The Graduate School has selected Meghna Gogoi as its April 2025 GradBird Scholar recipient. GradBird Scholar is an initiative to recognize graduate students for their scholarly endeavors at Illinois State University.

Gogoi is an international student from India and currently in her final semester of the sociology master’s program. She completed her undergraduate studies in Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, India. Outside of academics, she is a huge fan of movies and loves shopping. One of her favorite things to do is go on rides at amusement parks and is always excited to go on roller coasters. She also loves traveling and exploring different cultures and cuisines.

What is your favorite part of your program?

My favorite part of the sociology program that I have valued most is the incredible faculty and the strong sense of community within the department. As an international student, settling into a new environment and academic culture was initially overwhelming, but the faculty here went above and beyond to support and guide me, which made all the difference. What I also love about this program is how it blends sociological theory with real-world applications. This balance has deepened my understanding of society and equipped me with the tools to carry that knowledge into both academic and professional spaces.

Throughout the program, I have had the privilege of learning from exceptional professors—Dr. Marion Willetts, Dr. Chris Wellin, Dr. Aaron Pitluck, Dr. Wib Leonard, Dr. Michael Dougherty, Dr. Winfred Avogo, Dr. Intan Suwandi, Dr. Thomas Burr, Dr. Susan Sprecher, and Dr. Justin Turner—each of whom has contributed uniquely to my academic and personal development. Their guidance has sharpened my ability to think critically, ask meaningful questions, and analyze complex social issues. Their impact goes beyond the classroom since they have helped me grow into a more confident, empathetic, and well-rounded sociologist.

Do you work with a specific faculty/staff member to help with your research? What has your experience been like working with them?

I am working closely with Dr. Marion Willetts (thesis chair), Dr. Chris Wellin, and Dr. Susan Sprecher, who are on my committee for my master’s thesis. Their mentorship has a profound and positive impact on my research journey. They have guided me through every step of the process, helping me refine my methodology and improve my writing. Their thoughtful insights, constructive feedback, unwavering support, and constant encouragement have not only helped me become a better researcher but have also made the experience deeply rewarding.

Can you explain your research and the importance of it within your field?

My research examines how upbringing and lived experiences shape the ways in which interfaith couples respond to stereotypes and make decisions about their unions. While existing literature often focuses on the broader societal attitudes towards interfaith marriage, often highlighting the experiences of women, I focus on the married couple as the unit of analysis, giving voice to both spouses. This research is relevant because interfaith marriages, which refer to unions between individuals of different religious backgrounds, are becoming more common in today’s multicultural society. I conducted online in-depth interviews with five interfaith couples from Christian, Hindu, and Muslim backgrounds in the United States. By interviewing each spouse separately, I explored how they reconcile religious differences, manage family expectations, and sustain their relationships.

This study on interfaith marriage is a fine example of the micro-macro linkage that we seek to make in sociology. Marriage is a “primary,” intimate relationship, but one that increasingly involves “intermarriage” across lines of race/ethnicity, religious and cultural backgrounds. It highlights how individual decisions in intimate relationships are influenced by larger social structures, such as religious norms, cultural expectations, and societal stereotypes. My research explores how individuals exercise agency in choosing interfaith unions, even when those choices defy traditional norms of endogamy. This contributes directly to sociological debates about structure vs. agency, showing how people navigate, resist, and reshape societal norms. By focusing on how couples negotiate religious and cultural differences, my study contributes to discussions about identity formation and cultural hybridity. This adds to sociological understandings of how people construct meaning within their relationships in multicultural societies.

I hope and believe that my findings may inform clinical and counseling professionals, marriage and family therapists, and community support, offering insights into the issues surrounding interfaith couples that can help improve the quality and longevity of their marriages. Overall, my study offers a nuanced and timely contribution to scholarship on religion and family by illuminating how marriage, identity, and tradition are renegotiated across religious lines in an increasingly pluralistic world.

Why do you enjoy researching this topic and what more do you hope to learn about it?

This topic interests me for several reasons. It brings together key sociological themes such as identity formation, cultural negotiation, and the interplay between structure and agency. Researching interfaith marriage provides a unique opportunity to explore how individuals navigate deeply rooted religious and cultural traditions while forming intimate partnerships across perceived boundaries. It allowed for a meaningful engagement with the complex intersection of personal agency, religion, and social expectations.

One of the most compelling aspects of this research is the diversity in how individuals engage with religion and tradition. A key finding of my research is that many participants demonstrate a more selective or context-dependent engagement with religion, often reflecting a more secular outlook shaped by their environments. This stands in contrast to more rigid frameworks of religious identity and practice, which tend to discourage interfaith unions. It is through this contrast that the distinctiveness of contemporary interfaith marriages, particularly those formed in multicultural and secular settings, becomes more apparent.

While my own perspective is shaped by an awareness of traditional norms that often discourage marrying outside one’s religion, reflecting on this helps me better understand how interfaith couples today are constructing meaning, setting boundaries, and reimagining relationships in ways that were previously less accepted or visible. In terms of what I hope to learn, I am especially interested in how interfaith couples sustain their relationships while respecting religious differences, not by erasing their differences but by integrating them in personally meaningful ways. I also aim to examine how these negotiations are influenced by upbringing, socialization, and larger sociocultural environments, and how they evolve over time. Additionally, I seek to explore what motivates individuals to pursue interfaith unions despite familial or societal resistance, and how these motivations may shift across different life stages and social contexts.

What do you hope further research about this topic will do to benefit the greater of society?

This research has the potential to foster more inclusive conversations around religion, marriage, and identity by shedding light on the lived experiences of interfaith couples. By challenging cultural and religious stereotypes that often serve as barriers to such unions, it can contribute to a broader understanding of how individuals navigate complex social and familial dynamics. My findings can inform clinical/counseling professionals who must deal with the array of issues surrounding the couple, which shape the quality and longevity of such marriages.

Future research should expand to include a wider range of cultural and religious backgrounds by considering a bigger sample size, which can represent more diverse experiences of couples in interfaith marriages. This approach can guide inclusive practices and policies that promote empathy, understanding, and social cohesion across religious and cultural lines.

Would you like to highlight anything else about your research or promote anything specific you are involved in?

I have presented my research at the Illinois Sociological Association Conference, and I have received the first place and the Audience Choice Award in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition under the graduate category at the Midwest Sociological Society Conference. I also won the Audience Choice Award in the College of Arts and Sciences 3MT Competition at Illinois State University and presented at the University Research Symposium. 

In addition, I serve as a graduate teaching assistant, where I lead study groups and mentor undergraduates, and I am on the Graduate Student Advisory Council, where I advocate for the needs of graduate students.