A Voice for Urban Citizenship

Author. Professor. Ethnographer. Urban Citizen.

Anna Maria Bounds is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Queens College, City University of New York, USA. She holds a Ph.D. in Urban and Public Policy from The New School and an M.A. in Writing from Old Dominion University. Her first book, Bracing for the Apocalypse: An Ethnographic Study of New York's Prepper Subculture, is a rich ethnography exploring the rise of urban preppers in her city. Her second book, Urban Preppers and the Pandemic in New York City, extends this work by examining how New Yorkers experienced the earliest months of COVID-19 and how the city's prepper community adapted its practices during the crisis. Her third book, The Treasure Economy, explores how contemporary Americans use treasure hunting to seek meaning, adventure, and connection — extending her long-standing interest in how people navigate uncertainty and imagine resilience.

Her research interests include urban ethnography, city subcultures, tourism, public space, and treasure hunting. Her work on urban preparedness has been featured in national media outlets, where she is frequently consulted for her expertise on how New Yorkers navigate risk and uncertainty. She teaches courses on urban sociology, research methods, and qualitative research.

Outside the classroom, she enjoys New York City's arts and culture scene — but her newest research project has also sparked an unexpected love for hiking the Appalachian Trail and metal detecting on the beach. These days, she's equally delighted strolling down Broadway or wandering a forest trail with a shovel and a sense of possibility.