Doan, L., Loehr, A., & Miller, L. (2014).  Formal Rights and Informal Privileges for Same-Sex Couples:  Evidence from a National Survey Experiment.  American Sociological Review, Vol. 79(6), 1172-1195.

This article uses data from a national representative survey to examine whether or not people distinguish between formal rights and informal privileges in their attitudes towards same sex couples.

Questions to Consider:

1. There are 4 types of groups that were included in this survey.  Why were there more lesbian and gays in each group compared to the number of heterosexuals?
2. How did the results of the survey tie into the hypothesis that was made?
3. What were some of the limitations of the study?

Kury, H., & Smartt, U. (2002). Prisoner-on-prisoner violence: Victimization of young offenders in prison. Some German findings. Criminology and Criminal Justice, Vol. 2(4), 411-437.

This article discusses new findings on the prisoner to prisoner violence from Germany.  This study focuses on non-consensual sexual assaults.

Questions to Consider:

1. If you were to analyze this study utilizing the 4 theoretical perspectives what would  each theory state about the results of this study?
2. How would one use the sociological imagination to analyze the issue of prisoners as victims?
3.  After reading the results of this survey what are some questions researchers might have that would lead to further studies on this topic?

Atkinson, R., & Smith, O. (2012). An economy of false securities? An analysis of murders inside gated residential developments in the United States. Crime, Media, Culture, 8(2), 161-172.

This article examines news reports and media narratives regarding murders that take place within gated communities and how the level of fear inside these communities is still high.

Questions to Consider:

1. How would one, using the sociological imagination, analyze the narratives and reports referenced in this article?
2. How would the objective and subjective reality of the reports and narratives referenced in this article differ?
3. Using a globalized perspective how might one analyze the narratives and reports covered in this article?

Peters, D. (2009). Typology of American Poverty. International Regional Science Review, 19-39.

This analysis seeks to better understand the geography of American poverty over time. Cluster analysis is used to group 34,908 minor civil divisions according to their similarity in mean-centered poverty rates from 1980 to 2000. Logistic regression is used to assess the groupings' statistical validity and accuracy. Results identify twelve statistically distinct groupings and that over three thousand subcounty places had poverty rates of nearly 20 percent above the national average going back to 1980. However, less than 50 percent of these fall within the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Persistent Poverty Counties.

Questions to Consider:

1. One of the results of this study indicates that the high poverty group has significantly higher rates of minorities and single-headed families with children.  What reasons could    account for this?
2. How can researchers use the information presented in this study to implement policies aimed at helping those who live in poverty?

Clawson, R. (n.d.). Poor People, Black Faces: The Portrayal Of Poverty In Economics Textbooks. Journal of Black Studies, 352-361.

In this study, the author examines the portrayal of poverty in economics textbooks. The author tests the hypothesis that Blacks are disproportionately represented among the poor. In other words, she analyzes whether poverty is predicted as a “Black” problem. She found evidence that Black faces are overwhelmingly portrayed among the contemporary poor

Questions to Consider:

1. One of the results of this study stated that more than 60% of the poor people pictured in economic textbooks were black.  In your opinion, how does this portrayal of blacks   impact an individual’s perception blacks in general?  Which sociological perspective    does this represent?
2. According to the researchers in this article the media continues to produce radicalized images of the poor.  What reasons account for this?  Do you think that this will change in the future?  Why or why not?

Strully, K., Rehkopf, D., & Xuan, Z. (2010). Effects of Prenatal Poverty on Infant Health: State Earned Income Tax Credits and Birth Weight. American Sociological Review, 534-562.

fThis study estimates the effects of prenatal poverty on birth weight using changes in state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) as a natural experiment. The study seeks to answer two questions about poverty and child wellbeing. First, are there associations between prenatal poverty and lower birth weights even after factoring out unmeasured potential confounders? Because birth weight predicts a range of outcomes across the life course, lower birth weights that result from poverty may have lasting consequences for children’s life chances. Second, how have recent expansions of a work-based welfare program (i.e., the EITC) affected maternal and infant health?

Questions to Consider:

            1.  According to the article, what are the various ways poverty can affect an infant’s birth

                 weight?

            2.  According to the article, what role does the Earned Income Tax Credit play in

                 regards to the financial status of poor mothers?

            3.  What are some limitations of this particular study?  What are some questions for

                  future research studies?

Khanna, N., & Harris, C. (2009). Teaching Race as a Social Construction: Two Interactive Class Exercises. Teaching Sociology, 369-378.

This article discusses the results of two classroom exercises which are both designed to teaching race as a social construction.  The first exercise is entitled, “What’s my Race” and the second exercise is entitled, “Black or White”?  The authors of the article discuss the purpose of the exercises and feedback from the students.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it difficult to determine someone’s racial background from his/her physical appearance?  What lessons can be learned by completing an exercise such as the ones    described in this study?
2. Describe what is meant by the “social construction of race”.  Who might benefit, besides college students, from participating in exercises such as the ones described here? 

Whitfield, K., & Wiggins, S. (2003). The Impact of Desegregation on Cognition among Older African Americans. Journal of Black Psychology, 275-291.

One of the single most influential factors on current and future cognitive functioning is educational attainment. Researchers examined the influence of educational desegregation on cognitive performance using Horn’s Gf-Gc theory among older African Americans. The data on 197 African Americans included school attendance (desegregated [DS] or segregated [SS]) and the number of years they attended desegregated schools. Using measures of fluid (inductive reasoning and spatial ability) and crystallized (number concept and vocabulary) ability to assess cognition, the results showed that the DS group had significantly higher mean cognitive scores compared to the SS group.

Questions to Consider:

1. According to the researchers, older African American adults (65 years and older) have been shown to have an average of 10 years of formal education.  What implications can this have for this demographic? 
2. The researchers concluded that individuals in this study did benefit from attending desegregated schools.  In your opinion, what factors could account for this? 

Dovidio, J., & Gaertner, S. (n.d.). Reducing Prejudice: Combating Intergroup Biases. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 101-105.

Whereas the traditional form of prejudice may be reduced by direct educational and attitude-change techniques, contemporary forms may require alternative strategies oriented toward the individual or involving intergroup contact. Individual-oriented techniques can involve leading people who possess contemporary prejudices to discover inconsistencies among their self-images, values, and behaviors; such inconsistencies can arouse negative emotional states (e.g., guilt), which motivate the development of more favorable attitudes. Intergroup strategies can involve structuring intergroup contact to produce more individualized perceptions of the members of the other group, foster personalized interactions between members of the different groups, or redefine group boundaries to create more inclusive, superordinate representations of the groups. 

Questions to Consider:

1. What benefits can be attained through intergroup contact in terms of reducing prejudicial attitudes towards racial groups that can’t be attained through individual-level strategies?  Why do you think this is so?
2. Who in our society might benefit from the results of this study?  How so?

Welsh, R. (1978). Delinquency, Corporal Punishment, and The Schools. Crime & Delinquency, 336-354.

This article suggests that racism and person injustice are more common in an authoritarian atmosphere.  The authors of the article suggest that a national effort be made to discourage the use of corporal punishment not only in the home but in the school setting as well as it can play a role in the development of prejudicial attitudes.

Questions to consider:

1. What is the relationship, according to the authors, between corporal punishment and criminal behavior?     What is the relationship between race, the educational system, and punishment according to the authors of this article?
2. How would a conflict and functionalist theorist analyze the issues that are presented in the article?

