New & Noteworthy

How Negative Feedback Impacts Women’s Political Participation Online by Dylan DiGiacomo-Stumm covers research by Zhaodi Chen and Junghun Han. They examined how negative feedback affects women’s participation in online political discussions using survey experiments. The study finds that while “dislikes” do not deter women, the risk of post deletion significantly reduces their willingness to engage. For men, neither form of feedback has a notable effect, highlighting how platform design can unintentionally silence women’s voices in digital spaces.

Backstage with TSP

The TSP crew wrapped up 2024 with a Pickleball party! We celebrated the many successes this year and handed out awards to board members for their notable accomplishments. Keep an eye out over the next month for our “best of 2024” series for the top pieces on X, Facebook, and BlueSky.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts

• lead with your heart: a q&a with dr. alondra nelson with Amin Ghaziani highlights a conversation with Dr. Alondra Nelson, the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study and former Acting Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Nelson discusses her path from academia to policymaking, the importance of translating sociological research for public impact, and her advice on leading with clarity and heart in public-facing scholarship.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Caregivers’ Support for Federal Work-Family Policies by Carolyn E Waldrep explores why popular work-family policies—like paid family leave and childcare subsidies—have yet to gain federal support. In interviews with over 100 caregivers, Waldrep found strong bipartisan backing for these policies, especially after the pandemic. Caregivers emphasized governmental responsibility, fair tradeoffs for workers’ labor, and successful comparisons to state and international models. However, concerns about government mandates, policy misuse, small business impact, and increased taxes persist. The findings highlight both the urgent need for well-crafted policies and the mistrust that policymakers must address to move forward.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings via Mallory Harrington highlights recent sociological insights, including Arlie Russell Hochschild’s exploration of political divides in Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right, Gi-Wook Shin’s analysis of South Korea’s political instability following President Yoon’s martial law declaration in All Things Considered, Allison Pugh’s examination of AI’s impact on human connection in  The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World, Musa Al-Gharbi’s critique of social justice discourse in We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite, and Danielle Lindemann’s take on how reality TV reflects societal inequalities.

From the Archives

As 2024 comes to a close, many magazines and publications are sharing their picks for this year’s best books. Whether you’re looking forward to some holiday downtime or are starting to plan your 2025 reading list, be sure to check out this selection of must-read sociology books that our Board published earlier this year.

Public outcry against Joe Biden’s hypocrisy in pardoning Hunter Biden after repeatedly claiming he would not do so throughout his presidency brings forth a number of considerations; first, this New York Mag article highlights how Biden could potentially commute the sentences of 40 men on federal death row, yet chose to use the remainder of his time in office pardoning his son. This 2021 piece provides a rundown on the sociological significance of scandals and the role that media, public morality, and social identities like race and gender contribute to how we experience scandals socially.

Recently Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, was killed outside of his Hotel in New York. While the motives are still unknown, this news has raised many questions about the ethics of profiting off of health care. This 2014 article from Sociological Images reflects on health care as a 2.7 trillion dollar industry in America.

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Contexts

• from carbon paper to code: crafting sociology in an age of ai by Corey Abramson on repurposing evolving technologies like AI for deeper social insights while reflecting on the enduring lessons of critical, engaged methodologies from thinkers like C. Wright Mills and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Racial Wealth Inequality Emerges in Young Adulthood by Ellen Bryer and Alexander Adames write about racial wealth gaps, emeringe in young adulthood, driven by disparities in financial assets rather than debt, and how addressing these gaps will require multifaceted solutions such as student debt cancellation, raising the minimum wage, and implementing baby bonds.
• The educational costs of teen births by Joseph D. Wolfe and Mieke Beth Thomeer cover their research on how educational costs of teen births have grown over time, especially for women from advantaged backgrounds, as structural and socioeconomic factors increasingly shape the opportunity costs and life outcomes tied to adolescent childbearing.

New & Noteworthy

Wealth Gaps at the Extremes for Baby Boomers and Millennials by Shania Kuo covers research in the American Journal of Sociology. It examines how Millennials and Baby Boomers compare in wealth trajectories. Using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the study reveals that while Boomers had higher homeownership and less debt in their 20s and 30s, the wealthiest Millennials have surpassed Boomers in overall wealth, highlighting stark disparities between the financial extremes of both generations.

