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Tyler, K. A. (2016, July 2). A qualitative study of early family histories and transitions of homeless youth. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 21(10), 1385–1393. doi:10.1177/0886260506291650

Using intensive qualitative interviews with 40 homeless youth, this study examined their early family histories for abuse, neglect, and other family problems and the number and types of transitions that youth experienced. Multiple forms of child maltreatment, family alcoholism, drug use, and criminal activity characterized early family histories of many youth. Leaving home because of either running away or being removed by child protective services often resulted in multiple transitions, which regularly included moving from foster care homes to a group home, back to their parents, and then again returning to the streets.

Questions to Consider

1. How can the Sociological Imagination be utilized to examine the issues that are discussed in this article?
2. If you could predict the future for these individuals in 10 years what would it look like?
3. What can sociologists learn by analyzing the experiences of these individuals?

 

Quartaroli, T. A. (2014, June 23). Sociology at work. Journal of Applied Social Science, 8(2), 79–84. doi:10.1177/1936724414539793

Often times, there is a disconnect between what sociology students learn and school and the real world that awaits them when they graduate. This article calls for members to join the Applied and Clinical Sociology organization to help mentor a new generation into the practice of applied sociology.

Questions to Consider

1. Why, in your opinion, does a disconnect exist between the sociology student and principles of the real world?
2. Why, according to this article, are so many people disengaged when it comes to their occupation?
3. What type of occupations, according to this article, can sociologists do with their degree?
4. How can the AACS help to mentor Sociology students?

 

Finn, S., & Collman, G. (2016, September 6). The pivotal role of the social sciences in environmental health sciences research. NEW SOLUTIONS: A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy, 26(3), 389–411.

Environmental health sciences research seeks to elucidate environmental factors that put human health at risk. Multidisciplinary research teams that include social and behavioral scientists are essential to conduct this type of research. This article outlines the history of social and behavioral research funding at National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Questions to Consider

1. What role do the various social sciences play in regards to the discipline of environmental health science?
2. Specifically, what are the factors that play a role in environmental health issues according to this article? How do these factors affect one’s health, in your opinion?

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Kuperberg, A., & Stone, P. (2008, June 5). The media depiction of women who opt out. Gender & Society, 22(4), 497–517. doi:10.1177/0891243208319767

Through a content analysis of print media and a comparison of media images with trends in women’s behavior, the authors of this article explore the rhetoric and reality surrounding the exit of college-educated women from the workforce to become full-time mothers, a phenomenon that has been dubbed “opting out”.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, how has the media’s depiction of working mothers changed over the years?
2. How does the media’s depiction of working mothers influence women in general, ranging from those who work to those who choose to stay home?
3. This article highlights the use of content analysis as a research method in sociological studies. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this research method?

 

Corcoran, K. E. (2013, July 11). Divine exchanges: Applying social exchange theory to religious behavior.Rationality and Society, 25(3), 335–369. doi:10.1177/1043463113492306

This article applies principles from social exchange theory to religious behavior and argues that the same mechanisms that reduce uncertainty in social exchanges also reduce uncertainty in ‘religious’ exchanges, resulting in higher levels of religious commitment.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, what are the rewards of religious participation?
2. How can the social exchange theory help us to understand religious behavior as well as other types of human behavior?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this research method in sociological studies?

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Bugge, A. B., & Almås, R. (2016, August 13). Domestic dinner. Journal of Consumer Culture, 6(2), 203–228. doi:10.1177/1469540506064744

The purpose of this article is to explore contemporary representations and practices of the domestic dinner in the context of households in the process of establishing themselves and families in suburban Norway.

Questions to Consider

1. How does the domestic dinner in suburban Norway compare to the dinner ritual found among American families?
2. According to this article, why are women an important reference with regard to establishing a regular dinner pattern?
3. How can studying other cultural practices help us to understand our own cultural practices?

 

Ren, L., Zhang, H., Zhao, J. S., & Zhao, R. (2015, September 9). Delinquent subculture and Juvenile offenders’ attitudes toward the police in China. Police Quarterly, 19(1), 87–110. doi:10.1177/1098611115604450

This study made use of delinquent subculture theories developed in the United States to examine juvenile attitudes toward the police in China. The data were collected from face-to-face interviews conducted with 358 adjudicated youth offenders incarcerated in a province-run juvenile prison in an ethnic minority autonomous region of China.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, primarily what were the social-class backgrounds of the individuals who were interviewed for this article? How do you think this impacted their attitudes towards the police?
2. How does this article help us understand the dynamics of a subculture?
3. How can the information in this article be used to generate further sociological research regarding this type of subculture?