Zhao, J., Lai, Y., Ren, L., & Lawton, B. (2015). The Impact of Race/Ethnicity and Quality-of-Life Policing on Public Attitudes Toward Racially Biased Policing and Traffic Stops. Crime & Delinquency, 350-374.

This article examines the impact of race/ethnicity and quality-of-life (QOL) policing on citizens’ perceptions of racial bias and traffic stops. Using data obtained from a random-sample telephone survey of Houston citizens, respondents were asked whether they felt that the police treated citizens “equally” based on the race/ethnicity of the citizen as well as the race/ethnicity of the officer. These variables were then recoded to construct a nominal measure ranging from racially biased policing to absence of racially biased policing, with a middle category of “semiracially” biased policing. Results indicated that race/ethnicity was a significant predictor.

Questions to consider:

1. Why do you think this may be the case?  “Some studies have found that socioeconomic characteristics of a neighborhood, such as single mother households, poverty, and unemployment, are correlated with the police behaviors and treatment of residents”.  What do you think is the relationship between these variables and police behaviors?
2. One of the findings, according to the authors of this study, was race was a significant predictor of racially biased policing.  What more can be done to rectify this issue?
3. The main method of data collection was a telephone survey.  What are the possible disadvantages of this type of research method?

Perrone, K., Wright, S., & Jackson, Z. (n.d.). Traditional and Nontraditional Gender Roles and Work--Family Interface for Men and Women. Journal of Career Development, 8-24.

In this article, researchers examine traditional and nontraditional gender roles and work—family interface for men and women. Recent empirical literature is reviewed and implications for career counselors are discussed. They discuss changing gender roles in career, marriage, and parenting and provide strategies for helping clients to cope with work—family role strain and to find a satisfying balance between life roles.

Questions to Consider:

1. According to the results of this research study the number of dual-employment parents is on the   rise.   How might the three sociological perspectives analyze this trend?
2. What can an individual, hoping to become a career counselor, learn from the results of  this study? How can the results of this study help counselors understand the many roles men and women play in our society today?

King, E., Botsford, W., Hebl, M., Kazama, S., Dawson, J., & Perkins, A. (n.d.). Benevolent Sexism at Work: Gender Differences in the Distribution of Challenging Developmental Experiences. Journal of Management, 1835-1866.

In a sample of managers in the energy industry, men and women reported participating in a similar number of developmental experiences (with comparable levels of support), but men rated these experiences as more challenging and received more negative feedback than did women. Similarly, a sample of female managers in the health care industry reported comparable amounts, but less challenging types, of developmental experiences than their male counterparts’. The results of three complementary experiments suggest that benevolent sexism is negatively related to men’s assignment of challenging experiences to female targets but that men and women were equally likely to express interest in challenging experiences.

Questions to Consider:

1. What can be done, in your opinion, to combat sexism that still exists in some companies?
2. What questions for further research studies do you have after reading the results of these studies?

Cralley, E. (n.d.). Lady, Girl, Female, or Woman: Sexism and Cognitive Busyness Predict Use of Gender-Biased Nouns. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 300-314.

Two studies investigated whether modern sexism predicts men’s use of gender-biased terms for women. When established norms suggest a preference for neutral terms (e.g., woman, female), men lower in sexism should avoid potentially biased terms (e.g., lady, girl). Adhering to such an established norm, however, may require conscious effort. In Study 1, men lower in modern sexism used fewer gender-biased terms in a written format than did men higher in modern sexism. Study 2 replicated this result using an oral format but only when men were not cognitively busy with another task.

Questions to Consider:

1. What is the relationship between language and the formation of stereotypes?
2. Which sociological perspective would focus on the meaning of certain words and how these words impact how women and men are perceived in our society?
3. What can researchers learn from the results of this study?

Pomerantz, S., Raby, R., & Stefanik, A. (2013). Girls Run the World?: Caught between Sexism and Postfeminism in School. Gender & Society, 185-207.

How do teenage girls articulate sexism in an era where gender injustice has been constructed as a thing of the past? Our article addresses this question by qualitatively exploring Canadian girls’ experiences of being caught between the postfeminist belief that gender equality has been achieved and the realities of their lives in school, which include incidents of sexism in their classrooms, their social worlds, and their projected futures. This analysis takes place in relation to two celebratory postfeminist narratives: Girl Power, where girls are told they can do, be, and have anything they want, and Successful Girls, where girls are told they are surpassing boys in schools and workplaces.

Questions to Consider:

1. What do the authors mean by a “postfeminist view”?  How would a symbolic interactionist analyze how girls might develop this view?
2. Why, in your opinion, were some of the girls in the study unlikely to see their experiences as normal rather than sexist in nature?
3. What questions for further research studies do you have after reading the results of these interviews?

Renn, K. (n.d.). LGBT And Queer Research In Higher Education: The State And Status Of The Field. Educational Researcher, 132-141.

In this article, the author provides an overview of existing literature addressing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT), and queer issues in higher education. She argues that although colleges and universities are the source of much critical and postmodern writing about LGBT and queer topics, scholarship on LGBT/queer people and organizations in higher education itself lacks theoretical depth.

Questions to Consider:

1)Why do you think number of narratives by members of the LGBT emerged during the 1990’s? What was taking place during this time period that led to these narratives?

2)What is the “Queer theory”?  Why has research been limited in regards to the application of this theory?

Billies, M., Johnson, J., Murungi, K., & Pugh, R. (2009). Naming Our Reality: Low-income LGBT People Documenting Violence, Discrimination and Assertions of Justice. Feminism & Psychology, 375-380.

The WWRC (Welfare Warriors Research Collaborative) came together in July 2007 to research violence from the perspective of racially and ethnically diverse low-income LGBTGNC people in New York City (NYC). Researchers set out to better understand the strategies people use to manage violence and discrimination as well as the systemic relations that shape these experiences. In this article, researchers introduce our theoretical assumptions, describe our participatory action research (PAR) and the epistemology that grounds our work and show how these fuel our thinking about social change.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to the article 60 % of transgender individuals have faced acts of violence (out of 252 individuals referenced in the article).  What reasons account for this violence?

2)According to the article what are the main goals of the Welfare Warriors Research Collaborative?

Levy, Y. (2007). The Right to Fight: A Conceptual Framework for the Analysis of Recruitment Policy toward Gays and Lesbians. Armed Forces & Society, 186-202.

The worldwide demand by gays and lesbians that they be allowed to openly participate in military service and the ways in which this demand have been handled reveal discrepancies between political culture and actual recruitment practices. This article offers a model drawn from a multiple-case study for explaining recruitment policies toward homosexuals.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to the article, following World War I, homosexuals were gradually excluded from military service in the United States.  Recently, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed.  Why do you think there has been a shift in the military’s policy towards homosexuals?

2)Summarize the differences between the U.S. policy in regards to homosexuals serving in the military with other countries as referenced in the article.

Doan, L., Loehr, A., & Miller, L. (2014). Formal Rights and Informal Privileges for Same-Sex Couples Evidence from a National Survey Experiment. Formal Rights and Informal Privileges for Same-Sex Couples Evidence from a National Survey Experiment, 79, 1172-1195.

