Uncategorized

Happy new year from TSP! This week we shared some of our favorite content from 2020, and honored friend and colleague Ron Anderson. Plus, as always, great content from our partner and community pages!

Editor’s Desk:

Why Social Distancing is the Wrong Phrase by Ron Anderson. In memoriam of beloved colleague and friend, Ron Anderson, we shared his writing on the “social” in “social distancing.” In the coming weeks we will share more of Ron’s writing.

Discoveries:

Best of 2020: Make Yourself at Home, Unless You’re Renting by Amy August. We re-shared this discovery on the differences in home searching for high and low-income families.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

Kim Ng’s rise does not solve baseball’s gender and race problems by Margaret Chin.

From Our Community Pages:

• Give Theory A Chance shares a conversation with  Dr. Shai Dromi on Luc Boltanski.
• Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies asks why peaceful protests for Black Lives Matters were met with police brutality.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Happy Friday to all! This week we bring you new research on the racial wealth gap for families with children and cover recent scholarship on the connection between politics and rising hate crimes against Black and Latinx people.

Discoveries:

“Racial Wealth Gaps Even Worse for Black Families with Kids” by Jean Marie Maier. New research shows the extent of the racial wealth gap following the Great Recession, particularly between White and Black families with kids.

“Politics and the Rise in Hate Crimes Against Black and Latinx People” by Jillian LaBranche. We summarize new research that shows politicians’ actions are linked to rising hate crimes for both Black and Latinx people but the nature of this connection differs.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“3Q: Men who have affairs: An Interview with Alicia Walker” by Arielle Kuperberg.

From Our Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust & Genocide Studies considers how the sociological literature on social movements could enhance genocide studies.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

This week we consider research on multigenerational families in light of the risk of intra-household covid-19 transmission and bring you new research on the relationship between gun ownership, gender, and fear of supernatural evil.

There’s Research on That:

“Living Together in Covid Times: Multigenerational Families” by Mahala Miller. We round up research on changes in young adults remaining in their parent’s homes, racial and ethnic differences in multigenerational houses, and the support that multigenerational households can offer family members.

Discoveries:

“God, Guns, and Fear of Evil” by Daniel Cueto-Villalobos. We present new research on how religious beliefs, traditional gender roles, and fear of evil inform women’s support for gun ownership.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“The Tool We Have”: Why Child Protective Services Investigates So Many Families and How Even Good Intentions Backfire” by Kelley Fong.

From Our Community Pages:

• Cyborgology brings us “All Vows” considering the role of technology during this year’s Yum Kippur celebration.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Welcome back! This week we feature research on the “new” CEOS, round-up timely research on firefighters, and share new research on the demand for wifi hotspots on rural communities.

Special Features:

“Fortune 500 CEOs, 2000-2020: Still Male, Still White.” Richie Zweigenhaft shares data on Fortune 500 CEOs, showing how, although some things have changed, the majority of these power elite members are still white men.

There’s Research on That:

“Firefighters Face Burning Issues Beyond a Blaze” by Nick Mathews. As wildfires continue to burn, we round-up research on the mental health issues and risk firefighters face, as well as the significance of prison labor in firefighting.

Discoveries:

“Hotspots in Red-Hot Demand in Rural America” by Nick Mathews. We feature new research that demonstrates the challenges rural Americans face in accessing the internet, and the possibility of library hotspot lending programs to meet these access needs.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Pandemics Prey on Fears, Both Legitimate and Illegitimate” by Joseph O. Baker, Ann Gordon, L. Edward Day, and Christopher D. Bader

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Telecommuting Gets Mixed Results for Gender Equity at Home, and Women Are More Depressed” by Virginia Rutter

From Our Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies considers the parallels between 1930s Germany and the United States in 2020.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Greetings from the Society Pages! This week we rounded up #TSPClassics about the election and voting and presented new research on the consequences of classroom mismatching for kids. We also feature a guest post that frames Qanon’s #savethechildren movement as a moral panic.

Special Features:

“Taken for a Moral Ride: Public Fears, Qanon, and Sexual Exploitation.” Libby Trudeau frames Qanon’s #savethechildren movement as a moral panic and considers the consequences of this kind of public attention for the anti-trafficking movement.

Discoveries:

“Mismatching is Misguided for Many Middle Schoolers” by Erika Sanborne. We feature new research that considers the predicators and consequences of overmatching or undermatching classroom difficulty for middle school students.

