Friday Roundup

Hello hello! We’ve got a great roundup for you this week, with numerous pieces offering sociological strategies and advice – from reducing gun violence, to freeing innocent prisoners, to getting a date on Tinder. See below for all that and more.

TSP Special Features:

“Can Prosecutors Help Free Innocent Prisoners?,” by Elizabeth Webster. Our new special feature explores how Conviction Review Units can help keep law enforcement accountable and work to reduce wrongful convictions.

There’s Research on That!:

“Strategies for Reducing Gun Violence,” by Ryan Larson. Social science sheds light on the rates and distribution of gun violence, as well as the most effective strategies to reduce it.

“Not so Natural Disasters,” by Erik Kojola. Hurricanes – so called natural disasters –  are not simply the result of the weather but become “disasters” because of how society shapes people’s risks and how people prepare, adapt, and respond.

“Women in Male-Dominated Fields,” by Allison Nobles. Research on the ways women’s work is devalued highlights the hurdles that Hillary Clinton is up against as she attempts to enter a male-dominated field.

Discoveries:

“Atheists Still ‘Other’?” by Amber Joy Powell. Despite an increased awareness of atheists and other non-religious people over the last decade, Americans still distance themselves from the non-religious.

Clippings:

 “Why We Love Autumn,” by Edgar Campos. Kathryn Lively talks to the Huffington Post about the popularity of autumn.

“How to Get that Right Swipe,” by Caity Curry. A little sociological online dating advice from Tinder sociologist Jessica Carbino.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Why Marijuana Legalization Is Inevitable—And Wise,” by Raymond Hogler.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“As American as Divorce,” by Braxton Jones.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images talks interracial rape and colorism in India.
• Families As They Really Are revisits the beliefs of men in traditional marriages.
• Cyborgology explores meme droughts and the war on science.

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Hey everyone! We’ve got tons of great research and writing across the site this week. Enjoy!

TSP Special Feature:

“The Untold Asian American Success Story,” by Jennifer Lee, Jess Lee, and Oshin Khachikian. A new special feature reveals three “untold stories” of Asian American mobility and success.

Office Hours:

“Jooyoung Lee on Blowin’ Up: Rap Dreams in South Central,” with Matthew Aguilar-Champeau. Our latest podcast episode features a conversation with professor Jooyoung Lee about his research and his many skills – from ethnography to dance.

There’s Research on That!:

“The Illusion of Media Objectivity,” by j. Siguru Wahutu. Despite ideals of media objectivity, social scientists find that political reporting is far from unbiased.

“Indigenous Health,” by Allison Nobles. Social science researchers point to a number of social and historical factors that help explain why Native Americans and Alaskan Natives have lower life expectancies than any other U.S. racial group.

Discoveries:

“From Glass Ceilings to Class Ceilings,” by Jacqui Frost. New research on Britain in the American Sociological Review finds that even when people who are from working-class backgrounds are successful in entering a high-status occupation, they earn an average of 17% less than individuals from privileged backgrounds in that same occupation.

Clippings:

“Police Brutality Leads to Fewer 911 calls,” by Chelsea Carlson. Matt Desmond, Andrew Papachristos, and David Kirk talked to The Atlantic about the consequences of police violence.

“More Fun For Dads Means More Stress For Moms,” by Allison Nobles. The Huffington Post recently featured sociologist Ann Meier and her research on the division of parenting labor.

“The Shawshank Restriction? Penal Laws and Felon Disenfranchisement,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Our very own Chris Uggen, Ryan Larson, and Sarah Shannon were featured in The New York Times and elsewhere for their research on felon disenfranchisement. See the full report here.

“Students of All Backgrounds Prefer Teachers of Color,” by Caty Taborda-Whitt. Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng and Peter Halpin discuss their research on students’ perceptions of their teachers with NPR.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Forward or Back on Voting Rights? A Research Compendium.” A collection of SSN posts on voting rights and regulations.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Is TANF Working for Struggling Millennial Parents?” by Shawn Fremstad.

Contexts:

“Maybe Government Could Actually Work,” by Joey Brown.

