Friday Roundup

Welcome back! This week, we round up research on disease and discrimination to help make sense of the coronavirus from a sociological perspective. And, as spring break looms large, we offer a collection of scholarship on celebration and solidarity, and new research on exchange rates.

There’s Research on That:

“Disease Exposes Discrimination” by Allison Nobles. We bring together research on the long, problematic history of blaming marginalized groups for the spread of infectious disease.

“The Social Science of Spring Break” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Partying is packed with sociological ideas, and we round up research unpacking the social processes of rituals, festivals and trips.

Discoveries:

“Vitriol & Volatility: How Trump’s Tweets Affect the Peso” by Jillian LaBranche. New scholarship finds a relationship between the President’s derogatory tweets about Mexico and the U.S. Dollar-Mexican Peso exchange rate.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images

“Social Inequality, Medical Fears, and Pandemics” by Joseph O. Baker, Ann Gordon, L. Edward Day, and Christopher D. Bader.

“Does Blindness Beat Bias?” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Working Parents are Leaders” by Stew Friedman and Alyssa Westring.

From Our Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports discusses how Irish immigrants in Scotland celebrate their heritage through soccer.

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Welcome back! This week we’ve got new research on who’s having same-sex sex and what resources Black and white teachers get from same-race social ties. We also round up research on how American history textbooks cover violence, national figures, and more.

There’s Research on That:

“ConTEXTualizing Historical Knowledge,” by Jillian LaBranche. American history textbooks vary wildly in educational content. To understand more, we review social science research on how textbooks cover violence, national figures, and more.

Discoveries:

“Black and White Teachers’ Access to School Resources,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in the American Journal of Sociology finds that Black teachers do not get the same resources as white teachers do from same-race social ties at work.

“Who Is Having More Same-Sex Sex? by Jean Marie Maier. New research in Gender & Society finds that younger people demonstrate more same-sex sexual behavior than older people, with a greater increase for women and black men.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“What’s New About Consent,” by Rebecca L. Davis.

From Our Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports discusses the symbolic violence of the X League and why women pay to play.

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Welcome back! This week we’ve got new research on public health epidemics and media coverage, how social ties help refugees, and reflections on colleges’ role in reducing unwanted sex on campus.

There’s Research on That:

“Contagion and Panic in the Media,” by Allison J. Steinke. In light of current coronavirus concerns, we review social science research on public health epidemics and media coverage.

“Journalism’s Evasive Objectivity Norm,” by Allison J. Steinke. In recent years ideals of fairness, accuracy, and balance in journalism have come under increasing attack, so we rounded up research on objectivity in journalism.

Discoveries:

“How Social Ties Help Refugees,” by Allison Nobles. New research in Socius finds that refugees need both strong and weak social ties to meet their needs in an unfamiliar society.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“No Easy Answers: Can Colleges Define Consent and Reduce Unwanted Sex?” by Stephanie Coontz and Paula England.

Sociological Images:

“What’s Weird about Where You’re From?” by Evan Stewart.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on the evangelical ethic and the spirit of escapism.
• Engaging Sports discusses how India came to love cricket.

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Welcome back! This week, we bring you research on graduate student debt, and a review of a new book investigating the stress and sleeplessness of Gen X women. We also feature a roundup of 16 TSP Classic posts that demonstrate why it’s important to celebrate Black history all year long.

Discoveries:

“Graduate Student Debt is Growing but Stratified” by Jean Marie Maier. New research on student loans identify graduate school as a major contributor to rising debt. Find out which students are better positioned by their degrees to pay it off.

The Editor’s Desk:

“American Women on the Verge: A review of Ada Calhoun’s Why We Can’t Sleep” by Syed Ali.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“The Puzzling Persistence of Gendered Dating” by Ellen Lamont.

Sociological Images:

“Hopeful Research on Romance” by Evan Stewart.

