Sabrina Freeman

Instructor

About

Sabrina Freeman holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from Stanford University, an M.A. from the University of British Columbia, and a B.A. from Simon Fraser University.  Freeman's areas of interest include small group research and the study of organizations and social movements.  Upon receiving a National Science Foundation grant for her research at Stanford, working within the framework of Expectation States Theory, Freeman studied the mechanisms by which double standards act to perpetuate differential pay based upon status characteristics, such as gender and ethnicity.   Dr. Freeman's background in the study of organizations was pivotal when she worked to establish and spearhead a grass roots social movement to advocate on behalf of children with autism, with the goal of inclusion in Canada's single-payer health care system for their core health need -- medically necessary autism treatment.   Freeman served as scientific advisor and expert court witness on behalf of children afflicted with the disorder for the landmark disability case, Auton v. Attorney General of British Columbia, which was heard at the Supreme Court of Canada.  Dr. Freeman is currently a member of the national Board of Directors of the Association for Science in Autism Treatment.  Her passion for teaching research methods was reinforced as she observed widespread junk science masquerade as genuine treatment.  Dr. Freeman wrote two books on the topic of science in autism treatment, including The Complete Guide to Autism Treatments and, in 2014, was invited to present her scholarship at the 16th annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Association for Behavior Analysis.  There, she addressed the dangers of academic collegiality where politics intersect with science and autism treatment. Freeman has a forthcoming chapter in the 2016 edition of Controversial therapies for autism and developmental disabilities; Fad, fashion and science in professional practice (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). Her teaching interests include the sociology of organizations, small group processes and research methods, where she teaches students to critically evaluate all knowledge claims.  Sabrina describes her mission thus:  I've hit a home run when I motivate students to use the power of the scientific method to follow their passion, question everything and expect evidence. Dr. Freeman has been teaching research methods at Western Washington University since 2014.

Research Interests

  • Organizations, small group processes, research