From stem cell research to teaching evolution in public schools, religion and science are frequently pitted against one another in the public discourse. But do scientists themselves see religion as an opponent? Are college campuses today as secular and hostile to religion as stereotypes suggest?
Also in this issue, what effect has today's wave of immigration had on American society? Does the "Hugo-centrism" of discourse about Venezuela impair our understanding of the country? And what does New York Times columnist David Brooks think about sociology today? More about this issue.
rethinking crime and immigration read online
by robert j. sampson
Immigration tracks the reduction in crime in the United States since the 1990s. It thus pays to reconsider the role of immigration in crime, cities, culture and societal change.
religion and spirituality among scientists
by elaine howard ecklund
Scientists aren't as anti-religion as the conventional wisdom leads us to believe—a surprising number of believers teach at the nation's top academic institutions, but they approach religion and spirituality differently than the general public.
american scholars return to studying religion
by john schmalzbauer and kathleen a. mahoney
Strong evidence indicates a new story needs to be told about religion in the academy, one that recognizes the resilience of the study of the sacred in higher education.
dying for a cause—alone
by michael biggs
Self-immolation poses the theoretical puzzle of why it makes sense to die without inflicting any tangible cost on the opponent.
sociologists on the colorblind question
by elaine mcardle
Sociologists are helping question the colorblind ideology—treating people as individuals rather than members of the racial groups to which they belong—and its impacts on American law and culture.
the social structure of hugo chávez
by david smilde
Focusing on Hugo Chávez the man seriously impedes our understanding of the social changes unfolding in Venezuela and the politics that grow out of them.
exchange:
david brooks looks for a few good sociologists.
jerry jacobs and david brooks
photo essay:
life, death, and music in west africa
by colter harper
keyword:
normality
by allan horvitz
trends:
keeping the faith
by deborah carr
one thing i know: read online
immigration's complexities, assimilation's discontents
by rubén rumbaut
culture reviews:
comment dit-on 'do'h!' en français?
giselinde kuipers on the simpsons movie
the lie of heroism
matthew desmond on the public image of firefighters
sociology at the stove
gary alan fine and priscilla ferguson on ratatouille
the word is egalitarian
corinne kirchner on spelling bees
book reviews:
be still and know that i am bright
penny edgell reviews daniel dennett's breaking the spell
the most dangerous crime rankings
richard rosenfeld and janet l. lauritsen on the City Crime Rankings
a big take on the world's 'little' people
al young on william vollman's poor people
discoveries read online
new and noteworthy social research
the contexts graduate student editorial board