Attitudes toward gay rights have liberalized over the past few decades, but scholars know less about the extent to which individuals in the United States exhibit subtle forms of prejudice toward lesbians and gays. To help address this issue, we offer a conceptualization of formal rights and informal privileges. Using original data from a nationally representative survey experiment, we examine whether people distinguish between formal rights (e.g., partnership benefits) and informal privileges (e.g., public displays of affection) in their attitudes toward same-sex couples. Results show that heterosexuals are as willing to extend formal rights to same-sex couples as they are to unmarried heterosexual couples. However, they are less willing to grant informal privileges.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to the article, “attitudes toward homosexuality have changed more rapidly over the past few decades than for any other sexuality issue”.  Why do you believe this is so?  What factors have led to the change in attitudes?

2)According to the authors why do they feel it is important to distinguish between formal rights and informal privileges?

Martin, K. (2009). Normalizing Heterosexuality: Mothers' Assumptions, Talk, and Strategies with Young Children. American Sociological Review, 190-207.

In recent years, social scientists have identified not just heterosexism and homophobia as social problems, but also heteronormativity—the mundane, everyday ways that heterosexuality is privileged and taken for granted as normal and natural. There is little empirical research, however, on how heterosexuality is reproduced and then normalized for individuals. Using survey data from more than 600 mothers of young children, ages 3 to 6 years old, this article examines how mothers normalize heterosexuality for young children.

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of this article focus on the impact of mothers in terms of how they interact with their children in terms of the sexual socialization process.  How influential do you think fathers are in terms of this process?

2)The demographics of the Mothers who participated in the survey varied.  How influential do you think demographics such as religion, race, or social class play in terms of the sexual socialization process?  Why?

Collins, G. (2003). Rethinking Retirement in the Context of an Aging Workforce. Journal of Career Development, 145-157.

As the baby boomers begin to retire in great numbers later this decade, there will not be enough workers in younger age categories to replace them. In this review, an attempt is made to integrate the demographics of an aging workforce with the projected economic revitalization. Implications are discussed regarding the concept of retirement and the paradox of an oversized generation preparing to retire in the context of extended life expectancies and projected worker shortages.

Questions to Consider:

1. Many more women over the age of 62 are working compared to men, according to the article.  What reasons may account for this?  If you are a woman, do you see yourself working past the age of 62? Why or why not?

2. Why might employers be reluctant to hire older workers?

3. As baby boomers reach retirement age what implications will this have for our society?

Danigelis, N., Hardy, M., & Cutler, S. (n.d.). Population Aging, Intracohort Aging, and Sociopolitical Attitudes. American Sociological Review, 812-830.

Prevailing stereotypes of older people hold that their attitudes are inflexible or that aging tends to promote increasing conservatism in sociopolitical outlook. In spite of mounting scientific evidence demonstrating that learning, adaptation, and reassessment are behaviors in which older people can and do engage, the stereotype persists. We use U.S. General Social Survey data from 25 surveys between 1972 and 2004 to formally assess the magnitude and direction of changes in attitudes that occur within cohorts at different stages of the life course.

Questions to Consider:

1. The authors of this article state that, “historical events can alter people’s views” as it pertains to how people ages 65 and older are perceived.  What do you think the authors mean by this statement?

2. Take a look at the questions that are found in the appendix.  These are the questions that were used in this survey which is the basis for this article.  Select one or two of the questions and discuss how individuals’ responses might differ if asked the same question 20 years ago as opposed to today.

Collins, A. (2005). The Resilience of Self-Esteem in Late Adulthood. Journal of Aging and Health, 471-489.

The authors examined the resilience of self-esteem after loss in the lives of older adults. Specifically, the authors investigated the relationship between loss and change in self-esteem during a 3-year period. A subsample of older adults from the Americans’ Changing Lives Study was used to examine loss in the domains of health, financial security, or work and career and self-esteem before and after the loss. There was a small but significant decrease in self-esteem between Wave I and Wave II of the study.

Questions to Consider:

1. According to the authors of the article, “Numerous studies demonstrate that there is very small or no decline in well-being or happiness in old age”.  Why do you think this is so?  What are some factors that may explain why this is so?

2. The authors found that older people are resilient, even after they have experienced a loss.  Did you find this result surprising?  Why or why not? 

3. How can studies such as this one help those who work with the elderly population?

Schmitz, C. (n.d.). Reframing The Dialogue On Female-Headed Single-Parent Families. Affilia, 426-441.

The increase in female-headed single-parent families, and the high rates of poverty among them, caused by changing economic and social support structures, is an international phenomenon. The traditional negative focus on the deviance of this family structure has led to blaming unmarried women, rather than implementing economic and social support structures that could lift their families out of poverty. This article presents data on these families and suggests ways of reframing the dialogue to broaden the lens under which social work educators, students, and practitioners view single-mother families.

Questions to Consider:         

1. According to the authors of this article fewer than ¼ of fathers pay full child support. What do you think can be done to rectify this issue?

2. Do you think the system that is in place in Sweden to aid single-parent female headed households could be duplicated in the United States?  Why or why not?

Willetts, M. (n.d.). Union Quality Comparisons Between Long-Term Heterosexual Cohabitation And Legal Marriage. Journal of Family Issues, 110-127.

A longitudinal analysis is conducted on the union quality of long-term cohabiting and legally married couples using data from both waves of the National Survey of Families and Households. An analysis of racially homogamous (Anglo-American and African American) couples indicates that the cohabitors and marrieds do not differ significantly with regard to their frequency of conflict, perceptions of equity, and relationship satisfaction, although age, educational attainment, and educational homogamy affect differentially the cohabitors' and marrieds' perceptions of equity with time, and the cohabitors' satisfaction in particular is negatively affected by the number of children biologically related to both partners.

Questions to Consider:

1. One finding in this article states the following, “Brown and Booth (1996) found that   cohabitors in unions of no more than 5 years’ duration perceive less equity than do the    legally married in unions of similar duration”.  What reasons, in your opinion, couldaccount for this?

2.  The researchers of the article state, “as the number of biological children increases, however, the satisfaction of the marrieds decreases only slightly, whereas the satisfaction  of the cohabitors drops precipitously”.  Why do you think this is so?  Why is there a  difference in satisfactions levels between married couples and cohabitators?

Fagan, J. "Effects of Divorce and Cohabitation Dissolution on Preschoolers' Literacy." Journal of Family Issues 34.4 (2013): 460-83.

The present study hypothesized that 48-month-old children of divorced mothers would score lower on emerging literacy than the children of formerly cohabiting mothers, compared with the children of mothers in stable marriage. The children of mothers who divorced or exited cohabitation but then remained single did not have significantly lower literacy than children of mothers in stable marriage. The children of divorced parents who then cohabited with another man fared significantly more poorly on literacy tests than children of continuously married parents.

Questions to Consider:

1. The second hypothesis was supported by the data in the article.  Why, in your opinion, were mothers who were divorced and started a new cohabiting relationship between 24 and 48 months had children with significantly lower literacy scores compared with children whose mothers were married at 24 and 48 months?  What factors could play a role in the above referenced families?

2. What other factors, besides the family dynamics, play a role in lower literacy rates among children?

Miller, L. E., A. Vanzomeren-Dohm, K. H. Howell, E. C. Hunter, and S. A. Graham-Bermann. "In-Home Social Networks and Positive Adjustment in Children Witnessing Intimate Partner Violence." Journal of Family Issues 35.4 (2014): 462-80.