“Torture and Scientism,” by Steven Ward.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Girl w/Pen! has some thoughts on “locker room talk”
• Cyborgology traces the history of bathrooms and trans rights
• Sociological Images interrogates Trump’s science of group conflict
• Families As They Really Are finds that millennials may have found a new secret to sexual happiness.

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Hello and happy Friday everyone! We’ve got some great new pieces for your perusal below, and be sure to stop by throughout the week for the latest.

There’s Research on That!:

“Hillary, Interrupted,” by Caty Taborda-Whitt. Research reveals the impetus behind Trump’s many interruptions during the first presidential debate and the gender inequality it perpetuates.

“When Public School Is No Longer Public,” by Elizabeth Tremmel. Are charter schools as “public” as they are defined to be? Sociologists find that they operate in legal gray areas, making their distinctions from public schools complicated.

“You Can’t Sit with Us,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. In the spirit of National Bullying Prevention Month, we round up research on who gets bullied and why.

Discoveries:

“Gender-based Violence Against Men in Darfur,” by j. Siguru Wahutu. “Although this violence is in some ways about physical domination, it is primarily meant to symbolically dominate and denigrate both the victims and surviving community members.”

Clippings:

“The Patterns of Police Force,” by Ryan Larson. Sociologist Joscha Legewie talks about the ways police are more likely to use force against black suspects after the shooting of a police officer.

“The Influence of Naturalized Voters, by Edgar Campos. Writing for the LA Times, sociologist Manuel Pastor discusses the potential impact of newly naturalized citizens if they show up at the polls in November.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Hamilton’s Immigrant America,” by Philip Kasinitz.

“Gender Politics and Taming the Alpha Male Harem Master,” by Mimi Schippers.

“The Problem of Urban Sprawl,” by Thomas Laidley.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Strict Voter Identification Laws Advantage Whites—And Skew American Democracy to the Right,” by Zoltan Hajnal, Nazita Lajevardi, and Lindsay Nielson.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Is TANF Working for Struggling Millennial Parents?” by Shawn Fremstad.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Girl w/Pen! talks manhood and violence against women.
• Feminist Reflections asks what women have to do with men’s salons.
• Families As They Really Are investigates why the “ethnic” aisle is merging with the “beauty” aisle.
• Sociological Images explores how “pink ribbon culture” harms breast cancer patients and survivors.

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The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder – so grab a warm beverage and curl up with some great social science!

The Editors’ Desk:

“The Return of Revolt – Tommie Smith and John Carlos Go to Washington.” Editor Doug Hartmann reflects on his first book about athlete protests and how things have and have not changed since.

There’s Research on That!:

“Problem-Oriented Policing in an Age of Protest,” by Amber Joy Powell. Research is mixed on whether or not problem-oriented policing strategies are effective.

“Whose Nation, Whose Parks?” by Erik Kojola and Jacqui Frost. In conjunction with the recent centennial celebration of the National Park Service, we look to research on who actually gets the most out of national parks and the racial and ethnic inequalities their creation often stems from.

“Protesting Prison Conditions,” by Caity Curry. The recent prison protests highlight not only unpaid labor but also issues of dismal healthcare and high rates of suicide in prisons, as well as the overuse of solitary confinement.

Discoveries:

“Are Warming Temperatures a Scientific Consensus or Hoax? It Depends on Your Political Party,” by Erik Kojola. New research maps the significant divergence in opinions about climate change causes and consequences among Democrats and Republicans over the past decade.

Clippings:

“Crossing an ‘Empathy Bridge’ to Understand Trump Supporters,” by Elizabeth Tremmel. Sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild talks with Wisconsin Public Radio about her research with conservatives in Louisiana.

“What Makes a ‘Successful’ Immigrant?” by Neeraj Rajasekar. “Unlike other immigrant groups whose parents are more likely to have college degrees, Mexican second-gen immigrants have experienced the most ‘success,’ overcoming the odds of often being the first person in their family to attend college.”

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Are Gender Stereotypes A Problem For Female Candidates?,” by Nichole Bauer.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“TANF Policy to Address Low, Volatile Income among Disadvantaged Families,” by Bradley Hardy. 

Contexts:

“Bonfires of Belfast,” by David Schalliol.

