Obituaries Announcements ASA Forum From theExecutive Officer Science Policy 8 5 4 3 ASA offices. Learn more aboutthecandidates for IsAlmost ASAElection It Time those that donot? applied, orclinicaltrack degrees and programs that offer professional, What are thedifferences between Master’s Departments That a Offer Comparing Sociology your presentations. classroom andbeyond canimprove howKnowing to usethistool inthe of PowerPoint The Bright SideandDark inhealthcare.ethnic disparities sociologists discussingracial and A NIHsummitfeatures anumberof Health Disparities NIH SummitAddresses ...... inside ...... 15 12 11
2 2 Volume 37 • Number 3 • March 2009 contributions practice. The to sociological (Commonwealth Institute) ofPractice Sociology: AwardDistinguished Career for the subfield.or inaparticular substantially reorients field the in general committeeselection looked for work that contributions.methodological The award work may include theoretical and/or ment of discipline. the body The of lifetime uted inimportant ways to advance the and cumulative whose work has contrib commitment to profession the of sociology scholars have who shown outstanding Distinguished Scholarship Award honors University) Scholarship: W.E.B. Award DuBois of Distinguished honorees: heartfelt congratulations to following the Council. committees directly appointed by the ASA of sociology. The recipients areselected by scholarship,in the teaching, and practice outstanding publications and achievements Patricia Hill Collins. formal the cede address of ASA President Awards Ceremony immediately will pre on Sunday, August 9,at 4:30 Awards Ceremony inSan Francisco, CA, at recognized be 2009Annual the Meeting confers. These outstandingscholars will are highest the honor that Association the A Congratulations to the2009ASAAward Winners Committee and I have organized a organized have I and Committee theme. In response, 2009Program the context for examining program the Obama provides a compelling and timely andpaign of election President Barack discipline’s reflection. The historic cam of events that would presented be for our about fortuitously the unprecedented set and debate, but Ihad at no idea time the aforumvide for discussion, discovery, Politics of Community Ihadelection, hopes that Meeting, long before 2008national the mind. yet have different very definitions in right and leftinvoke ideas of community, agendas—politicalpolitical groups of the differentpopulations with competing munity holds also significance for quite identities.political The ideal of com in ways that generate and dynamic social culture, interaction and social everyday munity toin part, investigate how term the compellingly with it. theme, Ichose this events of past the year would resonate so historical the that knowing of way no for ASA’s 2009Annual Meeting, Ihad I significance ofBarack attheASAAnnualA mini-symposium Meetingwillexplore the This annual award honors outstanding The CareerW.E.B. DuBois of The officers the of Association extend The ASA awards honorsociologists for the ASAthe Awards for 2009.The awards SA proudly announces winners the of Politics of Community” as theme the “TheNew Ifirst n 2007,when selected In envisioning the 2009 Annual Annual 2009 the envisioning In by Patricia Hill Collins, University of permeates social policy, permeates social popular Maryland-College Park Sheldon Stryker in Action? A New Politics ofCommunity Looking Forward Francisco to the2009Annual MeetinginSan S.M. Miller theme might pro
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- com ------discipline for its significant impacts,par honored or widely outside recognized the fieldwhole,the as or workthat been has professionalthe status or public image of and, by doing,in sociology so has elevated utilitythe of one or more areas specialty ers, work that has significantly advanced as for amodel workor the served of oth award recognizes work that has facilitated Award: Distinguished Contributions to Teaching preceding calendar years. orbook monograph published three inthe for Epstein Award:Distinguished Book ticularly inadvancing human welfare. Reporting of Social Issues ofReporting Social honors individuals Award: Issues inReporting of Social Excellence scholarly effortstradition.this in for its work inassisting development the of community or to an institution academic of research, to the teaching, and service given either for to asociologist alifetime and E.Franklin Frazier. The award is tions of Oliver Cox, Charles S.Johnson, ors intellectual the traditions and contribu Morris Cox-Johnson-Frazier Award: quality of teaching. learning of sociology, improve which the graduate and/or graduate teaching and outstanding contributions to under the Association, retired)Sociological the seeming commitment seeming the to community heterogeneous American population; and institutions that reflect a changing, waysnew of organizing democratic tions, women, and similar populations; ment by youth, immigrant new popula such forms as new of engage political important factors associated with change, United States. panelists Our examine will meaning and of change democracy inthe Obama catalyzes about thinking new the explorewill how of election the President or might change, and why?session This democracy. But what has exactly changed, a fundamental change for American as adefining moment, one marking Obama’s often election is described anchorsthe and ChangeDemocracy inAmerica),” Obama Won (and What That Says About What Obama’s Does Win Mean? conference theme. 2008 presidential engages election the meetings, examinethe which how the sessions that are throughout scheduled mini-symposium consists of acluster of politicsnew of community in action. The a signal might Obama Barack of election general explores which meeting, how the mini-symposium, ameeting This annual awardgiven is for asingle The Award forExcellence the in Cox-Johnson-FrazierThe Award hon This awardgiven is annually to honor Inclusion: Politics of Difference A plenary session, “Why titled A plenary (Northwestern University) (University of California-San Diego)
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the the [email protected]. Archives at (202)383-9005, ext. 330or at de los Rios, Governance, Sections, and Send questions about the awards to Diego and scholarship among general the public. standing of sociology, research, sociological contributions to advance public the under or persons have who made exemplary University) Award: Public Understanding of Sociology research,ical theory, or methodology. society. The contribution maybe inempir to encompass role the fully of women in that has enlarged horizons the of sociology annually inrecognition of scholarly work (Stanford University) Jessie Bernard Award: and research, for general the public. mation, including perspectives sociological translate and interpret range awide of infor jobjournalists, filmmakers)whose it is to thatfact there are many professionals (e.g., and research. The ASA is cognizant the of in disseminating perspectives sociological haveeffective of who those especially been would like to recognize contributions the and a broader vision of sociology. The ASA for promotion their findings of sociological of national and and political global held amidst an unprecedented period 1969, that ASA the Annual Meeting was Francisco. It was inSan Francisco in Annual Meeting convene will inSan Association Americanthe Sociological some harkens back to 1929-32,that nationally and globally, for which I 40 Years Later FranciscoSan his presidential address inBoston on on-site inChicago to experience give President PhilHauser drew upon his Democratic convention in Chicago, ASA A year later, on heels the of chaotic the Praise of and Conflict Resolution.”Its a well-received presidential address, “In student of Sorokin at Harvard—giving San Francisco, with Charles P. Loomis—a students. In 1967,ASA’s meeting was in culture and in radicalizationthe of college steam. This was in popular reflected protests, had which steadily gathered movement and anti-Vietnam the War internal conflict rightsover the civil rocked United the States with immense Changes at theASA historical context of 40years ago. cobwebsthe of to abrief detail memory meetings, and then now, letme shake off cultural crisis.As aparticipant at the by mendous, calamitous financial crisis, t is fittingthat this in year treof a begin onpage8 begin Candidate profiles ASA 2009Election
