I examine how identity meanings connect social structure to emotional life. This work explores how identities are formed, verified, contested, and made consequential across social situations.
I study how individuals learn racial and religious meanings through family and social contexts, and how these meanings shape racial attitudes, conservatism, and far-right support.
I explore how institutions organize, legitimate, and reproduce inequality across domains such as race, religion, and health. This includes meso-level institutional conditions that shape health outcomes.
Huft, Justin. Forthcoming. “Hybrid Masculinity As a Buffer Against Threats To Masculinity.” Social Psychology Quarterly.
Huft, Justin. 2026. “The Impact of Differing Identity Meanings On Fears of Death.” Social Psychology Quarterly 89(1), 92-111. https://doi.org/10.1177/01902725261418320
Winner of Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award, UCR (2026)
Stets. Jan E. and Justin Huft. 2026. “Identities, Meaning, the Social Structure, and the Life Course: Developing Identity Theory in Sociology.” Theory & Society 55(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-025-09662-y
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2025. “Perceived Ethnic-racial Socialization and White American Young Adults’ Racial Attitudes.” Journal of Child and Family Studies (35):35–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-025-03199-5
Huft, Justin, and Katrina Guardino. 2025. “Religious Hospitals and Poorer Health Outcomes: A Case Study Using Hospital Performance Ratings.” Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing 62. https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580251350813
Grindal, Matthew, Justin Huft, and Dilshani Sarathchandra. 2025. “White Identity, Conservatism, and Resistance to COVID-19 Mitigation Strategies.” Youth 5(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/youth5010019
Huft, Justin, Matthew Grindal, and Kristin Haltinner. 2025. “Ethnic-Racial Socialization and Far-Right Support Among White Young Adults.” The Sociological Quarterly 66(3):539–568. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380253.2024.2446527
Huft, Justin, Timothy Fong, Elizabeth Hall, Farrah K Khaleghi Aizenman, and Tal Leshem. 2024. “Clinical Characteristics of Early Leavers From a Private Dual-Diagnosis Program.” Journal of Dual Diagnosis 21(1), 24–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/15504263.2024.2434434
Huft, Justin, and Peyman Hekmatpour. 2024. “Income Inequality, World Polity and Political Secularization: A Comparative Historical Analysis (1870 – 2014).” Sociology of Religion 86(4):449–471. https://doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srae021
Huft, Justin, and Benjamin Fields. 2024. “Cross-National Governmental Treatment Toward Atheists Since 1816.” Sociological Forum 39:281-295. https://doi.org/10.1111/socf.13009
Winner of Outstanding Graduate Student Paper in Quantitative Methods, UCR (2025)
Fields, Benjamin, and Justin Huft. 2024. “Troubled Meanings: An Affect Control Theory Exploration of the Conflict in Northern Ireland.” Social Currents 12(1):3-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/23294965241254057
Honorable mention Outstanding Graduate Student Paper Award, Mathematical Sociology Section, ASA (2025)
Winner of Outstanding Graduate Student Paper in Quantitative Methods, UCR (2024)
Huft, Justin, Tanya Nieri, and Matthew Grindal. 2024. “Ethnic-racial Socialization in White American Families and Young Adult Political Attitudes.” Journal of Race, Ethnicity, and Politics 9(2): 377–398. https://doi.org/10.1017/rep.2024.4.
Winner of Chris Chase-Dunn Co-Authored Paper Award, UCR (2024).
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2023. “Contextual Factors in Ethnic-Racial Socialization in White Families in the United States.” Societies 13(5). https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13050114
Huft, Justin. 2022. “Monsters, Michael Myers, And the Macabre As Tools To Explain Ideological Framing.” Teaching Sociology 50(4):372–383. https://doi.org/10.1177/0092055X221120860
Huft, Justin. 2022. “The History and Future of the Sociology of Therapy: A Review and a Research Agenda.” The American Sociologist 53:437–464. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12108-022-09534-3
Huft, Justin, and Naveen Jonathan. 2018. “An Integration of Feminism Into Experiential Psychotherapy.” The American Journal of Family Therapy 46(3):287-305. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2018.1502640
Huft, Justin, and Benjamin Fields. Forthcoming. “The Role of Organizational Sentiments in Attitudes about War.” In Affect Control Theory in Action. Edward Elgar.
