Contexts

sociology for the public

Spring 2024

Volume: 23 | Number: 2

We preach and practice the mission of public engagement that motivates our magazine, much like the authors of our blooming Spring edition. The features in this fertile issue have significant insights to offer about who we are and how we cultivate our identities, particularly amidst the mayhem of the modern world. Listen closely, and you’ll learn about the label preferences of people who have experienced sexual violence: Do they define themselves as survivors, victims, or something else? From there, florets of wisdom await about the family-making practices of interracial couples: How do they manage racial surveillance and threats of erasure? Next come the sprouting conspiracy theories: Why are some of us irresistibly drawn to groups like QAnon, and how do those conspiratorial beliefs feed deeper needs like validation, connection, and purpose? The final feature is rooted in philosophical and applied questions about data transparency: If the public sphere is a democratic one, what does it mean for Twitter/X to cut off free access to its data?

trust and stratify

Imagine waking up one day to another you. Instead of a physical clone, though, the new you is a digital doppelganger who has taken control … Read More

who’s on top?

Let’s face it: sex work is a highly stigmatized occupation. Although we might expect the shared experience of stigmatization to foster solidarity among sex workers, … Read More

AI and the scientific imagination

Climate change and COVID-19 are two key problems that have highlighted humanity’s race against time. In each case, life-saving scientific breakthroughs have hinged on imagining … Read More

canada’s immigration politics

In the realm of global politics, immigration stands as a polarizing issue, often framed in terms of openness versus restriction. Traditional assumptions tie political parties … Read More

OK, boomer

Millennials are widely assumed to be economically worse off than Baby Boomers. Explanations range from the younger generation’s experience of precarious employment, rises in cohabiting … Read More

movies reboot gender divides

Barbie, the 2023 film directed by Greta Gerwig, broke records as the first billion-dollar blockbuster solely directed by a woman. Why are females in cinematic … Read More

wealthy disillusioned with politics, too

As the rich get richer, as the old saying goes, we might expect their political influence to expand. This logic, however, assumes that elites believe … Read More

law and the looky-loo

Demonstrated by the popularity of Amazon’s Ring app, people are increasingly relying on private-sector technologies for safeguarding their properties and ensuring personal safety. Amazon profits—and … Read More

Q&A with Dr. Katherine Johnson

“Families feel like they need to prepare for the worst,” says Dr. Katherine Johnson, author of the Contexts feature “Navigating the Invisibility and Hypervisibility … Read More

Q&A with Meghan Warner

In Meghan Warner’s new study, young people who have experienced sexual violence described themselves as stuck between two seemingly opposing stereotypes: the “broken” victim … Read More