“Middle-class Moms Managing Black Sons’ Vulnerability,” by Brittany Dernberger.

“Expressing Depression,” by  Lucia Lykke.

“Career Plans Aren’t Family Plans,” by Moriah Willow.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images looks at selfies in high schools and media coverage of domestic violence.
• Girl w/Pen! discusses when sexy media matters.
• Families As They Really Are revisits family income versus family structure and affordable childcare.

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Boy, do we have a ton of great new stuff to share with you this week. We’ve got a number of pieces on diversity, activism, and community in the sporting world, some excellent tips and ideas for teaching and writing in sociology, and a new podcast with Aldon Morris, just to name a few. See below for all that and more!

The Editors’ Desk:

“First Person Ethnography.” Editor Doug Hartmann reflects on the different narrative devices used in ethnographic writing and argues that each has it’s own strengths and weaknesses.

Office Hours:

“Aldon Morris on The Scholar Denied,” with Enid Logan. In this special hour-long episode, University of Minnesota sociologist Enid Logan talks with Morris about his new book and the ways W.E.B. Dubois shaped the field of sociology.

Teaching TSP:

This semester we are rolling out a series of posts from grad instructor Jack Delehanty on teaching writing in sociology classes. Check out his first post, “Teaching Writing with 5-Minute Workshops,” and stay tuned for more.

There’s Research on That!:

“Pipeline Protests a Pipedream?,” by Erik Kojola. The protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline are the most recent battle between Native American rights and industrial development, and research shows that these battles often result in social dislocation, environmental problems, and a loss of livelihoods for native communities. For even more research on that, check out Erik’s recently published article on the ways that news media coverage of the Keystone XL pipeline worked to legitimate extraction and disrupt potential coalition between unions and environmentalists.

“Punters and Protesters,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Research shows that Colin Kaepernick’s choice to kneel during the national anthem is part of a larger resurgence of athlete activism surrounding racial inequality in America today.

“Millennials Misunderstood,” by Evan Stewart. Millennials get a lot of flack these days, but social scientists argue that they are not as shallow or selfish as popular memes make them out to be—they are responding directly to unique social pressures.

Discoveries:

“Extending the “Crime Scene” into the Community,” by Ryan Larson. New research in Sociological Science finds that not only are communities of color more likely to experience violence, they are also more likely to see an increase in stop and frisk activity after a violent crime is committed.

Clippings:

“The History of the Republican Party Divide,” by Chelsea Carlson. Josh Pacewicz explains to the Washington Post that Trump is not the origin of the conflicts we are seeing in the Republican Party today but that these divisions stem from a much longer history.

“‘Muggles’ and Stigma: Using Harry Potter to Teach Sociology,” by Caity Curry. Bertena Varney at Southern Kentucky Community and Technological College has been using Harry Potter to teach students about inequality and disabilities.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Making Sports More Sporting” – Five Viewpoints:

• “Addressing Racial Injustice In Big-Time College Sports,” by Marvin P. Dawkins.
• “Change Doesn’t Necessarily Mean a Paycheck,” by Lucia Trimbur.
• “LGBT Inclusion,” by Pat Griffin.
• “‘This Has to Change!’,” by Cheryl Cooky.
• “Racism and the Rooney Rule,” by Kevin Hylton.

“The Shifting Landscape of Sports Media with Dave Zirin,” by Ben Carrington and Dave Zirin.

“How the Young Weigh Weight,” by Rose Malinowski Weingartner.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“The Roots and Impact of Outrage-Mongering in U.S. Political Opinion Media,” by Sarah Sobieraj and Jeffrey M. Berry.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“TANF Didn’t Fight Poverty. Full Employment Did,” by Alan Barber and Virginia Rutter.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images talks burkini bans and the lack of balanced coverage on the elections.
• Families As They Really Are revisits research on hooking up.
• Sociology Toolbox explores how superstition in sports helps build community.

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Hello and happy Friday everyone! The TSP grad board is back in full force this week with an array of interesting and timely posts, from welfare in Oregon, to mourning on social media, to getting in trouble at school. Also, Contexts is rolling out their latest issue, which covers Hamilton, the Oscars, street dancing in Compton, and bonfires in Belfast, so be sure to keep checking in with them as they make different pieces from the latest issue available online over the next few weeks.

