Welcome back, sociology-friends. As we mourn the loss of Anthony Bourdain this week, we reflect on his legacy as an honorary sociologist of sorts. We also highlight new research on sexual behavior and identities, and the persistence of racial segregation in the United States.

Discoveries:

Same Sexual Behavior, Different Perceived Identities,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in the American Sociological Review finds that men’s and women’s sexual identities are perceived differently, even when they engage in similar sexual behavior.

Clippings:

Segregation Remains Despite Growing Diversity,” by Caity Curry. The Washington Post talks with Michael BaderKyle Crowder, and Maria Krysan about the persistence of racial segregation in the United States.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

Family Poverty as a Risk to Adolescent Development Across Countries,” by Robert Crosnoe.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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Hello again! This week at TSP we’ve got social science research on bisexuality, clothing sizes and stigma, and how school choice policies may increase gentrification.

There’s Research on That!:

Bisexuality Breaks Categories, But Faces Challenges,” by Allison Nobles and Evan Stewart. In light of recent attention to bisexuality and pansexuality, and in celebration of PRIDE month, we rounded up social science research on bisexuality.

Discoveries:

Trying Stigma on For Size,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. New research in Gender & Society finds that clothing sizes not only communicate the latest styles, but also whose bodies are “in” or “out.”

Clippings:

School Choice Policies May Increase Gentrification,” by Jean Marie DeOrnellasCityLab talks to sociologists Carla Shedd and Francis Pearman about school choice policies and their effects.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

Let’s Go Beyond He Said/She Said,” by Barbara J. Risman.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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Happy Friday! This week at TSP we’ve got social science research on involuntary celibacy, sexism in employment, and Hollywood.

The Editors’ Desk:

Hollywood’s New Blockbusters and Sociology’s Special Agents,” by Doug Hartmann. Doug reflects on sociology and movies via a recent New Yorker article featuring sociologist Violaine Roussel’s new book, Representing Talent: Hollywood Agents and the Making of Movies.

There’s Research on That!:

Involuntary Celibacy and the Life Course,” by Allison Nobles. In light of recent talk about “incels” — involuntary celibates — we rounded up social science research on this population.

Discoveries:

When Women are Too Smart to be Hired,” by Isabel Arriagada. New research in the American Sociological Review finds that high academic achievement pays off for men in the job market, but not for women.

Clippings:

Sexism and Sickness,” by Allison NoblesSalon talks to Catherine Harnois and Joao Luiz Bastos about how workplace discrimination makes women sick.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

We are Family, Aren’t We? Interracial Coupling and Support from Extended Kin,” by Jenifer Bratter.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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Have you been wondering why so many Hollywood blockbusters this summer are sequels or franchises or about super heroes? If so, The New Yorker has a great little piece (by Stephen Metcalf) that explains. I’m singling this piece out not only because it is timely and topical but because at the center of the story Metcalf tells is a new book by sociologist Violaine Roussel called Representing Talent: Hollywood Agents and the Making of Movies (Chicago 2017).

The crux of the explanation that Metcalf provides is global capitalism and technological innovation — the need for movies that are both universally identifiable as well as where the Big Screen is still the best or only appropriate means for consumption. Without getting too lost in the details, “The movie business [has] transitioned from a system dominated by a handful of larger-than-life stars to one defined by I.P.” IP refers to “intellectual property” — essentially, global mega-brands that are as instantly recognizable and relatable to audiences in China or Brazil or even the Middle East as in the United States.

A Massive IP Network (Click for Source)

Roussell’s study comes in handy for Metcalf because it documents how the work of agents has shifted so dramatically in recent years as a result of all of this; they are, in other words, the proverbial canaries in the coal mine. Where they once had to cultivate relationships with individual stars and then craft exclusive details with major studios, Hollywood agents now have to navigate a much more complicated field of actors, institutions, and market forces in representing their clients. A successful agent, as Metcalf summarizes, must be “an expert in conducting risk-controlled investment strategies by securing the rights to film franchises and ‘sequelizable’ productions resembl[ing] …the world of finance.” Like art dealers, they are “keepers of secrets, fulfillers of dreams, bearers of bad news.”