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2 footnotes • March 2009
from the executive officer Economics 101: Investing in ASA s the tsunami of mortgage foreclosures, under the leadership of President Patricia magazines, newspapers, and even occa- Footnotes’ Announcements section. If you Afinancial market implosions, unemploy- Hill Collins, her program committee, and sionally on prime-time TV drama shows, want to add to this growing capital base, ment and underemployment, and citizen the ASA Sections. there is a very high probability that ASA’s send ASA a note to [email protected], angst wash across the country, safe havens That’s a lot of return on an investment public affairs and media relations program with your contact information and specify for your investments are hard to find. A with little risk. had something to do with getting that your areas of expertise. while ago, however, one of the reports As a 40-year continuous ASA mem- “media hit” to happen. Policy and Photo Opps from ASA’s research on the discipline and ber—through good economic times and Even if that sociologist wasn’t you (it profession found that a significant predic- bad—I can attest to the terrific growth in could be) or the research wasn’t yours (it Sociologists are often (but not yet tor of job satisfaction for non-academic the value of my personal investment in should have been), your capital as a soci- often enough) invited by Congress to sociologists is membership ASA even during career ologist rises. testify before committees at hearings on in a professional organiza- periods when my personal That capital paid huge dividends Capitol Hill, or to brief members or their tion. Despite the national involvement in ASA was on the day ASA got a call from NBC’s staff on issues such as international rela- and international economic limited by other obligations. popular prime-time show Law & Order: tions, poverty, health, crime and national downturn, what I said in (This life-long investment Special Victims Unit. ASA provided peer- security. The chances are high that ASA this column six months ago, certainly beats the profit- reviewed research from ASA members worked behind the scenes, often with before the economic collapse (July/August ability of my 40-year investments in retire- as background for the producer, and, at COSSA (Consortium of Social Science 2008 Footnotes), remains true; namely, ment accounts!) our insistence, we were able to review the Associations), to make that invitation to “being a member of a professional organiza- episode’s script (and modify it) to ensure the nation’s capital happen. The same capi- On the Cover of a Magazine tion is valuable for individual success.” It positive visibility for the discipline. Those tal-building (pun intended) for individuals is also a good investment in the discipline Investing in ASA through membership dividends were quickly reflected in the and the discipline happens when sociolo- for the individual scholars, researchers, is more than the obvious returns such as enthusiastic calls and e-mails we got from gists are invited by the National Institutes departments, and students who comprise special rates on journals, free access to the many ASA members who were view- of Health to participate in major scientific sociology. ASA’s online Job Bank, significant Annual ers. The greater dividends, we expect, come symposia and poster sessions (e.g., on I focus on this issue of active engage- Meeting registration discounts, to identify from the viewers who were not sociologists health care disparities, self-report research, ment in ASA once again because it is just a few of the lead benefits on a long list. but who may appreciate sociology more ethics, or the role of social science in important as we move toward electing new Your professional capital grows. ASA plugs and from TV producers who know they medical education). And, you may recall ASA leadership, awarding the highest ASA members into national and local media as can get quick turnaround on fact checking See Vantage Point, page 5 professional honors, celebrating the 35th well as science and public policy-related the scientific basis of their core program anniversary of ASA’s Minority Fellowship issues and opportunities. When you see material. Program, selecting a journal publishing sociologists quoted in mainstream news On a daily basis, ASA refers members Sally T. Hillsman is the partner that is deeply committed to sociol- stories or interviewed on camera or on to reporters and producers who are seek- Executive Officer of ASA. ogy, and launching a new digital library to radio (even on your local TV news (see the ing sociological experts. Over a typical She can be reached by support teaching and learning at all levels page 12 article on JHSB in the news)), or year these referrals total in the hundreds. email at executive.office@ during what promises to be a fabulous when you see sociological research identi- The dividends are apparent in many places, asanet.org. Annual Meeting program in San Francisco fied prominently as such in major news including in the “In the News” segment of
science policy
RWJF, CDC, and NIH collaborate to Online humanities indicators proto- National Academy of Sciences’ (NAS) reduce childhood obesity type is released lead on developing a new and better Published monthly with combined issues in May/June, July/August, and September/ Believing that a coordinated approach In January, the American Academy of measure of poverty (see February 2005 Public Affairs Update inFootnotes ). In October. Mailed free to all ASA members. will increase the impact of anti-obesity Arts and Sciences (the Academy) launched Subscription, $40. Single copies, $3. initiatives, the Robert Wood Johnson the “Humanities Indicators,” an online proto- a Hamilton Project Discussion Paper, Editor: Sally T. Hillsman Foundation (RWJF), the Centers for type of statistical data about the humanities Rebecca M. Blank of the Brookings Associate Editor: K. Lee Herring Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the United States. The new web resource, Institution and Mark H. Greenberg of Georgetown University propose a new Managing Editor: Johanna Olexy and the National Institutes of Health
