public sociology

New & Noteworthy

• Not Your Feminism, Not Your TERF by Jordyn Wald explores the rise of trans-exclusionary rhetoric within feminist movements. While most feminists support transgender rights, a small but vocal group—commonly called “TERFs” or gender-critical feminists—argue for “sex-based rights” that exclude trans women. Drawing from recent research, Jordyn highlights how this perspective relies on rigid and outdated notions of biological sex and often aligns with conservative political agendas.

• TSP’s Summer of Sociology Reading List, 2025 spans a wide range of sociological themes—from youth mental health and labor to nationalism, race, and identity. With titles covering politics, culture, inequality, and everyday life, it offers something for every curious reader.

From the Archives

• A recent execution in Tennessee drew national attention after concerns were raised that a heart device could cause severe pain during the procedure by delivering electrical shocks. For broader context on why the death penalty remains embedded in U.S. culture, check out the 2016 piece, The Resiliency of the Death Penalty in the United States.

• With the fall semester just weeks away and global conflicts intensifying, campus protests are already beginning to take shape. Explore our collection of sociological insights in Campus Protests and Student Activism: Some Sociology Perspectives.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Council on Contemporary Families

• 3Q with Ranita Ray Slow Violence: Confronting Dark Truths in the American Classroom, with CCF’s Alicia Walker with Ranita Ray discussing her new book  Slow Violence: Confronting Dark Truths in the American Classroom, which exposes the everyday harms marginalized students face from school personnel—including racism, fatphobia, and gender-based harassment—often disguised as discipline. Drawing on years of fieldwork, Ray describes how subtle but repeated indignities accumulate over time to erode students’ well-being, political consciousness, and love of learning.
• 3 Q with Christopher Bjork & William Hoynes More Than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry Is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It with Chris Bjork on his new book More Than Just a Game: How the Youth Sports Industry is Changing the Way We Parent and What to Do About It, on how the youth sports industry pressures families into early specialization, financial strain, and achievement-focused parenting.

First Publics

• Theory for Good: Sociology in Cultural Studies by Hannah McCann shares how sociological theory enriches cultural studies classrooms by offering students tools to make sense of their everyday lives. Arguing that teaching theory is a form of public engagement, she shows how applied, reflective learning—especially in today’s age of AI—can foster critical thinking and the need for sociology, now more than ever.

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

• “Life is (not) a Cabaret”: A Genocide-Informed Review of The Guthrie’s Cabaret by Kyra Layman, who reflects on the production which forces audiences to confront the dark historical truths that underlie the surface.

give theory a chance

• Daniel Chambliss shares lessons from the Mundanity of Excellence with Kyle Green discuss The Mundanity of Excellence: An Ethnographic Report on the Stratification of Swimmers, first published in Sociological Theory in 1989.

New & Noteworthy

• Diverse Gender Beliefs Amongst Muslim Americans by Francesca Bernardino highlights new research on how Muslim Americans construct gender ideologies amid Islamophobic stereotypes. The study finds that negative views of Islam as patriarchal shape how Muslim men and women navigate and express beliefs about gender. Based on interviews with 80 participants, the researchers identify two main positions—one defends Islamic doctrine as respectful of natural gender differences, while the other critiques patriarchal practices in Muslim communities and looks to Western norms as more egalitarian.

From the Archives

• The wage gap continues to grow. This piece from CCF by Tania Cabello-Hutt covers how even when men and women follow similar work patterns over their lives, women still earn less—revealing that steady employment alone won’t close the gender wage gap.

• The birth rate in many countries also continues to steadily decrease, which may have many consequences in coming decades. This piece by Mahala Miller covers how economic downturns like the Great Recession led to lower birth rates, more young adults living with parents, and increased family strain—trends that have only deepened in recent years as rising costs, housing shortages, and pandemic fallout continue to reshape family life.

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Contexts

• Letter from the Editors: Spring 2025 by Amin Ghaziani and Seth Abrutyn highlights the Spring 2025 issue, with anti-trans policies and the broader “war on woke” are fueling erasure—from Stonewall to statehouses—making the call to “protect the dolls” more urgent than ever. The issue responds with research on DEI, queer identities, healthcare debt, and more, showing what’s at stake when inclusion is under attack.