From the Archives

Google may have to sell some of its properties in the coming months. Modern ‘monopolies’ look quite different than their historical counterparts, but big tech’s evolution (or devolution) of control has been considered for decades. Check out Sociological Image‘s repost of The Growth Of Monopoly Power by Marty Hart-Landsberg.

This week, NFL rookie Brock Bowers and UMNST player Christian Pulisic did the “Trump Dance” after scoring in their respective games. Just last month, NFL player Nick Bosa crashed a post game interview to show off his MAGA hat. In this 2019 article from Engaging Sports, Chaplin and Montez de Oca share their research examining how people interpreted Colin Kaepernick’s 2016 protests against racial injustice during the national anthem. They argue that patriotism has been weaponized to discredit anti-racist protests, diverting attention from systemic injustices and reinforcing white privilege in sports.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Engaging Sports:

• 50 Years of Rubik’s Cube: Speedcubing and a More Inclusive Society by Jan Hammer, Jan Tore Skjørshammer, and Trond Kyrre Simensen on the speedcubing community and how it exemplifies inclusion, joy, and mutual support, offering a model for fostering well-being and connection in both sports and society.
• Celtic Football Supporters in Scotland: Flying the Flag for Palestinians but not Against Jews by Joseph Bradley on Celtic FC supporters’ decades-long practice of flying Palestinian flags, rooted in anti-oppression activism, while also distinguishing criticism of Israel from antisemitism.

Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies:

• Understanding Thursday’s ICC Warrants with Melanie O’Brien, covering the ICC warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, marking a pivotal moment in international justice as investigations into war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Gaza continue.

New & Noteworthy

Instagram Activism and Black-Asian Solidarity by S Ericson covers research by Rachel Kuo and Sarah J. Jackson and how Black and Asian activists in 2020-2021 used Instagram to draw on historical cross-racial solidarity, challenging media stereotypes and fostering shared memory to advocate for change.

This week’s Clippings by Mallory Harrington covers recent sociology and sociologists in the news, including the failure of prisons to protect incarcerated people during natural disasters, the evolution of pregnancy depictions in media, how digital aesthetics helped Donald Trump connect with diverse online communities, and Brazil’s Black Consciousness Day spotlighting the country’s slow progress toward racial representation.

Our latest podcast episode, produced by Forrest Lovette, featuring Mallory Harrington and Emma Goldstein discuss Tressie McMillan Cottom recent opinion piece in The New York Times on the connection between tradwives, podcast bros, and wellness influencers and Donald Trump’s recent election win.

From the Archives

Trump’s cabinet picks, including Dr. Mehmet Oz and Fox News presenter Pete Hegseth, highlight the overlap between reality TV and politics, where both rely on performances that blur lines between entertainment and serious decision-making. Check out this 2010 parallel between financial markets and the “classic” Jersey Shore by Lisa Wade.

Two transgender women were attacked at a Minneapolis light rail station last week and the onlookers apparently cheered on their group of attackers rather than helping. The Southern Poverty Law Center reported that hate crimes spiked after the election of Donald Trump in 2016, as covered in this Sociological Images piece from 2016 – and we may see another 2024 surge.

Backstage with TSP

To celebrate our many hours of hard work in 2024, we are planning on a pickleball party this December. With varying degrees of pickleballing experience, it will certainly be memorable. Stay tuned for pictures on X, Bluesky, and Facebook.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts

• q&a with dr. roman williams with Elena van Stee covers William’s new book, Sacred Snaps: Photovoice for Interfaith Engagement, highlighting his participatory action research approach, which uses photography to foster understanding and empathy across religious and social divides.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Navigating the Fentanyl Crisis: How Rural Communities are Protecting Themselves from Fatal Overdose by Suzan Walters explores how rural communities are innovatively responding to the fentanyl crisis through harm reduction strategies, emphasizing the need for expanded public health resources, and stigma reduction to prevent fatal overdoses.

Sociological Images

• Who’s Not Cool With AC? by Evan Stewart highlights how public perceptions of air conditioning as a luxury, tied to racialized stereotypes about aid “deservingness,” pose challenges for policymaking on cooling access, especially with climate change.

New & Noteworthy

TSP’s Jordyn Wald has a new StoryMap on Law Enforcement and Body-Cams. It covers research on body-cams and its increasing use by police, improved accountability and reduced complaints, but their impact on excessive force and arrests varies depending on activation policies and usage.