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 3 Sociologists Headlined Plenary at NIH Summit National Institutes of Health hosted 4,000 attendees at DC summit to examine what science knows about health disparities that could help eradicate them. by Lee Herring, ASA Public Affairs and research community viewed the summit as Opening on a Positive Note Sociologists Featured Public Information Office a step toward redefining NIH’s disparities Poet laureate Poet Maya Angelou, of the In the “Health Disparities and the research agenda. Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity, Intersection of Science, Policy and rominent sociologists headlined the But among the summit’s explicit pur- gave an engaging and memorable opening Practice” plenary, presentations were Pmarquee of one of nine plenary ses- poses was to help educate scientists, stake- plenary address challenging the commu- delivered by two former ASA MFP sions of a major NIH (National Institutes holders, and policymakers about NIH and nity to begin to conceptualize the dispari- Fellows, sociologists David R. Williams, of Health) summit, titled “The Science of community progress in ameliorating health ties issue from a positive perspective of Harvard University, and David Takeuchi, Eliminating Health Disparities,” in mid- disparities, and to highlight NIH’s progress achieving health equity for all. Despite that University of Washington. Williams gave December. With more than 4,000 attend- in disparities research activities to improve challenge, unpleasant realities of health a presentation titled Moving Upstream: ees, including policymakers, senior federal prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. disparities became the focus of the summit How Interventions that Address Social agency staff, members of Congress, health Besides helping to identify research gaps, panels, including the keynote address on Determinants of Health Can Improve practitioners, academics, and other stake- the summit was intended to help raise national health insurance reform deliv- Health and Reduce Disparities, and holders, the three-day meeting brought the awareness and understanding of health ered by Governor Howard Dean, Chair Takeuchi spoke on Creating, Maintaining, spotlight on the discrepancies in both the disparities and to elucidate best practices of the Democratic National Committee, and Blurring the Boundaries of Science, delivery of American health care and the in research, capacity-building, prevention and an impassioned address by Rep. Elijah Policy and Practice. This session was mod- health status of Americans across racial/ outreach, and strategic solution generation. Cummings (D-MD) in a session on policy erated by the National Institute of Arthritis ethnic categories. This impressive meeting The summit allowed participants to make implications for eliminating health dispari- and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases featured some 300 speakers. recommendations that will shape the NIH ties. Cummings indicated that when the (NIAMS) Director, Stephen Katz, and The summit was organized by the health disparities strategic plan. Finally, the upcoming health care reform legislation included two other speakers. National Center on Minority Health and summit sought to establish a framework comes before Congress, legislators will Williams stated, “There is a growing Health Disparities (NCMHD), a compo- for ongoing dialogue and creation of inno- specifically address issues that are critical body of scientific evidence . . . that points nent of the NIH Director’s office, which vative and unique partnerships to address to ameliorating disparities. Congress established in 2000. Some in the disparities in health. See NIH, page 9 Busy Times for AKD ASA Announces the 2008-09 by Jeffrey Chin, Le Moyne College, ASA Annual Meeting and take part in Secretary-Treasurer, Alpha Kappa Delta workshops there geared toward talented Congressional Fellow undergraduates. AKD provides cash n September 15, 2008, the national awards to the winners as well as travel he ASA is pleased to welcome Sada visiting research fellow at George Mason Ooffice of Alpha Kappa Delta (AKD), the funds to attend the ASA Annual Meeting. TAksartova as the new Congressional University’s Center for Global Studies, international honor society for sociology, Other benefits for student members of Fellow for the 2008-2009 year. where she continued her officially re-opened for business after -mov AKD include: support to travel to regional Aksartova began her work in research on U.S. and Japanese ing from the University of South and aligned sociology meetings, the Government Accountability foreign assistance and taught a Alabama in Mobile, AL, to Le honoraria for speakers who pres- Office (GAO), which conducts graduate seminar on the politics Moyne College in Syracuse, NY. ent at chapter induction ceremo- investigations, audits, and over- of global development. The move followed the appoint- nies on campus, and funds for sight for the U.S. Congress, on Work at the GAO ment of Jeffrey Chin as the new research symposia. January 21. She is working with AKD Secretary-Treasurer by Meg Like most organizations, AKD the International Affairs and Aksartova believes that Wilkes Karraker, President of officers are located on campuses Trade team, where she collabo- international sociology should AKD. Chin, Le Moyne College, all over the country so they rates on projects that evaluate play a more important role in the succeeds Marc Matre who served conduct most of their business U.S. foreign policy and interna- Sada Aksartova American policy-making process as AKD Secretary-Treasurer for electronically. However, the entire tional assistance. and hopes that her sociological nine years. The AKD staff wish to Jeff Chin AKD Council meets for a full day training will benefit the work of GAO’s A Global Experience thank Matre for his many years of prior to the ASA Annual Meeting International Affairs and Trade team. At the service to the society. in August and the AKD Distinguished Aksartova’s interest in foreign policy same time, Aksartova said, “Sociological Alpha Kappa Delta is dedicated to Lecture takes place during the ASA Annual and international affairs stems in part from analyses of how U.S. foreign and aid policies acknowledging excellent scholarly work by Meeting, usually during the first day. In her own international background. She are designed, implemented, and evaluated, both undergraduate and graduate students 2008, the Distinguished Lecturer was was born in Kazakhstan and received her in both Congress and the executive branch, in sociology. With approximately 530 Ronald Akers, University of Florida. bachelor’s degree in English from Moscow can expand the scope of sociology as well as chapters worldwide and more than 87,000 Besides the annual AKD Council State University. Her first job was working offer insights that can be used by policy- lifetime members, local chapters of AKD meeting, the honor society has a mid-year with Greenpeace, an international non- makers.” induct around 5,000 undergraduate and meeting of its Planning Committee, which governmental peace and environmental As a congressional fellow, Aksartova graduate sociology students each year in was in Syracuse, NY, this past January. organization, in Russia. During her three- looks forward to learning more about ceremonies on campuses around the world. Since the location of this year’s meeting year tenure at Greenpeace, she served as GAO’s investigative and analytical prac- was designed to provide an inspection of AKD and ASA Collaborations a nuclear disarmament campaigner and tices from an insider’s perspective as well the new AKD national office, Chin and his sought to direct the public and policy- as understanding the process by which Both AKD and ASA are dedicated to staff hosted an open house attended not makers’ attention to the issue of Russia’s GAO creates knowledge that is deemed promoting and serving the discipline. In only by members of the Le Moyne College aging nuclear submarine fleet and its last- policy-relevant and nonpartisan. She