Happy Friday! As you gear up for Halloween weekend check out our most recent posts on the social science of genetic testing, how some groups become “white,” and the ways local differences shape women’s incarceration rates in Oklahoma.

There’s Research on That!:

“How Grown-Up Careers are Like Middle School Dances” by Sarah Catherine Billups. Research shows gender segregation in work results both from self-selection and discriminatory workplace practices.

“‘Whiteness’ in American Immigration Politics” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Sociological research reminds us that some “white” groups were once racial outsiders in the United States.

Discoveries:

“The Social Side of Genetic Testing” by Isabel Arriagada. New research in the American Journal of Sociology finds that a variety of factors influence how scientists understand the relationship between genetics and disease.

Clippings:

“Who Really Benefits from “Diversity” Policies?” by Neeraj Rajasekar. The New Yorker draws on research by Ellen Berrey and Natasha Warikoo on the unintended consequences of promoting diversity.

“How Local Differences Influence Incarceration Rates in Oklahoma” by Lucas Lynch. Reveal talked to Susan Sharp about how county differences influence variation in incarceration rates and sentencing severity for women in Oklahoma.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“College pays…if you’re white” by Evan Stewart.

“Monuments to the Racist “Heroes” of the North” by Abraham Gutman.

Social Studies MN:

“The Color of Quality of Life in Nursing Homes” by  Sarah Catherine Billups.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Revisit: The Trouble with Averages” by Virginia Rutter.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are asks are power couples driving growing inequality?
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies wonders where is the coverage of the Mogadishu bombing?
• Cyborgology reflects on extraction, infrastructure, and technology after visiting a mining facility.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Hello sociology-fans! This week we’ve got new pieces on why witchcraft appeals to marginalized groups, the changing role of race in college admissions, and how to explain the class gap in marriage.

There’s Research on That!:

“Why Witchcraft Appeals to Marginalized Groups,” by Allison Nobles and Jacqui Frost. Social science shows us that witchcraft has a long history of empowering marginalized groups who question more traditional religious practices.

“The Stakes and Styles of Christian National Identity,” by Evan Stewart. Trump’s reference to “attacks” on Judeo-Christian values got us thinking about the meaning of the term.

Discoveries:

“Race for Admissions: Changing Affirmative Action,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. New research in Sociological Science finds that less-selective colleges were more likely to stop using race as a factor in admissions.

Clippings:

“How College Students Perform ‘Meaningless’ Hookups,” by Amber Joy Powell. NPR talked to Lisa Wade about the rules for college hookups.

“Explaining the Class Gap in Marriage,” by Allison Nobles. The New York Times asked Sharon Sassler and Andrew Cherlin about the class gap in U.S. marriages.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“The Airport Ritual,” by Evan Stewart.

“2 Broke Lab Rats: Human Research Subjects in Film and Television,” by Marci Cottingham.

Contexts:

“Amazon Puts itself on the Market, But We’re the Ones for Sale,” by Zach Richer.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Parental Incarceration and the Transition to Adulthood,” by Tasia Clemons.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are reflects on the importance of homes lost in disasters.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies asks why do insurgents choose to target capital cities?
• Engaging Sports contemplates the United States’ class-restrictive youth sports system.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Hello hello! Friday the 13th got you looking over your shoulder? Don’t worry, sociology’s got your back. This week we’ve got new sociological takes on why we honor indigenous peoples’ day, how stereotypes discredit children’s testimonies, and problems with public perceptions of ‘sociological gobbledygook.’

There’s Research on That!:

“Why We Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” by Allison Nobles. Social science research helps us understand the underlying gender and racial components of colonial settlement in the United States.

“‘Sociological Gobbledygook’ and Public Distrust of Social Science Experts,” by Isabel Arriagada. In light of Chief Justice John Roberts’ comments about “sociological gobbledygook,” we rounded up research on public distrust of social science.

Discoveries:

“How Stereotypes Discredit Children’s Testimonies,” by Allison Nobles. New research in Gender & Society finds that children of color confront cultural narratives that have the potential to produce unjust outcomes in the courtroom.

Clippings:

“Linking Christian Nationalism and Intolerance,” by Jean Marie DeOrnellas.  ThinkProgess talked to numerous sociologists about the ways Christian nationalism interacts with other ideologies.

