Friday Roundup

Transnational migrants, public housing, and the Oscars. We’ve got sociological takes on all that and more this week at TSP.

Office Hours:

“Sergio Chávez on Border Lives and Transnationalism,” with Matt Gunther. In this episode, Dr. Chávez describes the incredible strain that border controls and bureaucracies place on low wage workers, but he also provides a remarkable account of the way that many workers leverage these difficulties into relationships and livelihood strategies.

There’s Research on That!:

“The Problems with Public Housing,” by Matthew Aguilar-Champeau. With ongoing efforts to revitalize public housing projects in the U.S., we look to research on the social forces and sentiments driving their decline.

“The Limited Efficacy of Domestic Violence Policies,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. Research shows that domestic violence policies are often limited in how much they change the way perpetrators think of domestic violence, even if they sometimes keep abusers from repeating violent behavior.

“Public Stories and Social Change,” by Allison Nobles. Stories can be powerful tools for establishing group identity and mobilizing people for a cause, but people in power are more likely to have their stories heard.

Discoveries:

“High School Arrests Halt Higher Education,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in Criminology finds that being arrested in high school severely limits pathways to higher education.

Clippings:

“Trump’s Reason for Travel Ban Not Supported by Research,” by Edgar Campos. Charles Kurzman tells the LA Times that his research has not identified a single death since the 9/11 attacks caused by people from the seven nations Trump put on his ban list.

“The Ivy League of Gender Inequality,” by Brooke Chambers. New York Magazine details a new study by Dirk Witteveen and Paul Attewell that finds a gender pay gap among graduates of elite universities.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Raising the Visibility of Gender-Nonconformists: A Review of ‘Gender Revolution: A Journey with Kati Couric’,” by Barbara J. Risman.

“Moonlight, Trayvon, the Oscars, and America’s Fear of Black Boys,” by Steven Thrasher.

“Children of Immigrants, Changing Races,” by Saswathi Natta.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Time/Place/Race/Class and Family Changes,” by Braxton Jones.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are revisits marriage education policy and inequality in America.
• Sociological Images explains why people are so averse to facts and asks why Mormons liked La La Land so much.
• Engaging Sports talks race and the U.S. women’s soccer team.

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Hello hello all! As usual, we have a great line up for you this week, so we will get right to it.

There’s Research on That!:

“When Journalists Tweet,” by j. Siguru Wahutu. Social media in the newsroom is increasingly common, but it can blur the lines between professional and personal opinion.

“The Role of Female Role Models,” by Jacqui Frost. Social science shows that positive female role models are a significant predictor of interest and success in STEM for women, and movie stars are not the only ones who can fill those roles.

Discoveries:

“Police Brutality and Citizen Cynicism,” by Ryan Larson. New research in American Sociological Review finds a significant drop in 911 calls after an incident of police violence.

Clippings:

“How Scary Video Games Build Social Bonds,” by Matthew Aguilar-Champeau.  Margee Kerr talks to The Observer about the camaraderie you can build by playing horror-themed video games with others.

“‘Colorblind’ Economic Policies and Their Racial Repercussions,” by Caity Curry.  Adia Harvey Wingfield explains how seemingly neutral economic and criminal justice policies can work to maintain systems of racial inequality in The Atlantic.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“For African Americans, Grief and Loss Starting as Children,” with Debra Umberson.

Contexts:

“Babes in Bikeland,” by Bjorn Christianson.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are revisits ditching bathroom bullies.
• Sociological Images talks the history of divorce and maps where LGBT people live in the U.S.
• Engaging Sports asks if technology can solve the “concussion crisis”
• Cyborgology argues Facebook is not a community and talks PewDiePie and microcelebrity.

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Happy Friday everyone! This week we’ve got timely pieces on private schooling, immigration policy, fearmongering, and more. So read on if you’re looking for a little sociological perspective.