From Our Community Pages:

• The Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reveals how colonialism is normalized in prominent monuments and government institutions.

TSP Classics:

As Black History Month draws to a close, we bring you “From the #TSPClassics Collection: Black History Month, a TROT that rounds up our favorite, timeless posts about the history, meaning, and importance of celebrating Black history.

“Presidents Pick the Power Elite” by Mark Lee. This TSP Classic Clipping draws on sociological expertise to understand the influence of millionaire investors on government leaders.

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Welcome back! This week, we round up research on different understandings of virginity and the high costs imposed on the poor. We also bring back two classics from the archives: one features research on ways to engage in constructive conversations about political issues, and the other, a discussion of how who is allowed to claim an American Indian identity has changed over time.

There’s Research on That!:

“Virginity as a Social Construction” by Allison Nobles and Amber Joy Powell. We round up research on the different meanings of virginity and its loss and how many of these beliefs can have negative consequences for women and girls.

“Poverty is Expensive” by Allison Nobles. We gather research showing that, relative to their income, the poor pay far more for necessities like food and housing. Compounded by the burden of debt, these expenses adversely affect the lives of the poor in many ways.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Cut the Turkey and Run” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Why we won’t call 911: Too often, police officers’ response to mental illness is deadly” by Stacy Torres.

From Our Archives:

There’s Research on That!:

“Table Talk for Thanksgiving” by the Grad Board. We provide research-backed suggestions for engaging with family members across the political aisle during holiday dinners.

Clippings:

“Measuring American Indian Identities” by Lucas Lynch. We recap an NPR conversation among social scientists about the changing criteria for establishing an American Indian identity.

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Welcome back! This week, we round up research on fake news and its role in political polarization, and we feature new studies on the effects of school suspensions and a form of managerial household work known as cognitive labor. 

There’s Research on That!:

“Fake News: Definitions, Facts, and Implications,” by Allison J. Steinke. We rounded up social science research on what fake news is and why it matters.

Discoveries:

“How School Suspension Impacts Friendships,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in Criminology finds that disciplinary practices like suspension, which are disproportionately targeted towards racial and ethnic minority youth, weaken friendships with fellow classmates.

“Household Management is Double the Toil and Trouble for Women,” by Amy August. New research in American Sociological Review finds that women do most of the cognitive labor in a household, like anticipating needs of family members.

Teaching TSP:

“Teaching Students to Think Sociologically about Climate Change,” by Amy August. New research in Teaching Sociology finds that environmental concerns are usually overlooked in introductory sociology classes. The authors suggest ways to interweave climate change into all areas of curriculum.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Fragile Families in Lilo and Stitch,” by Lena Denbroeder.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Fears of Violence: Concerns of Middle-Class Latinx Parents,” by Lorena Garcia.

And from the Community Pages:

• Cyborgology reflects on third party fact-checking on Facebook and the potential benefits of modeling.

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Welcome back! Submissions are open for this year’s Teach with TSP contest – if you use TSP in your classroom, tell us how! This week we’ve got research on sociological storytelling to explain why fans hated the last season of Game of Thrones. We also bring back content on Indigenous People’s Day and for-profit prisons.

There’s Research on That!:

“What Makes a Good Story?” by Amy August. Earlier this year the Scientific American suggested fans despised the last season of Game of Thrones because the storytelling changed from sociological to psychological. This made us think about what makes a good story and we rounded up social science research on storytelling.

“Why We Honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” by Allison Nobles. For Indigenous Peoples’ Day earlier this week, we gathered social science research to help us understand the underlying gender and racial components of colonial settlement in the United States.

“For Profit Prisons and the Immigrant Industrial Complex,” by Caity Curry. In light of California’s recent decision to not renew contracts with for-profit prisons, we brought back a post from the archive on how for-profit prisons enable mass incarceration of immigrant populations.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Raising a Village: Identifying Social Supports for All Kinds of Families,” by Caitlyn Collins.”