There’s Research on That!:

“Restorative Justice in the Classroom,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. Back to school means back to important discussions about disciplinary action in the classroom.

“When ‘Nice Guys’ Rape,” by Amber Joy Powell. Feminist scholarship highlights the pervasiveness of rape culture and helps us pinpoint how it reproduces notions that only “bad guys” commit “real rape.”

Discoveries:

“Variety is the Spice of Life, but Are Typical Dishes Best?” by Sarah Catherine Billups. New research in the American Sociological Review examines the differences between consumers who prioritize variety in the genres of food and movies they consume and those who prefer typicality.

Clippings:

“Why Oregon is So Generous,” by Ryan Larson . Oregon has one of the most robust welfare systems in the U.S., but social scientists shed light on some of the racist and classist reasons why that might be.

“Challenging ‘Normal’ Bodies, One Girl at a Time,” by Amber Joy Powell. Female Olympians are fighting back against the stigma of larger, more muscular female figures.

“Mourning with Social Media,” by Edgar Campos. How Twitter is making the mourning of others more open and public than it’s ever been.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

Contexts is rolling out its latest issue, and new individual pieces will be made available online each week. See below for the table of contents, a letter from the editors, and one of their new feature articles.

“A Cornucopia of Sociological Goodness,” from editors Syed Ali and Phil Cohen.

“Summer 2016 Table of Contents.”

“The King of Compton,” by Jooyoung Lee.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Why Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Programs Succeed or Fail on the Frontlines of Welfare Reform,” by Jennifer Randles.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Cyborgology covers grief hype-jacking, writing for a public audience, and the political economy of the headphone jack.
• Sociological Images explores Latinos for Trump and how our media bubbles protect our ideologies.
• Families As They Really Are talks Bad Moms and back to school.

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Hello, everyone, and happy summer! Things have been heating up at TSP headquarters, and we’re back with a look at the latest in social science research. Our team is also gearing up for ASA 2016 next month, and we hope to see many of you there!

Discoveries

“Faith in Fellow Citizens” by Evan Stewart. New research from Daniel Olson and Miao Li finds the relationship between religiosity and trust across nations isn’t quite what we would expect.

White Papers

Clippings

“Counseling Callbacks Skewed by Race, Class, and Gender” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Heather Kugelmass talks to The Atlantic about inequality in therapy.

“Swipe Right for Sociology” by Kat Albrecht. Jessica Carbino talks Tinder and the sociology behind the swipes for Los Angeles Magazine.

“The ‘Model Minority’ Is a Harmful Stereotype, Too” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Adia Harvey Wingfield explains how excellence can isolate in The Atlantic.

There’s Research on That!

“Affirmative Action, College Admissions, and the Debunked ‘Mismatch’ Hypothesis” by Neeraj Rajasekar. In light of the Supreme Court’s decision in Fisher v. University of Texas-Austin, research shows Affirmative Action helps, not hurts, racial minority groups.

“The Point of Unicorns” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Remember that prehistoric “Siberian Unicorn” discovered earlier this year? While archeologists comb the fossil record, sociologists are unpacking all our other paranormal beliefs.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network

How To Break America’s Logjam on Guns and Gun Violence by Philip J. Cook and Kristin Goss

Challenges and Opportunities for Efforts To Build Academic Ties Between the United States and Mexico by Beverly Barrett

How the Reproductive Justice Movement Benefits Latinas by Rocio Garcia

Why Regulation Is Necessary and Proper for a Well-Functioning Democracy and Market Economy by Michael Lipsky

Stabilization and Equity—Responses to Urban Fiscal Crisis In Flint, Michigan, and Beyond by Ashley E. Nickels

Why the Time Is Right To Expand the National School Lunch Program To Higher Education by Sara Goldrick-Rab, Katharine Broton, and Emily Brunjes Colo

Why There Are No Quick Economic Fixes for Women in Developing Countries by Barbara J. Risman and William J. Scarborough