“Do Americans Care About Income Inequality?” by Nahrissa Rush. The Washington Post draws on a report from Leslie McCall and Jennifer A. Richeson that knowledge of inequality leads many Americans to develop skepticism about economic opportunity.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Representing Race in Fashion Media,” by Alyssa Scull.

“A Bipartisan Pay Gap in Presidential Administrations,” by Evan Stewart.

“Bias and Opportunity for Immigrants in the Legal Profession,” by Alisha Kirchoff and Vitor Martins Dias.

Contexts:

“When the U.S. Sneezes, Puerto Rico Already has a Cold,” by Fernando I. Rivera and Elizabeth Aranda.

“Seven Things Social Science Tells Us About Natural Disasters,” by Hannah Cash, Kelsey Drotning, and Paige Miller.

Social Studies MN:

“The Political Divide Between Immigrants and Refugees,” by Lucas Lynch.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Families and DACA,” by Luilly Gonzalez.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are wonders why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?
• Engaging Sports asks if universities are helping athletes go pro in something other than sports.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on the Kurdish referendum for independent statehood.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Happy Friday all. This week we’ve got new pieces on the varied meanings of nostalgia, the problems with media discourse surrounding mass shootings, and new data on racial biases in policing.

There’s Research on That!:

“Mass Shootings and the Media,” by Amber Joy Powell. In light of yet another horrifying mass shooting, we look to research on how social contexts influence how the media frames these violent events.

“Nostalgia Is Not What It Used to Be,” by Yagmur Karakaya and Jacqui Frost. Rapid technological changes have many looking to the past, and while social science research on nostalgia warns against idealizing the past, it also points to varied uses and meanings of nostalgia over time.

Clippings:

“Preserving the Purpose of NFL Protests,” by Jean Marie DeOrnellas. Rashawn Ray and Nicole Gonzalez Van Cleve remind us that the NFL protests stem from racial biases in policing.

“When Think Tanks Tank Research,” by Evan Stewart. NPR talks to Thomas Medvetz about partisan interests and organizational conflict in think tanks.

Sociological Images

“Thoughts, Prayers, and Political Skeptics,” by Evan Stewart

Contexts:

“Black Lives and Police Tactics Matter,” by Rory Kramer, Brianna Remster, and Camille Z. Charles.

And a Few from our Community Pages:

• Cyborgology questions the “quantified mind” and academic score-keeping.
• Engaging Sports talks quidditch and mandated gender equality in sports.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on collective memory following the German elections.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Welcome back to another sociology-packed TSP roundup! This week we’ve got new pieces on the history of race and reproductive control, the addictive qualities of hate, and the dangers of rescinding DACA.

There’s Research on That!:

“Violence and Discrimination against Transgender People,” by Caity Curry and Amber Joy Powell. Social science shows that personal prejudice and institutional discrimination continue to affect the lives of those in the trans community.

“Race and Reproductive Control,” by Allison Nobles and Amber Joy Powell. Sociological research traces the historical links between reproductive control, race, and gender.

Discoveries:

“How Hate Hangs On,” by Evan Stewart. New research in American Sociological Review finds that people can get “addicted to hate,” making it more difficult to leave hate groups.

Clippings:

“Policing in an Era of Surveillance,” by Natalie Alteri. CNN Tech talks to Sarah Brayne about the social side of surveillance technologies.

“The Dangers of Rescinding DACA,” by Caity Curry. In a recent piece for The Globe Post, Stephanie Canizales outlines what the abolishment of DACA could mean for immigrant worker rights.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

The Summer 2017 issue’s Table of Contents is ready to peruse! See below for one of the first features available online.

“The Closet,” by Amin Ghaziani.

Social Studies MN:

“Heading Home After Hurricanes,” by Sarah Catherine Billups.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are revisits moving from legal to economic equality for LGBT people.
• Engaging Sports talks challenges and advances for female sportscasters.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies interviews Professor Riv-Ellen Prell on the ‘A Campus Divided’ exhibit.
• Sociological Images unpacks how House of Cards represents sex workers and finds asymmetry between the left and right media spheres.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

Our Latest Book

Looking for sociological perspective on the latest news? Look no further. This week we’ve got a fact sheet on unmarried and single Americans, reflections on the violence in Myanmar, and highlights from recent research on income inequality in college and beyond.