Brenner, Phillip S., Michael M. Harros, Kelly L. Markowski, Richard E. Adams, Laura Brashears, Carolin V. Brooks, Michael J. Carter, Michael J. Carter, Jenny L. Davis, Benjamin C. Fields, et al. 2026. “What Does the Next Decade of Identity Theory Hold? A Crowdsourced Answer on Future Directions of Research.” Pp. 399-415 in Identity Development and Maintenance in Context. Edited by K.L. Markowski, M.M. Harrod, and P.S. Brenner. New York: Springer.
Stets, Jan E., Emily Angelo, Benjamin C. Fields, and Justin Huft. 2025. “Identity.” Pp. 47-69 in The Handbook of Social Psychology, Volume I: Micro Perspective. Edited by J.E. Stets, K.A. Hegtvedt, and L. Doan. New York: Springer.
Huft, Justin, Benjamin Fields, Wei Zhao, and Tyler Cohen. 2026. “Old Habitus Die Hard? Cancer Mitigation In The Field Of Firefighting.” Paper presented at American Sociological Association Conference, New York, NY..
Nieri ,Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2026. “Ethnic-racial socialization and white American young adults’ racial attitudes.” Paper presented at Society for Research on Adolescence Conference.
Cohen, Tyler, Justin Huft, Elvira De La Torre, and Wei Zhao. 2026. “Social Processes Shaping Firefighters’ Cancer Risks.” Paper presented at Pacific Sociological Association, Long Beach, CA.
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2025. "Parents’ Lessons on Racism and Anti-racism and Asian American Young Adults’ Racial Perspectives." Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Conference, Chicago, IL.
Huft, Justin. 2025. “The Impact of Differing Identity Meanings On Fears of Death.” Paper presented at the Association for the Sociology of Religion conference, Chicago, IL.
Huft, Justin. 2025. "Hybrid Masculinity as a Potential Buffer Against Threats to Masculinity.” Paper presented at the Group Processes Conference, Chicago, IL.
Stets, Jan, and Justin Huft. 2025. “Identity Meanings Over the Life Course." Paper presented at the Identity Theory Conference, West Lafayette, IN.
Huft, Justin, and Vasundhara Kaul. 2025. "The Impact Of Identity Meanings of Mental Health Experts On Medical Misinformation." Paper presented at the Identity Theory Conference, West Lafayette, IN.
Fields, Benjamin, and Justin Huft. 2025. "Distances in Meanings and Social Distancing: Exploring Jewish-American Identity Sentiments and Attitudes." Paper presented at the Affect Control Theory Conference, Fairlee, VT.
Haldankar, Supriya, Benjamin Fields, and Justin Huft. 2025. "Simulating and Predicting Support for Protests using Cultural Sentiments." Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Conference, San Francisco, CA.
Huft, Justin, and Benjamin Fields. 2024. "Cross-National Governmental Treatment Towards Atheists Since 1816." Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Huft, Justin, and Katrina Guardino. 2024. "Belief and Wellbeing: Evaluating Health Outcomes in Religious and Secular Hospitals in California." Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Huft, Justin, and Jan Stets. 2024. "Self-Meanings of the Racial Identity Across Race, Gender, and Income and Their Intersections." Paper presented at the Group Processes Conference, Montreal, Canada.
Huft, Justin. 2023. "Investigating the Meanings of The White Racial Identity." Paper presented at the Identity Theory Conference, Ellensburg, WA.
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2023. "White Young Adults’ Racial Attitudes and the Role of Parents’ Ethnic-Racial Socialization." Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Fields, Benjamin, and Justin Huft. 2023. "Cultural Sentiments, Interactions, and Barriers to Peacebuilding." Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Huft, Justin. 2023. "The Future of the Sociology of Therapy." Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Huft, Justin. 2023. "Classroom Monsters in the Time of Neoliberalism." Paper presented at the Society for the Study of Social Problems Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2023. "Contextual Factors in Ethnic-Racial Socialization in White Families." Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Seattle, WA.
Nieri, Tanya, and Justin Huft. 2023. "Ethnic-Racial Socialization and White Children’s Racial Attitudes." Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Conference, Seattle, WA.
Huft, Justin, Tanya Nieri, and Matthew Grindal. 2023. "The Relation of Ethnic-Racial Socialization to White Young Adults’ Political Attitudes." Paper presented at the Pacific Sociological Association Conference.
