Dr. Kimberly E. Fox, a 1988 graduate of Perry High School and an associate professor of sociology at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts, has received an award from the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program for study in Sweden, the Fulbright program recently announced.
Fox will conduct research at the Swedish Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University, looking into the working lives and social lives of individuals living alone in Sweden compared to those similarly circumstances in the U.S. Her work in Sweden will be part of a cross-cultural examination of the social policy impacts on adults living alone.
Fox is the daughter of Kathy Fox of Perry and the late Leon Fox, a longtime teacher and coach in the Perry Community School District. Kim Fox’s brother, Jeff Fox, also teaches in the Perry school system and lives with his family in Perry.
Kim Fox’s research project will examine the importance of welfare support, social connections and workplace experiences for the well-being of individuals who live alone in midlife and later life through an examination of the social policies, workplace conditions and social supports of individuals in Sweden compared to similarly situated individuals in the U.S.
With advanced industrial societies facing important demographic changes, including aging populations and more people living alone throughout their lives, the needs and experiences of these individuals are rarely considered. People living alone are unique in their need to rely on extended social networks, support their own physical and psychological needs, and maintain their households without the assistance of others.
As a Fulbright Scholar, Fox will share knowledge and foster meaningful connections across communities in the U.S. and Sweden. Fulbrighters engage in cutting-edge research and expand their professional networks, often continuing research collaborations started abroad and laying the groundwork for forging future partnerships between institutions.
Upon returning to their home countries, institutions, labs and classrooms, Fulbright Scholars share their stories and often become active supporters of international exchange, inviting foreign scholars to campus and encouraging colleagues and students to go abroad.
As Fulbright Scholar alumni, their careers are enriched by joining a network of thousands of esteemed scholars, many of whom are leaders in their fields. Fulbright alumni include 60 Nobel Prize laureates, 86 Pulitzer Prize recipients and 37 scholars who have gone on to serve as a head of state or government.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to forge lasting connections between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries, to counter misunderstandings and to help people and nations work together toward common goals.
Since its establishment in 1946, the Fulbright Program has enabled more than 390,000 dedicated and accomplished students, scholars, artists, teachers and professionals of all backgrounds to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and find solutions to shared international concerns.
The Fulbright Program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. Participating governments and host institutions, corporations and foundations around the world also provide direct and indirect support to the program, which operates in more than 160 countries worldwide.
