Friday Roundup

Happy Friday! Be sure to stop by TSP and check out what we’ve been up to this week.

There’s Research on That!:

“Prescription Drug Use on the Rise,” by Caty Taborda. How pharmaceutical companies convince us we need pills for problems we didn’t even know we had.

Discoveries:

“Anti-Immigrant Rhetoric Raises Gun Sales,” by Neeraj Rajasekar. “In short, anti-immigration legislation and rhetoric can shape public attitudes, and social anxiety can predict the likelihood that locals ‘lock and load.'”

Clippings:

“The Sociology of North Carolina Barbecue,” by Eamon Whalen.  John Shelton Reed talks to The New Yorker and explains how “barbecue is to the American south what wine and cheese are to Europe.”

“Racial Profiling? There’s an App for That,” by Eamon Whalen. Leslie Hinkson talks to The Washington Post about the potential consequences of crime monitoring apps.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Why America’s Women of Color Have Lost Ground Since the Great Recession,” by Marion Johnson. Limited access to health insurance, minimal representation in the government, and discriminatory voter ID laws all contribute to this troubling trend.

Contexts:

“College Men Having Sex With Men: Are They Exclusively Tops or Bottoms? (No),” by Eliza Brown and Paula England. Research shows that most men are “versatile” rather than always one or the other.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Feminist Reflections reflects on rape culture and pop music.
• Cyborgology asks why we don’t like our neighbors and peeks at Mizzou’s Yik Yak.
• Sociological Images looks at resistance to trans-friendly public bathrooms and asks who gets to break the rules.
• Give Methods a Chance talks to Clifton Evers about mobile video ethnography.

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Hello everyone! With the candy consumed and the early evenings setting in, we have rounded up the latest work at TSP to brighten your morning! Here is a look at what we’ve been up to:

Special Feature:

“The Invisibility of Today’s Women Refugees” by Katharine Donato.

“…most of the images I have seen are of men making the trip from Syria and other countries to Western Europe…I know that the gender composition of most displaced persons and refugees generated by warfare is balanced, half men and half women. So where are the women among these refugees?”

Office Hours:

“Sharmila Rudrappa on Global Surrogacy” with Sarah Catherine Billups. Sharmila Rudrappa explains why India has become an increasingly popular destination for American couples searching for affordable pregnancy assistance.

The Editors’ Desk:

Clippings:

Discoveries:

“When and Why Arab Americans Mobilize for Protest” by Miray Philips. New research from Wayne Santoro and Marian Azab shows how political repression brings new activists into the fold.

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

And a Few From the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images discusses civil disobedience and Barbie—everything you need in a morning read!
• Cyborgology talks research ethics and launches Theorizing the Web 2016!
• Education & Society looks at research on how digital tutoring can charge more, and offer less, than a face-to-face study buddy.

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Happy Halloween weekend all! Before you put on your costumes, turn on your favorite scary movies, and embark on a self-induced candy coma, check out the treats we have for you over at TSP this week.

There’s Research on That!:

“#ShoutYourAbortion Shouts Back at Stigma,” by Amber Powell and Jacqui Frost. Sociological research details why women have generally felt compelled to stay silent about having abortions and the potential benefits of speaking up.

“Fantasy Sports and the Culture of Fandom,” by Evan Stewart and Alex Snidarich. Thinking of trying your luck on a fantasy sports website? Find out what they offer beyond the promise of money.

Clippings:

“The Context of Cult Violence,” by Miray Philips. Bernadette Barton talks to Broadly Vice about the recent violence in an upstate New York church and how isolated religious groups get away with and justify abuse.

“The Missing Women of Wikipedia,” by Eamon Whalen. Julia Adams talks to The Atlantic about the gender imbalance of Wikipedia’s editors.

Discoveries:

Check out “The Personal (Financial) is Political” by Evan Stewart to put Wednesday’s Republican debates in context.

From Our Partners:

Contexts:

“Regulating Unpredictable Schedules to Cut Down the Chaos.” Naomi Gerstel and Dan Clawson suggest much needed changes to shift some of the burden of unpredictable schedules off of employees and onto employers.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“Can Pro-Choice and Pro-Life Activists Recognize the Socioeconomic Realities of Abortion?” by Hannah Phillips. Why the two sides of the abortion debate need to come together and agree to be “pro-women.”

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Promoting Marriage among Single Mothers: An Ineffective Weapon in the War on Poverty,” by Kristi Williams. What is effective? Supportive social and economic family policies.

And a Few From the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images gets into the Halloween spirit with a sociology of zombies, a look at Halloween as an alcoholiday, and their annual “Sexy What?!” Halloween post.
• Sociological Lens talks the sociology of debt and finance.
• Feminist Reflections reflects on man buns and feminist mentoring.
• Cyborgology turns 5 and revisits how Black Lives Matter hacked the social system.
• Families As They Really Are reports on the state of women’s reproductive health.