First Publics

• Social Theory Re-Wired offers a fresh take on teaching classical and contemporary theory by using technology as both theme and metaphor. In this interview, authors Wesley Longhofer and Daniel Winchester share how their book encourages students to see theory as a living conversation—one they’re already part of, and one with deep public roots.

Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies

• Learning Together, Teaching Forward reflects on a recent two-day educator workshop hosted by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies in partnership with Yahad–In Unum. Aga Fine highlights how Yahad’s global work uncovering mass violence and amplifying survivor voices deepened participants’ understanding of genocide—and offered new tools for teaching these histories with care and urgency.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Growing Up Godless explores how non-religious children in England develop rich moral worlds, playful beliefs, and meaningful rituals outside of religion. In this interview, co-authors Anna Strhan and Rachael Shillitoe discuss how families and schools shape a secular humanist culture that emphasizes autonomy, equality, and wonder.
• Queer Women and the Question of Marriage in the United States: Desire, Ambivalence, and Resistance explores how queer women navigate desire, ambivalence, and resistance toward marriage in a post-legalization era. Sarah Adeyinka-Skold reveals that while many view marriage as a path to legitimacy or a space for queering tradition, others remain wary of its inequalities, class dynamics, and uncertain legal future.

New & Noteworthy

• In Science We Trust? by Jordyn Wald covers global research by Viktoria Cologna and colleagues. Surveying over 70,000 people across 68 countries, the study found that trust in scientists remains high worldwide. Most respondents see scientists as competent, public-minded, and believe they should help solve major issues like health, clean energy, and poverty. However, some distrust persists—especially among conservatives and those who view scientists as elitist—raising concerns about the outsized influence of vocal skeptics.

• The Sticks and Stones of Christian Nationalist Rhetoric by Forrest Lovette highlights research by Nilay Saiya and Stuti Manchanda on how political speech can incite violence. Analyzing statements from all 100 U.S. senators, the study found that states where senators endorsed Christian nationalist views were up to 1.5 times more likely to experience violence against religious minorities. The authors argue this rhetoric legitimizes hostility by framing other faiths as threats—underscoring the real-world dangers of political language rooted in religious supremacy.

From the Archives

• Rubber bullets and other less-than-lethal projectiles have been used on Los Angeles residents in recent confrontations. This archive piece during the 2020-2021 protests covers some research on the harm that these projectiles used by police and the military can cause. And it highlights one study that found that 3% of people hit by rubber bullets actually die from these injuries, so “97% non-lethal”.

• RFK is reported to have planned the termination of all members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee, with skepticism that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic being cited as a catalyst. In 2020, Contexts published this piece, the coming vaccine battle, which although now in hindsight, served as insight into today’s climate.

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Contexts

• Novel/Sociology: An Interview with Jonathan Wynn by Amin Ghaziani spotlights UMass sociologist Jonathan Wynn’s genre-bending debut novel The Set Up. Known for his academic work on cities and culture, Wynn describes the “terrific fun” of writing fiction as a way to smuggle in sociological insights. Blending mystery, marketing, and microsociology, the story follows a rogue Vegas firm that hires actors to influence behavior—raising ethical questions in a Goffman-meets-Ocean’s Eleven plot.

Council on Contemporary Families

• The Importance of Sexual and Romantic Exploration for LGBQ+ College Students by Ellen Lamont and Teresa Roach explores how college can offer a crucial space for identity development among LGBQ+ youth, especially those raised in conservative Christian environments. Based on interviews with 26 students, the study finds that beyond supportive communities, the ability to explore sexuality through relationships was key to affirming identity and building self-understanding. Yet students still faced barriers—including limited queer social spaces and conflicting expectations about campus organizations.
• From Kin to Unit: How Refugee Resettlement Reshapes Family Itself by Neda Maghbouleh draws on a seven-year ethnographic study of 52 Syrian families resettled in Canada. The research reveals how state policy fractured extended kin networks by enforcing a narrow, nuclear definition of “family.” Most families faced protracted separation from vital caregivers, while a few navigated costly sponsorships or strategic marriages to rebuild kinship ties. Maghbouleh and co-author Laila Omar argue that these exclusions are not incidental, but institutional—reshaping daily life and identity.