There’s Research on That!:

“School Choice and Social Inequality,” by Evan Stewart and Neeraj Rajasekar. Social science comparing private and public approaches to schooling finds distinct benefits of public schools and questions whether more choice in schooling really helps everyone.

“The Culture of Mass Deportation,” by Caity Curry. On the history of American immigration policy and the increasingly punitive turn it’s taken.

Discoveries:

“Uncertainty and Flexibility in Trans Health Care,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. New research in Journal of Health and Social Behavior investigates how doctors navigate trans care.

Clippings:

“Nothing to Fear but Fearmongering Itself,” by Edgar Campos. Barry Glassner talks to TIME about Trump’s unprecedented use of fearmongering as a political tactic.

“Why We Don’t Need a White History Month,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Vox talks to Daniel Hirschman about how calls for a white history month ignore the already pervasive white privilege in U.S. society.

From Our Partners:

Council on Contemporary Families:

“How Many Deaths? The High Rate of Bereavement among Black Americans,” by Megan Peterson.

Scholars Strategy Network:

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images talks problems with “femvertising” and shares new data on the motivations of Women’s March participants.
• Engaging Sports shows how Trump’s travel ban affects athletes.
• Center for Holocaut and Genocide Studies explores the representation of Native Americans in art displayed at the Minnesota State Capitol.

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Hey everyone! Lots of great new stuff this week, including a new Office Hours podcast. So let’s get to it!

Office Hours:

“Natasha Warikoo on The Diversity Bargain,” with Neeraj Rajasekar. In this episode, we talk with Warikoo about her new book and the ways that elite students understand diversity and make sense of their social positions.

There’s Research on That!:

“White Working Class Voters,” by Erik Kojola. The election of Donald Trump left many wondering why large numbers of working class whites voted for a candidate who supports policies that are likely to have a negative impact on them. You guessed it — there’s research on that. 

“Gendering Intelligence,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. A recent study found that young girls are more likely to attribute “brilliance” to men. Research on gender stereotypes and socialization helps explain why.

Discoveries:

“Violence Against Police Triggers Race-Specific Reactions,” by Caity Curry. New research in American Journal of Sociology explores how local acts of violence against police influences discriminatory use of force by police after the fact.

Clippings:

“Overeducated, Underemployed,” by Chelsea Carlson. Tressie McMillan Cottom talks to The Washington Post about why many African Americans are overeducated, yet underemployed. 

“Sociological Strategies For a Successful Protest,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Vox draws on numerous sociological studies to suggest the best strategies for effecting change.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Families As They Really Are explains how housing support programs influence families.
• Sociological Images talks manspreading and the demographics of the women’s march.
• Engaging Sports reflects on Rio 2016’s legacy and calls for an end to “podium girls.”

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Well, we’re in for six more weeks of winter, which was probably the case for us Minnesotans anyways, so stay warm out there. This week we’ve got a new special feature on educational programs in prisons, summaries of research on commutations and a new form of residential segregation, and various reflections on how the Trump administration has and continues to negatively affect socially and economically marginalized groups.

TSP Specials:

“The Return of Rehabilitation? Educational Programs for Prisoners Remain Inadequate,” by Michelle S. Phelps. New findings from the PIAAC study reveal that prisoners are reporting more participation in academic and vocational training, but the majority of them are unable to access any programs.

There’s Research on That!:

“Misaligned Morality in Poverty Policy,” by Evan Stewart. Moral narratives about the “deserving poor” bias our thinking about people who experience poverty, and they have a big impact on our social safety net policies.

“Pardons, Commutations, and the Distribution of Clemency,” by Ryan Larson and Veronica Horowitz. In light of Obama’s pardons and commutations upon leaving office, we round up research on who gets pardoned and who is more likely to do the pardoning.

Discoveries:

“Minority Men doing ‘Women’s Work’,” by Allison Nobles. New research in The Sociological Quarterly finds that all groups of racial minority men are more likely than white men to work in female-dominated jobs.

