Authors:Kelley Christopher et al. Abstract: While there have been numerous studies demonstrating the effectiveness of moral rehabilitation prison educational programs, few have focused on the effectiveness of these programs for incarcerated women. The current research is an exploratory study based upon eight participants’ initial perceptions of a four-year bachelor’s program in theology, taught through the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS). Our preliminary results are consistent with the previous literature about NOBTS students’ histories of abuse and tragedy, straying from faith, negotiation of identity, and programming challenges the students face. These women’s narratives provide an initial exploration into the ways in which the NOBTS program has impacted these women within the carceral setting. PubDate: Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:35:22 PST
Authors:Thibault Deneve et al. Abstract: Our research focuses on self-rated general health and access to healthcare among veterans. We used data collected by the 2010 National Survey of Veterans, a nationally representative survey of veterans in the U.S. The purpose is to identify and assess aspects of military experiences which could be responsible for differences in veterans’ health and their access to healthcare. Specifically, we investigate how exposure to combat, as well as exposure to specific traumas, can have a lasting impact on the health of veterans. We utilized two nested regression models around our focal variables; a logistic regression model was used to assess the access to mental healthcare, while an ordinal regression model was used to assess self-rated general health. We were also able to infer that a structural change in policies for veterans’ healthcare might have provided significant benefits among the population. Findings show unique effects on health patterns for combat and trauma in the field. Paradoxically, we also observe that many of the socio-economic indicators operated quite differently than they do for the general population in the United States in terms of their links to health differences. PubDate: Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:35:14 PST
Authors:Rita B. Thomson Abstract: Studies generally show higher rates of food insecurity among the immigrant population in the U.S. than among the native born, but often no distinction regarding citizenship and birthplace is made. Nor is the fact that households are often a mixture of foreign born and native born considered. Here data from years 2014-2017 of the Current Population Survey are used to examine household food insecurity in association with household citizenship type and receipt of food assistance. Foreign birth is not always associated with greater risk of food insecurity. Of households including foreign born individuals, only households composed entirely of noncitizens are more likely to be food insecure than households of U.S. mainland born citizens. Households composed entirely of birth citizens, with at least one born in U.S. territories, are also more likely to be food insecure. In contrast, households composed entirely of naturalized citizens are less likely to be food insecure. Also households containing a noncitizen, no adult citizen, and a child citizen are less likely to be food insecure. PubDate: Fri, 11 Mar 2022 11:35:07 PST
Authors:Jennifer E. Melvin et al. Abstract: This paper describes a public sociology project in which students at Flagler College will be enlisted to conduct research on the gentrifying community of Lincolnville in St. Augustine, Florida. The theoretical and research perspectives that will be used to guide the project are supplied by the urban sociological methodology of the Chicago School of Sociology from the early twentieth century. The objectives of the Lincolnville project are to recruit and train interested students in producing new knowledge in the phenomena of gentrification on a local level, to enrich student knowledge of theory and research, to use service learning to explain the subfield known as public sociology, and to disseminate this information to various publics such as community leaders, in the hope of informing planning and policy that seeks to revitalize neighborhoods without displacing marginalized subpopulations. PubDate: Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:44:03 PDT
Authors:Jason Milne Abstract: The sport referee is an integral part of the sporting experience. This paper explores the experience of the sport official, focusing on developing themes related to how an individual got into the refereeing, current issues sport officials experience both on and off the field, and relationships between the official and other sporting roles. Through interviews (N=10) with referees from a variety of team sports, I use the grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin 1990) method to develop a series of themes that emerged from the data focusing on the sport referee experience. I developed initial themes that focus on the different questions from the surveys. Out of these initial themes, I used theoretical coding to develop theories that focus on the referee role that is in conflict with other sporting roles as well as the referee identity in and of itself, the importance of social and cultural capital for improvement and advancement of the referee, and the role of safety and fairness for the sport official. Future research should focus on the application of these ideas for the improvement of referee organizations, particularly increasing the number of referees who have an opportunity to advance. Future research should also focus on examining the refereeing system from other role-perspectives, focusing particularly on the difference between those involved in the actual game (players, coaches, and spectators), and those involved in the administration of the game (league administrators, etc.). PubDate: Tue, 08 Jun 2021 06:27:43 PDT
Authors:Philip Q. Yang et al. Abstract: In recent years, many media reports have claimed that older people are happier than younger people. We question the total validity of this claim. Analyzing data from General Social Surveys 1972-2016, this study reveals that the happiness of older adults depends on their health status and economic status, and it also detects a significant J-shaped relationship between age and happiness over a lifetime. Additionally, we find significant differences in happiness across generations and over time. Our findings challenge the popular claim in the media reports and the U-shaped and inverted U-shaped patterns detected in the academic literature and provide a more complete picture of the relationship between age and happiness. PubDate: Tue, 08 Jun 2021 06:27:35 PDT