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Garner, B., & Grazian, D. (2016, July29). Naturalizing gender through childhood socialization messages in a Zoo.Social Psychology Quarterly, 79(3), 181–198. doi:10.1177/0190272516656620

In emphasizing the context of the zoo as a site for the naturalization of gender categories, this article identifies how adults transmit gender socialization messages to children that promote gender stereotypes associated with the biological determinism of the natural living world.

Questions to Consider

1. How do children, according to this study, learn gender messages while attending the zoo?
2. How did the mothers and fathers, according to this article, differ in how they described the animals at the zoo?
3. How does this study highlight the socialization process?

 

Malcom, N. L. (2016, July 26). “Shaking it off” and “toughing it out”. Journal of Contemporary Ethnography, 35(5), 495–525. doi:10.1177/0891241605283571

Using participant-observation research focusing on adolescent girls who participated in recreational softball, this study reveals how the clash of norms between traditional femininity and the sport ethic sheds light on the socialization process.

Questions to Consider

1. How do you think the coaches of these softball teams would treat males differently in regards to attitudes regarding pain and injuries?
2. How does participation in sports in general shape the socialization process among individuals?
3. The researchers utilized participant observation as the main method of data collection for this study. What are the possible disadvantages of utilizing this method?

 

Katz, L., & Lambert, W. (2016, August 18). A happy and engaged class without cell phones? It’s easier than you think. Teaching of Psychology, 43(4), 340–345. doi:10.1177/0098628316662767

This article presents an easy-to-implement method using positive reinforcement that effectively removes cell phones from the classroom in a way that is highly endorsed by students and that greatly fosters student engagement, class participation, and a focused and respectful classroom atmosphere. In a quasi-experiment, researchers found significant correlations between giving up cell phones and students’ test grades, overall grade point average (GPA), semester’s GPA, and attendance.

Questions to Consider

1. How has the advent of cell phones changed the way individuals communicate in general?
2. According to this article, students who gave up their cell phones achieved higher test scores. What reasons, in your opinion, can account for this?
3. Do you believe that teachers should allow students to have cell phones in his/her classes? Why or why not?

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Curry, K. A., Jean-Marie, G., & Adams, C. M. (2016, July13). Social networks and parent motivational beliefs. Educational Administration Quarterly, 52(5), 841–877. doi:10.1177/0013161X16659345

To gain a better understanding of factors that influence parent motivational beliefs, the authors of this article examined the effects of parent social network, school outreach, and neighborhood health on parent role construction and parent efficacy in an urban school district.

Questions to Consider

1. What social networks exist in your life? What are the benefits and costs of these relationships?
2. How have social media sites like Facebook impacted social networks?

 

Kwonl, K. H., Stefanone, M. A., & Barnett, G. A. (2014, March 28). Social network influence on online behavioral choices. American Behavioral Scientist, 58(10), 1345–1360. doi:10.1177/0002764214527092

Social media communication is characterized by reduced anonymity and off-to-online social interactions. These characteristics require scholars to revisit social influence mechanisms online. The current study builds on social influence literature to explore social network and gender effects on online behavior.

Questions to Consider

1. How has social media shaped the way we connect with each other according to this article?
2. What further questions for study can be generated after reading the results of this article?

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Gunia, B. C., & Kim, S. Y. (2016, March 30). The behavioral benefits of other people’s deviance. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19(5), 653–675. doi:10.1177/1368430216638532

In addition to extending and connecting theories of deviance and dissonance, this article examines findings that suggest that organizational deviance may have unexpected benefits for groups and organizations.

Questions to Consider

1. Why, in your opinion, does organizational deviance occur? What factors could account for the frequency of these types of behaviors?
2. According to the results of this study people who were not deviant tended to work harder when compared to those who were deviant. What reasons could account for this?

 

Levine, J. M., & Marques, J. M. (2016, July 12). Norm violators as threats and opportunities: The many faces of deviance in groups. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19(5), 545–552. doi:10.1177/1368430216657415

Researchers are also devoting increased attention to the causes of deviance, that is, the reasons why some group members choose to violate prescriptive norms even though doing so may elicit punishment. This article investigates deviance in a wide range of situations, and illustrates cutting-edge work on each of these themes.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article how do those who violate norms affect group dynamics?
2. Have you ever violated a norm or know someone who has? How did your norm violation (or someone else’s) impact how others perceived you (or someone else)?

