Archive: Sep 2024

New & Noteworthy

Daniel Cueto-Villalobos‘s latest Discovery on research by Ioana Sendroiu on how small business during COVID-19 navigated the balance between keeping their doors open, and protecting the public. The study found that many small business owners prioritized public health and employee well-being over profits, navigating moral dilemmas beyond partisan divides.

This week’s Clippings of sociology in the news includes Melissa Milkie and Kei Nomaguchi in The New York Times on the mental health impacts of intensive parenting, Amanda Miller on 21 Alive News discussing the effects of police-action shootings, Laura K. Nelson and Alexandra Brewer in The Economic Times on how women receive less clear feedback at work, and Neil Gross in The New York Times on the debate over “viewpoint diversity” in academia.

From the Archives

Discussions on women’s health and morality have intensified, especially around pregnancy. Sociologists point to how cultural ideals of motherhood put women – especially poor women of color – under increased scrutiny. Learn more in this TROT by Allison Nobles.

The US recently ranked last among 10 developed nations in healthcare. Check out this Discovery by Amy August from ~10 years ago on where things were then.

Last week, Yale, Princeton, and Duke were quested over the decline in Asian Students. Read our recent Discovery by Shania Kuo on research about Asian Student’s views towards affirmative action.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Did the global pandemic of COVID-19 change the division of labor at home? by F. Kubra Aytac, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted persistent gender disparities in household and childcare responsibilities, with mothers bearing a disproportionate share, particularly in collectivistic cultures like Turkey.

First Publics:

• Toward a Better Vision of Classical Sociological Theory by Seth Abrutyn writes about how soc theory should be taught through a fresh, practical approach that links classical ideas with contemporary research, making it more relevant, engaging, and connected to students’ lived experiences and sociological inquiry – providing 2 approaches.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings of sociology in the news includes Julia Sonnevend in Public Seminar on her new book Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics, Eric Klinenberg in the New York Times on the dangerousness of heat waves,  Fraya Frehse in Pesquisa on homelessness in Brazil, Tressie McMillan Cottom in an online discussion on the candidates prior to last week’s debate, and David Karen in  Bryn Mawr News on the recently released film Love 2020.

We reposted a piece from The Conversation by James Densley and Jillian Peterson on how most school shootings show warning signs in advance, with over 90% of shooters leaking their plans, highlighting the need for early intervention and secure gun storage to prevent such tragedies.

From the Archives

Hurricane Francine hit Louisiana last week, again highlighting how many natural disasters unevenly impact communities with the least economic, social, and political power. Read this ‘There’s Research on That’ (TROT) by Erik Kojola to learn more.

Kamala Harris’s multiracial identity has been a consistent area of discussion. Check out this TROT by Allison Nobles and Amber Joy Powell to learn some sociology on this area.

Backstage with TSP

This week several board members created some prototype multimedia demos and reviewed some of our previous videos to spark ideas. We also began the process of showing new board members our Discovery process, including the pitching of articles and workshopping of drafted Discoveries.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• that tiny, tiny little fish by Caleb Scoville on his research about the controversy over the Delta Smelt in California is more about partisan politics and symbolic division than actual water policy, serving as a tool for conservative pundits to critique liberal environmentalism.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Black Fathers and The Talk by Conial Caldwell Jr. on The Talk, a critical racial socialization practice among Black families, involves discussing the realities of racism and safety with children, a tradition that dates back to the era of chattel slavery and remains vital due to ongoing racial violence and discrimination.

First Publics:

• Community-Engaged Learning as a Triple Win by Kirsten Vinyeta in her undergraduate Environmental Sociology course at Utah State University, a community-engaged research project on water conservation provided students with hands-on experience in qualitative research methods, while generating useful data for local agencies and supporting the faculty’s research goals. 

Give Theory a Chance:

• Andrea S. Boyles reads Patricia Hill Collins, guest hosted by Jabez Turner on Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (1990).

