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.

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

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

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

The Hearts of Boys

Five experts, Niobe Way, C.J. Pascoe, Mark McCormack, Amy Schalet, and Freeden Ouer shed light on the everyday lives of teenage boys and their relationships. Read More

Truth-Telling and Intellectual Activism

Patricia Hill Collins, a feminist public intellectual, discusses the importance of speaking across multiple audiences. Read More

Mourning Becomes Democratic

Public mourning is not a spontaneous expression of grief but a symbolic and political practice. Sociologist Bin Xu examines a new trend in recent decades, the “democratization of public mourning,” that celebrates our symbolic equality and individuality instead of affirming status hierarchies. Read More