Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies

Poulami Roychowdhury is an Associate Professor of Sociology and International and Public Affairs at the Watson Institute. She is jointly appointed in the Department of Sociology and a member of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Studies.

Roychowdhury's research and teaching focus on the relationship between politics and law, with special attention to issues concerning gender-based violence. Roychowdhury’s research has been supported by the National Science Foundation, the Fulbright Foundation, the American Institute for Indian Studies, the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Fonds de Recherche du Québec. 

Roychowdhury's writing can be found in a range of journals, including the American Journal of Sociology, Feminist Studies, Gender & Society, Signs, and Social Problems. Her recent book, "Capable Women, Incapable States: Negotiating Violence and Rights in India," is available through Oxford University Press.

Roychowdhury’s research has won awards from the American Sociological Association, the Eastern Sociological Society, the Law and Society Association, and the Society for the Study of Social Problems.  

She is an Associate Editor at Social Politics and an editorial board member of the American Journal of Sociology, Gender & Society, Law & Social Inquiry, and Sociological Theory.