Our latest Clippings by Mallory Harrington covers recent sociology and sociologists in the news, including stalled workplace gender equality, exploitation of undocumented agricultural workers, hidden societal harms in technological innovation, shifting caregiving norms among older couples, and the need for public collaboration in environmental regeneration and family farming.

The TSP podcast team has a new episode for your listening pleasure. Produced by Forrest Lovette, this episode includes Emma Goldstein, Mason Jones, and Leo LaBarre discussing older adult cohabitation from a recent The New York Times article featuring Deborah Carr and Susan Brown.

From the Archives

Last week, backed by the families of Sandy Hook shooting victims, the satirical news publication The Onion won the bid for Alex Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction. Amber Joy Powell’s TROT from 2017 discusses the media coverage of mass shootings since Columbine.

New Zealand opposition party MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke led a Haka chant in the parliament chambers in protest of a bill reinterpretation of the country’s founding treaty with the Māori people. Although New Zealand is considered a leader in indigenous rights, opposers of this bill say that it would put their rights at risk. In the American context, we recently celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day – read our 2017 piece by Allison Nobles that covers some research on this holiday.

Consistent with other research, a recent NIH-backed study shows that women are less likely than men to meet the standard recommendation for weekly aerobic exercise. Many experts attribute this gender gap, in part, to the disproportionate time women spend on caregiving and household responsibilities. To learn more about how societal expectations and structural factors affect progress toward gender equality in sports and other fields, check out this 2017 Sociological Images article.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• fall 2024 table of contents includes 25 pieces on a range of topics – check them out!
• letter from the editors: fall 2024 by Amin Ghaziani and Seth Abrutyn highlight the Contexts Fall 2024 edition, which celebrates the vibrancy of social life, from Pride parades and diasporic joy to workplace challenges, urban regulation, and much more.
• same behavior, different meaning by Parker Muzzerall covers research by Terence McDonnell, Anna Gabur, and Rachel Keynton on how the cultural politics of climate change show that conservative consumers increasingly adopt electric vehicles, not for climate action, but for cost-saving and freedom, highlighting the importance of framing climate-friendly practices in culturally resonant ways.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Labor Pains: Parents’ Wages in Care Work by Alyssa Alexander and Anna Manzoni on their research on care work, and how it remains undervalued and deeply gendered, with mothers facing significant wage penalties, especially in care-related fields, while societal biases continue to disadvantage women, mothers of color, and fathers of color.

New & Noteworthy

Tressie McMillan Cottom (Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina’s School of Information and Library Science) wrote an opinion piece for The New York Times in the aftermath of the presidential election. “[T]his election was about enthusiasm and diagnoses. The long-term trajectory of our country has not changed. Millions of middle-class people feel working-class. These Americans have no way to describe what is happening to them,” Cottom described. “Nature abhors a vacuum. But political opportunists thrive in vacuums. This election was about who told a better story about the fundamentals without promising anything to fix those fundamentals. That is the sweet spot for an opportunist like Trump and his party. Sell everything, promise nothing. Keep them coming back for more.” Cottom was also recently on The Daily Show.

From the Archives

The 2024 election has left women’s health in an even more uncertain place, as seen with the failure of pro-abortion ballot measures in three states and Trump’s remark that vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. would “work on women’s health” in his administration. The root of poor health outcomes for U.S. women isn’t just medical—it’s systemic. Inequities shape everything from research that sidelines women’s needs to restrictive laws that worsen health outcomes for all. Check out this post from the Council on Contemporary Families to learn more about the deep-rooted issues impacting women’s health in the U.S. and what is required for real change.

On Wednesday afternoon two people started a demonstration at Texas State University, holding signs and wearing shirts that said “women are property” and “homo sex is sin”. The demonstration sparked a counter-protest of hundreds of students, and images and videos of the demonstration quickly went viral. This 2017 Contexts piece talks about the importance of the media in increasing the reach and impact of protests.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• paying attention. period. by Sophie X. Liu on research by Rita Jalali on menstrual health and hygiene (MHH) and how it has been largely neglected in global health agendas due to challenges in measurability and enduring social stigmas, highlighting how inequality within social movements has sidelined issues affecting economically disadvantaged communities.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Parents’ Divisions of Childcare and Housework Remarkably Stable Throughout Pandemic by Richard J. Petts and Daniel L. Carlson covers their recent research in Demographic Research on how despite the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, most U.S. parents maintained their pre-pandemic division of housework and childcare, with some shifts towards more equal childcare sharing, especially influenced by fathers’ remote work and mothers’ employment.