And from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports discusses outdoor recreation and the wilderness ideal.
• Cyborgology ponders the digitization of justice.

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Welcome back! Submissions are open for this year’s Teach with TSP contest – if you use TSP in your classroom, tell us how! Details below. In new content, we’ve got social science research on the social construction of victimhood in cases of child soldiers, as well as new research on what makes a “good death.”

The Editors’ Desk:

“2019 ‘Teach with TSP’ Contest,” by Allison Nobles. Do you use TSP content in your classroom? Tell us how! We’ll publish our favorites and send the winners TSP swag!

There’s Research on That!:

“Innocence, Victimhood, and Child Soldiers,” by Jillian LaBranche and Brooke Chambers. Child soldiers are simultaneously victims and perpetrators. To help understand this tension, we rounded up social science research on the social construction of victimhood and childhood.

“Progress and Uncertainty for LGBTQ Communities,” by Allison Nobles and Caity Curry. For National Coming Out Day, we reached into the archives for social science research on attitudes towards same-sex relationships.

Discoveries:

“Defining Dignity in Death,” by Allison Nobles. New research in Sociology of Health and Illness shows that cultural conceptions of what a “good death” entails shape how people make sense of new options for end-of-life care.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” by Evan Stewart.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Children Are Now Back at School, Time to Focus on What Their Parents Need,” by Barbara Risman.

And from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports discusses race and social class in college football positions.

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Welcome back! This week we’ve got a new special feature on why the GM strike is headed for failure, research on the rhetoric and consequences of white nationalism today, and why cooking time has declined in the United States and France.

Special Feature:

“Why the United Auto Workers GM Strike is Headed for Failure,” by Joshua Murray. In this repost from The Conversation, Murray explores the GM strike based on previous research and history.

There’s Research on That!:

“White Nationalism in the 21st Century,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. We round up research on the rhetoric of white nationalism today and its consequences.

“The Politics of Pink,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we brought back a post from the past on the social science research of breast cancer visibility.

Discoveries:

“Declines in Time Spent Cooking at Home,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. New research in Cultural Sociology finds that in France and the United States, people are spending less time on cooking food at home.

From Our Partners:

Sociological Images:

“What Makes a Mashup Work?” by Evan Stewart.

Contexts:

“After Experiences of Unwanted Sex, Queer Women See Men as ‘Stupid,'” by Elena Riecke, Jessie Ford, and Paula England.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Happy Moms, Happier Dads? by Cadhla McDonnell, Nancy Luke, and Susan Short.

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Hello, hello! This week we’ve got new social science research on how sexuality matters married people’s health. You’ll also find social science research on legal consciousness — how people first perceive an act of discrimination as wrong and worthy of complaint — as well as research on who receives special education services in the United States.

Special Feature:

“Marriage Could be Good for Your Health – Unless You’re Bisexual,” by Ning Hsieh and Hui Liu. In this repost from The Conversation, a new study finds that unlike heterosexual and gay or lesbian adults, married bisexuals are not healthier than unmarried bisexuals.

There’s Research on That!:

“Legal Consciousness and Mobilization against Sexual Harassment,” by Amber Joy Powell. Sociologists of law use the term legal consciousness to explain how people first perceive an act of discrimination as wrong and worthy of complaint. In the age of #MeToo, sociological research sheds light on the process by which individuals learn that assault and harassment can be reported in the first place.

“Who Gets a Special Education?” by Amy August. The number of children receiving special education services in the United States has increased dramatically, but concerns remain about racial inequalities in diagnosis and service quality. Social science research shows that children of color are overdiagnosed and underserved.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Less ageism = less Alzheimer’s. It’s that clear.” by Ashton Applewhite.

And from the Community Pages:

• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies reflects on the horrific history of Waldsee in Nazi Germany and its contemporary controversy in the U.S.
• Engaging Sports discusses race and marijuana use in sport.

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