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Kenworthy, L. (2016, July 27). Inequality and sociology. American Behavioral Scientist, 50(5), 584–602. doi:10.1177/0002764206295008

Sociologists have contributed relatively little to our understanding of rising inequality of earnings and income in the United States. The author considers both why that has been the case and the degree to which it matters. Suggestions are offered about how a comparative perspective can help to shed some light on developments in the United States.

Questions to Consider

1. Why is the gap between the families who are wealthy and the families who are poor continuing to increase?
2. What would propose be done to help bridge the gap between these families?

 

Pockett, R., Rose, K. P., & Hatzenbuehler, S. (2009, June 30). Embodying social class. International Social Work, 52(4), 459–471. doi:10.1177/0020872809104250

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 this article what is the relationship between social class and health?
2. How can studies like this one help us to develop policies that will improve the overall health of those who most need assistance?

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Stein, S. (2016, March 23). Universities, slavery, and the unthought of anti-Blackness. Cultural Dynamics, 28(2), 169–187. doi:10.1177/0921374016634379

This article provides insights about the role that beliefs and expectations play in third-party observers’ judgments about expressions of prejudice.

Questions to Consider

1. Can one have prejudicial beliefs and not be discriminatory? Can one be discriminatory towards another and not have prejudicial beliefs?
2. Which theories from this article do you believe best explains why individuals are prejudicial?
3. What are the concerns with stereotypes associated with racial groups?
4. According to this article, why were African-Americans chosen to be slaves?
5. Why didn’t the end of slavery abolish the discrimination that still exists against certain races?

 

Burt, C. H., Simons, R. L., & Gibbons, F. X. (2012, June 08). Racial discrimination, ethnic-racial socialization, and crime. American Sociological Review, 77(4), 648–677. doi:10.1177/0003122412448648

Building on recent studies that analyze race and crime at the micro-level, we specify a social psychological model linking personal experiences with racial discrimination to an increased risk of offending.

Questions to Consider

1. According to the article, why are poverty and crime highly correlated with each other?
2. What factors, in your opinion, account for the fact that blacks are the most residentially segregated racial group in the United States?

 

Molina, K. M., & James, D. (2016, May 03). Discrimination, internalized racism, and depression: A comparative study of African American and Afro-Caribbean adults in the US. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 19(4), 439–461. doi:10.1177/1368430216641304

Collectively, this article suggests a need to investigate other potential mechanisms by which discrimination impacts mental health, and examine further the underlying factors of internalized racism as a potential self-protective strategy.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, what is the relationship between mental health and racism?
2. What factors can account for the lack of studies in regards to the psychological costs of Internalized racism?
3. How does internalized racism differ from other forms of racism?

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Bielby, D. D. (2016, August 15). Explaining gender stratification and inequality in the workplace and the household. Rationality and Society, 5(3), 367–374. doi:10.1177/1043463193005003005

Dissatisfied by existing theoretical explanations of gender inequality in the labor market, authors of this article argue for incorporating gender-based symbolic-normative structures as consequential for gender stratification.

Questions to Consider

1. Studies still suggest that gender discrimination still takes place in the workplace. What factors can account for this?
2. According to this article, how is gender stratification learned in regards to both the home and the workplace?

 

Ridgeway, C. L., & Correll, S. J. (2016, June 30). Unpacking the gender system. Gender & Society, 18(4), 510–531. doi:10.1177/0891243204265269

The authors show how gender beliefs shed new light on some defining features of the gender system and illustrate its implications for research into specific questions about gender inequality.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article what are the differences in regards to the cultural beliefs regarding men and women? Why do these beliefs continue to exist?
2. Why are mothers at a disadvantage in the workplace according to this article?
3. Do you believe that gender discrimination in the workplace will increase or decrease in the next 10 years? Why?

 

Bishu, S. G., & Alkadry, A. G. (2016, March 15). A systematic review of the gender pay gap and factors that predict it. Administration & Society, 49(1), 65–104. doi:10.1177/0095399716636928

This study conducts a systematic review of 98 peer-reviewed journal articles that empirically investigate the presence of the gender pay gap along with factors that espouse it in organizations.

