~the-society-pages | Bookmarks (93)

New & Noteworthy How Partisan Moral Flexibility Shapes Beliefs in American Politics by Anastasia Dulle writes about research by Minjae Kim and colleagues who examined how Americans evaluate truth in political statements in their study in the American Journal of Sociology. Using online surveys, the researchers found that voters across the political spectrum often support factually […]

If you missed the Council on Contemporary Families’ “Families in Perilous Times: A Policy and Public Scholarship Workshop” this October in Baltimore, here’s a recap of the event. The day began with opening remarks from CCF Chair Arielle Kuperberg, setting the stage for the discussions ahead. The first panel delved into abortion in the post-Dobbs […]

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are rapidly transforming the current educational landscape, with students far outrunning faculty in their use of these tools. Current research highlights a cultural lag in higher education, a phenomenon Sociologist William F. Ogburn described in 1922. This term refers to the gap in adaptation between material (physical artifacts) and nonmaterial culture […]

Zachary Parolin & Stefano Filauro, “The United States’ Record-Low Child Poverty Rate in International and Historical Perspective: A Research Note,” Demography, 2023 Two young boys running towards the ocean during sunset. “Children Running on Beach at sunset” by Click Sent is licensed under Pexels License. Despite being one of the richest nations in the world, […]

In this Contexts piece, Corey M. Abramson uses Mill’s Sociological Imagination to examine new ways AI can advance sociological research. The author also highlights some potential pitfalls of AI, such as erasure and abstract empiricism.

In our present era of book bans, challenges to K-12 gender curriculum, and legislative battles over gender-affirming care, it seems the left and right have nothing in common when it comes to kids. To learn more, Mallory Rees and Abigail Saguy examined the current state of discourse on gender in the context of parenting, drawing […]

A large college lecture hall, with some seats brightly lit and others covered in an ominous shadow. Photo by Pixabay from Pexels under Pexels license. On November 9th, 2023 the Florida Board of Governors voted to remove “Principles of Sociology” from the list of required courses at all public colleges. Manny Diaz Jr, the state’s […]

Lampe (2023) advocates for using TikTok to increase student engagement and class participation. The author discusses how TikTok can be used to simplify big concepts and examine lived experience.

Vincent M. Carter, “From chart-topper to gold record: The effects of Billboard chart popularity on RIAA gold or platinum certification of #1 R&B/Hip-Hop singles in the Pre-SoundScan and SoundScan eras, 1977–2008,” Poetics, 2024 A vinyl record store. Image by Darya Sannikova under Pexels license. How can you tell if a song is popular? Two important measures of musical success […]

Minjae Kim, Oliver Hahl, Ethan Poskanzer, and Ezra W. Zuckerman Sivan, “When Truth Trumps Facts: Studies on Partisan Moral Flexibility in American Politics,” American Journal of Sociology, 2024 A slogan on the side of a truck. A U.S. flag is superimposed over an outline of the United States, above a large red banner emblazoned with […]

New & Noteworthy How Negative Feedback Impacts Women’s Political Participation Online by Dylan DiGiacomo-Stumm covers research by Zhaodi Chen and Junghun Han. They examined how negative feedback affects women’s participation in online political discussions using survey experiments. The study finds that while “dislikes” do not deter women, the risk of post deletion significantly reduces their […]

The Contexts team is happy to welcome the esteemed Dr. Alondra Nelson. The Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab, and a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Nelson served from 2021-2023 as deputy assistant to President Joe Biden […]

In this Context’s piece, Auldridge-Reveles and Murphy (2024) argue that we need a sociology of flourishing or well-being instead of focusing only on social problems.

Zhaodi Chen and Junghun Han, “Her Lips Are Sealed: Effects of Negative Feedback on Women’s Participation in Online Political Discussions,” Socius: Sociological Research for a Dynamic World, 2024 A woman holding two phones, one with “1000 likes” and the other with none.” “Person Holding Smartphones” by Kaboompics.com is licensed under Pexels License. Women’s voices remain […]

Dixon and Quirke (2017) discuss how ethics chapters in sociological research methods textbooks promote a procedural rather than nuanced approach to ethics. They suggest ways for instructors to help students develop a fuller understanding of conducting ethical research.

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 […]

Since ChatGPT launched in 2022, AI has become inescapable. Sociologists warn an “algorithmic society” risks deepening inequalities in finance, healthcare, and science, yet others see potential for imaginative uses that benefit society. Are data streams and chatbots the new iron cage? Can sociologists, especially qualitative researchers, make these tools work for social insight? Lessons from […]

Arlie Russell Hochschild (Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley) appeared on Next Question with Katie Couric, discussing her book Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right. The book describes how residents of Pikeville, KY, a small city where 80% of 2016 voters supported...

This one-page piece by Ridgeway (2024) from Contexts Magazine is a great introduction to status and status processes for students!

Thompson (2024) examines parental preferences in school selection, highlighting how individual choices influence school communities. The study finds that parents prioritize overall school achievement and learning opportunities over schools with higher equity ratings.

New & Noteworthy Wealth Gaps at the Extremes for Baby Boomers and Millennials by Shania Kuo covers research in the American Journal of Sociology. It examines how Millennials and Baby Boomers compare in wealth trajectories. Using US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the study reveals that while Boomers had higher homeownership and less debt in […]