Deb Rotman

Assistant Professional Specialist
Department of Anthropology
Director of Undergraduate Studies

Degrees

B.A., Grand Valley State University; M.A., Western Michigan University; Ph.D., University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Research Profile

Dr. Rotman's research program centers on how social relations of class, gender, and ethnicity were created, codified, and reproduced through material objects and the differential use of space in the nineteenth century.  Since 2006, she has been investigating an Irish immigrant neighborhood south of campus, known as "Sorinsville."  Developed by Fr. Sorin in the 1850s, the residents of this Catholic enclave worked for the University in a variety of capacities.  In seeking to understand the Irish diaspora in South Bend, Rotman has been exploring the connections of the neighborhood and its residents to Chicago and Ireland.  These community linkages were important for diasporic peoples and key elements of identity formation for the Irish as a consciously transnational community.  Rotman teaches archaeological field school and takes students with her every summer to conduct archival research and collect oral histories in Ireland.

Contact Information

622 Flanner Hall
574-631-2308
drotman@nd.edu