New & Noteworthy

Political memes and jokes connect people with candidates, encourage engagement, and make complex issues more accessible. Humor can rally supporters, soften criticism, and reveal tensions in a way that feels less confrontational. Yet, it also risks misinterpretation, losing impact if it feels insincere or too harsh. Check out TSP Board member Jordyn Wald‘s Humor and Memes in Politics during your monitoring of election day results.

What “They” Don’t Want You to Know About Conspiracy Theories by S Ericson covers society’s belief in conspiracy theories, often fueled by mistrust in powerful institutions and rising during uncertain times. These theories suggest hidden groups control events, and as people share them online, they spread across different issues and become part of popular thinking.

Our weekly Clippings includes a piece from The Atlantic with Julia Sonnevend on her new book on political charm, Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics, noting how charm fosters a sense of authenticity through media proximity, unlike charisma. City Journal reviewed Musa Al-Gharbi’s We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite, critiquing progressive elites’ disconnect from marginalized communities. Laura Patterson explained in CPR News how horror films create a “safe space” to experience empathy and connection, resonating amid industry shifts. El País reported on young people seeking alternative work as a response to unstable traditional jobs, with Mariano Urraco Solanilla describing the search for control. Lastly, The New York Times covered Arlie Russell Hochschild’s Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right, which examines the economic decline of non-college-educated white men and its impact on their sense of purpose.

From the Archives

Residents in Spain, Valencia experienced a series of floods and the death tolls have increased into the hundreds. Thousands are going without reliable access to food and water, with the hardest hit areas being unable to be accessed. Learn about The Emotional Toll of Natural Disasters from our 2018 piece by Jasmine Syed.

The New York Times put a spotlight on Alabama’s prison labor program, where incarcerated workers face harsh conditions, little to no pay, and punishment for resistance. Learn more about the complexities of prison labor and the fight for reform in our 2018 piece covering research on this topic by Isabel Arriagada, Pushing Back on Prison Labor.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• Our Forests, Ourselves by Colter J. Uscola explores Nihan Bozok’s study of rural Turkish women who lead deforestation protests along the Aegean Coast. Bozok reveals how forests are vital to these women’s identities and communities, showing that true environmental protection comes from empowering those most connected to the land.
• Saving Money, Saving Relationships by Elena G. Van Stee summarizes Kristen McNeill and Rachael Pierotti’s study on how people in Côte d’Ivoire use “earmarking”—explaining that money is already set aside—to politely refuse requests for financial help. This approach allows them to protect both their savings and their relationships, showing that earmarking serves as a valuable strategy for balancing financial boundaries.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• How the Real Estate Industry May Make Community Tensions Worse in Mixed-Income Neighborhoods by Mahesh Somashekhar highlights how real estate ads focusing on home security can deepen divisions in mixed-income areas, signaling safety for wealthier renters and unintentionally pushing out lower-income residents.

First Publics:

• Making Adopted Activities Work for You by Megan Y. Phillips offers practical tips for integrating active learning activities into classes without starting from scratch. Phillips emphasizes modifying existing activities to fit your class’s time, size, and context, along with setting aside time to review takeaways with students to ensure they grasp the purpose.

(P.S. >> don’t forget to vote!)

New & Noteworthy

A dark fascination with the paranormal grips society during this spooky time of year, drawing many into the “cultic milieu,” where interest in beliefs of witchcraft, astrology, and hauntings thrive. These subcultures defy mainstream science and religion, offering alternative answers and forming tight-knit communities on the cultural margins. Read this captivating summary of some sociology on the paranormal’s influence on modern culture in “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered” by Jordyn Wald, Mallory Harrington, and Nicole Schmitgen.

The Washington Post highlighted the struggles of older adults with cognitive impairments or dementia who live alone in the U.S., with Professor Elena Portacolone of UCSF explaining how many lack family caregivers, making them an “invisible population” at risk in the healthcare system. In The New York Review, Matthew Desmond of Princeton University discussed urgent housing crisis solutions for the next U.S. administration, urging relief programs for the homeless, restoration of deteriorating housing, zoning reform, and new construction.  Arts Hub and University of Sydney News covered research by Sanné Mestrom and Indigo Willing, revealing how skatable public art structures can foster urban play and inclusivity. Meanwhile, Ilana M. Horwitz of Tulane University explored Jewish Americans’ varied support for the Black Lives Matter movement, as different affiliations influence their views on race and justice, reported in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Lastly, Yale News reported on Ángel Escamilla García‘s study on young Central American migrants’ strategies to minimize deportation risk, as they navigate U.S. immigration laws with help from migrant shelters, social media, and fellow migrants. See our weekly Clippings here.

