Contexts

sociology for the public

Spring 2014

Volume: 13 | Number: 2

This issue examines taken-for-granted eternal truths that appear to be slipping away: that a college degree is a ticket to decent work, that working hard and being a loyal employee pays off, and that marriage marks one’s entry into adulthood. Also featured: Viewpoints on sexual assault policies, a closer look at “Open Access,” and an exploration of race and class inequality, Brazilian style.
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Slipping and Sliding

Arlene Stein and Jodi O'Brien | From the Editors

Slipping and sliding—that’s how many Americans experience their lives today. And we’re not talking about the recent harsh winter. The seemingly eternal truths many of … Read More

Mouse Click Plagiarism

Contexts Magazine | In Brief

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery—unless you’re a college student writing a course paper. Many colleges are trying to crack down on plagiarism … Read More

Tipping Woes

Eleanor Lapointe | In Brief

Americans like to tip, offering extra cash to everyone from service station attendants to home health care aides. But for some workers, like restaurant wait … Read More

Hunger Games As Role Model

Kerry McLoughlin and Amy M. Burdette | In Brief

Corey FieldsThe current popularity of the trilogy Hunger Games may offer teens a model of female leadership, according to … Read More

Boys Will Stay Boys

Amy L. Stone | In Brief

Sam Grinberg“Picture this: your 7-year-old daughter comes home from school in tears. You ask her what’s wrong and she … Read More

No Laughing Matter

Jennifer Sullivan | In Brief

In her 2013 book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg encouraged women to scale the corporate ladder. Yet women … Read More

The Marriage Diet

Teja Pristavec | In Brief

Corey FieldsGetting married may lead to weight gain—and not just because of that extra piece of wedding cake. Newlyweds’ … Read More

Little Free Libraries

Mark Caldwell | In Brief

RJL20“Little free libraries” are popping up in front of houses, apartments, parks and other public spaces across the country. Read More

The Terrorist Next Door

Brent Harger | In Brief

Media depictions of terrorists exaggerate the distance between “us” and “them.”Last August, when the cover of Rolling Stone pictured … Read More

Loving Across Racial Divides

Amy Steinbugler | Feature

Sociologist Amy C. Steinbugler examines the everyday lives of lesbian, gay, and heterosexual black/white couples. She shows that even as overt racial prejudice declines, racism continues to shape interracial lives through residential segregation, racial orientations, and racial-gender stereotypes. Read More

About Contexts

Contexts is a quarterly magazine that makes cutting-edge social research accessible to general readers. We're the public face of sociology.

It is a publication of the American Sociological Association, edited by Amin Ghaziani and Seth Abrutyn (University of British Columbia), with Letta Page.