Ms. Merrill received a B.A. from Bowdoin College in 1984 and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University in 1988 and 1991, respectively. She was later a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, also at Brown University. Ms. Merrill has been at Clark since 1992. She is also affiliated with the Women’s and Gender Studies Program and Health, Science, and Society concentration.<\/p>\n
Ms. Merrill’s primary interests and training in sociology lie within the fields of family, aging, medical sociology, and demography. Her research examines intergenerational relationships and the implications of marriage.<\/p>\n
Ms. Merrill’s articles appear in\u00a0<\/span>Social Forces<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Research on Aging<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Journal of Social and Personal Relationships<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Journal of Aging and Health<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>Ethnic Groups<\/em>. She is the author of five books.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":1918,"parent":0,"template":"","meta":{"cu_faculty_f180_userid":"C05961357","cu_faculty_first_name":"Deborah","cu_faculty_last_name":"Merrill","cu_faculty_employment_status":"Full Time","cu_faculty_rank":"Professor","cu_faculty_position":"Professor","cu_faculty_phone":"","cu_faculty_email":"dmerrill@clarku.edu","cu_faculty_location":"","cu_faculty_about":" Ms. Merrill received a B.A. from Bowdoin College in 1984 and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Brown University in 1988 and 1991, respectively. She was later a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, also at Brown University. Ms. Merrill has been at Clark since 1992. She is also affiliated with the Women's and Gender Studies Program and Health, Science, and Society concentration.<\/p>\n Ms. Merrill's primary interests and training in sociology lie within the fields of family, aging, medical sociology, and demography. Her research examines intergenerational relationships and the implications of marriage.<\/p>\n Ms. Merrill's articles appear in\u00a0<\/span>Social Forces<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Research on Aging<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Journal of Social and Personal Relationships<\/em>,\u00a0<\/span>Journal of Aging and Health<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>and\u00a0<\/span>Ethnic Groups<\/em>. She is the author of five books.<\/p>","cu_faculty_degrees":"Ph.D. in Sociology,<\/span> Brown University, 1991\nM.A. in Sociology,<\/span> Brown University, 1988\nB.A. in ,<\/span> Bowdoin College, 1984","cu_faculty_cv":"https:\/\/faculty180.interfolio.com\/public\/download.php?key=SDRwNCtxSUpsamxBQ213WS9ucHFuNnMwT0hzQU11b2RPQkJ2cWc3amxyUmNRdVVXTkF4MU1yK2NwYThjY3c3bVhzeU5oSHFaNXViYU9NN2xIT29XQk1aekorbFBKVWZDTFNxQjVHZGlDak1EY1luSFZma0o0Z1Z3bDkvR0NkYjk%3D","cu_faculty_links":"[]","cu_faculty_scholarly_interests":"Intergenerational relationships, Marriage, In-laws, Mental health","cu_faculty_scholarly_works":"[{\"activityid\":12443,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"Identity and Retirement:\\u00a0 Maximizing Satisfaction and Well-Being in Retirement\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":2025,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Under review\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":12443,\"status\":\"Submitted\",\"term\":\"Fall\",\"year\":2025,\"termid\":\"2025\\\/01\",\"listingorder\":2,\"completionorder\":2}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"2025-01-01\"},{\"activityid\":8534,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"<p><em>Mastering Menopause: Women\\u2019s Voices on Taking Charge of the Change<\\\/em><\\\/p>\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":2020,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Praeger Publishers\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"Westport, CT\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":8534,\"status\":\"Completed\\\/Published\",\"term\":\"May\",\"year\":2023,\"termid\":\"2022\\\/04\",\"listingorder\":6,\"completionorder\":6}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"2020-5-01\"},{\"activityid\":8535,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"When Your Gay or Lesbian Child Marries\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":2016,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Rowman & Littlefield\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"Lanham, MD\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":8535,\"status\":\"Completed\\\/Published\",\"term\":\"May\",\"year\":2023,\"termid\":\"2022\\\/04\",\"listingorder\":6,\"completionorder\":6}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"2016-5-01\"},{\"activityid\":8536,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"<em>When Your Children Marry:\\u00a0 How Marriage Changes Relationships with Adult\\u00a0<\\\/em><em>Children<\\\/em>\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":2011,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Rowman & Littlefield Publishers\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"Lanham, MD\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":8536,\"status\":\"Completed\\\/Published\",\"term\":\"May\",\"year\":2023,\"termid\":\"2022\\\/04\",\"listingorder\":6,\"completionorder\":6}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"2011-5-01\"},{\"activityid\":8537,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"<em>Mothers-in-Law and Daughters-in-Law:\\u00a0 Understanding the Relationship and What\\u00a0Makes Them Friends or Foe<\\\/em>\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":2007,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Praeger Publishers\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"Westport, CT\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":8537,\"status\":\"Completed\\\/Published\",\"term\":\"May\",\"year\":2023,\"termid\":\"2022\\\/04\",\"listingorder\":6,\"completionorder\":6}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"2007-5-01\"},{\"activityid\":8538,\"fields\":{\"Type\":\"Books and Monographs\",\"Title\":\"<em>Caring for Elderly Parents:\\u00a0 Juggling Work, Family, and Care Giving in Middle and Working Class Families<\\\/em>\",\"Series Title\":\"\",\"Year\":1997,\"Date Published\":\"\",\"Publisher\":\"Auburn House.\",\"Publisher City and State\":\"Westport, CT\",\"Country of Publisher\":\"\",\"Volume\":\"\",\"Edition\":\"\",\"Number of Pages\":\"\",\"ISBN\":\"\",\"DOI\":\"\",\"CoAuthor\":null,\"URL\":\"\",\"Description\":\"\",\"Include description in output citation\":0,\"Origin\":\"Manual\"},\"facultyid\":\"C05961357\",\"status\":[{\"id\":8538,\"status\":\"Completed\\\/Published\",\"term\":\"May\",\"year\":2023,\"termid\":\"2022\\\/04\",\"listingorder\":6,\"completionorder\":6}],\"userid\":\"C05961357\",\"attachments\":[],\"coauthors_list\":[\"Deborah M. Merrill\"],\"sort_date\":\"1997-5-01\"}]","cu_faculty_awards_and_grants":"","cu_faculty_title":"Professor, Sociology","cu_faculty_department":"Sociology","cu_faculty_affiliated_departments":"Sociology","footnotes":""},"cu_faculty_group":[],"cu_faculty_department":[6],"cu_faculty_position":[],"class_list":["post-52","cu_faculty","type-cu_faculty","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cu_faculty_department-sociology"],"yoast_head":"\n