There’s Research on That:

“From the #TSPClassics Collection: Voting and Elections” by Neeraj Rajasekar. With election day less than two weeks away, we round-up some classic pieces from our collection on elections and voting on who votes, voter suppression, and the connection between social movements and elections.

From Our Partners:

Contexts

“Why Did So Many Urban Working-Class Whites Support President Trump?” by Andrew J. Cherlin.

Council on Contemporary Families

“How Dads Make a Difference for Their Children” by Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan and Kari Adamsons.

From Our Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies considers this moment in American politics in light of the 1618 defenestration in Prague, a moment which preceded 30 years of religious war.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Happy Friday! This week we rounded-up research on food insecurity among students, highlighted our colleagues at the Gender Policy Report’s new issue on gender and guns, and celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our esteemed editor, Chris Uggen.

There’s Research on That:

“Food Insecurity among U.S. Students – and How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Making It Worse” by Hannah Schwendeman. We round up research on food insecurity among students, from elementary to college, and consider how the pandemic has exacerbated the situation.

Features:

“Guns and Gender in America,” from Gender Policy Report by Nikoleta Sremac. We highlight the important and interesting pieces featured in the Gender Policy Report’s new issue on gender and guns.

Editors’ Desk:

“Kudos to Chris” by Doug Hartmann. From a mention in this week’s judiciary committee confirmation hearings, to publishing a new Sentencing Project report, Doug reflects on the recent accomplishments of his co-editor.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“A Restorative Justice Approach to Campus Sexual Misconduct” by David R. Karp.

Sociological Images:

“Sociology IRL” by Evan Stewart.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies considers the purpose of Holocaust education.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Wow, what a week for my TSP co-publisher and partner in public engagement Chris Uggen!

It started on Tuesday at the Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Barrett. There, Senator Durbin called out Barrett’s contrasting positions on gun rights relative to (racialized) felon disenfranchisement. The senator raised Uggen’s classic AJS article (with Angela Behrens & Jeff Manza) as well as his Sentencing Project report with former TSP board members Ryan Larson and Sarah Shannon (48 seconds into this clip).

Then, on Wednesday Professor Uggen and his research team—including University of Minnesota sociology major and McNair scholar Arleth Pulido-Nava—released a new national Sentencing Project report. I won’t attempt to document its contents here. However, if you listen to CBS national radio or read the New York Times, you may know a bit about it already. And here’s Uggen’s own initial gloss:

As a researcher I’ve tracked the flurry of legal changes to restore the vote in recent years, so I was disappointed to find that 5.2 million citizens remain disenfranchised — three quarters of whom live and work alongside us in our communities. Disenfranchisement amplifies the effects of racial disparities in law enforcement and the courts, diluting the political voices of communities of color. Re-enfranchising these citizens would reduce such disparities, extend democracy, respond to public sentiment, accord with international standards, enhance public safety, and put to rest the prospect and practice of bringing ‘unlawful voting’ charges against citizens in a democracy. We cannot take these extreme voting restrictions for granted or accept them as part of the ‘furniture in the room.’

Finally, and just in case you didn’t realize how big of a deal my TSP partner is:  a group called “Academic Influence” released a top-ten list of influential criminologists that had Uggen ranked at #3!

As his longtime collaborator and current department chair, I questioned why Uggen wasn’t in the gold or silver spots, and considered asking our staff if we should look into their impact metrics and, perhaps, ask for a recount. But Chris, in his typical Minnesota fashion demurred, saying that the only thing he knows for sure is that he’s “overrated.” I know we’re not supposed to brag, Chris, but I doubt that. Keep up the great work—you are a leader and inspiration to us all.

We’re back! This week we share new research on how CPS assistance expands surveillance of marginalized families, and share a post from The Conversation on the limits of empathy for bridging political divides.

Discoveries:

“How CPS Assistance Expands Surveillance of Marginalized Families” by Mahala Miller. New research shows that CPS resources prompt administrators to report families, even if they don’t believe abuse has occurred, expanding surveillance into the homes of many poor and/or families of color.

Special Features:

“Bridging America’s Divides Requires a Willingness to Work Together Without Becoming Friends First” by Francesca Polleta. We repost this piece from The Conversation that considers how a willingness to tolerate and cooperate with others is more important than empathy for working together amid political disagreement and crisis.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Are Google Searches Different in States with More Trump Supporters? A Look at Searches About Gender, Race, and Sexuality” by Elizabeth Balzac, Paula England, and Andrew Levine.