Clippings:

“White Americans Self-Segregate Amid Neighborhood Diversification,” by Caity Curry. Vox draws on numerous sociological studies in this piece outlining a new and different form of “white flight.”

“PTSD in the Media,” by Edgar Campos. Ardath Whynackt talks to CBC Radio about the pitfalls of focusing on PTSD as the sole driver of violence among veterans.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Women’s March: Big Tents Require Both/And,” by Brittany Dernberger.

Scholars Strategy Network:

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports discusses sexism and the Super Bowl and race and recruiting on football message boards.
• Families As They Really Are explains how Trump’s tax proposals will affect single working mothers.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies talks Trump’s approach to Holocaust Remembrance Day and how Minnesota Somalis are fighting back against Trump’s immigration ban.
• Girl w/Pen! challenges stereotypes about conservative religion and sexuality.

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Hello hello! We’ve had another big week here at TSP, and have lots of great things to share with you. To start, we welcomed another blog to our community pages, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Check out their blog for an extensive archive of engaging commentary and research related to genocide studies. And our amazing grad board is back for the semester, which means we are back in full force on the site. We’ve got great new pieces on Trump’s cabinet, women’s movements, environmental policy, and more. So let’s get to it!

The Editor’s Desk:

In case you missed it, we celebrated the 5th anniversary of TSP last Friday. Woot! On the Eds’ Desk this week, Doug and Chris celebrate and reflect on the past five years and preview what’s to come.

There’s Research on That!:

“Divesting Diversity on the Presidential Cabinet,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. While social science shows that diversity is beneficial for business and organizations, the definition of “diversity” is often warped to avoid any real discussion of inequality.

“When Women Mobilize,” by Jacqui Frost. A look at research on past women’s movements sheds light on the ways that gender shapes when and how women protest, and the important roles they have played in social movement history.

“Barriers Keeping Women from STEM Careers,” by Amber Joy Powell. Research on race, gender, and education reveals why women remain hidden figures in STEM.

Discoveries:

“To Enforce or Encourage Green Behavior?,” by Erik Kojola. New research in Sociological Spectrum finds that environmental regulations alone will not reduce public health and environmental hazards from chemical pollution.

Clippings:

“How College Became Synonymous with Sex,” by Brooke Chambers. Soc Images’ Lisa Wade writes for Time Magazine and explains how colleges went from being rigid institutions to hubs for parties and casual sex.

“Okay Google, Give Me the Facts,” by Edgar Campos. The Conversation talks to Thomas Maher about how to keep “fake news” from manipulating Google’s search algorithms.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“The Women’s March Was Only the Beginning,” by Dana R. Fisher.

“The Day After: Women’s March on Washington,” by Philip N. Cohen.

“Trump’s America Comes to Washington,” by Philip N. Cohen.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“What Trump Means for the Affordable Care Act,” by Colleen Grogan and Sherry Glied.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Engaging Sports talks politics and sports media and how sports create unity.
• Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies explains the futility of “Never Again” and remembers Wannsee.
• Girl w/Pen! discusses advocacy and activism for girls.
• ThickCulture explores the democratic function of the Women’s March.

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Today marks the 5th anniversary of The Society Pages! We’ve been bringing you the latest in social science research for five years now, and we have learned a lot along the way. We hope you have too, and we want to thank you for your continued readership and support. We also welcomed a new community page to the fold this week, Engaging Sports, so be sure to check them out for all things sport and society.

It’s a new year, a new semester, and, later today, we will have a new president. So stay tuned in to TSP for when you need a fresh dose of sociology to keep you going.

Office Hours:

“Stephen Ellingson on Religious Environmentalism,” with Caty Taborda-Whitt. In this episode, we talk with Ellingson about how activists overcome the barriers that have typically prevented religious organizations from investing in environmental causes.