Evidence suggests that social support may act as a potential protective factor for psychological maladjustment, but few studies have examined the social support networks of young children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study examined the in-home networks for 120 preschool-age children who were recently exposed to male-to-female IPV.

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of the article stated that the families in this study reported low monthly incomes, and more than half of the mothers were not working at the time of assessment.  How do you think the findings might have differed if the families had higher income levels?  Would they have differed from the findings in this article?

2)According to the results of this study, preschool children exposed to IPV appear to be buffered from the negative effects of witnessing violence when having an extended in-home support network, displaying fewer Internalizing and externalizing problems when more family members are present in the home.  How can this information be used by therapists who work with victims of IPV and their family members?

O'connor, C., Hill, L., & Robinson, S. (2009). Who's at Risk in School and What's Race Got to Do With It? Review of Research in Education, 1-34.

The authors of this article analyzed various studies which focus on the relationship between race and educational success.  Understand the relationship between these two factors may lead to predictions regarding educational success or failure of certain racial groups.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the studies referenced in the article states, “Black children enter school substantially behind their White counterparts in reading and math, but including a small number of covariates erases the gap.. By the end of third grade, however, there is a large Black–White test score gap that cannot be explained by the covariates.” What factors, in your opinion, could account for this difference?

2)According to the authors of this article, “racial gaps in achievement appear to be the largest in predominantly White schools, and when school is in session there is evidence that Black students in integrated schools make fewer academic gains than their peers in predominantly Black schools”.  There are some studies, however, that conclude minority students tend to thrive in integrated schools?  What reasons could account for this difference in the studies?

Quesenberry, A., Hemmeter, M., & Ostrosky, M. (n.d.). Addressing Challenging Behaviors in Head Start: A Closer Look at Program Policies and Procedures. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 209-220.

In this study, Head Start policies and procedures related to child guidance and addressing challenging behaviors were examined. Data were gathered from six Head Start programs in the Midwest, through interviews and document analysis. The findings provide a glimpse into how Head Start programs support children’s social and emotional competence and address young children’s challenging behavior. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

Questions to Consider:

1)How can administrators of the Head Start Program use the results of this study to improve the areas which received low scores? 

2)Six Head Start programs in a Midwestern State were part of this study.  Would it be useful to compare Head Start programs across the country?  What differences might arise from doing this as opposed to examining programs in one area?

Veltri, B. (n.d.). Teaching Or Service?: The Site-Based Realities Of Teach For America Teachers In Poor, Urban Schools. Education and Urban Society, 511-542.

Business Week and Fortune Magazine suggest that Teach for America (TFA) is a beneficial postgraduation option for corps members, who teach for a finite commitment in low—socioeconomic status urban school districts. This longitudinal qualitative study examines the complex issues that surround TFA through the voices of TFA corps members, mentors, and administrators. Insiders inform readers about the site-based realities, corporate-like model, affiliation with a high-profile national organization, and districts' hiring policies—all of which set TFA teachers apart from non-TFA teachers. 

Questions to Consider:

1)What have been the positives and negatives associated the Teach for America program according to the authors of this article?

2)Eighty-five percent of TFA participants noted that their academic frame of reference, geographical region they called home, and cultural background were markedly different from their students’.  Do you think that TFA participants should have a similar background to those of the students they are teaching?  Why or why not?

Schwartz, J. "After Incarceration and Adult Learning: A Collaborative Inquiry and Writing Project." Adult Learning 26.2 (2015): 51-58.

This article describes one community college’s collaborative inquiry and writing project that uses archival, auto-ethnographic, and interview data to explore how formerly incarcerated students might be effectively engaged in adult education and offers this inquiry project as a potential model for this engagement.

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of the article state, “several college applications asked whether the potential student had been convicted of a felony”.  What do you think is the purpose of this question?  Should it be eliminated from the application? Why or why not?

2)What impact do you think education has on the recidivism rate? 

Ledwell, M., and V. King. "Bullying and Internalizing Problems: Gender Differences and the Buffering Role of Parental Communication." Journal of Family Issues 36.5 (2013): 543-66.

Bullying is a widespread problem facing American adolescents. A better understanding of factors that may moderate the impact of bullying is important given its negative consequences for well-being. This study examines the association between bullying experiences and internalizing problems among a nationally representative sample of young adolescents. Additionally, they consider the ease of parental communication as a potential moderating factor in these associations.

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of the study state that one limitation of this study is they do not fully understand what aspects of the communication between parents and adolescents are most protective.  In your opinion, what are some specific aspects of the communication between parents and adolescents that can help adolescents deal with the effects of bullying?

2)According to the study, rumor spreading was the most prevalent form of bullying among girls, (34% experienced it at least once or twice in the past few months) while physical bullying was the least prevalent (8%). Among boys, name calling was the most prevalent bullying experience (36% experienced it at least once or twice in the past few months) while physical bullying was least prevalent (20%), but still much higher than it was for girls.  What reasons could account for this disparity between boys and girls?

Kashefi, M. (2009). Job Satisfaction and/or Job Stress: The Psychological Consequences of Working in 'High Performance Work Organizations' Current Sociology, 809-82

The rapid diffusion of high performance work organizations (HPWO) has attracted the attention of many scholars in sociology and psychology over the last three decades. One area in which ongoing debates and evidence are inconclusive is the linkage between HPWO and the ‘psychological functioning’ of employees, specifically the issues of job satisfaction and job stress. This study examines, and thereby extends our understanding of, associations between workplace restructuring — adopting an ‘internalization strategy’ within HPWO — with job satisfaction and job stress.

Questions to Consider:

1)How can employers use the results of this study to improve their workplace environment?

2)What is meant by internalization and externalization factors as described in the article?

Berlingieri, A. (2015). Workplace bullying: Exploring an emerging framework. Workplace Bullying: Exploring an Emerging Framework.

This article begins with a brief discussion of the theorization that currently predominates in the workplace violence and bullying literature and the outcomes of this theorizing. An emerging framework, conceptualizing violence broadly, is then outlined for understanding violence and bullying. 

Questions to Consider:

1)Think about the various occupations that are found in the United States.  Which type of violence, as described in the article, can be associated with specific occupations?  Why?

2)If you were a researcher studying the factors that are associated with workplace violence which research methods would you utilize?  Why would you choose this method?  Which method would be the least effective? Why?

Pedulla, D. S., and S. Thebaud. "Can We Finish the Revolution? Gender, Work-Family Ideals, and Institutional Constraint." American Sociological Review 80.1 (2015): 116-39.

A growing body of scholarship suggests that persistently gendered workplace norms and policies limit men’s and women’s ability to create gender egalitarian relationships at home. In this article, we build on and extend prior research by examining the extent to which institutional constraints, including workplace policies, affect young, unmarried men’s and women’s preferences for their future work-family arrangements. We also examine how these effects vary across education levels. 

Questions to Consider:

1)The individuals who were a part of this study did not have children.  How do you think the results of the study might have differed if the individuals had children?

2)How might the results of this study be used by those who are in charge of developing workplace policies?

Woods-Giscombe, C. (n.d.). Superwoman Schema: African American Women's Views On Stress, Strength, And Health. Qualitative Health Research, 668-683.