addition, they have had a long and produc- community and the AKD Planning ing environmental impact. hopes to gain an insight into the intel- tive partnership. For example, AKD has Committee, but also by Jean H. Shin, ASA Aksartova received her master’s lectual capital that members of Congress long been a supporter of the ASA Minority Director of Minority Affairs. As director of degree in International Relations from have at their disposal for developing and Fellowship Program (MFP). AKD is one the program that administers MFP, Shin’s the University of Sussex in the United overseeing U.S. policies on a range of of only two organizational contributors presence at the open house acknowledges Kingdom and continued her gradu- international issues. She expects that this that support a full MFP fellow (the other is the strong ties between ASA and AKD. ate studies in the United States. In 2005, experience will improve her research and Sociologists for Women in Society), who is The national office of AKD is trying to Aksartova received her PhD in Sociology teaching on global sociology, the sociology designated the AKD/MFP Fellow. In this era ensure that representatives will be at all from Princeton University. Her disserta- of U.S. government, and related topics. of shrinking resources, the contribution that regional sociology meetings this spring. tion, “Civil Society from Abroad: U.S. In addition to working on Capitol Hill, AKD makes to the MFP program is greatly They will be on the formal program of Donors in the Former Soviet Union,” ana- the ASA Congressional Fellow often spends appreciated. The 2008-09 AKD/MFP Fellow some and will staff tables at others. They lyzed the cultural and institutional effects time preparing briefing materials, par- is Louis Esparza at Stony Brook University. can tell you about services available to of U.S. civil society assistance for post- ticipating in ASA congressional or media In addition, AKD sponsors an annual established chapters and how to start a Soviet, non-governmental organizations. briefings on a timely topic, and contribut- paper competition at both the under- chapter for those departments that do not After Princeton, Aksartova spent two years ing stories to Footnotes. The ASA Spivack graduate and graduate level. The three have one yet. Stop by to find out more in Tokyo, Japan, as a postdoctoral fellow Program on Applied Social Research and winners of the AKD undergraduate paper about what AKD can do for your students. at Hosei University, where she researched Social Policy administers and funds the competition each year are automati- For more information on any aspect of Japanese assistance for post-Soviet Central fellowship. The next application deadline cally included as participants in the ASA AKD and its activities, e-mail AKD@lem- Asia as well as recent changes in Japanese is February 1, 2010. See the ASA website at Honors Program, which means that they oyne.edu, or visit the new AKD webpage at foreign aid.
in Political Science from Temple humanistic perspectives to the Delgado to Take on Social Problems University, where he attended study of vital social problems. on a baseball scholarship. He is The 22 different special prob- n August 2009, Hector L. Delgado, university, has 20,400 undergraduate and the author of New Immigrants, lems divisions provide ample IUniversity of La Verne, will begin his 6,000 graduate students in over 300 degree Old Unions: Organizing opportunities for young scholars tenure as the new Executive Officer (EO) programs. Founded in 1891, the University Undocumented Workers in Los to establish networks both at of the Society for the Study of Social of La Verne, a private institution, offering Angeles (1994), one of the earliest the annual meeting and online. Problems (SSSP), succeeding Thomas C. 88 bachelor’s and master’s degrees and four and most influential books on Many members are social Hood, who served the SSSP with distinc- doctoral degrees. Fifty-five percent of La the unionization of undocu- scientists by training; increas- tion as EO for 19 years. Verne’s students are members of a minority mented workers. Most recently he Hector Delgado ing numbers work in applied Hood, who retired from classroom group and 51 percent are first-generation authored a chapter on the union- research and policy settings. teaching in 2004, plans to continue to students. The university serves a larger ization of Latinas/os in Latinas/ Many, if not most, of SSSP’s write in the areas of collective behavior/ number of non-traditional students than os in the United States: Changing members are members of the social movements, on the work of Erving traditional-age students on its main and the Face of America (2007), edited ASA as well. The relationship Goffman, and in environmental sociol- satellite campuses. by Havidan Rodriguez, Rogelio between the two organizations is ogy. He will actively support the growth Delgado was chosen by the SSSP Saenz, and Cecilia Menjivar. a healthy one, and one Delgado and operation of SSSP and work with Selection Committee and the Board His research continues to focus plans to continue to nurture other scholarly societies. Hood, Professor following their interviews of candidates principally on the unionization during his tenure as EO. The Emeritus at University of Tennessee, in Boston in August 2008 and site visits of immigrant workers. Prior to SSSP annual meeting usually believed that it was time for him to step to candidates’ campuses in November. returning to graduate school precedes the ASA’s in the same down and for a new EO to step in and pro- Delgado has been a member of the SSSP for his doctorate in sociology in Tom Hood city. The SSSP promotes research vide important leadership in moving the for more than a decade, most recently 1983, Delgado worked in higher and dialogue through presenta- organization forward. Continuity in the serving as the co-chair of the 2008 education administration for more than tions at the annual meeting; publications SSSP administrative office will be provided program committee and the chair of the a decade, including as an admissions in Social Problems, a leading journal in the by Michele Koontz, who will remain as the 2007 C. Wright Mills book award com- officer and coordinator of Latina/o student field; awards to community groups; com- organization’s Administrative Officer and mittee. Delgado has been, and continues recruitment for Rutgers University and as mittee participation; consultation; and the Meeting Manager. While Delgado resides to be active in the ASA. Currently he is an assistant dean of students at Princeton generation of new ideas. Student members in California, the administrative office of the secretary/treasurer of the Labor and University. He brings a wealth of adminis- and newcomers are especially welcomed the SSSP will remain at the University of Labor Movement section of the ASA and trative and community activist experience by the organization. Tennessee-Knoxville. has been active in the Latina/o Sociology to the position. The University of Tennessee and the section since its inception. The SSSP, founded in 1951, is an inter- Delgado can be reached at delgadoh@ University of La Verne will be excellent sup- Delgado earned his PhD and an MA disciplinary community of scholars, practi- ulv.edu. He would love to hear from you, portive locations for SSSP. The University from the University of Michigan, an EdM tioners, advocates, and students interested especially if it is to join the SSSP. For more of Tennessee, 200-year-old Research I from Rutgers University, and a BA (1971) in the application of critical, scientific, and information, see