First Publics

• Subverting a Subject: Marketing as Sociology by Sam Chian explores how teaching marketing through a sociological lens turns business education into critical inquiry. Instead of training future marketers, Chian encourages students to question how marketing reinforces inequality, commodifies identity, and shapes desire. By treating marketing as a social institution, he helps students see it not as a neutral tool, but as a force worth interrogating—and potentially transforming.
• Flattening Theory: Kyle Green on the Give Theory a Chance Podcast highlights how sociologist Kyle Green is reshaping theory education through podcasting. In Give Theory a Chance, Green invites guests to share how big ideas—from Du Bois to Deleuze—shaped their thinking and research. His goal? To demystify theory and make it accessible, especially for students daunted by jargon or academic gatekeeping. By “flattening” the canon and emphasizing lived experience, Green transforms theory from something to fear into something to feel, encouraging listeners to engage with ideas that illuminate the world around them.

Engaging Sports

• Thirsting for More: What TikTok Can Tell Us About Women’s Basketball by Julia Macey and Jennifer McGovern explores how TikTok is reshaping media narratives around women’s basketball. Analyzing 50 fan-made edits, the authors found that while racial and gendered media patterns persist—white players received more views, and Black players were more often shown in action—TikTok also offers a space to celebrate queer desire and athleticism outside the male gaze.

New & Noteworthy

Election Fallout and Increased Infant Health Disparities by Leo LaBarre covers research by Paola Langer, Caitlin Patler and Erin Hamilton. They found adverse birth outcomes rose among Black, Hispanic, and Asian mothers after the 2016 election, highlighting how political stress and racism can harm infant health indirectly.

Our latest Clippings by Mallory Harrington includes:

• Peter Hepburn: In an Associated Press article, Hepburn—Assistant Professor of Sociology at Rutgers University-Newark and Associate Director at the Eviction Lab—highlighted the toll of eviction on schoolchildren, noting that 40% of those at risk of eviction are kids, who often face school transfers and chronic absenteeism.

• Michel Anteby: Writing in The Conversation, Anteby defended bureaucrats as essential to public service, drawing on Max Weber’s classic theories to argue that they act as expert safeguards against “dilettantism, favoritism and selfishness” (Boston University).

• Ellis Monk: In a Washington Post article on diversity and AI, Monk warned that political pressure and speed-to-market demands may undermine inclusive design in tech, despite global companies like Google working to accommodate varied skin tones in AI outputs (Harvard University).

• David Yamane: In The Conversation, Yamane outlined five key insights about American gun culture, from its normalization to its diverse ownership and shifting symbolic meanings—ideas explored in his upcoming book Gun Curious (Wake Forest University).

• Tristan Bridges: In a New York Times feature on Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, Bridges explained how Piker benefits from “jock insurance,” a concept describing how men with high masculine capital can subvert gender norms without facing social penalties (UC Santa Barbara).

From the Archives

Florida recently conducted “Operation Tidal Wave,” a six-day immigration sweep that resulted in the arrest and deportation of more than 1,100 undocumented immigrants. These large-scale enforcement actions risk tearing families apart and destabilizing entire communities. In this 2022 piece, Delgado highlights how adult children in mixed-status families often assume emotional and logistical responsibilities to support and protect their undocumented parents.

A Supreme Court case is set to decide if religious schools can be considered public charter schools or not – a decision that could radically transform public education in the United States. Historically, the separation of church and state has meant that public schools cannot give overtly religious instruction, but supporters of this case argue that barring religious schools from applying to a charter school program infringes upon religious liberty. This Sociological Images piece by Evan Stewart from 2018 discusses debates and controversies surrounding religious freedom and discrimination.

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Council on Contemporary Families

• The Silent Labor of Love: How Women Become Relational Managers in Marriage by Alicia Walker shares the pattern of how many women in heterosexual marriages take on the invisible role of “relational managers,” shouldering the emotional labor of caring for their partners—a burden rooted in gender norms that often leads to burnout, imbalance, and resentment.
• Lessons from the Pandemic for U.S. Work and Family Policy, reported from the Scholars Strategy Network, by Golda Kaplan, Michelle Cera, Barbara J. Risman, and Kathleen Gerson covers how the pandemic revealed that while flexible work arrangements can help couples share domestic labor more equally, true gender equity at home also requires shifting social norms and supportive family policies.

give theory a chance

• Jon Wynn on writing fiction discusses his debut novel The Set Up, blending fiction with sociological insight and drawing inspiration from Du Bois, Goffman, and beyond.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings by Mallory Harrington includes:

• Musa al-Gharbi (Stony Brook University): Argued that the Trump administration’s crackdown on higher education backfired—universities that complied, like Columbia, were punished, prompting others like Harvard to resist instead.