Interest in alternative approaches to justice grows as the limitations of traditional punishment become more apparent, especially for minoritized communities. Restorative Justice (RJ) offers a transformative way to address harm by focusing on healing, accountability, and community cohesion, rather than punishment through fines and incarceration. Evidence shows RJ reduces recidivism, lowers costs, and provides greater satisfaction for victims, with successful adoption in over 80 countries. Discover how RJ is reshaping justice globally in our new ‘There’s Research on That’, “Restorative Justice” by me.

From the Archives

Millions of Americans have already participated in the 2024 election by casting their ballots either by mail or through early in-person voting. This 2012 Sociological Images article by Gwen Sharp discusses how early and absentee voting options have changed the traditional focus on Election Day in the U.S.

Feeling stressed out by the state of the world and the upcoming election? You’re not alone: research shows that many people are trying to avoid the news. Check out this summary of social science research on news avoidance, written by Nick Mathews.

Earlier this week the Department of Transportation fined American Airlines $50 million for repeated violations of laws protecting the rights and safety of passengers with disabilities. The DOT’s investigation found that American Airlines was responsible for the mishandling and damage of thousands of wheelchairs over the past four years, as well as cases where passengers with disabilities were mistreated. Read this Sociological Images 2015 piece by Lisa Wade on accessibility and the ADA.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• career choices at a crossroads by Joyce Kim covers her research on how many first-generation, low-income students at elite universities, face pressures to “sell out” by pursuing high-paying jobs in finance, consulting, and tech to support their families, despite ethical or personal concerns. Redefining post-graduation success means supporting these students in finding career paths aligned with their values, not just high salaries.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Alicia Walker interviews Emily K. Carian on her new book, Good Guys, Bad Guys: The Perils of Men’s Gender Activism which explores how both feminist men and men’s rights activists engage in gender activism as a way to reconcile their privileged status, though feminist men often prioritize reshaping their own identities over effective activism, inadvertently sustaining gender inequality.

First Publics:

• Engaging Elections: Political responsibility in the classroom covers how Sociology instructors work to balance political responsibility by equipping students with analytical tools for critical thinking and respectful dialogue, all while fostering a supportive learning environment. Check out the recent recording of their webinar here.

New & Noteworthy

A growing online movement, the “manosphere,” fuels gender-based culture wars by promoting misogynistic beliefs. These subcultures, including Incels and MGTOW, view society as a “Gynocracy” where men are oppressed by women. United by the “Red Pill” metaphor from the Matrix, these groups reject feminist ideas and spread misinformation, often using violent language. As their influence grows, the masosphere’s impact on politics and recruitment of young men continues to rise. View our new “StoryMap” of this important research by Jordyn Wald, S Ericson, and Caroline Garland.

This week, Roger Southall wrote in The Conversation about the challenges of reducing class inequalities in South Africa despite recent economic improvements. Meanwhile, The New York Times  covered global fertility rates, featuring insights from Kumiko Nemoto and Ylva Moberg on gender and childcare in Japan and Sweden. Scott Scheiman discussed Kamala Harris’s pro-work message amidst economic pessimism in The Conversation, and Eve Ewing moderated a panel with Ta-Nehisi Coates and Rami Nashashibi at the Chicago Humanities Festival on nationalism and oppression, as covered by The TRiiBE. Lastly, Taipei Times  highlighted Po-fen Tai’s new book, The Last Female Miner: Haishan Mines and a Sociologist’s Exploration of her Miner Grandmother’s Life, on women in Taiwan’s mining industry. See our weekly Clippings here.

From the Archives

Victoria’s Secret just had their first runway show after a 6 year hiatus. The brand had seemed to lose its appeal in the late 2010s after facing accusations of hypersexualization of women, ageism, a lack of models of color, and a lack of size inclusivity. It has yet to be seen whether this revival of a once-iconic show will pose a turnaround for a brand that has struggled to modernize its portrayals of beauty and sexuality. Check out two Sociological Images pieces, When Whiteness is the Standard of Beauty and Beauty and the Double Standard of Aging by Lisa Wade to inform yourself on the beauty conversation.