There’s Research on That!:

“Propaganda and Atrocity in Myanmar,” by Brooke Chambers. Research reveals the varied ways that propaganda enables the acceptance of atrocities.

“Asserting Masculinity Through Sports,” by Amber Joy Powell. The recent Mayweather v.s. McGregor boxing match got us thinking about the ways race, masculinity, and sexuality collide in sports culture.

Discoveries:

“College Classes and Class Inequality,” by Jacqui Frost. New research in Social Forces finds that the major you choose has a lot to do with the kind of funding you get.

Clippings:

“The Stigma of Being Rich,” by Brooke Chambers. Rachel Sherman explains why rich New Yorkers attempt to hide their wealth in The New York Times.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Reminder: Marriage is No Longer the Mode,” by Bella DePaulo.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports talks golfing with the ladies.
• Cyborgology explores the fine line between fiction and reality.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies explains the dangers of deceptive democracy in Myanmar.
• Sociological Images charts the crime drop and questions the bro hug.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

Our Latest Book

Whale, hello there! We’ve got some great stuff for you this week, including research on using punk rock to resist Islamophobia, a history of marijuana’s moral entrepreneurs, and reflections on the status of Title IX. Interested? Keep reading!

There’s Research on That!:

“Backtracking on Title IX?” by Evan Stewart. Social science reveals the institutional and cultural forces shaping sexual harassment and gender discrimination policies on campus.

“How Teacher Perceptions Shape Student Experiences,” by Amber Joy Powell.  Sociological studies provide insight into how teacher and school administrator perceptions and disciplinary actions often stem from race, class, and gender stereotypes.

Discoveries:

“Talking Taqwacore: Punk Rock and Resisting Islamophobia,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. New research in Sociology of Race & Ethnicity describes how an emerging genre of punk is forming a panethnic “brown” identity that empowers marginalized youth.

Clippings:

“Gendering Gender-Neutral Occupations,” by Caity Curry. A recent article in The Globe and Mail covers research from Laura Doering and Sarah Thébaud examining how gender-ambiguous occupations become gendered over time.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Viewpoints: Title IX at XLV”

1. Women Want to Coach, by Nicole LaVoi.
2. Title IX at 45, by Cheryl Cooky.
3. Where All Kids Can Compete, by Erin Buzuvis.
4. Union Busting and the Title IX Straw Man, by Ellen J. Staurowsky.

“Marijuana’s Moral Entrepreneurs, Then and Now,” by Mike Vuolo, Joy Kadowaki, and Brian C. Kelly.

“The Politics of Trans Identities,” by Iván Szelény and a response from Rogers Brubaker.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images breaks down the cost of sexual harassment and charts the dangers Americans face at work.
• Engaging Sports problematizes the “savage” of Savage Race and explains why few cities want to host the Olympics.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on a teaching a course about Holocaust art.
• Girl w/Pen! explores the world of male baton twirlers.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

Our Latest Book

Hello all! We’ve got a great line up to kick off the fall semester, with a few thoughts from co-editor Doug Hartmann on the importance of teaching sociology, a second symposium on Charlottesville over at Contexts with a pice from co-editor Chris Uggen, and some great new pieces on law-breaking in-laws, improving children’s books about disasters, and the importance of DACA.

Editors’ Desk:

“First Day Note, 2017-2018,” by Doug Hartmann. Doug offers a few inspiring words to kick of the fall semester.

“I see sociology as a noble profession, vocation, a calling in the Weberian sense. And in this time of tumult, conflict, and change, I believe our work—our research, our ideas, and the information and insights we produce—is more needed than ever by people, in communities, all over the world.”

Discoveries:

“When Your In-Law is an Outlaw,” by Ryan Larson. New research in Criminology finds that previously convicted brothers-in-law increase the likelihood of crime for new husbands — regardless of their own criminal histories.

Clippings:

“Understanding the Post-Festival Blues” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Vice’s Noisey talks to Rob Gardner about music festivals, crowd dynamics, and collective effervescence.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Context Symposium: After Charlottesville, Part Two.”