Huft, Justin. 2022. "Governmental Treatment Towards Atheists." Paper presented at the California Sociological Association Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "Critical Transparency in Sociology Pedagogy." Panel presentation at the California Sociological Association Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "Monsters, Michael Myers, and the Macabre as Tools to Explain Ideological Framing." Teaching presentation at the American Sociological Association Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "Sociology of Therapy." Paper presented at the ASA Section on the History of Sociology and Social Thought New Voices Initiative Symposium (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "How Capitalism is Destroying Your Mental Health." Invited presentation at the Reclaim Mental Health Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "Hybrid Masculinities in Music." Invited presentation at the UCLA Symposium on Masculinity in Media (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2021. "Superstition, Religiosity, and Probability Assessment." Paper presented at the Western Psychological Association Annual Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2020. "Utilizing Sociological Understandings of Identity to Enhance Narrative Therapy Approaches." Paper presented at the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology Conference (virtual).
Ghaneian, Afshan, and Justin Huft. 2020. "The Influence of Religion on Altruistic Actions." Poster presented at the Western Psychological Association Annual Conference (virtual).
Huft, Justin. 2020. "Messianic Religions and Gendered Oppression: A Conflict Theory Lens." Paper presented at the American Association of Behavioral Social Sciences Conference, Las Vegas, NV.
Huft, Justin. 2019. "Utilizing a Postcolonial Feminist Lens in Mental Health." Paper presented at the American Sociological Association Conference, New York, NY.
Huft, Justin. 2018. "Feeling Too Much: When Sensitivity is Your Greatest Strength." Invited presentation at the Reclaim Mental Health Conference, Irvine, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2017. "Writing Eulogies to Depression, and Odes to Anxiety: Poetry Therapy as a Catalyst for Therapeutic Movement." Keynote address presented at the Reclaim Mental Health Conference, Irvine, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2017. "Feminist-Experiential Therapy, and Pedagogical Issues Surrounding the Teaching of Culturally-Aware Post-Modern Therapies." Paper presented at the Post-Modern Therapy Conference, Los Angeles, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2017. "Content Analysis of Masculinity and Femininity in Media." Panelist at LASER Talk: Expressing Gender Panel, Irvine, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2016. "Insurrection in Therapy: Using Feminist and Liberation Psychology to Empower Oppressed Identities." Workshop presented at the Reclaim Mental Health Conference, Irvine, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2015. "'Holy Superfluous Stereotypes, Batman': Investigating Masculinity and Intersectionality Using Comic Books in Bibliotherapy." Paper presented at the Counseling and Family Sciences Meeting, Loma Linda, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2015. "Wonder Woman’s Lasso: Using Comic Books to Understand Gender, Sexuality, and Identity." Paper presented at the Sexuality Pre-Conference and Poster presented at the Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Long Beach, CA.
Huft, Justin. 2013. "Religious Differences in Schemas of Depression." Poster presented at the Meeting of the Western Psychological Association, Reno, NV.
Huft, Justin, and Karen Wu. 2012. "A Cross-Ethnic Study of Physical Intimacy and Relationship Quality in Romantic Couples." Poster presented at the Meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, New Orleans, LA.
2026 Dissertation Program Fellowship, University of California, Riverside
2025 Campbell Family Research Grant, University of California, Riverside
2025 Student Forum Travel Fund award, ASA
2025 Ralph Gallagher grant, Association for the Sociology of Religion
2025 GradSlam, University of California, Riverside
2024 Carl Menger fellowship, Mercatus Center
2023, 2024 Graduate division travel award, University of California, Riverside
2023, 2024 Travel grant, Sociology department, University of California, Riverside
2024 Travel award, ASA section Sociology of Religion
2024 Lee Student Support, Society for the Study of Social Problems
2023 Graduate division travel award, University of California, Riverside
2023 Clifford Clogg Scholarship, ICPSR
2022 Propes award, University of California, Riverside
2021 Chancellor's Distinguished Fellowship, University of California, Riverside
2019 Sanford School Graduate Fellowship, Arizona State University
2013 Marriage and Family Therapy Excellence Grant, Chapman University
2012, 2013 Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program Grant, University of California, Irvine
2011, 2012 Elliot Family Scholarship, University of California, Irvine
2025 Graduate Division’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Academy of Distinguished Teaching, University of California, Riverside
2024 Graduate Division’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant, University of California, Riverside
2024 Sociology Department’s Outstanding Teaching Assistant, University of California, Riverside
2022 EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs & Guardian Scholars Outstanding Instructor, El Camino College
2019 EOPS/CARE, CalWORKs & Guardian Scholars Outstanding Instructor, El Camino College
2018 Outstanding Instructor, El Camino College
2018 Excellence in Leadership and Social Justice, Arizona State University
2013 Psychology and Social Behavior Excellence in Research, University of California, Irvine