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 5 What Can I Do with a Master’s in Sociology?: The Department as Context by Roberta Spalter-Roth and (64 percent) are found in freestanding Janene Scelza, ASA Research and sociology departments. The next largest Table 1. Comparison of Characteristics of Master’s Programs Offering an Applied, Development Department group of programs (18 percent) is found Professional, or Clinical Track Versus Those That Do Not* in combined sociology and anthropology Departments Offering a Departments Without a n January 2009, the ASA Research departments, followed by sociology and Master’s Program Characteristics Professional, Applied, or Professional, Applied, or IDepartment and ASA’s Task Force on criminal justice programs (8 percent), and Clinical Track Clinical Track the Master’s Degree in Sociology invited sociology combined with more than one Master’s thesis required 56.6% 58.3% graduate directors in 224 departments to discipline (5 percent) or included within a participate in an online survey about their broader social science division (4 percent). Non-thesis option 70.4% 68.8% programs. This survey was the first part of Almost two-thirds of the freestanding Internship required 33.3% 4.1% a new study of the training and early career sociology departments (63 percent) report experiences of current master’s candidates that a master’s degree is the highest degree Has an external advisory board 9.8% 2.0% in their departments. offered. Of the reporting departments offer- Faculty members have non-aca- 33.3% 24.5% The survey emerged from the Task Force’s ing a freestanding master’s program, more demic professional experience response to chairs who requested help from than half (53 percent) offer an applied, a Majority of candidates received their ASA to develop strategies to ensure that professional, or a clinical track. Below are 40.4% 20.4% BAs from the same department the terminal master’s degree in sociology comparisons of the program characteristics is meaningful for those who wish to secure between departments that offer the more Offers online master’s courses 26.9% 2.0% careers closely related to their sociologi- vocationally oriented applied, professional, * Includes freestanding master’s programs only. cal studies. Of the 224 departments that or clinical degree with those that offer a Source: ASA 2009 Survey of Graduate Directors had awarded at least one master’s degree in traditional academic master’s degree. sociology in AY 2006/07, more than half (122) completed the survey. The information Differences between Types of Degrees • One-third of programs with applied, When the first wave of the student sur- on departments obtained from the gradu- The departments with applied, pro- professional, or clinical tracks employ vey is complete we will know more about ate directors provides the background and fessional, or clinical tracks do not differ faculty members who have had non- the characteristics of the students in these the context for the online survey that will be significantly from the departments offering academic professional experience different types of programs, including their sent to more than 1,400 master’s candidates traditional programs in terms of whether compared to 25 percent of programs current labor force status, their finances, this month. The first wave of this survey will they require a master’s thesis or have a without this track. These figures sug- their racial and ethnic background, their ask about program experiences, including non-thesis option. Greater variation can be gest that the former type of program future goals, and whether the programs curricular and extra-curricular activities, found in the types of offerings, the experi- is more likely to provide access to the they attend are meeting their needs. The finances, goals after graduation, and demo- ence of faculty members, and the source of non-academic world than the latter. second wave of the student survey (to graphic characteristics. their students (see Table 1). • Whether the majority of master’s be conducted one year later) will tell us Many sociology departments, especially • About 56 percent of programs with students in a department were under- whether those seeking jobs that reflect those with fewer than six faculty members, applied, professional, or clinical tracks graduate majors in the same depart- their sociological training have been suc- report that they do not have the resources or require a master’s thesis for students ment varies significantly by whether cessful in meeting this goal. support to build programs to help graduates compared to 58 percent of depart- the master’s program has an applied, One graduate director responding to take full advantage of their sociology training ments with no such track. Because professional, or clinical track. About the survey expressed gratitude that ASA when they enter the job market. Currently, about 70 percent of both types of 40 percent of master’s students in is examing master’s education issues in there is a lack of information about the career departments report that they offer a departments with a vocationally ori- sociology, noting, “Given that this is the trajectories of master’s degree recipients that non-thesis option, this suggests that ented track have their undergraduate majority of graduate degrees awarded in would help inform current students. Few programs have more than one track. degrees from the same department. sociology, it is certainly about time that departments track their students, especially • One-third of programs with applied, In contrast, 20 percent of master’s we study this degree in much greater those that do not receive a PhD degree in professional, or clinical tracks require candidates in more traditional depart- depth. I would be eager to learn [what] sociology. The Master’s Task Force recom- students to participate in an intern- ments were undergraduate majors in ASA might recommend we consider mended the longitudinal survey to help close ship program compared to 4 percent these departments. This may suggest a for master’s curriculum development, the information gap and to better position of students being required to do student body at vocationally oriented marketing, and, most importantly, the programs to help students. so in programs without this track. departments that is more likely to stay development of a master’s degree that in the area and want training that will might better channel our students into Departmental Context Internships appear to be a key pro- gram element for the more vocation- result in a non-academic career. employment—similar to the Master of Of the 122 departments that completed ally oriented programs. • Programs with applied, professional, Social Work or the Master of Public the survey, 85 percent reported a freestand- • Although most programs, regardless and clinical tracks are significantly Administration.” ing master’s program, while 15 percent of type, do not have external advisory more likely to offer online courses. reported not offering a separate master’s boards that can identify how sociologi- More than one-quarter of the former To learn more about the work of the degree but instead awarding the degree en cal skills can be conceptualized for the offer on-line courses versus 2 percent ASA Task Force on the Master’s Degree route to obtaining a PhD. Enrollment in job market, provide information on of more traditional master’s programs. in Sociology, see the report Thinking these freestanding programs varies consid- job trends, or engage in mentoring, 10 This suggests that the former may be about the Master’s Degree in Sociology: erably, ranging from 3 to 72 students, with a percent of programs with a vocational more oriented to those who are already Academic, Applied, Professional, and median of 20 students currently enrolled. track have such boards compared to 2 in the labor force and need a more flex- Everything in Between, at