Discoveries:

“How Women Confront Sexism in Fantasy Sports,” by Amber Joy Powell. New research in Gender & Society finds that women who play fantasy sports often simultaneously resist and reproduce the gendered dynamics of the sporting world.

Clippings:

“Lawyering Up for Low-Cost Daycare,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Germany’s push to universalize day care contrasts with the costly U.S. system.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Trump and the Neglect of the Working Class,” by Reeve Vanneman.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“How U.S. Higher Education Promotes Inequality—And What Can Be Done To Broaden Access and Graduation,” by Suzanne Mettler.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociology Toolbox reflects on MLK’s address to social scientists.
• Sociological Images talks Super Mario and cultural globalization and shifts in the U.S. LGBT population.
• ThickCulture asks if Trump’s tweeting is an addiction or a strategy.
• Engaging Sports looks at gender equity in women’s tennis.

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Hello and happy Friday! We are enjoying our last few days of winter break here in Minnesota, but we are excited to be back in full force for the spring semester next week. In this roundup, we have our last round of Best Of and Most Popular 2016 posts, and we highlight some new pieces on charitable giving, medical school, and repertoires of contention.

There’s Research on That!:

“The Social Determinants of Charitable Giving,” by Caity Curry. The holidays are an annual “giving season” for many, but research shows that social factors often determine who gives and for what.

*~!MOST POPULAR 2016!~*
“Millennials Misunderstood,” by Evan Stewart. In the most viewed TROT of 2016, social research helps explain why Millennials are at once fiercely independent, but also missing key markers of adulthood.

Clippings:

“Teaching Medical Students To Rethink Race,” by Caty Taborda-Whitt. Dorothy Roberts talks to Stat News about the need for medical students to learn about the social construction of race.

Discoveries:

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“Fifty Shades of Pay,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. Voted Best Title of 2016, this Discovery details a study from Sociology of Race and Ethnicity that finds wage inequalities between dark and light skinned immigrants.

*~!MOST POPULAR 2016!~*
“On Noisy Neighbors,” by Evan Stewart. The most viewed Discovery of 2016 summarizes research from AJS that shows how class and culture determine what we find “noisy.”

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Revisiting the Rationing of Medical Degrees in the United States,” by Tania M. Jenkins and Shalini Reddy.

“The Contemporary American University, In Seven Emails,” by Rebecca Schuman.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Disabled American Workers Need Ongoing Social Support As Well As Jobs and Fair Wages,” by Gwendolyn Barnhart.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images talks income inequality and mass murder as a repertoire of contention.
• Cyborgology remembers Zygmunt Bauman and trolls #notallmen in India.

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Hello and Happy New Year from TSP! We were out last week, so we have a lot of great stuff to share. We have some new pieces from around the site to highlight, and we continue recognizing our Best Of and Most Popular posts from 2016. Also, in case you missed it, the latest issue of Contexts is available for free online until Jan. 20! So grab a warm beverage and start your year off right with some sweet sociology.

Discoveries:

“Fatalistic Suicide in a Tight-Knit Community,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. Durkheim thought fatalistic suicide was the least common type, but new research in ASR finds it to be quite common in small communities.

“Sex and Cardiovascular Risk in Old Age,” by Edgar Campos. A new study in JHSB explores the varied health risks and benefits of sexual activity and the ways they affect men and women differently.

TSP Specials:

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“The Whitelash Against Diversity,” by Jennifer Lee. Voted best Special Feature by the TSP grad board, in this piece Jennifer Lee highlights research that helps explain the significant “whitelash” among white Americans that resulted in a Trump presidency.

There’s Research on That!:

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“When ‘Nice Guys’ Rape,” by Amber Joy Powell. Feminist scholarship highlights the pervasiveness of rape culture and helps pinpoint how it reproduces notions that only “bad guys” commit “real rape.”

Clippings:

“How Post-Election Questions Burden People of Color,” by Caty Taborda-Whitt. In a candid conversation with Slate, Tressie McMillan Cottom describes the emotional labor that these post-election interactions demand from people of color.

