Welcome back! This week we’ve got new takes on love behind bars, W.E.B. Dubois, schools’ role in inequality, and accusations against R. Kelly.

There’s Research on That!:

“Love Behind Bars,” by Isabel Arriagada. For Valentine’s Day, we rounded up research on how relationships work during incarceration.

“What Would W.E.B. Dubois Do?” by Neeraj Rajasekar. For Black History Month, we explore a well-known Black intellectual who was also a sociologist, W.E.B. Dubois!

Discoveries:

“Schools Shrink Home-grown Gaps in Math and Reading,” by Amy August. New research in Sociology of Education finds that schools can shrink early achievement gaps.

Clippings:

“Survivors and Racialized Rape Myths,” by Amber Joy Powell. Saida Grundy’s recent piece in The Atlantic helps us break down how Black support for R. Kelly remains despite the shocking revelations from Black women about their experiences of violence.

“Revisiting Familiar Fears in Border Politics,” by Lucas Lynch. The Washington Post reviews work by Doug Massey on what the U.S.-Mexico border symbolizes.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Flipping the Script on Romance,” by Evan Stewart.

“Page, Pratt, and Politics at the Pulpit,” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Household Instability and Complexity among Undocumented Immigrants,” by Youngmin Yi.

And from the Community Pages:

• Dispatches from a Dean highlights an article from Wired on facial recognition technology. 

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Hello friends! This week we’ve got research on political polarization, cross-class marriages, and the relationship between gender, reproductive decision-making and mental health. We’ve also got some great sociological takes on child support, as well as the decision to give kids an allowance.

There’s Research on That!:

“Cross-Class Marriages and Families,” by Amy August and Caity Curry. It’s almost Valentine’s Day and we’ve rounded up research on marriages between people with different class backgrounds.

“The Political Polarization Phenomenon,” by Allison J. Steinke. It seems like political polarization is everywhere, so we rounded up social science research on how we define political polarization and how much really exists.

Discoveries:

“Gender, Mental Illness, and Reproductive Decision Making,” by Caity Curry. New research in Society and Mental Health finds that mental health professionals use both coercive and non-coercive techniques in facilitating reproductive decisions for their clients diagnosed with mental illnesses like schizophrenia and major depression.

Clippings:

“Focus On The People, Not The Wall,” by De Andre’ T. Beadle. In a recent op-ed for the MinnPost, an interdisciplinary team of expert immigration scholars at the University of Minnesota reflects on administrative changes to the ‘public charge’ rule and its potential consequences.

“Childhood Chores as Community Obligations, Not Monetary Exchanges,” by Jean Marie Maier. The Atlantic talks to Heather Beth Johnson about community, inequality, and giving children allowances.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Doing Gender with Backpacks,” Jacqui Frost.

Contexts:

“The Deadbeat Presidency,” by Rodrigo Dominguez-Martinez.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Who Goes to Jail for Child Support Debt?” Elizabeth Cozzolino.

Social Studies MN:

“Gendered Partisanship in the US House,” by Allison J. Steinke.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies features a valuable teaching resource.
• Cyborgology ponders opposing barometers between the digital news media and influencers.
• Dispatches from a Dean highlights an article about how misunderstandings of “Black English” can have serious consequences.

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Welcome back! We’re thrilled to announce the winner of our 2018 ‘Teach with TSP’ contest, Dr. Meghan Krausch! In new content, we’ve got research on food and sports, development and intervention in the Global South, and stepchildren’s views of former stepparents.

Teaching TSP:

And the winner is …

“Using TROTs for Teaching: Connecting the Indian Child Welfare Act to Boarding Schools,” by Meghan Krausch. In this class discussion, Krausch uses a post from  “There’s Research on That!” to get students thinking about a recent court ruling.

There’s Research on That!:

“A Place at the (Global Development) Table,” by Brooke Chambers. In light of this year’s World Economic Forum meetings, we rounded up social science research on the relationship between international business, development, and intervention in the Global South.

“Food and Sports Beyond the Couch Potato,” by Jean Marie Maier. The Superbowl is coming up this weekend, so we rounded up social science research on the relationship between athletics and eating.

Clippings:

“Presidents Pick the Power Elite,” by Mark Lee. In a recent op-ed for the Washington Post, Timothy Gill discusses presidential cabinet ties to big business.

“How White Niceness Reinforces Racial Inequality,” by Caity Curry. In a recent op-ed for The Guardian, Robin DiAngelo explains how niceness is central to the myth that racism is about “individual acts of intentional meanness.”

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Perceptions of Police Procedural Justice,” by Han Kleman.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Stepchildren’s Views about Former Stepparents Following Stepfamily Dissolution,” by Marilyn Coleman and Lawrence Ganong.

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Hi Everyone! We’re gearing up for another great semester here at TSP headquarters. This week we’re featuring our final honorable mention winner for our ‘Teach with TSP’ contest. Come back next week to see the winning submission! In new pieces, we’ve got research on the social experiences of infertility, why children re-enter the foster care system after being reunited with their parents, and the marriage market gap.