for National Science Funding Exhibition Vantage Point on Capitol Hill brings science policy The First Lady and Princeton Sociology from page 2 decision-makers in direct contact with by Howard Taylor, Princeton University ASA members whose research is funded that I discussed in last month Footnotes by NSF. This type of contact is another column that there are many emerging want to expand on the “Did You Know?” column in the February 2009 Footnotes about ASA investment in educating key audi- national policy issues and contexts that IMichelle Robinson Obama as a sociology major at Princeton University. At Princeton, I ences about the value of sociology as sci- could affect sociology and be affected by it. was one of her advisers, along with fellow sociologist Walter Wallace. Her thesis, Princeton- ence. Such investments have returns: these The investment potential is growing. Educated Blacks and the Black Community, won a Senior Thesis Prize in the African audiences include those decision-makers The National Academy of Sciences, the American Studies Program at Princeton in 1985. As the Director of the Program in African who fund national investments in basic Institute of Medicine, and the American American Studies, now expanded as the Center for African American Studies, I formally and applied science. Association for the Advancement of presented the award. The thesis was a clever and inventive research design wherein she Your investment in ASA works to help Science also tap sociologists for stud- interviewed African American graduates of Princeton and made comparisons between ASA put sociology and you “at the table” ies, advice, and speakers. ASA’s growing alumni and then-current African American students. The thesis was first-of-a-kind and now on issues of science support and science investments in high-profile efforts to has great historic value. Not surprisingly, she found that Black alums had some mixed feel- policy and in major media. Because we promote sociological science and behind- ings about their Princeton experiences, but as a whole felt that their training at Princeton are more likely to know about those in the-scenes efforts have significantly prepared them to return to and contribute to their home communities. These conclusions our social network of ASA members and influenced the calls that come to sociolo- stand in stark contrast to certain pre-election press accounts, which erroneously made the journal authors, your investment in ASA gists to participate in these broad scientific thesis out to be about the ills of an elitist Princeton education. The thesis was nothing of the has wide-ranging professional, personal, activities. While a long time in coming, kind, but instead a call to Princeton alums to contribute to the betterment of racial-ethnic organizational, and disciplinary payoffs sociological research is increasingly fea- minorities. After graduating from Harvard Law School, she returned to her home commu- in these and other important ways. It’s an tured in Science magazine, and the ASA- nity of South Side Chicago, and this is precisely what she did! There she met now-President easy economic lesson in difficult times. sponsored poster at the annual Coalition Obama while his mentor at a Chicago law firm. The rest is history! footnotes.asanet.org American Sociological Association 6 footnotes • February 2009
processes? And, in what sense have Obama youth been empowered, changed, from page 1 and engaging in new forms of civic participation in response to the service and similar values thought to Obama phenomenon? be associated with the revitalization of The panel includes several democratic institutions. This session esteemed panelists: Gurminder K. takes up broader questions of what Bhambra, University of Warwick, this specific victory says about com- whose works examine intersections munities and change in contemporary of historical sociology and post- American society. colonial theory, recently convened Panelists scheduled for this a British Sociological Association panel include Melissa Harris- conference on “1968: Impact Lacewell, Professor of Political and Implications.” Bhambra will Science at Princeton University. discuss how global youth move- An award-winning author, Harris- ments of 1968 might shed light on Lacewell was a visible presence the contemporary Obama phe- in diverse media venues during Barack Obama speaking at the January 18 welcoming ceremony concert at the nomena. Doug McAdam, Stanford the Obama campaign, often com- Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. University, brings considerable menting on the significance of expertise from his theoretical and Michelle Obama. Peter Levine, Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Berkeley, will focus on the sociol- empirical work on civic participa- Director of CIRCLE (the Center speech not only imagined a future ogy of gender; feminist theory; the tion, social movements, and social for Information and Research on of a democratic, inclusive national sociology of age relations, child- activism. Cathy J. Cohen, the Civic Learning and Engagement), community, it also pointed out the hood, and families, topics for which David and Mary Winton Green part of Tufts University’s Jonathan ways in which social inequalities she is widely recognized. Other Professor of Political Science at the Tisch College of Citizenship and undermined America’s possibilities. panelists include Alford Young, University of Chicago, directs the Public Service and author of The For example, the American dream University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, “Black Youth and Empowerment: Future of Democracy: Developing of self-renewal reflects beliefs in who studies how low-income, urban Sex, Politics, and Culture,” a the Next Generation of American America as a nation of immigrants, African American men conceive national project that examines how Citizens, which emphasizes issues of opportunity, and freedom. Yet, of the world of work in modern the attitudes, resources, and culture democracy. A philosopher, Levine society, what they believe is the will examine how the Obama ideal fatherhood, and how they campaign may signal a defining conceive of appropriate mentoring moment for youth and democracy. