Department of Sociology

Dr. Matthew Wright is an assistant professor at Appalachian State University.  Dr. Wright completed his Ph.D. in Sociology in 2017 from Bowling Green State University. His research and teaching interests include family, aging, and demography. Matthew’s research, which has appeared in the Journal of Marriage and Family, Journals of Gerontology, Demography, and Journal of Health and Social Behavior examines the implications of family change in later life, with a focus on marriage, divorce, and cohabitation. His current projects examine the well-being and social relationships of older cohabitors and adults who have experienced divorce after age 50. Another line of research investigates family attitudes among older adults, both in the U.S. and internationally, and how they have changed over time.

Publications

Wright, Matthew R., Tatum A. Schwartz, Susan L. Brown, and Wendy D. Manning. 2023. "Income Pooling in Midlife: A Comparison of Remarried and Cohabiting Relationships." Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 78: 1402-1411. (Editor's Choice Article).

Wright, Matthew R., Susan L. Brown, and Wendy D. Manning. Forthcoming. “A Cohort Comparison of Midlife Marital Quality: A Quarter Century of Change.” Journal of Family Issues.  Issues 44: 539-55

Wright, Matthew R. 2021 “Cohabitation.” Encyclopedia of Gerontology and Population Aging. Edited by Danan Gu and Matthew R. Dupre. Springer.

Wright, Matthew R. 2020. “Relationship Quality among Older Cohabitors: A Comparison to Remarrieds.” Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 75: 1808-1817.

Wright, Matthew R., Anna M. Hammersmith, Susan L. Brown, and I-Fen Lin. 2020.  “The Roles of Marital Dissolution and Subsequent Repartnering on Loneliness in Later Life.” Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 75: 1796-1807.

Kovert, Elizabeth, Matthew R. Wright, Anna M. Hammersmith, Susan L. Brown, and I-Fen Lin. 2017. “Divorce Before vs. After Age 50: A National Portrait.” National Center for Family & Marriage Research. Retrieved from: http://www.bgsu.edu/ncfmr/resources/data/family profiles/kovert-wright-hammersmith-brown-lin-repartner-hlth-fp-17-12.