Alex, Heba. 2025. “Fuzzy Boundaries: A Mechanism for Group Accumulation of Advantage.” Sociological Theory. Online first. https://doi.org/10.1177/07352751251378516

Abstract:
This article describes a strategic mechanism, fuzzy boundaries, that groups use to accumulate advantage. In contrast to the dominant view that rigid, well-defined boundaries maximize group rewards, I argue that ambiguity in membership criteria can, under certain conditions, more effectively secure and promote group benefits. Fuzzy boundaries are defined by two features: an intentionally ambiguous criterion for inclusion and the selective, inconsistent application of that criterion to adjust the insider-outsider line as needed. I illustrate the operation of fuzzy boundaries through a historical analysis of occupational boundary drawing in the nineteenth-century United States. Ultimately, the study offers a generalizable framework for understanding how strategic ambiguity in group boundaries can serve actors seeking to preserve privilege across domains, such as education, hiring, and professional accreditation. Unlike well-defined qualifications, the malleability of fuzzy boundaries often insulates them from legal challenge, making them an effective mechanism for maintaining social and institutional advantage.

Dr. Alex is a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Sociology at the University of Chicago, and studies topics related to evaluation, differentiation, and morality in diverse institutional contexts such as lower courts, rights, and occupational organizations.

At present, Dr. Alex is developing a book about the moral character clause (being of good moral character) in licensing laws in nineteenth-century America.  You can read an article that emerged from one aspect of this project here. Dr. Alex is also in the early stages of a comparative study examining how the moral clause relates to voting and jury rights during the same period.

Dr. Alex received their Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2025. Before that, Dr. Alex obtained a B.A. in History from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.A. in Gender and Women’s Studies from UW–Madison. Dr. Alex’s professional journey includes a year at the International Center for Transitional Justice in New York and a Doctoral Fellowship at the American Bar Foundation.