Questions to Consider

1. What is human capital and role does it play in regards to the gender pay gap?
2. What factors can account for the fact that women and minorities have a harder time advancing in their careers?

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Shows, C., & Gerstel, N. (2008, April 25). Fathering, class, and gender. Gender & Society, 23(2), 161–187. doi:10.1177/0891243209333872

Using a multimethod approach (including a survey, interviews, and observations), this article examines the link between class and masculinities by comparing the way two groups—professional men (physicians) and working-class men (emergency medical technicians, or EMTs)—practice fatherhood.

Questions to Consider

1. How has the change in workplace roles between men and women impacted housework duties? 2. Why, after the birth of a child, would a man's workplace hours increase?
2. According to the article how did the physicians' parenting roles differ from the parenting roles of the EMTS?
3. How can one’s occupation impact his/her parenting roles?

 

Willoughby, B. J., & Carroll, J. S. (2011, December 04). Correlates of attitudes toward cohabitation. Journal of Family Issues, 33(11), 1450–1476. doi:10.1177/0192513X11429666

The present study examines how demographics, attitudes toward marriage, attitudes toward sexual activity, sexual behaviors, and dating experience are associated with three different attitudes toward cohabitation among never-married young adults.

Questions to Consider

1. What reasons can account for the rise of cohabitation in recent years?
2. What are some of the differences between attitudes towards cohabitation and demographic factors?

 

Meldrum, R. C., Connolly, G. M., Flexon, J., & Guerette, R. T. (2015, May 05). Parental low self-control, family environments, and juvenile delinquency . International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 60(14), 1623–1644.

This article considers whether aspects of family environments, particularly family cohesion, family conflict, and parental efficacy, mediate the influence of parental low self-control on delinquency.

Questions to Consider

1. What is the self-control theory?
2. What factors can account for the relationship between family conflict and juvenile delinquency?
3. Why is self-control strongly associated with antisocial behavior, according to this article?

 

Stearns, E., & Glennie, E. J. (2016, August 18). When and why dropouts leave high school. Youth & Society, 38(1), 29–57. doi:10.1177/0044118X05282764

Teens may leave school because of academic failure, disciplinary problems, or employment opportunities. In this article, the authors test whether the reasons dropouts leave school differ by grade level and age.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, what are some of the reasons for why high school students drop out?
2. What are the long-term consequences for students who drop out of school?
3. What can be done, in your opinion, to decrease the high school dropout rate?

 

Stephens, N. M., Hamedani, M. G., & Destin, M. (2014, February 19). Closing the social-class achievement gap. Psychological Science, 25(4), 943–953. doi:10.1177/0956797613518349

Using senior college students’ real-life stories, the authors of this article conducted a difference-education intervention with incoming students about how their diverse backgrounds can shape what they experience in college.

Questions to Consider

1. According to the article, what is the relationship between social class and college attendance?
2. What specific challenges do first-generation college students face?

 

Smolin, A., & Clayton, J. K. (2009, December 23). Standardized testing: How prepared are we? Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 12(4), 29–36. doi:10.1177/1555458909352465

This article focuses on the ethical and procedural dilemmas faced by an administrator when teachers violate testing policy to give what they view as necessary assistance to students. Background information is provided to allow students to analyze the situation and propose a solution for the school principal.

Questions to Consider

1. What are the challenges associated with standardized testing?
2. What, in your opinion, are the advantages and disadvantages of standardized testing?

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Landers, S., Madigan, E., Leff, B., Rosati, R. J., McCann, B. A., Hornbake, R., . . . Breese, E. (2016, October 05). The future of home health care. Home Health Care Management & Practice, 28(4), 262–278. doi:10.1177/1084822316666368

By synthesizing qualitative research, a literature review, case studies, and the themes from a 2014 Institute of Medicine and National Research Council workshop on “The Future of Home Health Care,” the authors of this article articulate a vision for home-based care and recommend a bold framework for the Medicare-certified home health agency of the future.

Questions to Consider

1. What reasons can account for the large number of people living past the age of 65 in the United States?
2. Why is re-examining home health care for the elderly an important issue to analyze?
3. What reasons can account for the fact that people over 65 prefer to be cared for in their home as opposed to a nursing home facility?

 

Eno, V., Mehalingam, S., & Nathaniel, T. I. (2016, February 29). The patient protection and affordable care act and utilization of preventive health care services. SAGE Open, 6(1). doi:10.1177/2158244016636183.

