Contexts

sociology for the public

Winter 2013

Volume: 12 | Number: 1

This issue covers violence in everyday Buenos Aires, movements to end deadly war in Central Africa, and young men’s masculinity in affluent societies. Also, an interview with a founding father of the Occupy movement and an analysis of public mourning practices from Steve Jobs to Kim Jong Il.

Rocking the Vote

by Jennifer JohnsonWhen a Gallup poll showed a sharp drop in the number of 18- to 29-year-olds who said … Read More

Like a Hurricane – but Worse

The storm known as Sandy was called a “superstorm,” a “Frankenstorm,” “the perfect storm.” It was indeed impressive, with a wind span of about 1,000 … Read More

The Kids Are Not Alright

The kids, it turns out, are not alright. In our cover article, Born Amid Bullets, Javier Auyero takes us to a barrio outside of … Read More

Occupy Hong Kong

Photo by Daniel Garrett Occupy Hong Kong was China’s contribution to the global Occupy movement. Launched in mid-October 2011, the … Read More

Foreclosing on Black Communities

While the economy is showing signs of slow recovery, foreclosures continue to decimate American cities. Six million families have already lost their homes, and the … Read More

Rage Against The Refs

by Amanda LanzoneWhen people watch football, they tend to focus on their favorite team. But this season the NFL … Read More

Occupy Aesthetics

In this interview, Kalle Lasn, founder and editor-in-chief of Adbusters magazine, discusses his magazine and the future of the Occupy movement. Read More

What They’re Watching

A "list" of what six social scientists are watching on television and film. Read More

Is Marriage for Anyone?

Two recent books on marriage—Is Marriage for White People? by Ralph Richard Banks and Unhitched by Judith Stacey—are considered in this review essay by sociologist Micki McGee. Banks argues that the decline of marriage among African American women constitutes a social problem that could be remedied if more women from this group opted for interracial marriages. Stacey's cross-cultural study contends that marriage is an institution that attempts the near impossible task of reconciling the goals of domesticity with those of erotic life, and that in the process an extraordinary range of marital arrangements have emerged. Taken together these arguments ask us to consider who marriage serves. Read More

Body Lessons

Sociologist Janet Enke explores the challenges of teaching a course on the body. She discusses how to synthesize the subjective experience of the body with academic theory, and convey knowledge about the politics of the body. Read More