• Madonna Harrington Meyer (Syracuse University): Described how grandparents are increasingly parenting their grandchildren, often sacrificing retirement or taking on debt, despite attempts to set boundaries like “fun days” or fixed schedules.

• Aarushi Bhandari and Parul Bhandari (Davidson College & University of Cambridge): Discussed the Hermès Birkin bag as a symbol of elite status, and how Walmart’s “Wirkin” sparked conversations around wealth, accessibility, and anti-elitist sentiment.

• Rebecca Sandefur (Arizona State University): Highlighted that most civil court users lack legal representation; the system is built for legal professionals, making it inaccessible to the general public despite its importance.

• Michelle Janning (Whitman College): Explained that dishwashing arguments reflect deeper meanings—our home rituals symbolize control, identity, and resistance to automation in increasingly tech-driven domestic spaces.

Our latest Discovery by Anastasia Dulle covers research by Ken Kamoche and Kuok Kei Law on bamboo scaffolders in Hong Kong, and how they navigate dangerous work and social stigma by embracing a macho identity that emphasizes toughness, risk-taking, and informal expertise in a declining and highly scrutinized industry.

From the Archives

Coinciding with holidays like Passover and Easter, spring cleaning used to have a religious significance. Today, spring cleaning is more about practicality. In this article, Sarah Catherine Billups discusses the gendered division of housework and the sociological significance of dust.

Peter Dutton, the leader of Australia’s conservative Liberal Party, has said that he believes in climate change. He was accused of minimizing the issue during a recent political debate. In 2015, Erik Kojola wrote about social science research into climate denial.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Council on Contemporary Families

• 3Q with Brigid Schulte and Haley Swenson authors of A Glimpse of Stability: The Impact of Pandemic Aid on Families in Poverty with Alicia M. Walker discuss how pandemic-era aid showed that direct, sustained government support can dramatically improve stability and well-being for low-income families, challenging long-held narratives about poverty and personal responsibility.

First Publics

• Apathy to Engagement: Sociology’s Problem-Solving Potential by Johnnie Lotesta, on how teaching public sociology can empower students to counter political apathy by helping them explore social problems, imagine alternatives, and develop real-world solutions grounded in their own experiences.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings includes: Robert Putnam discussed the link between social isolation and populism on PBS News Hour, highlighting how civic engagement can drive moral revival. Florence Becot appeared on The FarmHouse podcast to examine the invisible labor of women in agriculture, including the expectation of raising children while performing farm work. Battle for Tibet, a new FRONTLINE documentary, features Tibetan sociologist Gyal Lo’s research on Chinese boarding schools and their role in reshaping Tibetan identity. Meanwhile, Willam Robinson spoke at Peoples’ Platform Europe 2025 about the deepening crisis of global capitalism, warning of economic stagnation, rising authoritarianism, and environmental collapse in Medya News.

Crowdfunding Gaps for Female Gun Violence Victims by Dylan DiGiacomo-Stumm writes up research by Catherine Burgess and Jennifer Carlson. They found in their study of 535 GoFundMe campaigns that race and gender shape how victims are portrayed and the financial support their families receive, with white women and girls raising significantly more money than Black and Latinx victims.

Sociology in the News | Ep.8 | Elizabeth Bruch and Amie Gordon’s Dating App “Revel” of our TSP Podcast produced by Forrest Lovette includes TSP Board members Jordyn Wald, Emma Goldstein, Mason Jones discussing Elizabeth Bruch and Amie Gordon‘s recent coverage in The Pulse on “Revel“, a dating app for students at the University of Michigan that doubles as a research tool to uncover college dating patterns.

From the Archives

SNL just celebrated 50 years of comedy, including decades of political satire. From presidential impressions to Weekend Update, the show has shaped how audiences engage with politics. But humor isn’t just entertainment—it reflects and shapes social norms. Learn more about how comedy and politics intersect in this TSP Roundtable.