“Life Expectancy and Inequality,” by Edgar Campos. The Huffington Post talks to Jarron Saint Onge about reports that life expectancy dropped in the United States for the first time in two decades.

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“Crossing an “Empathy Bridge” to Understand Trump Supporters,” by Elizabeth Tremmel. Arlie Russell Hochschild talks with Wisconsin Public Radio about her research with conservatives in Louisiana.

*~!MOST POPULAR 2016!~*
“The Noble Poverty in Kids’ Movies,” by Allison Nobles. In the most viewed Clipping of 2016, New York Magazine features research helmed by sociologist Jessi Streib on how Disney downplays social class.

Office Hours:

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“Jooyoung Lee on Blowin’ Up: Rap Dreams in South Central,” with Matthew Aguilar-Champeau. Our Best Of 2016 podcast episode features a conversation with professor Jooyoung Lee about his research and his many skills – from ethnography to dance.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“How Passers-by and Policymakers View Beggars in American Communities,” by Shai Dromi.

“Why Does Immigration Arouse Deep Feelings and Conflicts?” by John D. Skrentny.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“The Evidence is in: Progressive Policies Strengthen Families,” by Molly McNulty.

Contexts:

Fall 2016 Table of Contents

“Darker Skin, Harsher Sentence,” by Lucia Lykke.

“Viewpoints on Financial Foreclosures.”

1.  “Too Small to Help, Too Poor To Trust,” by Frederick F. Wherry, Kristin S. Seefeldt, and Anthony S. Alvarez.
2. “Can Ethnography Improve the Culture of Finance?” by Daniel Beunza.
3. “Financial Entertainment and the Public Sphere,” by Alex Preda.
4. “The End of the American Dream,” by Kevin Leicht.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Girl w/Pen explains how better journalism is good for women.
• Sociology Toolbox rounds up sociologists’ reflections on Trump’s election.
• Cyborgology reflects on the culture of work.
• Families As They Really Are talks marriage education and progressive family policies.

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Even though such things are socially constructed and culturally specific … Happy Holidays from TSP! We are officially done with the fall semester here in Minneapolis, but we still have some great new pieces for you this week. We are also kicking off our annual round of *Best of 2016* posts, and this week we highlight our Best Discovery of 2016. See below and stay tuned for more!

There’s Research on That!:

“Oh By Golly, What is Poly?,” by Allison Nobles. The holidays are all the more difficult to navigate if you have more than one partner to consider, and we’ve rounded up some recent research that sheds light on the hows and whys of polyamory.

Discoveries:

“The ‘Facebook Effect’ on Religiosity,” by Jacqui Frost. New research in Sociological Perspectives finds that young adults who use social media are more likely to be “syncretists” who pick and choose various beliefs and practices from multiple religions, rather than adhering strictly to one traditional doctrine.

*~!BEST OF 2016!~*
“Extending the “Crime Scene” into the Community, by Ryan Larson. Voted the Best Discovery of 2016 by the TSP Grad Board, this piece summarizes recent research in Sociological Science that finds communities of color are more likely to experience stop and frisk activity after a violent crime.

Clippings:

“The Persistence of Sexual Double Standards,” by Allison Nobles. Broadly draws on research from Rachel Allison and Barbara Risman to explain how women are still more likely than men to be judged negatively for past sexual decisions.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Why Politically Active Billionaires Threaten the Health of Democracy,” by Darrell M. West.

Council on Contemporary Families:

3 Questions with Pallavi Banerjee: Immigration/Politics/Talk, by Eunice Owusu.

Contexts:

“Rule Without Referees,” by Philip Vlahakis.

“Sociology Teach-in on Trump at UC-Merced,” by Zulema Valdez.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images asks if a cat can make a community.
• Girl w/Pen talks black women in TV.
• Cyborgology lists the things they did like about 2016.

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