Teaching TSP:

“Teaching Gender with Blogging,” by Ruth M. Hernández. In this assignment, students write a blog post over the semester to explore a topic related to gender.

There’s Research on That!:

“Social Experiences of Infertility,” by Allison Nobles. Michelle Obama talks about her own struggles with fertility in her new book, so we rounded up research on the social experiences of infertility.

“Government Shutdown,” by TSP Editors. We brought back an oldie but goodie in light of the current U.S. government shutdown.

Discoveries:

“For Some Foster Children, “Permanency” Isn’t Permanent,” by Mark Lee. New research in the Journal of Marriage and Family finds that children who were placed in foster care because of parental substance abuse and neglect face greater challenges to being reunited with their parents for good.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“The Marriage Market Gap,” by Paige Miller.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Per Coontz, Equality is Agenda for All Working People Not Just Feminists,” by Virginia Rutter.

“Separating Migrant Families, as Practiced around the Globe,” by Maria Cecilia Hwang, Carolyn Choi, and Rhacel Parreñas.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on antisemitism in high schools, as well as the Genocide Convention 70 years later
• Dispatches from a Dean highlights a recent CityLab article visualizing how Americans commute to work.

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Welcome back! This week we’re featuring another honorable mention from our ‘Teach with TSP’ contest about doing gender with backpacks. We also revisit sexual double standards and the precarious work of formerly incarcerated individuals. In new work, we’ve got sociological takes on intensive parenting, reflections on fast food in the White House, and new study on American intimacy.

Teaching TSP:

“Doing Gender with Backpacks,” by Jacqui Frost. In this activity, students read a Sociological Images article about ‘doing gender,’ then analyze the contents of their own backpacks using this lens.

There’s Research on That!:

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: Sexual Double Standards,” by Amber Joy Powell. We rounded up social science research on the persistence of sexual double standards between men and women.

Discoveries:

“Best of 2018: Out of Prison, Into Precarity,” by Isabel Arriagada. New research in the American Journal of Sociology finds that formerly incarcerated individuals work in intermittent, short-term, and precarious jobs to make ends meet.

Clippings:

“The Problems with Intensive Parenting,” by Amy August. The New York Times talks with sociologists about how and why parenting has gotten so relentless.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“White House Fast Food and the Cultural Politics of Distinction,” by Alison Hope Alkon.

“The Social Side of Gender and Strength,” by Maura Kelly.

Contexts:

“Risk and Race in Measuring Special Education Need,” by George Farkas and Paul L. Morgan.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“American Intimacy in Times of Escalating Inequality,” by Virginia Rutter and Stephanie Coontz.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Cyborgology reflects on technology and teens’ mental health.

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Hello! This week we’re excited to announce the first honorable mention from our Teaching with TSP contest! Lydia Hou uses TSP content to get students thinking about small changes that can make big differences for people’s health and well-being. We’ll be sharing more of our honorable mentions in the next couple weeks leading up to the announcement of our contest winner. In other new content this week, we’ve got new research on the age-old question, “do we really need to learn math?” In addition, you can find sociological perspectives on what its like to care for a baby while living in poverty, and the relationship between sexism and the names of rock climbing routes.

Teaching TSP:

“Health Tracking Technologies Class Activity,” by Lydia J. Hou. Hou uses this in-class activity in an  Introduction to Sociology course to engage students in critical thinking about small changes that can be made to address people’s micro experiences with health issues and inequalities.

There’s Research on That!:

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: Settler Colonialism and Minnesota’s “Wall of Forgotten Natives”,” by Brieanna Watters and Caity Curry. In light of the recent homeless encampment in Minneapolis, made up of primarily American Indians, we rounded up social science research on settler colonialism and resistance to it.

Discoveries:

“Is Calculus Integral?” by Jean Marie Maier. New research in The Sociological Quarterly finds that although knowing advanced math matters for college attainment, it’s rarely used in the actual workplace.

Clippings:

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: The Sociology Behind the X-Files,” by Isabel Arriagada. New York Magazine talks to Joseph O. Baker about the social context behind Americans’ beliefs about UFOs.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Illusions Show How Our Methods Matter,” by Evan Stewart.

“Self-Help Sociology,” by Evan Stewart.

Contexts:

“Playing Foreign and Building Community at Deer Park,” by Dana Nakano.

“Justifying Gentrification,” by Sara Schmidt.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Diapers, Depression and Gender Matter for Social Policy,” by Jennifer Randles and Barbara Risman.

Midwest Sociology:

“‘Meet the Midwest!’ Talking with Dr Thornhill,” by Neeraj Rajasekar.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports ponders sexism and rocking climbing route names.

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Hello again! We’ve got more *Best of 2018* posts for you this week, including research on the relationship between drug testing policies for welfare recipients and white labor force participation, as well as research on why poor parents say yes to junk food. We’ve also got new posts covering the stalled gender revolution and undocumented Asians.

