Welcome to another week at TSP! We’ve got some great work on LGBT parents, how parole officers define work for formerly incarcerated Black women, and how the Census categorizes multiracial individuals in the United States.

There’s Research on That!:

“LGBT Parents Widen Definitions but Face Challenges,” by Caity Curry and Allison Nobles. We compiled social science research on how LGBT parents expand definitions of families, as well as legal challenges they face, and children’s outcomes.

Discoveries:

“How Parole Officers Define Work for Black Women,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in Gender & Society demonstrates how parole and probation officers limit what counts as “work” for formerly incarcerated Black women.

Clippings:

“Cleaning Racial Identity in the U.S. Census,” by Lucas Lynch. The Atlantic talked with Robyn Autry about the difficulty of categorizing racial identity for multiracial individuals in the United States.

“Latinx Immigrants Perceive Discrimination Differently,” by Nahrissa Rush. NPR spoke to Emilio Parrado about why Latinx immigrants perceive less discrimination than those born in the United States.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“SocImages Classic—The Ugly Christmas Sweater: From Ironic Nostalgia to Festive Simulation,” by Kerri Scheer.

Contexts:

“Helicopter Parents in the Hospital,” by Danielle Koonce.

“Swedish Parents get the Interview,” by Lucia Lykke.

“Fewer Kids, More Equality,” by Carrie Clarady.

“Health, Now and Later,” by Justin Maietta.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies interviews human rights expert Juan Méndez on Colombia’s peace process.
• Cyborgology reflects on the intersection of identity and the data self.

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If you you’re avoiding Black Friday shopping, recovering from a big meal, or just need some sociology in your life, we have the gobbledy-goods! This week we have new research on beliefs about meritocracy in the United States and China, social science on the meanings of “white supremacy,” and reflections on the role of private schools for inequality in higher education.

There’s Research on That!:

“What is ‘White Supremacy’?” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Social science helps us parse out different meanings of the phrase,”white supremacy.”

Discoveries:

“Who Believes in Bootstraps?” by Lucas Lynch. New research in The Sociological Quarterly finds that Chinese are more likely than Americans to believe hard work is not the only key to success, despite both countries having long histories of meritocracy.

Clippings:

“Will Private Schools Pay Up?” by Evan Stewart. The New York Times talked with Charlie Eaton about how private schools play a part in inequality in higher education.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Season’s Greetings from America’s Men,” by D’Lane R. Compton.

“Silencing Sexual Harassment Complaints in Pakistan and the US,” by Fauzia Husain.

Social Studies MN:

“Chatbots, Mobile Apps, and the Future of Journalism,” by Allison J. Steinke.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Revisit: A Review of National Crime Victim Victimization Findings on Rape and Sexual Assault,” by  Jessica L. Wheeler.

“Revisit: Women not enrolled in Four-Year Universities and Colleges Have Higher Risk of Sexual Assault,” by Jennifer Barber, Yasamin Kusunoki, and and Jamie Budnick.

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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.

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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.

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