Fall 2013
Volume: 12 | Number: 4
Defensive Doping
When asked about using banned substances to maintain his winning record, champion cyclist Lance Armstrong said it was “part of the job”—like having “air in … Read More
The New (Gay Male) Normal
Amanda LanzoneNBC’s now-defunct sitcom The New Normal featured a happy gay couple living in Los Angeles, and their efforts … Read More
Second Life’s Second Life
©2013 Linden Lab Experts have voiced concerns about digital addiction and social isolation among online gaming enthusiasts. But virtual … Read More
Celebrity Drug Scandals, Media Double Standards
Media coverage reflects the conflicted status of drugs in a culture that both valorizes and demonizes their use. Sociologist Rebecca Tiger compares New York Times' coverage of Whitney Houston’s death and cyclist Lance Armstrong’s “performance enhancing drugs” scandal. Her analysis reveals the particular roles that race and gender play in how elite media and their readers negotiate and construct the morality tale of drug use. Read More
The Deadly Span
The Golden Gate Bridge continues to be the top suicide site in the world. John Bateson argues that a barrier will save lives, end the tragedies, and not detract from the bridge’s beauty or the view--but it remains far off. Read More
E-Haunting
©2013 Taslima AkhterWhen a garment factory collapsed outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh last April and more than 1,100 peopled died, … Read More
Table For One, Please
Kimberly HoltzWhile meals give us a chance to bond with friends and family, a growing number of studies find … Read More
The Cultural Life Of The Living Dead
Zombies have become an explosive cultural phenomena which producers, retailers, and governmental agencies utilize to target consumers. Sociologist Denise N. Cook argues that the zombie myth pervades cultural narratives because it helps people distance themselves from criticizing actual social problems yet at the same time the zombie analogy can help to highlight potential social problems. Read More
Remembering E. 6th Street
Visual sociologist Helen M. Stummer revisits her early work on E. 6th Street and highlights her portraits of an interracial family she became close to in this photo essay. Read More
How Parents Grade Schools
Scholars Sean Kelly and Laura Northrop discuss recent changes in perceptions of school quality. They find that Americans are not positive about the overall quality of elementary and secondary schools in the United States, while beliefs about school-to-school differences in quality are often exaggerated. Read More