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Hello, everyone! TSP has been buzzing with everything from elections abroad to academics at home this week. Here’s a look at our latest work.

There’s Research on That!:

“Is #MasculinitySoFragile?” Allison Nobles and Aisha Upton look at the research that makes this hashtag resonate.

“Mass Incarceration’s Challenges for Black America: Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Edition.” Amber Powell rounds up research from the sociologists featured in Coates’ latest article for The Atlantic.

Discoveries:

“Fact or Fiction: NFL Players More Criminal than General Population” by Amber Powell. Research from Wanda Leal, Marc Gertz, and Alex Piquero shows the answer may surprise you!

Give Methods a Chance:

Vinnie Roscigno on Mixed Methods Research. “I feel more confident when I can pull off this blending of methods…this type of sociology is poignant. It’s powerful.”

Clippings:

“Men Who ‘Wait for Marriage‘” by Amber Powell. Sarah Diefendorf talks to The Huffington Post about her research on male abstinence support groups.

“An Academic Bind: ‘Publish or Perish’ Means Playing It Safe” by Miray Philips. A study on the sociology of studies. So meta.

“Surviving Gun Violence” by Eamon Whalen. “Getting shot really changes a person’s social world”

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“The Complexities of Black Youth Suicide” by Kimya N. Dennis

Contexts:

“Something’s Going on North of the Border, Eh?” Howard Ramos gives us a look at the Canadian elections this past week.

And a Few from the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images talks planned obsolescence and the links between masculinity, marines, and My Little Pony
• Cyborgology talks authenticity in political campaigns and small town internet
• Sociological Lens analyzes the airport

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Our Latest Book

Hello everyone! Here’s a look at what TSP has been up to this week.

The Editors’ Desk:

“Thoughts on immigration policy and race,” by Doug Hartmann, on the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act.

There’s Research on That!:

Discoveries:

“Higher Education Lowers Depression” by Sarah Catherine Billups. New work from Shawn Bauldry captures the difference a degree makes for disadvantaged populations.

Clippings:

From Our Partners:

Scholars Strategy Network:

“How Erratic Schedules Penalize Workers.” by Naomi Gerstel. “Just-in-time” scheduling is great for employers, but just not enough for working families that need a stable workday.

Contexts:

“Black in Black Rock City.” Steven Thrasher explores race at Burning Man.

And a Few From the Community Pages:

• Sociological Images on American gun laws and the tragedy of the false negative
• Cyborgology talks bad news on Facebook.
• Families As They Really Are looks at the new U.S. Department of Education college scorecard
• Sociology Lens looks at race and the politics of natural hair.

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Hellllllooooo, Chicago! Here’s what TSP’s been up to this week—some excellent reads as sociology converges on the Windy City. Be sure to say hi to our grad board members and editors as we make the rounds, and watch our Twitter for some live-tweeted-panels courtesy @EvanStewart23 (with Jacqui Frost, our graduate editor).

There’s Research on That!

“We All Live with the Effects of School Segregation,” Evan Stewart with research by Gary Orfield, Susan E. Eaton, Grace Kao, Daniel T. Lichter, Domenico Parisi, and more.

Discoveries:

“Freshman 15 or Family-First 50? College and Family Sequencing Affect Obesity.” Sarah Catherine Billups sums up Journal of Health and Social Behavior research from Miech, Shanahan, Boardman, and Bauldry.

Clippings:

“‘Moving to Opportunity’ After Katrina.” Billups shares some sociological highlights from a New Yorker article on mobility and displacement in New Orleans. Featuring David Kirk, Patrick Sharkey, Stefanie DeLuca, and Corina Graif.

Contexts Magazine:

“Bathroom Battlegrounds and Penis Panics,” Kristen Schilt and Laurel Westbrook. How transgender rights legislation got framed as “bathroom bills,” with seemingly everyone trying to mark their territory.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“The Downside of Separating ‘Good’ Undocumented Immigrants from ‘Bad’ Criminals,” by Abigail Andrews. “As long as protection seems conditional on quiet and deferential personal conduct, any approach that divides undocumented migrants into good versus bad categories reinforces secondary status for all.”

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Getting Current on Cohabitation,” by Virginia Rutter. “Fifteen years ago, the going wisdom on cohabitation was that marriages preceded by living together were more likely to fall apart—that news is out of date.”

A Few From the Community Pages:

• On Sociological Images, a new Yale project parses Americans’ opinions on climate change and research shows college students believe in the benefits of diversity while also touting “color-blindness”.
• Families As They Really Are shares 5 ways professors can help single mother students.
• Feminist Reflections on graphic art and social change.

