with the Chicago based organization Equity and Transformation, evaluating the impacts of a guaranteed basic income program for formerly incarcerated individuals. This project uses mixed methods to understand the experiences of recipients from predominantly Black and low-income communities across Chicago. Research questions explore how $500 a month in guaranteed income helps participants with financial stability, community and family engagement and to reduce negative interactions with police. Ashley’s recent scholarship has been published in the journals Work, Employment and Society and the Journal of Urban Affairs, as well as the London School of Economics blog page for United States Politics and Policies.

Ashley loves cities, sneakers, art museums and basketball. She enjoys exploring urban areas with her partner and friends, riding her bike through the city, record shopping and perusing used bookstores. Although she loves Chicago (and will remain a Chicago Bulls fan), she’s excited to explore all that the Twin Cities has to offer! Most of all, Ashley is excited to join the Sociology Department at Augsburg University!

Education