Authors:Margaret Williamson Abstract: AbstractAs the higher education landscape changes, faculty need to change with it. This paper outlines various pedagogies that are being used to increase student learning in an Introduction to Sociology course. The pedagogies discussed in this paper include Transparency in Learning (TiLT) (Winkelmes, 2013), Flipped Classroom (Walvoord and Anderson, 1998), “Make It Stick” note taking format (Brown, Roediget, McDaniel, 2014; Alby, 2020), Kahoot! (Kahoot!, 2020), and Quizzlets (Quizzlet.com, 2020). In addition, this paper discusses the need for student responsibility in learning and provides suggestions for this including “Accomplishing Your Goals” suggestions (Alby, 2020), and “Study Suggestions”. Although the goal of this paper is to provide successful examples of these practices in an Introduction to Sociology course, the hope is also to encourage faculty to use any or all of these in their courses. PubDate: Tue, 08 Jun 2021 06:27:30 PDT
Authors:David Broad Abstract: The Social Register has been since 1888 a defining feature of the American social upper class which has been argued by Baltzell, Domhoff and others as a governing class. From its beginnings in the flowering of the corporate oligarchy in the industrial age, the Social Register has changed relatively little in character or content. Recent journalistic and social scientific examinations of Social Registry have questioned its continuing relevance to the thesis that the social upper class is a governing class. This paper examines some of the foundational work of Domhoff and others and extends that examination to recent developments in the symbolic representations of Social Registry. PubDate: Fri, 06 Nov 2020 06:32:11 PST
Authors:Rodger A. Bates et al. Abstract: Shaming is a form of social control found in every society.It is an informal mechanism that is found in traditional societies or small, personal groups. The power of shaming is related to a person's sense of self as reflected by his or her interpretation of the acts of others. Today, in the emerging environment of the global village, shaming has evolved from an expanded from a personal to a collective mechanism of influence and social control. In fact, what was once a mechanism of social control has become a potential for social change. PubDate: Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:43:05 PDT
Authors:Raj A. Ghoshal Abstract: This article shows how customized learning surveys can be used to capture students’ perceptions of their learning in ways that aid pedagogy and students’ growth. In contrast to relying solely on standardized university-designed evaluations of teaching, thoughtful use of self-designed surveys about learning offers four benefits. First, this technique generates timely feedback in a way that allows instructors to adjust our teaching when it matters most. Second, custom surveys allow instructors to center learning as the core outcome and therefore facilitate specific, educationally relevant, and useful feedback. Third, the approach can cue students to think of themselves as the core agent of their own education, which helps them move toward greater self-directed learning in the long term. Finally, the approach facilitates the collection of data that can be used in annual assessments or applications for tenure and promotion, which will be increasingly important as more universities seek alternatives to using standardized student evaluations in personnel decisions. In this article I lay out my rationale for adopting this method, describe how it works, and explain why I see it as fruitful for improving assessment, teaching, and learning. PubDate: Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:42:56 PDT
Authors:Daniel J. Rose et al. Abstract: As teachers, we often deny students the freedom to choose topics of inquiry and methods of communication. We have developed an open research project that challenges students to identify a social problem, gather research, and apply what they have learned by targeting an audience and developing a strategy for effective communication. This assignment centers a “problem-posing” focus that tasks students with confronting relevant issues in their lives and communities. It emphasizes public sociology by shifting the audience for their projects from instructors to classmates, families, communities, and beyond. Students have communicated their work through a variety of mediums, including children’s books, videos, poetry, photojournalism, and other artistic formats. We discuss challenges and strategies involved with this open project. Paradoxically, we have learned from this project that lots of freedom requires lots of structure. We find that for students to create high-quality public sociology, teachers must commit to providing clear expectations, deadlines, communication, and accountability. PubDate: Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:42:43 PDT
Authors:Jamie MacLennan Abstract: Researchers have discovered that African Americans are more likely than whites to attribute poverty and racial inequality to a combination of structural factors (such as discrimination) and individualistic factors (such as motivation). However, the percentage of respondents who exhibit this “dual consciousness” has varied substantially across studies. This is likely due to the different ways that poverty and racial inequality attributions have been measured, whether by closed-ended survey or open-ended interview questions. The following study seeks to supplement the existing literature with findings from 38 in-depth interviews with Southern, rural African Americans who live in an environment of concentrated poverty. Results show that a substantial majority (71%) exhibit a dual consciousness, providing explanations for poverty and racial inequality that are not included as options in existing survey items (including the General Social Survey). Implications for future design of survey items gauging poverty and racial inequality attributions are discussed. PubDate: Thu, 19 Mar 2020 12:07:26 PDT
Authors:Abigail F. Kolb et al. Abstract: In recent years there has been an increased focus on gang desistence and exiting strategies, yet little is known at present regarding the experiences of women exiting the gang lifestyle. The current study, based on semi-structured interviews with twenty-four formerly gang-affiliated Chicana women involved with a prominent gang prevention/intervention organization, sought to understand how these women negotiated their disengagement from the gang. Consistent with previous literature, we found that disengagement from the gang lifestyle is neither linear nor immediate. Five primary themes that emerged from the interviews included: (1) the process of identity transition; (2) motherhood and its responsibilities; (3) generational shifts in gang culture; (4) burning bridges; (5) impacts of prison; and (6) support services. The women's narratives offer an alternative lens through which to understand women’s negotiation of their own identities through the process of disengagement from the gang. PubDate: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:33:43 PDT