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a for younger relatives and associ- Jose Calderon, Pitzer College, has ates; Charles Gallagher, Georgia a long history of connecting his Dream” speech not only imagined State University, who studies racial and social inequality by examining academic work with community a future of a democratic, inclu- organizing, student-based ser- the ways in which the media, the vice learning, participatory action sive national community, it also state, and popular culture construct, research, critical pedagogy, and shape, and disseminate ideas of race; multi-ethnic coalition building. He pointed out the ways in which social and Cheryl Gilkes, Colby College, who studies African American is the 2004 recipient of the Richard inequalities undermined America’s E. Cone Award for Excellence religious history, gender, and race. and Leadership in Cultivating possibilities. For example, the Elizabeth Higginbotham, University Community Partnerships in Higher of Delaware, a leading scholar in the Education and was honored by The American dream of self-renewal field of class, race, and gender stud- ies, will preside over the session and United Farm Worker’s Union for reflects beliefs in America as a his life-long contributions to the serve as discussant. farm worker movement. Lawrence nation of immigrants, opportunity, A record-breaking crowd witnessed Thematic Sessions Bobo, the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor the historical inauguration of and freedom. Several thematic sessions round of the Social Sciences at Harvard President Barack Obama. University, has published widely in out the featured sessions of the the field of race and politics, most mini-symposium. These include recently providing provocative ideas “Understanding Democratic of African American youth influ- about the Obama candidacy. African Americans, women, sexual Renewal: The Movement to Elect ence their decision-making, norms, minorities, and the poor have Barack Obama,” organized by Dana The Role of Youth and behavior in critical domains pointed to invisible glass ceilings Fisher; “The Future of Community such as sex, health, and politics. The anchor plenary for the mini- that have limited their dreams of Organizing During the Obama Enid Lynette Logan, University symposium has two complementary upward social mobility and self- Presidency,” organized by James of Minnesota, directs the “Youth Presidential Panels. The first, “A renewal. Traditional ideas about McCarty; and “Asian-American Speak! Perspectives on Race and Defining Moment? Youth, Power faith and family underpin the Movements, Identities, and Politics: Gender in the 2008 Presidential and the Obama Phenomenon,” will American dream, while those whose A New Racial Project in the Obama Election” project. Drawing from explore how Obama’s presidential family structures and religious tra- Years?,” organized by Michael Omi. this study, Logan will examine the campaign demonstrated innova- ditions stray too far from tradition The sessions provide a closer look significance of race and gender in tive approaches to organizing new encounter barriers. In essence, the at specific themes associated with the presidential election, focus- political communities, most notably American dream constitutes a curi- the Obama phenomenon, such as ing on the candidacy of Obama. youth. In essence, by encouraging ous combination of ideals that are community organizing, community Amanda Lewis, Emory University, young people from heterogeneous refracted through changing social service, and grassroots community is a respected scholar of youth, backgrounds to participate in some- relations of gender, race, sexuality, activism. race, and education, will preside thing bigger than themselves, the and class. over the session and serve as campaign simultaneously politi- The panelists of this plenary I encourage you to consult the discussant. cized youth and helped construct session will examine how Barack “Meetings” webpage on the ASA a political community of youth. The American Dream Obama’s election represents one website
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 7 Building Global Community for Online Students and Faculty by Darlene A. Smucny and The college has been a leader among state within the online UMUC club website. to interpret the online “silence” in their Katherine Humber, University of Maryland universities in distance and online educa- Faculty members are encouraged to be classrooms (Zembylasa & Vrasidas 2007), University College tion (graduate and undergraduate). guest speakers in the club through presen- an examination of how to better connect The Social Science Department includes tations about their research. At UMUC, with “lurkers” in an online student club is nline education has become an four disciplines: anthropology, behavioral because most instructors are adjunct faculty, needed. How can we engage students to Oimportant part of the undergraduate sciences, gerontology, and sociology. The they provide perspectives on “real-world” become a more active part of the social sci- curriculum at many colleges and universi- department currently has about 500 under- applications of the social sciences (e.g., in ence community at UMUC? As a new aca- ties in the United States, particularly at graduate majors worldwide. In order to government, research, and public service). demic year approaches, we will refresh the institutions that serve non-traditional inform and involve our globally distributed Students also have served as guest speak- Student Club site and we look to new efforts students (e.g., students who are full-time social science majors and also invite inter- ers, as in a recent online student panel on to promote greater student and faculty working adults, active military). While the ested students to the major, a special online volunteerism. Recent guest presentations involvement, including involving our honor online format offers students flexibility classroom—the Online Student Club for the have included: Exploring Your Career society chapter more into the Student Club and convenience of access, instructors Social Sciences—was established. A number Options (UMUC Career Services), Caring site and organizing an Online Social Science are faced with the challenges of promot- of online student clubs, all oriented toward for the Aging During Winter (Faculty), Research Festival in the club classroom. The ing a community of learners at a distance specific undergraduate majors, were estab- Explorations in the Sociology of Popular latter follows the model of Online Science (Ammendolia 2006). Online students lished through an initiative of the UMUC Culture (Faculty), Publishing Opportunities Festivals that have been successfully imple- and faculty may feel isolated from the mented in K-12 classrooms (Tubbs 2007). greater university community; students Online education comprises an important and faculty in online programs may never part of higher education today, particularly even visit or attend classes at the physical for non-traditional adult learners. Through university campus. To be academically Office for Academic Success. Among adult for Undergraduates (UMUC Library), our Online Student Club for the Social successful, online students need to be learners, student retention is a concern, Mastering APA style (Faculty), and Sciences, non-traditional students (who technologically competent, they require therefore the online undergraduate student Research in South Asia (Faculty). Topics learn online) and adjunct faculty (who teach instructor and classmates interaction, and clubs seek to improve communication with in the student club have included Careers online) can feel more integral to the global they need strong social support to attain the university and provide a community and Graduate School in the Social Sciences, UMUC Social Science Department. their educational goals (Dabbagh 2007, to students in order to improve retention, Networking in the Social Sciences and The authors would like to acknowledge Liu 2007, Seckel 2007). Providing students academic success, and eventual degree Gerontology, and “Ask the Director.” Donna Maurer, faculty adviser to UMUC’s and faculty with the opportunity for col- completion. Students who are interested in The asynchronous nature of the student online Social Science Club. legial and academic interchange of ideas joining the Online Student Clubs contact club offers students and faculty more flex- outside of the classroom environment is the UMUC Office for Academic Success ibility; they can enter the site whenever they References an important part of the higher education and request to be rostered into a specific want and wherever they have Internet access. Ammendolia, Maura A. 2006. “The Instructor’s experience—but how is this accomplished club classroom. Working in an online community requires an Challenge: Helping ‘Newbies’.” Online Classroom for online students and faculty? exploration of innovative ways to engage stu- June:1-8. Social Sciences Online Dabbagh, Nada. 2007. “The Online Learner: dents and faculty in “real time.” For example, University of Maryland University Characteristics and Pedagogical Implications.” In the Social Science Club, students, online chat and Instant Messaging functions College Contemporary Issues in Technology & Teacher faculty, and invited guest speakers engage could be further explored for enhancing Education 7:217-226. Our institution, University of Maryland in online discussions about social science synchronous online club activities. Liu, Yuliang. 