With 19,521 fans filling Target Center for Game 3 of the WNBA finals, the Minnesota Lynx set a new franchise attendance record, signaling the continued rise in popularity of women’s sports. This 2024 Special Feature by Cheryl Cooky highlights the growing interest in women’s sports, pointing out how this moment could represent a shift toward greater visibility, investment, and equality.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• are you holding? by Sophie X. Liu covers how escrow systems in cryptomarkets reduce trust and sales by increasing prices and undermining informal social control among drug traders, according to a study by Filippo Andrei and colleagues.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Alicia Walker talks with JPB Gerald in an interview about his new book Embracing the Exceptions, which highlights the unique challenges neurodivergent students of color face in education, emphasizing the need for teachers to embrace students’ diverse experiences and release rigid control to promote equity and success.

New & Noteworthy

TSP Board member Shania Kuo writes up research by Patrick Krueger and colleagues’ in a new Discovery. This piece highlights that while working parents lose sleep (especially those with young children) their physical activity remains steady or even increases as they intentionally incorporate exercise into family time. The study emphasizes the current resilience of parents and the need for better parental leave policies/support services to help parents balance work and caregiving.

Our latest Clippings of Sociology in the news by Mallory Harrington features Liz McKenna in Forbes discussing Barack Obama joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail, drawing parallels between Harris’s current momentum and Obama’s 2008 grassroots efforts.Matthew Desmond spoke on WYPR about the roots of poverty in America and the role affluent individuals play in its continuation.  The Wall Street Journal reviewed Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite by  Aaron Reeves and Sam Freidman, which explores the lasting power of the British elite. Rima Majed, in an interview with Democracy Now, discussed Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and the region’s continued resistance movements. Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times highlighted Neetu Batra’s insights on active aging in India, where many seniors are redefining retirement by embracing new hobbies and careers.

From the Archives

For a deep dive into the realities of voter suppression and the myths of voter fraud, check out Neeraj Rajasekar’s piece, The Fantasy of Voter Fraud & The Reality of Voter Suppression. This article breaks down research that demonstrates how voter fraud is nearly nonexistent, while voter suppression, particularly through felony disenfranchisement and strict ID laws, skews election outcomes by disproportionately affecting minority groups.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, have made claims that the U.S. government can control the weather and engineered Hurricane Milton. Check out his Sociological Images article by Evan Stewart from 2017, discussing important sociological findings about how low institutional trust fuels belief in conspiracy theories with, both liberals and conservatives being susceptible, often driven by feelings of powerlessness rather than pure partisanship.

This week, the CDC released data from the first nationally representative survey on transgender students. It found that 3.3 percent of high school students identify as transgender, with an additional 2.2 percent questioning their gender identity. Among other findings, the survey reveals that transgender and gender-questioning teens face significantly higher levels of bullying, sadness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to their peers. To learn more about transgender teens’ experiences, check out the Council on Contemporary Families’ interview with Tey Meadow, sociologist and author of Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the 21st Century.

Backstage with TSP

Behind the scenes at TSP we are constantly brainstorming and piloting new ideas and creative ways to share sociology with the world. Currently, we have some “StoryMaps” and new video ideas that you may see soon! Stay tuned.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• making merit by Elena G. van Steev covers a recent study by Sam Friedman and colleagues on how elites in the UK define merit as innate talent, while Danish elites emphasize hard work, yet both perspectives justify inequality in their respective societies.
• a broader look at the housing crisis by Parker Muzzerall summarizes a study by Carl Gershenson and Matthew Desmond highlights how the rental housing crisis is affecting rural America, revealing that racial and class disparities in evictions, similar to those in urban areas, are also prevalent in rural regions.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Alicia Walker talks with Nicole Bedera’s new book On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors, which exposes how universities prioritize protecting perpetrators over supporting survivors of sexual violence. Bedera discusses how Title IX processes often fail survivors, retraumatizing them while neglecting their educational needs, and offers insights on how independent third parties could reclaim the mission of Title IX to ensure justice and safety on campuses.

First Publics:

• Engaging Elections: Keeping the US elections in context covers more insights from the recent webinar Engaging Elections: The Politics of Teaching as Public Sociology. Panelists discussed using case studies and local contexts to make complex political theories relatable, with Cedric de Leon offering examples of how campus symbols can engage students in understanding macro-level theories through their lived experiences. Watch it here.