Authors:George K. Danns Dr. Abstract: ABSTRACTThis article is a review of the book “HURT: Chronicles of the Drug War Generation” by Miriam Boeri. Through ethnographic research the author provides interpretative explorations of the personal lives and moral careers of 100 Baby Boomers addicted to illicit drugs, ensnared in the criminal justice system, buffeted by other agencies of social control and continuously marginalized by mainstream society. This review questions whether the author adhered to the norm of “value neutrality” in conducting the study and whether the study design and conclusions are characterized by bias' The book presented a contest between agency and social structure leaving the reader with the impression that it is wholly the system to be blamed for the problems of addicts and not also the individual who is addicted to drugs. Further, a plethora of sociological theories and constructs were independently employed to explain one or other aspect of the subject matter without any attempt to establish linkages among these and to create a more holistic theoretical explication of the subject matter. The author postulated a “social recovery model” that is seen as limited in explaining and resolving the problems of drug users and the drug epidemic. PubDate: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:33:22 PDT
Authors:Cenate Pruitt Abstract: The sociological study of commonalities between professional wrestling and heavy metal music seems intuitive. Both are considered loud, flashy, and aggressively macho. Both have seen an explosion of critical academic analysis in the last decade. Both are perfect embodiments of what Barthes (1956) called “the spectacle of excess”. And yet, no academic research has explicitly brought the two together until now. This article serves as a beachhead, to first establish commonalities between the two forms, and then to explore the specific ways in which heavy metal culture has both infiltrated and been co-opted by mainstream American professional wrestling in the modern era (1985-present). By exploring successful and failed attempts to marry metal and wrestling, I argue that the heightened sense of authenticity central to both heavy metal and professional wrestling makes seemingly obvious cross-promotions difficult to achieve. PubDate: Fri, 04 Oct 2019 14:33:11 PDT
Authors:Charles Jaret Abstract: Black Internal Migration and Inter-racial Socioeconomic Inequality in Atlanta andOther Metropolitan Areas: Has It Changed in the Past 35 Years'AbstractUsing recent American Community Survey data this paper compares levels of black internal migration to metropolitan Atlanta and 70 other metro areas in the 1970s and the early 2010s, and it evaluates how much change has occurred, since 1980, in black-white socio-economic inequality (college graduation percentage and per capita income) to evaluate the idea of Atlanta as a “black mecca.”Key findings and conclusions are: (1) Atlanta has become the pre-eminent destination for black internal migrants, but contrary to popular opinion it cannot be characterized as mainly “black return migration” from the North to the South; (2) compared to most metro areas, Atlanta has had significant advancement in black educational attainment, but the percentage of college graduates among Atlanta’s whites has risen even more, so a large gap between the amount of white and black college graduates in Atlanta still exists, which disadvantages African Americans in competition for the best jobs, most of which require a college degree; (3) analysis of per capita income data does not support metropolitan Atlanta’s reputation as one of the top areas for black economic achievement or improvement; and (4) neither Atlanta nor most other metro areas show much improvement in black per capita income since 1980; and (5) the gap between black and white per capita income has actually widened in metro areas experiencing the most growth in high tech, information, financial, and business services. PubDate: Thu, 14 Feb 2019 16:02:17 PST
Authors:Rodger A. Bates et al. Abstract: Terrorism is a form of asymmetrical warfare. Terrorists employ a variety of tactics to threaten and intimidate a group or society. Technology is an important force multiplier which may allow them engage in cost-effective actions frequently directed at economic targets. As a means of economic warfare, terrorism can disrupt, demoralize and severely diminish the ability of a group to counter the threat of a terrorist group. It is America's risky business. PubDate: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 19:07:33 PST
Authors:Rodger A. Bates et al. Abstract: Terrorism is a form of asymmetrical warfare. Terrorists employ a variety of tactics to threaten and intimidate a group or society. Technology is an important force multiplier which may allow them engage in cost-effective actions frequently directed at economic targets. As a means of economic warfare, terrorism can disrupt, demoralize and severely diminish the ability of a group to counter the threat of a terrorist group. It is America's risky business. PubDate: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 19:07:33 PST
Authors:Andrew F. Baird et al. Abstract: This research uses longitudinal data from The Beginning Postsecondary Survey 2003-2009 to compare short-term job quality outcomes between for-profit college graduates with an associate’s degree and graduates with the same degree from a non-profit college. While previous research comparing for-profit college graduates with more traditional graduates examined mostly financial and income related outcomes (Lang and Weinstein 2012; Deming, Goldin, and Katz 2012), we include holistic measures of job quality including: job benefits, job satisfaction, and relevance of respondent’s degree to their job. Results showed that for-profit graduates were more likely to be offered health insurance from their employer, but the same graduates were also likely to be working at a job that was the same or like their job prior to graduation. For-profit graduates were also less likely to see their degree as helping their career. PubDate: Thu, 17 Jan 2019 19:07:22 PST
Open Access journal