Roussell, a professor at the University of Paris, spent five years interviewing agents and studio heads as well as fieldwork on the whole movie scene. Her subjects, according to Metcalf, “speak, repeatedly and sensitively, to the challenge, as [Roussell] puts it, of converting ‘the symbolic recognition of talent into (potential) economic transactions.'” Elsewhere, there are descriptions of twenty-four hour workdays designed around “accumulating the social capital that their work demands.”

I don’t know what I find more exciting: the fabulous combination of the sociology of culture with economic sociology in Roussel’s work, or the fact that The New Yorker is quoting core theoretical concepts from our field outright! But if you like movies and sociology and culture, both the article and the book are certainly worth a deeper dive.

Welcome to another week at TSP! We’ve got research on the meanings of motherhood and opting out, state variation in felon disenfranchisement, and the relationship between unauthorized immigrants and the U.S. economy.

There’s Research on That!:

Opting In and Out of Motherhood,” by Amber Joy Powell. As Mother’s Day came and went in the United States, we reflected on the social science behind the meanings of motherhood and the impact on those who opt out.

Discoveries:

How Albanians became White in Little Italy,” by Lucas Lynch. New research in Ethnic and Racial Studies finds that Albanian immigrants were able to incorporate themselves into Italian businesses and neighborhoods in 1960s New York City because of shared culture, history, and racial backgrounds. 

Clippings:

The States are Not United on Felon Voting Rights,” by Caity CurryThe New York Times discusses the work of Sarah Shannon and Chris Uggen on state variation in felon disenfranchisement practices.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

It’s 2018. It’s Time to Update Sex Ed,” by Lorena Garcia.

Social Studies MN:

Learning from Political Splits in Spain,” by Allison J. Steinke.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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Happy Friday! Here at TSP headquarters we’re wrapping up our spring semester with research on public outings, collective mothering, and H1-B visa holders and their dependents.

Discoveries:

More Than Just a Walk in the Park,” by Brooke Chambers. New work in Sociological Theory finds that going out in public is influenced by social factors like identity and bias.

Clippings:

Collective Mothering,” by Allison Nobles. Ms. Magazine talks to social scientists about the long history of collective mothering in the United States.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“I Felt Like Destroying Something Beautiful,” by Sandra Loughrin.

Who Gets a Ticket?” by Evan Stewart and Jenn Edwards.

Council on Contemporary Families:

Keeping “Dependents” Dependent,” by Amy Bhatt.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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Welcome to another sociology-filled week at TSP! We’ve got social science research on prison conditions around the globe, racial disparities in the deaths of family members, and a look at who participated in the March for Our Lives protests.

There’s Research on That!:

Prison Conditions Around the Globe,” by Isabel Arriagada and Caity Curry. Social science research on prisons can help us understand the conditions of prison life and how broader social context shapes prison structures.

Race and Antiracism in Schools,” by Lucas Lynch. In light of debates over history textbooks and lesson plans about slavery, we rounded up social science research on antiracism in education.

Discoveries:

Racial Disparities in Loss of Family Members,” by Jean Marie DeOrnellas. New research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences finds that Black Americans are more likely to experience the death of multiple family members and to experience the death of a family member at an earlier age than White Americans.

Clippings:

March for Our Lives Wasn’t Just about Youth,” by Jasmine Syed. The Washington Post talks to Dana R. Fisher about the wide crowd of people who participated in the March for Our Lives protests.

Parenting Beyond the Gender Binary,” by Allison NoblesNew York Magazine talks to sociologist-parents about trying to raise children without a rigid gender binary.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

Pocket-sized Politics,” by Evan Stewart.

Contexts:

Tobacco 21,” by Paula M. Lantz.

