This fall, Cassi Pittman returned home to Cleveland—the place that sparked her inquiring mind—to teach as an assistant professor of sociology just miles from the places she first learned about the relationship among race, economics and inequality.
A native of East Cleveland, Pittman grew up on a racially and socioeconomically diverse street in the Forest Hills area. Pittman saw the full spectrum of social conditions and how they affected life. She gained even more perspective from her mother, who worked for the Public Housing Authority, and picked up her questioning mind from her dad, also a sociology major in college.
Pittman attended East Cleveland public schools until the fourth grade when she switched to private schooling. She later attended Hathaway Brown, giving her an eye-opening perspective into social inequality.
“I saw smart kids at East Cleveland who didn’t have the economic resources to succeed and then saw kids at the private schools who succeeded despite not being as smart,” Pittman said. “I found that social structural conditions shaped outcomes.”
Pittman later left Cleveland to pursue a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD from Harvard University in the same field. Her studies look at how racial minorities, particularly African-Americans, manage contemporary forms of racism.
Part of her research objective is to paint a picture of middle-class African-Americans by focusing on their attitudes, experiences and consumption preferences. She explores the underlying social and cultural processes that affect racial minorities’ economic behavior, examining blacks’ experiences in the consumer and mortgage market.
“Some of the questions I ask are: What are barriers for African-Americans and how do they contend with their social position? How do African-Americans think about social mobility in a time of President Obama?” she explained.
After recently completing her post-doc at Ohio State University, Pittman was excited to move back to and teach in the same city that influenced her so much. This semester she’s teaching a criminology course, while also continuing her research and work on a book.
“As a native Clevelander, we always return home,” she said. “The idea of being able to contribute to life in Cleveland was always an optimal outcome. I feel very fortunate to be in a place where I can have a greater impact.”
Find out more about Pittman in this week’s five questions.
1. What is your preferred mode of transportation and why?
I like to walk, although I don’t walk as much as I’d like because Cleveland is such a driving city. I used to walk everywhere I went when I was a graduate student in Boston.
2. What’s next on your reading list?
I want to read Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
3. What has been the most rewarding moment for you while at Case Western Reserve University?
It was when I moved into my office. My brothers helped me move in and they got to see my office. They were able to see my faculty photo in the hallway and experience this exciting time with me. I also took my nieces around campus. It’s special to be able to share my professional advancement with family.
4. If you had a day to do whatever you wanted, how would you spend it?
Definitely somewhere on a beach—Australia, Hawaii, Bora Bora or Thailand. I would learn about the culture, eat well, drink good wine and be around good people. I’d also want some time to read.
5. What is your favorite thing about Case Western Reserve?
Everyone is so warm, kind, friendly and helpful. Campus is beautiful. It’s a pleasant place to be.