Recently, the IRS cut 6,000 jobs as we come up on tax season. This NPR article suggests these job cuts mean that American taxpayers will have a harder time getting information about taxes this year. This Discovery from 2019 covers how some policies place the burden of taxation unfairly on the socioeconomically disadvantaged, while perceptions of the fairness of tax heavily depend upon whether people view the government as competent.

Earlier this week, Trump called Ukrainian president Zelenskyy a “dictator”, accused him of corruption and misuse of foreign aid, and blamed Ukraine for starting the war with Russia. A piece published by the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 emphasizes the importance of upholding and remembering truths about past violence. Additionally, this Sociological Images piece written right before Trump’s first presidency discusses similarities between the leadership and rhetorical styles of Trump and Putin, and is interesting to return to over eight years later.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Contexts

• winter 2025 table of contents is available free for limited time!
• letter from the editors: winter 2025 by Seth Abrutyn and Amin Ghaziani on their final year as Contexts editors, Seth Abrutyn and Amin Ghaziani reflect on heartbreak and hope.

Council on Contemporary Families

• 3 Qs with Abigail Ocobock Marriage Material: How and Enduring Institution is Changing Same-Sex Relationships by Alicia M. Walker covers Abigail Ocobock’s research on how legal same-sex marriage reshapes LGBTQ+ relationships, blending resistance to heteronormativity with new pressures, constraints, and evolving expectations of commitment.

First Publics

• Teaching the Sociological Multiverse by Jonathan Wynn explores the “sociological multiverse,” emphasizing the importance of teaching multiple theoretical perspectives to foster critical thinking, resist one-dimensional explanations, and challenge assumptions in an increasingly polarized world.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings by Mallory Harrington includes Raka Ray and Geoffrey Pleyers’ reflections on the passing of Michael Burawoy, a towering figure in public sociology whose work shaped labor studies, ethnographic methods, and the discipline as a whole. Max Besbris commented on the rapid rebuilding of the Palisades after California’s wildfires, noting that wealthy residents will dictate the terms of recovery; Aldon Morris and Harry Edwards weighed in on the state of the U.S. under the Trump administration, warning of potential unrest; Ulrike Bialas discussed the crisis of young, homeless migrants in Paris; and George Kassar applied Norbert Elias’ theories on the “civilizing process” to digital norms and Netiquette.

This summary of pieces by us and our partners by me explores the Super Bowl’s cultural significance, covering topics like politics in sports, racial disparities in NFL coaching, the concussion crisis, nationalism in football, sexism in fandom, the 2016 Take a Knee movement, masculinity in commercials, corporate influence in ads, and Super Bowl consumer habits.

I also published a new Discovery from research by Sarah Lageson and Robert Stewart on the inaccuracy of private background checks, revealing widespread false negatives and positives that impact employment, housing, and education, while calling for stronger regulation and privacy protections.

From the Archives

Trump recently signed an order, to go in effect immediately, that bans transgender women from competing in female sports, specifically targeting the 2028 Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles by denying Visas for transgender athletes. This Special Feature from 2023 by Chris Knoester highlights how the anti-trans movement in sports focus on reinvigorating sex and gender binaries, often conflating the two, while also obscuring the need for higher support for womens’ and girls’ sports.

On Wednesday, the CDC released a new report about U.S. maternal mortality. They found that pregnancy-related deaths declined for every race or ethnic group tracked in the report except Black women. In this 2019 piece summarizing research on the topic, Amy August and De Andre’ Beadle discuss how Black Americans, especially women, experience worse health outcomes than white Americans, and Black women are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.

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Contexts

• whose parents are paying? by elena g. van stee highlights new research by Kimberly Goyette and colleagues on college spending, showing that Asian American parents—particularly recent immigrants—pay more for their children’s education than White parents, despite lower average incomes, with spending differences disappearing by the third generation.
• status consistency wanted by sophie x. liu on research by Christopher Marquis, András Tilcsik, and Ying Zhang covering status consistency in hiring, showing that applicants with both elite education and attractiveness are favored for high-status jobs, while those with mismatched traits face disadvantages, highlighting new dimensions of inequality in labor markets.
• the wages of digital emotional labor by sophie x. liu writes up research by Paulina d.C. Inara Rodis on how racialized women navigate online spaces, showing that despite advocating against racism and sexism, they often refrain from responding due to the emotional toll and heightened visibility, highlighting the burden of “digital emotional labor.”
• is authentic dating possible? by giora ashkenazi, highlighting an analysis of AI in dating, arguing that authenticity has always been a social performance shaped by symbolic interaction, and suggesting that meaningful connections can emerge by expanding our comfort with vulnerability in digital and real-world interactions.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Beyond “Good” Sex: Unlocking the Secrets to “Great” Sex by Alicia M. Walker on what makes sex truly great, highlighting the importance of sexual skills, responsiveness, and mindfulness in fostering deeper intimacy, mutual connection, and greater satisfaction beyond physical techniques.