Researchers have suggested that health disparities in African American women, including adverse birth outcomes, lupus, obesity, and untreated depression, can be explained by stress and coping. The Strong Black Woman/Superwoman role has been highlighted as a phenomenon influencing African American women’s experiences and reports of stress. The purpose of this study was to develop a preliminary conceptual framework for Superwoman Schema (SWS) by exploring women’s descriptions of the Superwoman role; perceptions of contextual factors, benefits, and liabilities; and beliefs regarding how it influences health.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of the survey as referenced in the article was, “women indicated a perceived obligation to suppress emotions.  They voiced concern no one would understand what they were going through”.   Why do you think so many women felt obligated to suppress their emotions?  What kind of health issues can arise from this suppression?

2)The authors discussed a limitation of the study was the sample was selected from the southeastern part of the United States.  How do you think the results of the study might have differed if there were African American women from other regions of the United States?

Rose, S., & Hatzenbuehler, S. (n.d.). Embodying Social Class: The Link Between Poverty, Income Inequality And Health. International Social Work, 459-471.

Poverty, income inequality and the inequitable distribution of health invariably co-occur. The strength of the relationship between wealth and health holds even in countries with universal health care. A systematic literature review describes pathways from inequality of wealth to embodied diseases. The significance for social policy and social work practice is developed.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to the author, there is a correlation between socioeconomic level and health.  What factors account for this, according to the conclusions made in this article?

2)What more can be done, in your opinion, to help those with a lower socioeconomic background get better access to physical and mental health care?  How can studies such as this lead to a better understand of the needs of those who are poor?

Baker, Dian, Kathleen Hebbeler, Linda Davis-Alldritt, Lori Anderson, and Heather Knauer. "School Health Services for Children With Special Health Care Needs in California." School Health Services for Children With Special Health Care Needs in California. The Journal of School Nursing, 8 Apr. 2015.

Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) are at risk for school failure when their health needs are not met. Current studies have identified a strong connection between school success and health. This study attempted to determine (a) how schools meet the direct service health needs of children and (b) who provides those services. 

Questions to Consider:

1)According to one result of the study, “ among those nurses who were aware that a student had a special health care need, 30% reported that they were not kept up-to-date by others, such as the parents or the child’s physician, about a child’s condition”.  If you were in charge of implementing policies in the educational system to resolve this issue what would your plan include? 

2)This study found that 1.2 million students in California were in school districts in 2011–2012 that employed no school nurses.  What are the ramifications of this besides the issues addressed in this study?

Shaw, A. (n.d.). Putting The Gay In Games: Cultural Production And GLBT Content In Video Games. Games and Culture, 228-253.

This article addresses gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) representation in video games from a cultural production perspective. It addresses how members of the video game industry account for the relative lack of GLBT representation in this medium. Previous studies have shown that certain stakeholders actively invest in GLBT representation in media.

Questions to Consider:

1)How can the portrayal of LGBT characters in video games impact the way individuals view members of the LGBT community?

2)How would each of the sociological theoretical perspectives view the issues discussed within this article?

Brown, B. (1990). Advertising Influences on Majority and Minority Youth: Images of Inclusion and Exclusion. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 17-30.

This paper attempts to identify key issues from research on advertising’s effects on young people. The focus is on the interpretation of experience by children between 3 and 12 years of age from different racial and ethnic group backgrounds.

Questions to Consider:

1)How does advertising, in your opinion, impact young children?  What role can parents play in terms of neutralizing the effects of advertisements on their children?

2)Minorities, according to the article, tend to be underrepresented in advertisements.  What factors can account for this?  Do you think this will change in the future?          

Johnson, Thomas J., and Barbara K. Kaye. (2015). "Site Effects: How Reliance on Social Media Influences Confidence in the Government and News Media." Social Science Computer Review, 127-44.

The rise of social media, such as blogs, social network sites, Twitter, and YouTube, encourages hope for renewed confidence in the government and news media because these venues connect users directly to candidates and officeholders. This article indicates that blogs most heavily relied on the type of social media for political information. Moreover, reliance on blogs and YouTube leads to reduced confidence in the presidency, Congress, and the news media, but reliance on social network sites and Twitter leads to higher confidence in these institutions after controlling for strength of party ties, political ideology, political interest, reliance on traditional media, and demographic variables.

Questions to Consider:

1)Do you use social media sites such as You Tube or Twitter to gain access to information about the government and/or the presidency? If so, how does it affect your views about these institutions?  If not, what is the main source of information for you in regards to these institutions?

2)If you were a political candidate running for office how would you use the results of this study to help you in your campaign?

Bliss, K. "Social Media in the Classroom: An Experiential Teaching Strategy to Engage and Educate." Pedagogy in Health Promotion (2015): n. pag.

This article outlines an approach to engaging and educating college students through the use of social media. The project is designed for a substance use course at the college/university undergraduate level. However, it could be adapted for any health education course/health issue where education and/or communication via social media are appropriate. It is well suited for both face-to-face and online classroom settings and has been utilized in both venues.

Questions to Consider:

1)“Those students who were highly proficient with technology or who used social media tools regularly seemed to have an easier time with the project, enjoyed the process, and produced quality campaigns”.  How can instructors use this piece of knowledge when developing lesson plans for their students?  Should higher level institutions have mandatory courses that help incoming freshman become familiar with social media tools? Why or why not?

2)This project has been implemented in one face-to-face substance use course (36 students) as well as one online substance use course (28 students) where students in the face-to-face course completed the project with a partner and students in the online course completed the project individually.  What are the advantages of a face-to-face course as opposed to an online course in terms of understanding the use of social media tools?  What might be the disadvantages?

Fillmore, M. (2003). Drug Abuse as a Problem of Impaired Control: Current Approaches and Findings. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews, 179-197

The author presents a selective and integrative overview of cu-rent research examining acute effects of abused drugs on aspects of behavioral control in humans. The review discusses the concept of behavioral control and reviews research models that examine inhibitory influences as a central mechanism of control. Evidence for drug-induced impairment of inhibitory mechanisms is reviewed from current neuroanatomical, neuropharmacological, and behavioral perspectives.

Questions to Consider:

1)After reading this article, how do these perspectives mentioned above differ in their explanation of drug inducted impairment of inhibitory mechanisms?

2)What questions for further studies can be developed after reading the results of this study?

Mouttapa, M., Watson, D., Mcculler, W., Sussman, S., Weiss, J., Reiber, C., . . . Tsai, W. (2009). I'm Mad and I'm Bad: Links Between Self-Identification as a Gangster, Symptoms of Anger, and Alcohol Use Among Minority Juvenile Offenders. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 71-82.

This preliminary study examined whether anger and identification with the ‘‘gang member’’ peer group are associated with heavy alcohol use. Participants were 91 (53.8% male) juvenile offenders in four juvenile probation camps in Southern California who completed a self-report survey. More than half (53.4%) indicated that they best fit in with the ‘‘gang member’’ peer group.

Questions to Consider:

1. One of the results of this study was, “Whites generally have lower rates of alcohol use compared to ethnic minorities”.  What social factors can account for this?

2.  One of the results from this study was “incarcerated youth are more likely to use alcohol as a means to cope with psychological symptoms as opposed to peer pressure”. Is this finding surprising to you?  Why or why not? 

3. What can researchers learn from the results of this study?  How can these findings be helpful those who treat drug addiction?

Miller, K., Melnick, M., Farrell, M., Sabo, D., & Barnes, G. (n.d.). Jocks, Gender, Binge Drinking, And Adolescent Violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 105-120.

