Susan Burch draws attention to subjects "at the margins," particularly the historical impact of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, and material culture on lived experiences in America, Russia, and beyond. Her work explores how these factors shape individuals' lives and how they are reflected in American studies and comparative studies of race and ethnicity. She is interested in how these dynamics manifest across different cultures and histories.
Drawing on oral history interviews, correspondence, material objects, and archival sources, Susan Burch reframes the histories of institutionalized people and the places that held them. In so doing, Committed expands the boundaries of Native American history, disability studies, and US social and cultural history generally.