Contexts

sociology for the public

In Brief

News and notes.

Building Broader Social Movements

Anti-Trump protests have united movements, bringing organizations who are focused on a range of different issues together for protests. This unity sets today’s resistance apart … Read More

Bad Boys or Exceptional Interrupters?

What is the process by which boys learn to believe that they are smarter than girls? How does this unravel in schools? In the American … Read More

Role, Status or Cooperation?

Stereotypes can have real world consequences, such as affecting members of a marginalized group’s chances of getting hired for a job. Stopping stereotypes at their … Read More

Being The Boss

Managing our own feelings and those of others—which scholars call “emotional labor”—on the job and off, it’s something we all have to do. Research has … Read More

American Indians and Authentic Blood

In Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Dwanna L. McKay explores the “real Indian” trope that polices American Indians. This trope of legitimacy stems from … Read More

Responses to Affirmative Action

Affirmative action, a remedy policy for past racial discrimination, is a highly controversial political issue in the United States. Those who support affirmative action see … Read More

Are Neighborhoods Actually More Diverse Today?

Do diverse neighborhoods remain diverse, or are they simply transitioning? In recent years, researchers have used neighborhood diversity as a measure of progress toward racial … Read More

Decolonizing Sports Mascots

In Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Cynthia Pelak challenges current sociological practices of teaching about settler-colonial racism. Settler-colonial racism is the social formation in … Read More

Couples Sharing Money

How should couples share their income? Couples with greater relationship investments (e.g., having children together, being legally married) are expected to prioritize their families’ needs … Read More

Criminalized for Just “Living”

The Baltimore uprisings following the murder of Freddie Gray in 2015 were fueled by systemic abuse and neglect of poor Black communities. They captured the … Read More