Ginger Berndt, Ph.D.

Ginger Berndt’s specializations in the sociology of health and illness, reproduction, disasters, provider-patient interactions, theory, and embodiment were inspired by her own background. She hopes to teach students in Intro to Sociology and Sociological Theory that they, too, can discover their passions in life. She earned a B.A. in Sociology and Philosophy from Millersville University, M.A. in Sociology from Lehigh University, and Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Delaware. “My heart and soul go into teaching,” she says.

Teaching is a long-standing tradition in my family! My grandfather taught at a local high school for 36 years and was beloved by his students. I strive to be even half the teacher he was. I have a nontraditional background and am a disabled and chronically ill professor. My unconventional path means I’ve had the honor of being a student at many different types of universities and have met students of just about every background you can imagine! I 100% infuse my work and research into my teaching so that students can see that their own interests are something they can build into a field of study.

In my co-authored book, “Body Art,” we explore body art as an accessible yet underappreciated source for physical and mental well-being. We discuss the historical origins of body art, along with how boundaries around body art have shifted over time. We also discuss the health and well-being of body artists in an industry that can be physically and mentally taxing. What fascinates me about body decoration and modification is how it is a physical site of healing and community building!

Gender and health have a lot to do with my own life, which was why I was first drawn to the topics. I have endometriosis, a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found in other places in the body. Because it’s often understood to be a uterine condition, I had always tiptoed around discussing it in detail with others. Then, I stopped to ask, “Why do people with this condition feel silenced? Why is this illness that has the same prevalence as diabetes almost completely unknown to the public?” Lo and behold, much of it is due to the stigma around reproduction and the body. I wanted to dig deep into other needlessly controversial reproductive health matters, and I love hearing about unexpected connections, especially in relation to stigmatized conditions, in hopes of uncovering new ways of improving health.