This article examines how (a) health insurance coverage, and (b) familiarity with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)’s or Obamacare mandate of cost-free access to preventive health services affect the use of preventive services by residents of a minority community.

Questions to Consider

1. What reasons can account for the fact that ethnic minorities are less likely when compared to whites to seek preventive health services?
2. In your opinion, what could be done to ensure that minorities receive proper preventive health care services as well as quality health care coverage in general?

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Quéniart, A. (2008, February 29). The form and meaning of young people’s involvement in community and political work. Youth & Society, 40(2), 203–223. doi:10.1177/0044118X08314261

Why are some young people actively involved in political parties, community groups, or associations? What do they have in common? These are some of the questions that underlie a qualitative research project on involvement carried out among 50 young Canadian activists residing in the province of Quebec. In this article, the author discusses the activist trajectory followed by these young adults and explains the characteristics and meaning of their involvement.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, what is the relationship between political activism and family involvement?
2. What are some factors that might motivate younger adults to get involved in the political realm?
3. Why is voter apathy still an issue in the United States today?

 

Eidlin, B. (2016, April 28). Why is there no labor party in the United States? Political articulation and the Canadian  comparison, 1932 to 1948. American Sociological Review, 81(3), 488–516. doi:10.1177/0003122416643758

This article examines the reasons behind why there is no labor party in the United States and compares the U.S. system to the Canadian system.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article how did the Great Depression shape both the United States and Canada in different ways?
2. What are some reasons as to why the labor party never developed in the United States?

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Hoornweg, D., & Pope, K. (2016, September 24). Population predictions. Environment and Urbanization, 29(1), 195–216. doi:10.1177/0956247816663557

This article projects populations to 2100 for the world’s larger cities. Three socioeconomic scenarios with various levels of sustainability and global cooperation are evaluated, and individual “best fit” projections made for each city using global urbanization forecasts.

Questions to Consider

1. According to this article, many cities in Africa are expected to grow in terms of their populations in the future. What ramifications will this have for these cities?
2. What are some of the reasons account for the fact that people are drawn to the city?

 

Walters, W. H. (2016, August 17). Later-life migration in the United States: A review of recent research. Journal of Planning Literature, 17(1), 37–66. doi:10.1177/088541220201700103

This article describes and evaluates 232 studies dealing with migration theory and methods, the determinants of later-life mobility, patterns of migration, destination choice, consequences of migration, local and regional development, seasonal migration, return migration, and related topics.

Questions to Consider

1. What factors can account for the fact that according to this study black elderly migrants are likely to choose kinship over money as a reason for moving?
2. What is the significance of studying later-life migration? How can studying this type of migration lead to the enactment of certain policies?

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Elliott, M. A. (2016, June 29). Human rights and the triumph of the individual in world culture. Cultural Sociology,1(3), 343–363. dosi:10.1177/1749975507082052

Borrowing insights from global cultural analysis, this article argues that the increasing concern for, and elaboration of, human rights points to a world-cultural environment where the individual is increasingly regarded as sacred and inviolable. To demonstrate this, this article explores how human rights have developed historically as a `cult of the individual' and present new data on their recent worldwide expansion.

Questions to Consider

1. How does a social perspective on human rights differ from other perspectives?
2. What does the author of the article mean when he refers to the term the “cult of the individual”?

 

Skarstad, K., & Strand, H. (2016, February 18). Do human rights violations increase the risk of civil war?International Area Studies Review, 19(2), 107–130. doi:10.1177/2233865916629567

By drawing on both human rights- and civil war research, this article presents an integrated human rights peace and conflict theory. The effects of rights violations are tested by applying quantitative research methods.

Questions to Consider

1. According to the article what is the relationship between human rights and civil war? How can the infraction of human rights play a role in a civil war?
2. What can societal institutions learn from studies such as this regarding human rights?

 

Gilabert, P. (2015, September 08). Labor human rights and human dignity. Philosophy & Social Criticism, 42(2), 171–199. doi:10.1177/0191453715603092

The current legal and political practice of human rights invokes entitlements to freely chosen work, to decent working conditions, and to form and join labor unions. Despite the importance of these rights, they remain under-explored in the philosophical literature on human rights. This article offers a systematic and constructive discussion of them.

Questions to Consider

1. After reviewing the list of labor human rights in this article do you believe all companies adhere to these rights? If not, why?
2. Do you believe that those who have wealth and power oppress workers who have less power? How so?