Previous research has suggested a link between athletic involvement and elevated levels of adolescent violence outside the sport context. The present study expanded on this literature by positing differences in the sport-violence relationship across dimensions of athletic involvement (athletic participation vs. jock identity), type of violence (family vs. nonfamily), and gender as well as by examining the impact of binge drinking on the sport-violence relationship.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study indicated that those who stated that they were actively involved in athletic participation were less likely to engage in nonfamily violence.  What factors can account for this?

2)The main method of gathering information was face-to-face interviews.  What are the disadvantages associated with this type of research method?

3)What can researchers learn based on the results of this study? 

Eassey, J. M., C. L. Gibson, and M. D. Krohn. "Using a Group-Based Trajectory Approach to Assess Risk and Protective Factors of Marijuana Use." Journal of Drug Issues 45.1 (2014): 4-21.

Marijuana is the most widely used illegal substance in the world, and persistent and frequent use during adolescence has been associated with precocious transitions and deleterious consequences in adulthood. This study used a group-based trajectory approach to analyze panel data collected from 1,725 youth participating in the National Youth Study to describe pathways of marijuana use and to explore protective factors that may reduce the continuation of use.

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of this research study discuss some of the factors associated with marijuana usage such as family, friends, and non-environmental factors.  Which factor, in your opinion, has the strongest association with marijuana usage?  Why?

2)What are some questions for further research studies based on the results of this study?

Alpert, P. T. "Alcohol Abuse in Older Adults: An Invisible Population." Home Health Care Management & Practice 26.4 (2014): 269-72.

Alcohol abuse among older adults is known as the hidden epidemic as the number of individuals who suffer from dependency and abuse has about doubled in the last decade. Because baby boomers were more liberal substance users during the 1960s and 1970s, experts anticipate the epidemic will increase even further by 2020. Definition of abuse and screening as a preventive measure to identify alcohol abuse in older adults are explored.

Questions to Consider:

1)The article states, “Alcohol and prescription medication abuse among those aged 60 years and older is a growing epidemic. Approximately 2.5 million older adults have a drinking or drug abuse problem”.  What factors, in your opinion, have led to the increase of alcohol and prescription about among this demographic?

2)How can the results of this study be used by those who work with the elderly (i.e. nursing home administrators, caregivers)?

Bernburg, J. (n.d.). Official Labeling, Criminal Embeddedness, And Subsequent Delinquency: A Longitudinal Test Of Labeling Theory. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 67-88.

This article examines the short-term impact of formal criminal labeling on involvement in deviant social networks and increased likelihood of subsequent delinquency. According to labeling theory, formal criminal intervention should affect the individual’s immediate social networks. In many cases, the stigma of the criminal status may increase the probability that the individual becomes involved in deviant social groups. The formal label may thus ultimately increase involvement in subsequent deviance.

Questions to Consider:                     

1)According to this article how has the labeling theory been utilized in terms of explaining criminal behaviors?

2)One of the results of this study states that, “juvenile justice intervention increases the odds of gang membership by a factor of 5.2”.  What is meant by juvenile justice intervention as described in this article?  What factors, in your opinion, can explain why the increases in juvenile justice intervention increase the odds of gang membership?

3)According to the researchers in this article, labeling can have a strong effect on the adolescent, perhaps more so than any other time in one’s life.  What factors can account for this?

Davis, R., & Henderson, N. (2003). Willingness to Report Crimes: The Role of Ethnic Group Membership and Community Efficacy. Crime & Delinquency, 564-580.

Law enforcement experts and observers of immigrant communities have suggested that immigrants are reluctant to report crimes to the police. Various reasons have been advanced to support this idea, ranging from distrust of authorities to fear of retaliation or deportation to lack of confidence in the police. This study examined willingness to report crimes among residents of six ethnic communities in New York City.

Questions to Consider:

1)  According to the results of this article, “Eighty-three percent of respondents said that they would be very likely to report a break-in to someone’s home”. Why, in your opinion, would break-ins be the most likely to be reported?

2)  Drug selling was the least likely to be reported.  Why would this be so?

3)  How can community leaders and police departments utilize the findings from this study to implement changes?                           

Leeper Piquero, N., Carmichael, S., & Piquero, A. (n.d.). Research Note: Assessing The Perceived Seriousness Of White-Collar And Street Crimes. Crime & Delinquency, 291-312.

Controversy surrounds the ranking of crime seriousness of white-collar crimes relative to street crimes, with early research suggesting the general public is indifferent to crimes of the elite, whereas more recent research indicates that the public thinks certain types of white-collar crime are serious. Building on prior research limitations and using data from a national random probability sample, this study compares the seriousness ratings of a number of white-collar and street crimes and examines the factors that distinguish seriousness ratings across the crime types. 

Questions to Consider:

1)According to this study, “the majority of individuals in our data perceived that white-collar crimes were as serious— if not more so—than street crimes”.  What is your own perception in regards to these two types of crimes?  Which do you consider to be more serious?  Why?

2)“A July 2002 ABC News/Washington Post poll of 1,512 adults indicated that support for tougher punishment of white-collar crimes was vast. In fact, 91% favored higher fines and longer prison terms for corporate executives who conceal their company’s true financial condition”.  Why aren’t those who commit white collar crimes given tougher sentences?  How might a conflict theorist explain why this is so?

Mancini, Christina, Thomas Baker, Karla D. Sainju, Kristen Golden, Laura Bedard, and Marc Gertz.” (2015). “Examining External Support Received in Prison and Concerns About Reentry Among Incarcerated Women." Feminist Criminology, n. pag.

Few studies have examined whether social ties influence concerns about reentry among women in prison. Given that a systematic understanding of reentry has the potential to inform research and policy efforts to assist women with transition, this gap is limiting. This study addresses this void by testing whether social support affects reentry concerns (family, employment, financial, and stigma) among incarcerated women.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the suggestions that the authors of this study make is, “correctional authorities may want to consider implementing procedures that maximize visitation, and to a lesser extent written correspondence” as this study showed that the benefits of face to face visitation outweighed written correspondence.  What kind of procedures could be implemented to increase this type of visitation?

2)After reading this study, do you think that studies like this one can be useful in understanding the recidivism rate?  How can those in charge of implementing social policy utilize the results of this study? 

Snedker, Karen. (2010). "Neighborhood Conditions and Fear of Crime A Reconsideration of Sex Differences." Crime & Delinquency, 45-70.

Research indicates that men and women commonly express different amounts of fear about crime. This article explores the sex difference in fear of crime levels by assessing differences in fear of crime in relation to urban environments. Using data from the Bureau of Justice Statistics Criminal Victimization and Perceptions of Community Safety, the present analysis employs multinomial logistic regressions to examine gradations in two measures of fear of crime.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study stated that women (58 %) were more likely to be fearful of crime in the neighborhood compared to men (70%) yet women and men experience similar levels of fear in terms of crime in the city.  What factors could account for this difference? 

2)How much does the media impact the public’s fear of crime?  How so?  Are there other socialization agents that can impact societal perceptions of crime?

3)Who might utilize the results of this article (police administrators, researchers)?

Squires, G. (n.d.). Demobilization of the Individualistic Bias: Housing Market Discrimination as a Contributor to Labor Market and Economic Inequality. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 200-214.

