He received his doctorate in 1994 and is currently a professor at Ohio State University in the department of anthropology and a member of steering committee for the Initiative in Population Research.
Since the late 1980s, Cohen has worked in Oaxaca's central valleys region, specifically in the community of Santa Ana del Valle.
This book documents a long-term study of migration in 13 villages, all located in Oaxaca's central valleys.
Cohen notes the importance of domestic migration, the rise of international and transnational movers and the role that remittances play in the lives of Oaxaquenos in their home communities.
[1] He conducts collaborative and comparative research with Ibrahim Sirkeci on Kurdish and Mexican immigration issues.