Contexts

sociology for the public

Sexuality and inequality research

College women: seen as a “slut” if they have sex on a hookup, “bitch” or “prude” if they don’t

Walking a tightrope in casual hookup situations, either they have sex and risk being seen as a “slut,” or decline to have sex and risk being seen as a “prude” or a “bitch.” Read More

Class Differences in Women’s Cohabitation in Early Adulthood

It is common for couples of every social class to cohabit sometime in early adulthood in the U.S., and most marry later. However, women from … Read More

an unequal distribution of partners: gays versus straights

Partnerships are most equally distributed among straight women and least so among lesbians. Read More

Who has how many sexual partners?

A novel application of the Gini coefficient shows how much sexual partners are unequally distributed. Read More

Sexual orientation versus behavior—different for men and women?

If you know which sexual orientation people identify with, how much does that tell you about whether they have sex with women, men, or both? … Read More

Discrimination against queer-perceived women

Results from a resume audit study show queer-perceived women are less likely to be called back for a job interview than their straight female counterparts. Read More

Who thinks sex with same-sex partners is “wrong”?

Fewer people say same-sex sex is "wrong," but substantial differences between groups remain. Read More

College Men Having Sex with Men: Are They Exclusively Tops or Bottoms? (No)

Being "versatile" is common among college men who have sex with men. Read More

Responses to my presidential address

England responds to the questions posed after her address at the 2015 ASA meetings, "Sometimes the social becomes personal." Read More

Women’s Sexual Orientation and Sexual Behavior: How Well Do They Match?

Evidence for recurrent mismatch between identity and behavior. Read More