New & Noteworthy

This week’s Clippings via Mallory Harrington highlights recent sociological insights, including Arlie Russell Hochschild’s exploration of political divides in Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right, Gi-Wook Shin’s analysis of South Korea’s political instability following President Yoon’s martial law declaration in All Things Considered, Allison Pugh’s examination of AI’s impact on human connection in  The Last Human Job: The Work of Connecting in a Disconnected World, Musa Al-Gharbi’s critique of social justice discourse in We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite, and Danielle Lindemann’s take on how reality TV reflects societal inequalities.

From the Archives

As 2024 comes to a close, many magazines and publications are sharing their picks for this year’s best books. Whether you’re looking forward to some holiday downtime or are starting to plan your 2025 reading list, be sure to check out this selection of must-read sociology books that our Board published earlier this year.

Public outcry against Joe Biden’s hypocrisy in pardoning Hunter Biden after repeatedly claiming he would not do so throughout his presidency brings forth a number of considerations; first, this New York Mag article highlights how Biden could potentially commute the sentences of 40 men on federal death row, yet chose to use the remainder of his time in office pardoning his son. This 2021 piece provides a rundown on the sociological significance of scandals and the role that media, public morality, and social identities like race and gender contribute to how we experience scandals socially.

Recently Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, was killed outside of his Hotel in New York. While the motives are still unknown, this news has raised many questions about the ethics of profiting off of health care. This 2014 article from Sociological Images reflects on health care as a 2.7 trillion dollar industry in America.

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Contexts

• from carbon paper to code: crafting sociology in an age of ai by Corey Abramson on repurposing evolving technologies like AI for deeper social insights while reflecting on the enduring lessons of critical, engaged methodologies from thinkers like C. Wright Mills and W.E.B. Du Bois.

Council on Contemporary Families

• Racial Wealth Inequality Emerges in Young Adulthood by Ellen Bryer and Alexander Adames write about racial wealth gaps, emeringe in young adulthood, driven by disparities in financial assets rather than debt, and how addressing these gaps will require multifaceted solutions such as student debt cancellation, raising the minimum wage, and implementing baby bonds.
• The educational costs of teen births by Joseph D. Wolfe and Mieke Beth Thomeer cover their research on how educational costs of teen births have grown over time, especially for women from advantaged backgrounds, as structural and socioeconomic factors increasingly shape the opportunity costs and life outcomes tied to adolescent childbearing.

New & Noteworthy

TSP Board member Shania Kuo writes up research by Patrick Krueger and colleagues’ in a new Discovery. This piece highlights that while working parents lose sleep (especially those with young children) their physical activity remains steady or even increases as they intentionally incorporate exercise into family time. The study emphasizes the current resilience of parents and the need for better parental leave policies/support services to help parents balance work and caregiving.

Our latest Clippings of Sociology in the news by Mallory Harrington features Liz McKenna in Forbes discussing Barack Obama joining Vice President Kamala Harris on the campaign trail, drawing parallels between Harris’s current momentum and Obama’s 2008 grassroots efforts.Matthew Desmond spoke on WYPR about the roots of poverty in America and the role affluent individuals play in its continuation.  The Wall Street Journal reviewed Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite by  Aaron Reeves and Sam Freidman, which explores the lasting power of the British elite. Rima Majed, in an interview with Democracy Now, discussed Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and the region’s continued resistance movements. Meanwhile, the Hindustan Times highlighted Neetu Batra’s insights on active aging in India, where many seniors are redefining retirement by embracing new hobbies and careers.

From the Archives

For a deep dive into the realities of voter suppression and the myths of voter fraud, check out Neeraj Rajasekar’s piece, The Fantasy of Voter Fraud & The Reality of Voter Suppression. This article breaks down research that demonstrates how voter fraud is nearly nonexistent, while voter suppression, particularly through felony disenfranchisement and strict ID laws, skews election outcomes by disproportionately affecting minority groups.

Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green, have made claims that the U.S. government can control the weather and engineered Hurricane Milton. Check out his Sociological Images article by Evan Stewart from 2017, discussing important sociological findings about how low institutional trust fuels belief in conspiracy theories with, both liberals and conservatives being susceptible, often driven by feelings of powerlessness rather than pure partisanship.

This week, the CDC released data from the first nationally representative survey on transgender students. It found that 3.3 percent of high school students identify as transgender, with an additional 2.2 percent questioning their gender identity. Among other findings, the survey reveals that transgender and gender-questioning teens face significantly higher levels of bullying, sadness, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors compared to their peers. To learn more about transgender teens’ experiences, check out the Council on Contemporary Families’ interview with Tey Meadow, sociologist and author of Trans Kids: Being Gendered in the 21st Century.

Backstage with TSP

Behind the scenes at TSP we are constantly brainstorming and piloting new ideas and creative ways to share sociology with the world. Currently, we have some “StoryMaps” and new video ideas that you may see soon! Stay tuned.

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Contexts:

• making merit by Elena G. van Steev covers a recent study by Sam Friedman and colleagues on how elites in the UK define merit as innate talent, while Danish elites emphasize hard work, yet both perspectives justify inequality in their respective societies.
• a broader look at the housing crisis by Parker Muzzerall summarizes a study by Carl Gershenson and Matthew Desmond highlights how the rental housing crisis is affecting rural America, revealing that racial and class disparities in evictions, similar to those in urban areas, are also prevalent in rural regions.

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Alicia Walker talks with Nicole Bedera’s new book On the Wrong Side: How Universities Protect Perpetrators and Betray Survivors, which exposes how universities prioritize protecting perpetrators over supporting survivors of sexual violence. Bedera discusses how Title IX processes often fail survivors, retraumatizing them while neglecting their educational needs, and offers insights on how independent third parties could reclaim the mission of Title IX to ensure justice and safety on campuses.

First Publics:

• Engaging Elections: Keeping the US elections in context covers more insights from the recent webinar Engaging Elections: The Politics of Teaching as Public Sociology. Panelists discussed using case studies and local contexts to make complex political theories relatable, with Cedric de Leon offering examples of how campus symbols can engage students in understanding macro-level theories through their lived experiences. Watch it here.

New & Noteworthy

Daniel Cueto-Villalobos‘s latest Discovery on research by Ioana Sendroiu on how small business during COVID-19 navigated the balance between keeping their doors open, and protecting the public. The study found that many small business owners prioritized public health and employee well-being over profits, navigating moral dilemmas beyond partisan divides.

This week’s Clippings of sociology in the news includes Melissa Milkie and Kei Nomaguchi in The New York Times on the mental health impacts of intensive parenting, Amanda Miller on 21 Alive News discussing the effects of police-action shootings, Laura K. Nelson and Alexandra Brewer in The Economic Times on how women receive less clear feedback at work, and Neil Gross in The New York Times on the debate over “viewpoint diversity” in academia.

From the Archives

Discussions on women’s health and morality have intensified, especially around pregnancy. Sociologists point to how cultural ideals of motherhood put women – especially poor women of color – under increased scrutiny. Learn more in this TROT by Allison Nobles.

The US recently ranked last among 10 developed nations in healthcare. Check out this Discovery by Amy August from ~10 years ago on where things were then.

Last week, Yale, Princeton, and Duke were quested over the decline in Asian Students. Read our recent Discovery by Shania Kuo on research about Asian Student’s views towards affirmative action.

More from our Partners & Community Pages

Council on Contemporary Families:

• Did the global pandemic of COVID-19 change the division of labor at home? by F. Kubra Aytac, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted persistent gender disparities in household and childcare responsibilities, with mothers bearing a disproportionate share, particularly in collectivistic cultures like Turkey.

First Publics:

• Toward a Better Vision of Classical Sociological Theory by Seth Abrutyn writes about how soc theory should be taught through a fresh, practical approach that links classical ideas with contemporary research, making it more relevant, engaging, and connected to students’ lived experiences and sociological inquiry – providing 2 approaches.