There’s Research on That!:

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: Criminalizing Dance to Demonstrate Power,” by Isabel Arriagada. After teenager Maedeh Hojabri was recently arrested and imprisoned by Iranian authorities for posting Instagram videos of herself dancing, we rounded up research on the purpose of such legal sanctions.

Discoveries:

Clippings:

“Many Americans Still Resist Gender Equity in the Home,” by Amy August. The New York Times covers research by sociologists William Scarborough,  Ray Sin, and Barbara Risman on why the gender revolution has stalled.

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

Best of 2018: Why Poor Parents Say “Yes” to Junk Food, by Nahrissa Rush. In an op-ed earlier this year for the Los Angeles Times, Priya Fielding-Singh explains that junk food consumption is an emotionally-rooted decision for impoverished parents.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Undocumented Asians, Left in the Shadows,” by Soo Mee Kim and Aggie J. Yellow Horse.

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Welcome back! It’s our last roundup of 2018 and we’ve got our *Best of 2018* in full swing. This week we feature research on sexual violence behind bars and how children learn rules for romance in preschool. We’ve also got sociological takes on racial demographic projections and the gender gap in politics.

There’s Research on That!:

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: Me Too Behind Bars,” by Amber Joy Powell. Adding to the national conversation about sexual violence spurred by the #MeToo campaign, we rounded up social science research on sexual violence in detention.

Discoveries:

Clippings:

“Reactions to Racial Projections,” by Jean Marie Maier. Recently The New York Times interviewed social scientists to get their reactions to the projections that non-hispanic whites will soon become a numerical minority.

 From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Is The Gender Gap in Politics Changing?” by Stephanie Coontz.

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Looking for some reading material for your winter break? We’ve got you covered. This week we’ve got research on victim rights movements, the relationship between a country’s use of cash and robbery rates, and how cleaning up neighborhoods could help reduce violence. We’ll also be rolling out our *Best of 2018* over the next few weeks, so you can catch up on all the great posts from the year. Enjoy!

There’s Research on That!:

“The Power, Privilege, and Politics of Victim Rights Movements,” by Caity Curry. Recent debates over Marsy’s Law highlight two key lines of research, the power of victim rights movements in the United States and the racial and gender privilege underlying perceptions of victimhood.

Discoveries:

“Show Me the Money!” by Isabel Arriagada. New research in Justice Quarterly finds that countries with higher rates of cashlessness also have lower levels of street crime.

*~* Best of 2018 *~*

“Best of 2018: More Than Just a Walk in the Park,” by Brooke Chambers. Recent work in Sociological Theory finds that going out in public is influenced by social factors like identity and bias.

Clippings:

“How “Cleaning and Greening” Can Reduce Gun Violence,” by Caity Curry. A recent study featured in Huffington Post shows that this simple strategy of cleaning up vacant lots may have some far-reaching impacts on reducing crime.

 From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Package Pirates & The Rules of the Gift,” by Evan Stewart.

Contexts:

“Harvesters of the White Desert,” by Sugato Mukherjee.

“A Haunted Generation Remembers,” by Shruti Devgan.

Social Studies MN:

“Dialogue Across Difference,” by Allison J. Steinke.

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Welcome back! This week we’ve got new pieces on how consumers interpret ancestry DNA test results, how green space may help reduce crime rates, and the surprising way social support matters for cancer treatment.

There’s Research on That!:

“Greener Grass, Fewer Crimes?” by Isabel Arriagada. Green areas, like parks, are widely recognized as an indicator of development and social wellbeing. In light of this, we examine social science research on how natural spaces might contribute to social well-being by reducing crime rates.

“Substance Use, Violence, and Risk-Taking Among Male Athletes,” by Jean Marie Maier. During his Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Kavanaugh talked about high school sports as a beneficial, wholesome activity for youth. However, research shows that sport participation is often associated with substance use, violence, and risk-taking among boys and young men in the United States.

Discoveries:

“Determining Identity through DNA,” by Brooke Chambers. New research in the American Journal of Sociology finds that personal experiences and social expectations help determine how consumers respond to ancestry test results.

Clippings:

“It’s Not All Emotional Labor,” by Jean Marie Maier. The Atlantic talks with Arlie Hochschild about how the term she coined, “emotional labor,” has been used far more broadly than she originally intended.

“Can Marriage Cure Cancer?” by Allison Nobles. The Washington Post consults Linda Waite and Susan Brown about the relationship between social support and the type of cancer treatment doctors recommend.

 From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“The Stuff of Holidays: How Holiday Objects Tell a Sociological Story about Today’s Families,” by Michelle Janning.

“Random Families: Genetic Strangers, Sperm Donor Siblings, and the Creation of New Kin,” by Rosanna Hertz and Barbara Risman.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Cyborgology analyzes Peloton’s recent holiday ad, reflects on dating and gene editing, and argues for Google to be more transparent.
• Engaging Sports covers the enduring legacy of the “Black Power” salute.

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