Racial discrimination in the nation's housing markets and patterns of residential segregation have contributed to labor market inequalities and economic disparities generally. Housing values are suppressed in minority communities, undercutting wealth accumulation by nonwhite families. Job growth in suburban communities coupled with the concentration of public housing in central city communities restricts minority access to jobs. A range of institutionalized practices by housing providers and public policies by government agencies at all levels have nurtured and exacerbated racial inequalities grounded in traditional stereotypes.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to this article what are some factors that have led to segregation of minorities in the housing market?  What role does housing segregation play in educational segregation?

2)Analyze the various policy options discussed in this article.  Which option(s), in your opinion, best tackle the issues of housing inequalities?

Williamson, T. (2008). Sprawl, Spatial Location, and Politics: How Ideological Identification Tracks the Built Environment. American Politics Research, 903-933.

This study explores how spatial characteristics commonly associated with suburban sprawl (including density, reliance on the automobile, neighborhood age, and commuting patterns) help predict voting patterns and individual ideological orientation. Researchers find that, at the county level, greater reliance on automobile commuting and younger housing stock were strong predictors of greater support for the Republican candidate in the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections, controlling for demographic factors. Using the 2000 Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey (SCCBS), Researchers also find that greater automobile reliance and younger housing stock, measured at the census tract level, are strong predictors of more conservative ideological orientation among individuals, controlling for other individual and contextual factors.

Questions to Consider:

1)How can political candidates use the results of this study to better understand how the voter patterns of their constituents?

2)One of the results of this study is the following, “support for Republicans is stronger in lower density, automobile-oriented, more recently built, and less bounded counties”.  What reasons could account for this?

3)What are some limitations of this study?

Chifos, C. (2007). The Sustainable Communities Experiment in the United States: Insights from Three Federal-Level Initiatives. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 435-449.

This paper documents and analyzes a portion of the U.S. government's attempt to adopt the concept of sustainability after 1992. Numerous case studies of individual sustainable community development projects exist, although almost no literature describes the coordinated federal-level effort to create and implement a sustainable development policy from 1993 to 2000. Case studies of three prominent federal-level sustainable community programs are developed from twenty guided interviews and existing government documents.

Questions to Consider:

1)After reading the results presented in this article what are some questions you have for further studies on sustainable community development projects?

2)According to the article why did the U.S. government attempt to adapt the concept of sustainability after 1992?  What are some barriers to implementation of sustainable community development projects?

Racki, Jeffrey, Praful Patel, and David DeGroot. (n.d.). "Africa 2050: Urbanization." Global Journal of Emerging Market Conditions, n. pag.

This article puts forward an agenda for achieving the 2050 vision that focuses on unlocking a more systematic approach to urban development and management. This requires the development of new partnerships for urban development and management, between tiers of government, with the private sector and citizens. It requires a greater focus on using local resources to leverage the financing needed to support urban growth.

Questions to Consider:

1)According to the authors of this article, by 2050 the urban population in Africa will be relatively young. With projected population growth rates in excess of 2 percent, the median age will continue to drop from the current 19.7 years. The number of youth will increase from 205 million today to anywhere from 330 to 450 million, the majority of whom will live in urban areas.  What implications do you think this will have for these urban areas?  Will this lead to a higher crime rate or poverty?

2)After reading the results of this report what do you think are the biggest challenges for urban developers in Africa?

Lucas, Richard. (n.d.). "Life Satisfaction of U.S. Counties Predicts Population Growth." Social Psychological & Personality Science, n. pag.

Subjective well-being (SWB) reflects an overall evaluation of the quality of a person’s life from his or her perspective. Although SWB is typically studied at the individual level, social scientists have become increasingly interested in the well-being of broader regions like cities, states, or nations. The current study examines the association between aggregate well-being and an important behavioral indicator of regional success: migration and population growth. Using life satisfaction data from over 2 million respondents, along with population data from 2000 to 2010, the author shows that U.S. counties with higher levels of life satisfaction grew at substantially faster rates than did counties with low life satisfaction.

Questions to Consider:         

1)One of the results of the study stated, “Life satisfaction was moderately to strongly correlated with population growth over a 10-year period, and the most satisfied regions (those that were at least 1 standard deviation [SD] above the mean) exhibited growth that was more than 14 times as large as the least satisfied regions (those that were 1 SD below the mean)”.  In your opinion, how is population growth affected by life satisfaction?

2)Have you ever lived in an urban area? Suburb?  What factors, living in these areas, could increase life satisfaction?  What factors would lead to a decrease in satisfaction?

Greenberg, M., Lowrie, K., Solitare, L., & Duncan, L. (2000). Brownfields, Toads, and the Struggle for Neighborhood Redevelopment: A Case Study of the State of New Jersey. Urban Affairs Review, 717-733.

A survey was made of all municipalities in the state of New Jersey (N = 566) to determine how many had brownfields sites that caused property devaluation and land-use changes beyond the site boundaries. Most municipalities (80%, n = 450) replied; 10% indicated that brownfields sites caused neighborhood impacts, and 3% reported land-use and neighborhood impacts more than one-quarter mile from the site and multiple land-use changes as a result of a brownfield site. Typically, this last group of neighborhoods also had neighborhood problems such as unsafe conditions and inadequate services. Policy suggestions for this group of highly stressed neighborhoods are discussed.

Questions to Consider:

1)The focus of this study was on TOADS, which are contaminated buildings and land that can ruin the surrounding neighborhood by polluting the local environment.  Think about where you live or perhaps places you have visited in your lifetime.  Have you witnessed these types of building or land?  How have they affected the environment in your opinion?

2)How can environmentalists use the results of this study to make policy changes?

Chambers, S. (2007). Minority Empowerment and Environmental Justice. Urban Affairs Review, 28-54.

In Hartford, Connecticut, environmental health problems disproportionately affect poor and minority residents of the city. Minority group activists in Hartford have created a multiracial organization composed of urban and suburban residents to fight for environmental justice. The organization has achieved a measure of success in terms of governmental responsiveness to their concerns. This article highlights the strategies used by the organization to advance its interests.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the notable findings from this study indicates that, “areas with the highest concentration of toxins happen to be located in Connecticut’s poorest cities where large numbers of minority residents live”.  The authors of the article go on to note that there is a correlation between communities of color and location of hazardous waste facilities.  Why is there a correlation between these two factors? 

2)The Hartford Environmental Justice Network (HEJN) is an organization comprised largely of minorities from impoverished neighborhoods in Hartford, Connecticut.  After reading this article which policies implemented by HEJN have been successful in tackling environment health problems?  Which policies have not been successful?  Why?

MMerkeki, Daniel, Baizhan Li, and Liu Meng. (n.d.). "Hazardous and Toxic Waste Management in Botswana: Practices and Challenges." Waste Management & Research, n. pag.

Botswana lacks a system covering all the critical steps from importation to final disposal or processing of hazardous and toxic waste owing to limited follow-up of the sources and types of hazardous and toxic waste, lack of modern and specialized treatment/disposal facilities, technical know-how, technically skilled manpower, funds and capabilities of local institutions to take lead in waste management. Therefore, because of a lack of an integrated system, there are challenges such as lack of cooperation among all the stakeholders about the safe management of hazardous and toxic waste.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study states that, “safe and effective management of HTW is not only a question of regulation necessity, but also improved public participation and awareness at the early stages of planning for HTW management”.  What strategies would you recommended getting the public more involved in regards to HTW management?

2)What are the consequences of having inadequate HTW management policies?

Bolson, T., J. N. Druckman, and F. L. Cook. "Citizens', Scientists', and Policy Advisors' Beliefs about Global Warming." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 658.1 (2015): 271-95.