Sociological Images:

“Is Knowing Half the Battle?” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“A Pandemic Home Tour, Part I: Identities and Intimate Interactions in Bedrooms and Home Offices” by Michelle Janning.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies examines ,through a photo essay from the ground in Minneapolis, how Black Lives Matter unites people of all races, religions, gender, identities, and ages in protest.

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Welcome Back! This week we bring you three new installments in our Wonderful/Wretched series on racial dynamics in the Twin Cities. We also share two #TSPClassics highlighting LGBTQ issues: one focuses on partnering in rural communities, while the other explores the rise in acceptance of same-sex sexuality worldwide.

Special Features:

“Wonderful/Wretched Memories of Racial Dynamics in the Twin Cities, Minnesota” by Walter R. Jacobs. In this series, social scientists with ties to the Twin Cities share their stories and reflections about experiencing race in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

• “The Sound of the Police” by Jerry Shannon and Sarah Shannon
• “Minnesota’s First Posthumous Pardon” by Garrick Percival
• “Black Life and Death in Minnesota” by Wendy Thompson Taiwo

If you are a social scientist who also has ties to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul but now lives elsewhere, we’d love to include your stories as a component of this collective action. Stories from White social scientists as well as from social scientists of color are welcome, as we aspire to document the full range of experiences of the racial dynamics of the Twin Cities. Please send your reflections to Walt Jacobs at walt.jacobs@sjsu.edu.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Nell Frizzell on Her Forthcoming Book “The Panic Years” by Kimberly McErlean.

Sociological Images:

“The Hidden Cost of Your New Wardrobe” by Graham Nielsen.

“Racism & Hate Crimes in a Pandemic” by Kayla Preston.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies suggests that we’d be better off to give back some of the gifts passed down by our nation’s Founding Fathers.

#TSPClassics Collection:

We bring back “Queer in the Country,” a TROT by Sarah Catherine Billups which rounds up research on the identity formation, visibility, and health outcomes of LGBTQ individuals in rural areas.

We also share a Special Feature by Louisa L. Roberts, called “Attitudes toward Gay and Lesbian People Have Grown More Accepting around the World. Why? And What Obstacles Remain?.” Roberts examines changing global attitudes towards same-sex sexuality.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes

Happy Friday! This week we add three more special features to our Wonderful/Wretched series on racial dynamics in the Twin Cities. We also bring you a special feature investigating changes in public opinion about the Black Lives Matter movement, an interview with a prominent Harvard sociologist, and an examination of trends in happiness.

Special Features:

“Wonderful/Wretched Memories of Racial Dynamics in the Twin Cities, Minnesota” by Walter R. Jacobs. In this series, social scientists with ties to the Twin Cities share their stories and reflections about experiencing race in the “Land of 10,000 Lakes.”

• “My Beautiful, Broken Minnesota” by Rachel Raimist
• “In This Country” by Catherine Ceniza Choy
• “Reflections on an Exceptional State” by Richard Lee

If you are a social scientist who also has ties to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul but now lives elsewhere, we’d love to include your stories as a component of this collective action. Stories from White social scientists as well as from social scientists of color are welcome, as we aspire to document the full range of experiences of the racial dynamics of the Twin Cities. Please send your reflections to Walt Jacobs at walt.jacobs@sjsu.edu.

In “Protests and Pandemic Jolt Public Opinion,” Ron Anderson examines the factors contributing to dizzying shifts in American attitudes toward the Black Lives Matter movement.

“The Fire This Time,” a reprint from the Harvard Gazette by staff writer Christina Pazzanese, features a deep and wide-ranging interview with sociologist Lawrence D. Bobo about police killings of black men, racial bigotry, and violence.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Challenges Facing Cohabiting Couples Differ from those of Married Couples in this Crisis” by Amanda Miller and Sharon Sassler.

Sociological Images:

“What’s Trending? The Happiness Drop” by Evan Stewart.

Contexts:

“Police Officers Need Liability Insurance” by Rarkimm Fields.

“#courageisbeautiful but PPE is Better: White Supremacy, Racial Capitalism, and COVID-19” by Jean Beaman and Catherine J. Taylor.

“Intimacy on the Mats and in the Surf” by Kyle Green and Clifton Evers.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on visiting The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam as an American.
• Feminist Reflections examines queerness in horror films.

Last Week’s Roundup

Sign Up for Inbox Delivery of the Roundup

TSP Edited Volumes