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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Political Theater

Virág Molnár | Books

Urban sociologist, Virág Molnár, reviews the books No Billionaire Left Behind and Thank You, Anarchy. The books examine satirical activism and Occupy Wall Street's mix of direct democracy and anarchism as examples of unconventional political protest in the contemporary United States. Read More

The Mediated Sociologist

Karen Sternheimer | Culture

Sociologist Karen Sternheimer considers the opportunities and challenges of presenting sociological concepts in the news media, particularly when our ideas are edited or interpreted by others. Read More

Paintings, Pensions and Pain

Paul Draus and Juliette Roddy | Culture

Sociologist Paul Draus and Economist Juliette Roddy discuss tensions in Detroit as the nation's largest municipal bankruptcy unfolds. The competing interests of art and pensions and the stamina of social contracts in times of financial insecurity are examined. Read More

Writing The City

John Hartigan | Books

Anthropologist John Hartigan considers the tricks and travails of writing about cities, via a review of Detroit: An American Autopsy and Unfathomable City: A New Orleans Atlas. Read More

Are We Still Queer Even Though We’re Married?

Verta Taylor and Leila J. Rupp | Teaching and Learning

Sociologist Verta Taylor and historian Leila Rupp, who wed in 2008 after 30 years together, complicate the debate between queer critics and supporters of same-sex marriage over the consequences of marriage equality. Read More

The Trouble With Tolerance

Suzanna Danuta Walters | Teaching and Learning

Sociologist and gender studies scholar Suzanna Walters explores how the framework of tolerance—and the marriage mania that depends on it—actively undermines robust queer inclusion and freedom. Read More

Writing Outside the (Sociological) Box

Sudhir Venkatesh | Back Page

Sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh discusses the nuances of non-specialist writing and offers guidance on how sociologists can reach broader audiences. 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 (University of California-Santa Barbara) and Seth Abrutyn (University of British Columbia), with Letta Page.