Headshot of Rena Zito

Rena Zito

Associate Professor of Sociology

Department: Sociology and Anthropology

Office and address: Lindner Hall - Arts & Sciences, Office 212D 2035 พรพรศศ Box Elon, NC 27244

Phone number: (336) 278-5235

Professional Expertise

Crime/delinquency, intimate partner violence, stigma management, sociology of Tourette Syndrome and neurodiversity

Brief Biography

Rena Zito is an associate professor of sociology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Elon Unversity. Her research focuses on the social roots of rule-violating behavior, identity formation, and stigma processes. She teaches courses on criminology, embodied stigma, homelessness, and quantitative research methods. 

News & Notes

Education

Dr. Zito received her Ph.D. from the  at , where she also received her M.S. in sociology. Before that, she received her B.A. in sociology and psychology from the .

Courses Taught

SOC 1110 Introduction to Sociology

SOC 1620 Unhoused: Homelessness in the U.S.

SOC 1731 Bodies, Brains, and Stigma 

SOC/ANT 2160 Quantitative Research Methods

SOC 3110 Sociology of Families

SOC 3150 SL Drugs & Society

SOC 3550 Criminology

SOC 3560 Gender and Crime

SOC 4970 Senior Seminar in Sociology

COR 3010 Becoming an Adult in the Modern Era

GBL 1560/2560 WT Australia: The Stolen Generation (study abroad)

GBL 1020/2020 WT Florida (Disney): Happiest Place? The Science of Happiness at Disney

ECF 2130 Elon College Fellows Sophomore Seminar (social sciences)

ECF 3130 Elon College Fellows Junior Research Seminar (social sciences)

Leadership Positions

Social Sciences Branch Director, Elon Collge Fellows (2025-current)

Interim Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology (2024, 2026)

Coordinator of Criminal Justice Studies (2017-2022; Spring 2023)

Social Sciences Editor, American Journal of Undergraduate Research (2017-2023)

Criminology/Delinquency Area Editor, TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology (2014-2020)

Research

Dr. Zito's research has been featured in and on . She regularly makes media appearances related to her Tourette's stigma research, including on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's  program and the  podcast from the European Society for the Study of Tourette Syndrome.

Current Projects

Dr. Zito is currently working on qualitative research on identity formation, disclosure, and stigma management among adults with Tourette Syndrome, as well as survey-based experimental research on attitudes towards perpetartors and victims of intimate partner violence. พรพรศศ who want to develop research skills on these or similar topics, including the sociology of neurodivergence, are encouraged to contact Dr. Zito to talk about research opportunities.

Publications

Zito, Rena C., Stacy De Coster, and Eden Ralph (Elon '23). 2025. "." Sociological Focus, online first.

Zito, Rena C. 2025. "." Deviant Behavior, online first.

Zito, Rena C. 2023. “Crime and Deviance in the Sociology Curriculum.” In , edited by Sergio Cabrera and Stephen Sweet. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.

Zito, Rena C. 2023. "Identifying Deviant Behavior." In , 3rd edition, edited by K. Korgen and M. Atkinson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Zito, Rena C. 2022. "." Teaching Sociology 50(1): 96-99.

Zito, Rena C. and Kaylynn L. Hiller (Elon '22). 2022. "." Sociological Imagination.

Zito, Rena C. 2022. . Thousand Oaks: SAGE.

Zito, Rena C. 2022. “Identifying Problems in the Criminal Justice System.” In , 3rd edition, edited by K. Korgen, M. Trautner, and M. Atkinson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Zito, Rena C. 2020. "Discovering Problems in the Family." In , edited by K. Korgen, M. Trautner, and M. Atkinson. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Zito, Rena C. 2020. ".” Journal of Interpersonal Violence 35: 4492-4516.

Zito, Rena C. 2019. "." Australia and New Zealand Journal of Criminology.

Zito, Rena C. 2018. "" Youth & Society 50: 1100-1122.

De Coster, Stacy, Rena C. Zito, and Jennifer Lutz. 2018. "Racisms and Crime:Racialized Elaborations of General Theories of Offending." In , edited by R. Ramirez, J. Stowell, and M Hollis. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

Zito, Rena C. 2018. "." SAGE Research Methods Cases.

De Coster, Stacy and Rena C. Zito. 2017. "The Social Landscape of Intractable Offending from Adolescence to Adulthood among African American Males in Marginalized Contexts.” In, edited by B. Teasdale and M. Bradley. NY: Springer.

Zito, Rena C. and Stacy De Coster. 2016. ".” Journal of Youth and Adolescence 45: 1003-1019.

Zito, Rena C. and Mindy L. Vulpis. 2016. "." Sociological Focus 49: 133-147.

Zito, Rena C. 2015. “” Journal of Family Issues 36: 299-325.

De Coster, Stacy and Rena C. Zito. 2013. “.” Sociological Perspectives 56: 1-23.

Parcel, Toby, Mikaela Dufur, and Rena C. Zito. 2010. “.” Journal of Marriage and Family 72: 828-846.

De Coster, Stacy and Rena C. Zito. 2010. “.” Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 26: 224-245.

 

Presentations

Selected recent presentations:

Otten, Mallory and Rena C. Zito. 2025. “Beauty and Blame: How Gender and Attractiveness Shape Perceptions of Intimate Partner Violence.” American Society of Criminology. November 12-15. Washington DC.

Zito Rena C. 2025. “When You’re (Not) the Stereotype: Coprolalia in the Lives of People with Tourette Syndrome.” Southern Sociological Society. April 9-12. Charlotte, NC.

Zito Rena C. 2025. “‘Good Tourette’s’ and ‘Bad Tourette’s’: Coprolalia, Stereotypes, and Resisting Marginalization in a Tourette Syndrome Discussion Forum.” Eastern Sociological Society. March 6-9. Boston, MA.

Zito, Rena C., and Stacy M. De Coster. 2024. “Offense Type, Race, and College พรพรศศ’ Attitudes towards College Applicants with Criminal Records: Experimental and Qualitative Results.” Southern Sociological Society. April 3-6. New Orleans, LA.