1. “Setting the Record Straight on Confederate Statues,” Wanda Rushing
2. “Defining Disorder Down,” Chris Uggen
3. “The ‘Many Sides’ Implicated in Charlottesville,” Dawn M. Dow
4. “Charlottesville Yields Few Sociological Surprises,” David Brunsma
5. “Charlottesville and Our Racial Fault Lines,” Rodney D. Coates
6. “What Are Our Universities’ Obligations?” James M. (JT) Thomas

“Staking Post-racialism in Charlottesville,” by Milton Vickerman.

“D is for Disaster,” by Kathryn Wells and Timothy J. Haney.

“The Importance of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Policy,” by Hyein Lee and Margaret Chin.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Women’s Equality Day Turns 44,” by Nika Fate-Dixon and Stephanie Coontz.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are reflects on women’s equality in the Nixon and Trump eras.
• Cyborgology offers an STS reading of Australia’s marriage equality plebiscite.
• Sociological Images enters a new era with incoming editor Evan Stewart who writes his first post on movie times in modern times.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

Our Latest Book

Good Morning, Everyone!

It’s nerdy, I know, but I’ve always found the first day of school to be one of the most exciting, hopeful, and uplifting days of the entire calendar year. Maybe that’s what happens when your mom was a kindergarten teacher and your dad a grade school principal. Whatever your story may be, I hope you are ready for another great year of sociology.

I see sociology as a noble profession, vocation, a calling in the Weberian sense. And in this time of tumult, conflict, and change, I believe our work—our research, our ideas, and the information and insights we produce—is more needed than ever by people, in communities, all over the world. This is, in many ways, the essence of the public sociology movement of which The Society Pages has been such a proud and prominent player. And today, on this first day of classes, the people I’m thinking mostly about are students—our graduates and our undergrads. We do many things as sociologists, but given that we are all in the business of teaching and learning, it is good to recall Michael Burawoy’s suggestion from a little over a decade ago that our classrooms are our first public(s).

Our dean at the UMN College of Liberal Arts, John Coleman, gave new students some advice last week. He stressed the need for each student to find their own place here on campus, their community, and to help create a culture of respect across all of our differences. Sound—and very sociological—advice for all of us all over the country, I think. Here’s hoping that we can all do our part to make culture and community (and sociology!) in our departments in the year ahead.

Thanks so much for your continued participation in and commitment to our wonderful community. Have a great day and a great year!

Doug

As summer break comes to an end, the TSP crew is gearing up for another engaging semester of sociologizing. In addition to checking out our new stuff below, those of you prepping to teach classes should be sure to stop by our Teaching TSP blog for class exercises, teaching tips, and suggestions for turning TSP blogs into assignments.

Editors’ Desk:

“Long-form Journalism, 2017 Late Summer Highlights,” by Doug Hartmann. As we head into the new school year, Doug reflects on some great sociological journalism produced over the summer.

Discoveries:

“The Politics of Dumpster Diving,” by Erik Kojola. New research in Sociological Perspectives details the ways freegans are pushing back against stigmatization and developing a collective identity.

Clippings:

“Socially Sanctioning Venezuela,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. David Smilde explains why economic sanctions might bolster the social influence of President Maduro in The News Observer.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“After Charlottesville: A Contexts Symposium.”

1. “‘Hilando Fino’: American Racism After Charlottesville,” Eduardo Bonilla-Silva
2. “The Souls of White Folk in Charlottesville and Beyond,” Matthew W. Hughey
3. “The Persistence of White Nationalism in America,” Joe Feagin
4. “A Sociologist’s Note to the Political Elite,” Victor Ray
5. “Are Public Sociology and Scholar-Activism Really at Odds?” Kimberly Kay Hoang
6. “Sociology as a Discipline and an Obligation,” David G. Embrick and Chriss Sneed

“Social Pressure to Appear Masculine Leads Straight Men to Have Unwanted Sex,” by Michelle J. Cera, Jessie Ford, and and Paula England.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images concludes feminists are awesome and reflects on the beauty and strength of Wonder Woman.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies offers a Marxist critique of the Cambodian genocide.
• Feminist Reflections remembers Harry Brod, 1951-2017.
• Engaging Sports talks athletic philanthropy and the limits of charity.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

Our Latest Book