Numerous factors shape citizens’ beliefs about global warming, but there is very little research that compares the views of the public with key actors in the policymaking process. We analyze data from simultaneous and parallel surveys of (1) the U.S. public, (2) scientists who actively publish research on energy technologies in the United States, and (3) congressional policy advisors and find that beliefs about global warming vary markedly among them. Scientists and policy advisors are more likely than the public to express a belief in the existence and anthropogenic nature of global warming.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study is, “People who value individualism and hierarchy are less supportive of action on global warming, whereas those who value egalitarianism and communitarianism are more supportive of action on global warming”.  Why do you think this is so?  What reasons could account for the difference in terms of action on global warming?

2)What factors, in your opinion, leads to the publics’ belief system in regards to global warming?

Cohn, C. (n.d.). "How Can She Claim Equal Rights When She Doesn't Have To Do As Many Push-Ups As I Do?": The Framing Of Men's Opposition To Women's Equality In The Military. Men and Masculinities, 131-151.

The public arguments for and against women in the military and in combat are numerous, well-worn, and readily accessible in congressional testimony, books, and articles. But the laundry list of arguments does not necessarily tell us much about how military men actually make sense to themselves of their own experiences and opinions, or the ways that they frame their feelings about the issue. Drawing on in-depth interviews with military officers, this article describes and analyzes a dominant form in which male officers frame their opposition to women in the military, the “PT (physical training) protest,” a variant of “standards discourse.” 

Questions to Consider:

1)Discuss some of the comments made during the interviews with the men that struck you as particularly interesting.  Why do you feel this way?

2)Do you think how military women are perceived will change in the future?  Why or why not? What factors can lead to a change in the women are perceived?

Morgan, T., Bapat, N., & Krustev, V. (n.d.). The Threat And Imposition Of Economic Sanctions, 1971--2000. Conflict Management and Peace Science, 92-110.

Economic sanctions, increasingly used as instruments of foreign policy in recent decades, have been the focus of numerous academic studies. Recent theoretical advances in our understanding of sanctions cannot be tested adequately with existing data. This article presents a newly developed dataset that contains information on 888 cases in which sanctions were threatened and/or implemented in the 1971—2000 period. We describe the dataset, present descriptive statistics for some of the key variables included, and offer comparisons with the Hufbauer, Schott, and Elliot dataset on sanctions that has been frequently used in previous research.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some limitations of this particular study?

2. How can one apply the sociological imagination to the information presented in this study?

3. How might each theoretical perspective view the results presented in this study?

Makin, David, and Susan Hoard. (n.d.). "Understanding the Gender Gap in Domestic Terrorism Through Criminal Participation." Criminal Justice Policy Review, n. pag.

This research examines criminal participation of women within domestic terrorism while testing two beliefs. Those beliefs focus on the ruthlessness and lethality of female terrorists as described by Laqueur and the belief that women are more likely to be found within a particular group type (left wing). These two beliefs form the basis of U.S. domestic terrorism policy and need to be evaluated empirically to understand whether and how current terrorism policy needs to be reconsidered in order to address the realities of women’s involvement in domestic terrorism.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study, in regards to female participation in terrorist groups, states that women who join these groups tend to college educated whereas men are more likely to have a high school degree.  Also, women are more likely to be between 36-45 and married.  What factors could account for the difference in educational levels between men and women as it relates to participation in a terrorist organization?

2)One result of this study states that women are not as violent compared to men in regards to terroristic activity.  What reasons could account for this?

Cleveland, John. (2003). "Does the New Middle Class Lead Today’s Social Movements?" Critical Sociology, 163-88.

The conventional wisdom that today's movements are led by a section of the `new middle class' is really the old functionalist theory of (post)modernizing elites that denies class analysis. The `young adult nucleus' thesis is proposed as an alternative theory. The leading social forces in movements in affluent countries are intellectual radicals and `advanced elements' from groups that experience some form of exploitation, oppression or collective hurt.

Questions to Consider:

1)What is the main difference, according to this article, between the New Middle Class thesis and the Young Adult Nucleus thesis as it pertains to social movements?

2)The authors of the article end with this question, “Who leads social movements?”  Why is an important question to answer?  What implications does it have for our society to know the answer to this question?

Biggs, M., & Andrews, K. (2015). “Protest Campaigns and Movement Success: Desegregating the U.S. South in the Early 1960s.” American Sociological Review, 416-443.

Can protest bring about social change? Although scholarship on the consequences of social movements has grown dramatically, our understanding of protest influence is limited; several recent studies have failed to detect any positive effect.  The researchers investigate sit-in protest by black college students in the U.S. South in 1960, which targeted segregated lunch counters. An original dataset of 334 cities enables us to assess the effect of protest while considering the factors that generate protest itself—including local movement infrastructure, supportive political environments, and favorable economic conditions. 

Questions to Consider:

1)The authors of the article refer to the civil rights movement as “the movement of movements”.  What are some of the reasons why this is so?  In your opinion, why were lunch counters so popular as a place for the sit-in’s during the 1960’s?

2)What information can be gained by comparing the case studies of cities where protests took place compared to the cities which were absent of protests?  Why has little research been conducted on cities where no protests took place?

Davis, M., Hall, J., & Meyer, M. (2003). The First Year: Influences on the Satisfaction, Involvement, and Persistence of New Community Volunteers. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 248-260.

This investigation tests an elaborated form of Omoto and Snyder’s volunteer process model, which explains how the helping behavior of volunteers is influenced by antecedent factors and by subjective experiences while volunteering. Two-hundred-thirty-eight community volunteers from nine different organizations were recruited at the time of initial orientation and completed measures of personality and motivation. They were contacted at four times during their first year of volunteering and queried regarding their emotional reactions (sympathy, distress), satisfaction, and degree to which their motivations for volunteering were being fulfilled.

Questions to Consider:

1)One of the results of this study, as it pertains to volunteers, “minimizing distress may be the most important factor in increasing their satisfaction”.  How can organizations minimize distress for their volunteers?  What are some factors that might lead to distress?

2)How can the results of this study aid organizations in implementing policies to recruit more volunteers? 

3)Have you ever volunteered for an organization?  If so, what were some of the issues you faced during your time as a volunteer?

Boler, M., Macdonald, A., Nitsou, C., & Harris, A. (2014). Connective Labor and Social Media: Women’s Roles in the ‘leaderless’ Occupy Movement, Convergence, 436-460.

This article draws upon the insights of 75 Occupy activists from Toronto and across the United States interviewed as part of the 3-year study ‘Social Media in the Hands of Young Citizens’. This article highlights three major roles adopted by women in the so-called leaderless, horizontally structured Occupy movement – both within the offline, face-to-face General Assembly meetings held during the Occupy encampments and within the online spaces of Facebook pages, Web sites, affinity groups, and working committees. As key participants in the movement, women used social technologies such as Facebook, Twitter, and livestreaming as modes of activist engagement, developing unique roles such as that of the ‘Admin’ (Social Media Administrator), the ‘Documentarian’, and the ‘Connector’. 

Questions to Consider:

1)A comparison is made in this article between women who participated in the Occupy movement and the second wave of feminism.  Are there any other comparisons, besides the ones that were addressed in this article that you can make between these two movements?

2)Taking note of the various roles that women have played in the Occupy movement how do these roles mirror the roles that women in general play in our society today?