Dr. Lauren Harris

Lauren Harris

Assistant Professor
Phone: (603) 862-0989
Office: Pettee Hall, Room 303, Durham, NH 03824
Websites:
Curriculum Vitae
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Lauren Harris, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Her research focuses on romantic relationships, early stages of family formation, gender, aging and the life course, and qualitative methods. Dr. Harris’s work has been widely published in top peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Marriage and Family, the Journal of Women & Aging, and the Journal of Family Issues, and has been featured in local and national news reports and podcasts. Actively engaged in the American Sociological Association and the National Council on Family Relations, Dr. Harris contributes to advancing knowledge on human development and strengthening family well-being through evidence-based research and practice.

Courses Taught

  • HDFS 545: Intimate Relationships & Fam
  • HDFS 625: Adult Development
  • HDFS 746/846: Human Sexuality
  • HDFS 757: Race, Class, Gender & Families
  • HDFS 757/857: Race, Class, Gender & Families

Research Interests

  • Aging and life course
  • Family
  • Qualitative research methods
  • Women and gender
  • Older Adults
  • Human Development
  • Sexuality

Selected Publications

  • Harris, L., & Melanson, C. (2026). "The Shop Is Not Closed": Sex and Sexuality Among Older Adult Daters.. J Sex Res, 1-13. doi:10.1080/00224499.2026.2614315

  • Harris, L. E. (2025). Initiating an Intrauterine Device: How Adolescent and Young Adult Women Exercise Autonomy in the Decision-Making Process. Youth & Society, 57(7), 1388-1408. doi:10.1177/0044118x251331636

  • Harris, L. E. (2024). The virus be damned: Older adults seek romantic relationships during a pandemic.. J Women Aging, 36(2), 166-179. doi:10.1080/08952841.2023.2282025

  • Harris, L. E., & Jacobs, J. A. (2023). Emerging Ideas. Digital parenting advice: Online guidance regarding children's use of the Internet and social media. Family Relations, 72(5), 2551-2568. doi:10.1111/fare.12813

  • Harris, L. E. (2023). Older adults on the dating market: The role of family caregiving responsibilities. Journal of Marriage and Family, 85(3), 739-759. doi:10.1111/jomf.12904

  • Reed, M. N., Li, L., Pesando, L. M., Harris, L. E., Furstenberg, F. F., & Teitler, J. O. (2023). Communication with Kin in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic.. Socius, 9. doi:10.1177/23780231231199388

  • Harris, L. E. (2021). Committing Before Cohabiting: Pathways to Marriage Among Middle-Class Couples. JOURNAL OF FAMILY ISSUES, 42(8), 1762-1786. doi:10.1177/0192513X20957049

  • Furstenberg, F. F., Harris, L. E., Pesando, L. M., & Reed, M. N. (2020). Kinship Practices Among Alternative Family Forms in Western Industrialized Societies. JOURNAL OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, 82(5), 1403-1430. doi:10.1111/jomf.12712

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