A difficult, reflective (if not reflexive) weekend that saw the TSP crew scattered about the country was rewarded, at least to some small degree, this morning, when we arrived at TSP’s HQ to find a squat little box containing our latest volume with W.W. Norton & Co., Color Lines and Racial Angles. The third in our series of readers, this book brings in big names like Douglas Massey, Jennifer Lee, David Pellow, Charles A. Gallagher, and Michelle Alexander with core contributions, cultural contexts, and critical takes on the construction, understanding, and functioning of race in American society. Perfect for an intro class, the slim volume literally fits in a roomy pocket and serves as an accessible entry-point for developing the sociological imagination. For everything else, hop right on in to this week’s roundup!
The Editors’ Desk:
“The TSP Debt Series,” by Chris Uggen. Introducing a summer’s worth of readings on debt, inequality, and the life course in the United States today. From student debt to credit cards, legal debt, the return of the debtor’s prison, climate change, and reparations, these pieces comprise an incredible introduction and will be released in a volume, Owned, this fall. For now, they’re free online, of course!
Features:
“Has Borrowing Replaced Earning?” by Kevin Leicht. The first in a three-part series, this article explores the growth of and change in credit in the U.S. over the past three generations, as measured against wage growth.
Office Hours:
“John Skrentny on Racial Realism and Civil Rights,” with Sarah Lageson. The author of After Civil Rights: Racial Realism in the New American Workplace joins us to discuss how racial diversity works at work.
Citings & Sightings:
“A New Kind of Kryptonite,” by Kat Albrecht. As Dustin Kidd muses, “What are you supposed to wear to a convention if your comic book idol’s costume is a corset and a thong?”
“Religion and Your Resume: Even More Hiring Discrimination,” by Evan Stewart. To the extent it’s legal to withhold, don’t mention your race, criminal record, finances, height, age, or religion—even in the most glancing reference—on your job app. Trust us.
Scholars Strategy Network:
“New Measures Reveal the True Impact of America’s Anti-Poverty Programs,” by Jane Waldfogel. How well is welfare?
Council on Contemporary Families:
“From the Folks Who Brought You the Weekend: What Unions Do for Women,” by Ruth Milkman. Why women today still need unions.
A Few from the Community Pages:
- Sociological Images comes through, as always, with June’s month in review!
- Families as They Really Are point out that poverty doesn’t discriminate and the Equal Pay Act just crossed its first half-century mark.
- Girl w/ Pen! explores unions as a way for feminism to overcome its “class problem.”
- New Books in Sociology interviews Benjamin Lieberman on Remaking Identities: God, Nation, and Race in World History and William Arnal and Russel T. McCutcheon on The Sacred is the Profane: The Political Nature of “Religion.”
- Cyborgology on wanting to be invited to and welcome at the party (in this case, it’s a gamer party) and how Facebook didn’t just start manipulating your emotions.
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