Dr. Norah MacKendrick, PhD

Norah MacKendrick is Associate Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University. Her research demonstrates that women and mothers are held accountable for protecting children from toxic chemicals in everyday foods and consumer goods. Her award-winning book, "Better Safe than Sorry:How Consumers Navigate Exposure to Everyday Toxics," reveals how this responsibility plays out in mothers’ everyday lives, during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and as they shop for their children, prepare family meals, and manage family health. She is an expert on gender and the family, American environmental health policy, and natural food trends. MacKendrick’s work has been featured in The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and The Guardian.

Sub-specialties:
-Mothers as managers of family health
-Environmental toxins
-Government regulation of food and consumer goods
-Trends in natural and organic foods & marketing
-Feminist perspectives on environmental problems
-Health behaviors related to COVID-19