Council on Contemporary Families:

Black Marriages in America: An Interview with the Authors of Marriage in Black,” by Arielle Kuperberg.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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There’s Research on That!:

The Complexity of Evangelicals in the United States,” by Amber Joy Powell. Sociological research provides a complicated picture of evangelicals in the United States and their beliefs.

The Social Consequences of Conflict,” by Brooke Chambers. Violent conflicts have many consequences, and here we rounded up social science research on their social and relational effects.

Discoveries:

Are Sanctuary Cities Safer than We Think?” by Caity Curry. New research in Justice Quarterly finds that sanctuary policies for immigrants may actually reduce criminal activity and increase police cooperation in these cities.

Clippings:

The Power of Commemorating the Past,” by Brooke Chambers. In a recent article in The ConversationNancy Berns explains the many ways commemorative events can prove beneficial, while also pointing out that not all historical violence is commemorated equally.

Why Marriage Proposals are Stuck in the Past,” by Jasmine Syed. The Atlantic talks with Ellen Lamont and Judy Chu about why marriage proposals often perpetuate traditional gender roles.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

Bouncers and Bias,” by Amber Joy Powell.

Contexts:

Young Women of Color and Shifting Sexual Identities,” by Tristan Bridges and Mignon Moore.

All Credentials aren’t Created Equal,” by Louise Seamster.

Anger, Profanity, and Hatred,” by by Audra Buck-Coleman.

Council on Contemporary Families:

Patterns of Progress? Changes in Gender Ideology 1977-2016,” by David Cotter.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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There’s Research on That!:

The Evolution of Environmental Activism,” by Sarah Catherine Billups and Erik Kojola. In honor of Earth Day, we reviewed the history of environmental activism in the United States.

Race, Space, and Belonging,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. In light of the arrest of two Black men at a Philadelphia Starbucks, we gathered social science research on race, space, and belonging.

Discoveries:

In the Club While Black,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in Sociology of Race & Ethnicity finds that Black men encounter more discriminatory experiences because of their dress in Texas nightclubs than White and Latino men.

Clippings:

High GPA, Low Likability for Women in STEM,” by Jasmine Syed. Science Daily features Natasha Quadlin’s recent study, which found disparities in callback rates between men and women who majored in math.

How Gender, Family, and Race Influence Gun Culture,” by Lucas LynchVox talks with Jennifer Carlson about how gun carrying is intertwined with cultural understandings of gender, race, and family.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

Boozy Milkshakes and Sordid Spirits,” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

Not All Housework is Created Equal: Particular Housework Tasks and Couples’ Relationship Quality,” by Daniel Carlson.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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There’s Research on That!:

Migration and the U.S. Southern Border,” by Lucas Lynch. Migration on the southern border is a hot topic in U.S. media and politics, so we gathered research on border policies and their impacts on migrants and migration flows.

A Sociological Look at Marijuana and Its Users,” by Neeraj Rajasekar and Ryan Steel. In light of 4/20 or “Weed Day,” we rolled up some research on social processes and marijuana use.

Discoveries:

Systemic Sexism in the Military,” by Allison Nobles. New research in Gender & Society finds that bureaucracies and male-dominated hierarchies within the U.S. military facilitate discriminatory behavior towards women.

Clippings:

National Geographic’s “New” Take on Race,” by Chloe Hendrix. The Washington Post talks to sociologist Victor Ray about National Geographic‘s “new” conversation about race.

How Wealthy Parents Reproduce College Success,” by Jasmine Syed. The Washington Post features a study by Laura HamiltonJosipa Roksa, and Kelly Nielsen about the role parents play in college students’ success.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

The Sociology Behind the X-Files,” by Isabel Arriagada.

Contexts:

Why Clinton Lost, An Interview with Melissa Harris-Perry,” by Hana Brown.

Council on Contemporary Families:

Negotiating Opportunities for Middle Class Children: An Interview with Jessica McCrory Calarco,” by Arielle Kuperberg.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

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