Contexts

Letta Page and Syed Ali review Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg

Sarah Halpern-Meekin, Laura Tach, Kathryn Edin, and Jennifer Sykes explain how the Earned Income Tax Credit is a hand up for lower-income families

Paula England and Eliza Brown ask who has how many sexual partners and whether those patterns vary by sexual orientation

Hello and happy Friday everyone! We here at TSP HQ are wrapping up another great semester with research on binge drinking, collective mourning, and ex-felon employment. While we will remain hard at work bringing you all the best in sociological research over the summer, we are going to scale back our Roundups to once a month until September. So, you won’t hear from us again until June but be sure to keep stopping by to check out what we are up to in the interim!

There’s Research on That!:

“When Fans Cry: Why We Mourn the Loss of Celebrities” by Amber Joy Powell. “People mourn the death of celebrities who hold connections to emotional events; that is, people do not solely grieve the loss of that celebrity, but also the loss of the memories associated with that celebrity.”

Discoveries:

“Binge Drinking on the Bubble,” by Ryan Larson. Peer pressure can create a potent pull to binge drink, but only for those with a medium genetic propensity.

Clippings:

“Ex-felon Employment,” by Ryan Larson. NPR talks to Devah Pager about how felons fare when they gain employment.

Give Methods a Chance:

“Madison Van Oort on Discourse Analysis & Studying Commercials,” with Kyle Green. Kyle and Madison chat about their collaborative work on the ways commercials employ the crisis of masculinity to sell products.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“The Converging Gender Wage Gap, 1980-2012,” by Craig Upright.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Why is Pay for Caregiving Work So Low?” by Paula England.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“What We Know – And Need to Learn – About Progress Against Sex Discrimination in Education,” by Celene Reynolds.

And a Few From the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are wishes everyone a Happy Feminist Mother’s Day!
• Sociology Lens talks corruption and responsibility in recognition.
• Cyborgology reflects on the ‘technique’ of blackface and gendered bodyhacking.
• Sociological Images asks why the media genders marital unhappiness and shows how racial wealth gaps effect the next generation.

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Our Latest Book

Big things are happening at TSP this week! Our latest volume, Assigned: Life With Gender (edited by Lisa Wade!), is now available along with cutting edge work over on TROT and a new Office Hours podcast to enjoy!

There’s Research on That!:

Clippings:

Discoveries:

“Smart Whites Less Racist in Principle, Not Necessarily Policy” by Amber Joy Powell. New work from Geoffrey T. Wodtke finds high verbal ability helps people talk the talk, but walking the walk is another story.

Office Hours:

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Optimism about families beyond the way we never were” by Braxton Jones. Good news troubles the myth of the “traditional” family.

Scholars Strategy Network:

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images asks why aren’t there more women in politics?
• Families As They Really Are talks bathroom bills.
• Cyborology looks at live tweeting and who owns Washington Park?
• Feminist Reflections reviews debates over sex ed.

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It is officially spring here in Minneapolis, but the erratic weather has not rained out our research roundup! Be sure to stop by and check out our latest.

There’s Research on That!:

“Spring Cleaning,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. On the sociological significance of dust and who is responsible for getting rid of it.

“Rural, White Women Getting Sicker, Dying Quicker,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. How stress and timing of childbirth disproportionately affect poor white women.

Clippings:

“Why Pay Inequality is So Stubborn,” by Allison Nobles. “Unfortunately, while a small number of women moving into top positions may help those below, when large numbers of women enter traditionally male-dominated fields, the results are not so rosy. Why? Women’s work simply isn’t valued as highly as men’s.”

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Microscopic Hair Comparison and the Sociology of Science,” by Simon A. Cole and Troy Duster.

“Germany Avoids Going Gray,” by Carrie Clarady.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“The Way We Still Never Were,” by Stephanie Coontz. Be sure to check out Coontz’s substantially revised and updated edition of The Way We Never Were.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images illustrates global wealth inequality and explores race-based activism on college campuses.
• Families As They Really Are asks if government marriage education programs promote gender equality.
• Cyborology reports on the art of Fuller House.
• Feminist Reflections reflects on the inclusion of new gendered language in the dictionary.

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