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Our Latest Book

Check out Getting Culture (just $15!)

Since last we met… Our new book arrived! Check out Getting Culture (just $15!), then read on for the rest of this week’s fresh sociology.

The Editors’ Desk:

“Back to School Research,” by Doug Hartmann and Chris Uggen. Some of the fresh sociology research on education and learning as featured on TSP, its partner sites, and its Community Page blogs.

Discoveries:

“Policy Changes that Help Reduce Murder Rates,” by Ryan Larson. Patricia L. McCall and Jonathan R. Brauer‘s new research shows that welfare might not stop homicide, but increased social support certainly wouldn’t hurt.

Clippings:

“More than 9 to 5,” by Caty Taborda. Randolph Cantrell on trends in juggling multiple jobs.

“Are Behavioral Issues Black and White?” by Caty Taborda. David Ramey on finding that race affects how schoolkids are punished.

“Cougars: Literal Mountain Lions,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. Milaine Alarie and Jason Carmichael on the myth of the wealthy older woman making prey out of 20-somethings.

Scholars Strategy Network:

“U.S. Latinos Care About Many Issues Beyond Immigration,” by Stella M. Rouse. When it comes to voter priorities, for Latinos, immigration only makes the top three.

Council on Contemporary Families:

“Overwork May Explain 10% of Men’s Wage Advantage Over Women,” by Youngjoo Cha. Some of the wage gap owes to men’s taking on extra hours.

The Community Pages:

• Sociological Images on churches and arson, trophy hunting, and the cartography of cursing.
• Families As They Really Are on how it’s inequality, not family structure, that replicates poverty.
• Cyborgology on #BlackLivesMatter as a society-level hack.

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Since last we met…

Features:

“Commemorating 50 Years Since the Voting Rights Act… By Restricting Voting Rights,” Ryan D. King and Vincent Roscigno. How landmark legislation is being eroded, to the detriment of participatory democracy.

There’s Research on That!

“A Hate Crime By Any Other Name,” Ryan Larson. Whether we call a domestic attack a hate crime or terrorism has implications for and is shaped by public perception.

“Social Boundaries and Music Streaming,” Evan Stewart. By TROT-ifying Spotify data, we see how musical preferences are reinforced and reshaped. more...

Sociological snacks, academic dishonesty, perceptions of illegal immigration, incarcerated parents, the crime drop, exacerbating the education gap with Adderral, and when we care about economic inequality, all this week on The Society Pages. Also, be sure to check out our topics pages for Gender, Culture, Inequality, Race, Crime, Politics, and Teaching to get our graduate board’s latest picks from around the web!

Office Hours podcast:

“Michaela DeSoucey on Food and Cultural Authenticity,” with Matt Gunther. DeSoucey joins to discuss her work on food, culture, consumption, and politics.

Give Methods a Chance podcast:

“Shamus Khan on Historical Data,” with Kyle Green. The author of The Practice of Research, Shamus Khan says, “I love very micro-level analyses where you can see what one person is doing or what is happening on the ground…

“Chris Uggen on Academic Dishonesty and Public Sociology,” with Sarah Esther Lageson. Our co-editor Chris Uggen takes the mic to discuss recent sociology headlines around data and ethics.

Discoveries: (formerly The Reading List)

sar”Proving Perception Trumps Reality in Immigration Debates,” by Ryan Larson. New research in Social Problems teases out perceived threat as a driver of isolationist opinions.

Clippings: (formerly Citings & Sightings)

“Black Communities Hit Hard When Government Shrinks,” by Sarah Catherine Billups. When government jobs go away, so do economic mobility opportunities for black communities, says Jennifer Laird.

“Economic Recovery Highlights Economic Inequality,” by Caty Taborda. Sociologist Leslie McCall offers the NYTimes an explanation for why worries over inequality are higher after the Great Recession. more...

As summer starts, sociology blossoms! There’s a new issue of Contexts magazine (all content is available for free from SAGE publications for 30 days!), new podcast episodes, and more for your summer reading list.

There’s Research on That!

“Pew Compiles Data on Pew Composition,” by Jack Delehanty. Are Americans becoming less religious or less organized when it comes to religion and spirituality? Delehanty looks to research from Richard Madsen, Michael Hout and Claude Fischer, Joseph O’Brian Baker and Buster Smith, and Chaeyoon Lim, Carol Ann MacGregor, and Robert D. Putnam.

The Editors’ Desk

“Grandmothers on the World Stage,” by Doug Hartmann. The Atlantic wonders if women like Hillary Clinton find age an advantage in politics, playing what they call “the granny card.”

Office Hours Podcast

“Susan Terrio on Children in U.S. Immigration Custody,” with Lisa Gulya. Discussing Terrio’s new book, Whose Child Am I? more...