New & Noteworthy

• Our latest Clippings (Sociology/Sociologists in the news) includes Jeffrey W. Swanson in The New York Times on gun laws in Georgia, Scott Thumma in PBS News, discussing megachurches (religious congregations with 2,000+ worshipers) and the recent resignation of several high-profile pastors, Ruth Milkman in The New York Times on pressure on labor unions to take positions on the war in Gaza, Stephanie Alice Baker in City University of London on the UK’s populist movement, and Ruth Horowitz in Pointe Magazine on ballet dances in corps de ballet and maintaining passion.

From the Archives

• The presidential debate is tomorrow, with many Americans eager to watch the performances of their candidates and fact-check the other. Check it out, or check out? When audiences spend extra time with content by Nick Mathews writes up research on how consumers are more likely to verify news that aligns with their beliefs to support arguments rather than fact-check information they find uncertain.
• Inflation and the economy is also frequenting the news, with the stock market facing challenges. Check out our ‘There’s Research on That’, Precarious Work in the Gig Economy, by Jean Marie Maier to learn more about one part of the market, the gig economy.

Backstage with TSP

• Last Friday TSP welcomed back returning board members and has begun onboarding our new board members. This includes assigning “beats” in the sociology literature to provide broad coverage in the creation for new Discoveries and TROTs, ideation of new projects, and, of course, donuts.

New & Noteworthy

• TSP’s John Purnell wrote up a new Discovery, Pharmacist Deputies from research by Elizabeth Chiarello in American Sociological Review. This piece describes how Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) have shifted pharmacists’ roles from healthcare providers to enforcers of legal regulations, prioritizing policing over patient care.

From the Archives

Here are a few pieces for this back-to-school season:

• Back to School, Back to Bullying by Mahala Miller some research on bullying, or peer aggression, which remains an issue affecting over 1 in 5 American high schoolers. However, some research suggests rates of bullying are not rising.
• First-Generation Students Face More Stress, But Less Depression by Mahala Miller explores research showing that first-generation college students encounter more stressors before and during college than their peers but do not exhibit higher levels of depressive symptoms, possibly due to the resilience they have developed from previous stress exposure.
• Who Gets a Special Education? by Amy August on the disproportionate placement of students of color in special education and how it is influenced more by school characteristics than by race or social class, with these students often facing lower expectations and poorer services compared to their white peers.

Backstage with TSP

• The Fall Semester officially started today! TSP will be welcoming new and returning board members and making plans for our regular pieces (Discoveries and TROTs) and new special projects.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts:

• q&a with dr. amanda cheong and Elena van Stee, discuss Cheong’s award-winning research on the impact of driver’s license access for undocumented immigrants, highlighting the significant barriers they face in daily life without proper identification, and emphasizing the importance of policy changes to improve their integration and contributions to society.
• summer 2024 table of contents is out! This issue includes over 20 pieces to read/listen to.
• letter from the editors: summer 2024 by Seth Abrutyn and Amin Ghaziani covers the summer issue of Contexts, which explores the interplay between present realities and dreams of a better future, featuring essays on diverse topics like inclusive communities, race, and social mobility, offering insights and inspiration for envisioning a brighter world.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• “I just feel like you can’t be grown up living with your parents:” Student loans and family help after college graduation by Joan Maya Mazelis and Arielle Kuperberg, covering their research on how college graduates with student loans often rely on family for financial and housing support, delaying their transition to independent adulthood, as rising student debt reshapes the experiences of young adulthood.
• 3Q with Rebecca Davis author of Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America by Alicia M. Walker, covering Davis’s new book Fierce Desires: A New History of Sex and Sexuality in America.

First Publics:

• Teaching the Hidden Curriculum by Kylie Smith write on the hidden curriculum—unspoken norms and expectations in higher education—during the first week of class helps level the playing field and equips them with essential tools for success in college.