2007. “A Comparative Study of University College (UMUC), serves non- careers, research opportunities, student Learning Styles between Online and Traditional Future Ideas and Conclusions Students.” Journal of Educational Computing traditional adult students. Most UMUC publishing opportunities, current events, Research 37:41-43. instructors are adjunct faculty. Students and social issues (Miller 2007). In the first Overall, the Student Club has created Miller, Robert. 2007. “Join the Club.” College & and faculty are globally distributed. In year of the online club, the faculty advis- a stronger connection for students and Research Libraries News,68:713-715. 2007, the UMUC student body consisted ers determined the activities, discussion faculty to the University, undergraduate Panda, Santosh; Sanjaya Mishra. 2007. “E-Learning of more than 90,000 students, with about topics, and schedule. As more students school, and social science department. As in a Mega Open University: Faculty Attitude, Barriers and Motivators.” Educational Media 75,000 undergraduate students. UMUC enrolled in the club, leadership, organi- in any club or organization, some mem- International 44:323-338. students are adult learners, often the first zation, and direction of the club and its bers tend to participate more than others. Seckel, Shella. 2007. “Characteristics and in their families to attend college. The aver- activities has been handed to the students. In an online context, non-responsiveness Responsibilities of Successful e-Learners.” Journal age age is 32 years old, with 82% employed There are currently 272 student members, does not necessarily mean that students or of Instruction Delivery Systems 21:22-26. Tubbs, James. 2007. “Take the Science Fair Online!” full time. UMUC does not have a tradi- primarily social science, criminal justice, faculty are not engaged in the club as there Science & Children 45:45-49. tional campus; our face-to-face classes are gerontology, and psychology majors. The may be a fair number of “lurkers,” or those Zembylasa, Michalinos; Charalambos Vrasidas. held at regional sites in Maryland and on club discussions, guest presentations, and who quietly observe the online transac- 2007. “Listening for Silence in Text-Based, U.S. military bases throughout the world. online activities are asynchronous and held tions. Just as instructors struggle with ways Online Encounters.” Distance Education 28:5-24.
The Use of FAD Funds: Expanding Experimental Investigations of Race/Ethnicity in Sociology by Carla Goar, Northern Illinois sociologists, that can be investigated experi- statement prior to the conference that ments. Ideas included the use of creative University and Jane Sell, Texas A&M mentally. Lastly, the organizers sought to addressed the following items: Why there manipulations to denote race/ethnicity, University foster collaborations between established is relatively little experimental research the examination of status characteristic experimenters and new experimenters to on race/ethnicity; and initial formula- “clusters” as a means to understand race/ ast year, an ASA Fund for the assist in developing designs and working tions of general or specific proposals for ethnicity, and the use of photographs and LAdvancement of the Discipline Award through practical aspects of experimental studies of race/ethnicity in the partici- images to create racial categories. (FAD) enabled me to organize a two-day studies on topics of race and ethnicity. pant’s area. The second morning was spent dis- conference at Texas A&M University for In the past, experimental sociology cussing possible experimental designs Conference Topics experimental sociologists to meet and has contributed to important theoretical and potential cooperation among consider how experimental investiga- developments relevant to understand- The first morning session focused researchers and laboratories. To date, two tions of race/ethnicity might be expanded. ing race and ethnicity issues. These have on the reasons that might explain why experimental laboratories are planning The March 1 conference was addition- included identity processes, trust and race/ethnicity has been investigated a parallel experiment that focuses on ally funded by Texas A&M and Northern cooperation perceptions and behavior, less often using experimental methods. race and further cooperation is planned. Illinois University. Participants from 14 issues related to emotion and affect, Some reasons discussed included the We hope such collaborations will help different universities met to consider why stereotyping and labeling, differential incongruent meanings of race in group strengthen professional relations among there are relatively few experimental socio- reward allocation, status expectations, interactions, problems with experimental experimental sociologists and attract logical studies directly addressing race/ and legitimacy. But there have been control, the demographic characteristics other sociologists (graduate students, in ethnicity and how that might be changed. surprisingly few recent additions to the of subject pools, the underrepresenta- particular) and interest them in incorpo- The goals of the conference were to identify empirical literature on race and ethnic- tion of minority experimenters, and rating experimental design on race/eth- perceived incentives and barriers to study- ity and little direct reference to these trust concerns between researchers and nicity into their research agendas. ing aspects of race/ethnicity experimentally theoretical additions in the race/ethnic- subjects. The afternoon session focused For information on ASA’s Fund for the and to map out a set of topics, recognized ity literature. To address this gap, each on brainstorming different approaches Advancement of the Discipline, see the ASA as important by both micro- and macro- conference participant submitted a short to studying race/ethnicity using experi- Funding page at
Candidates for Viviana A. Zelizer domestic work, caring labor, and consump- Brookings Institution Press; Gamoran, President-Elect Present tion. As part of that effort, I have worked Adam. 2001. “American Schooling and Professional to increase dialogue with scholars in other Educational Inequality: Forecast for the Randall Collins Position: countries, other disciplines, and among 21st Century.” Sociology of Education 34 Present Lloyd Cotsen our own vibrant sections. I am honored (Extra Issue):135-153; Gamoran, Adam. Professional ’50 Professor and grateful to have been nominated for 1992. “The Variable Effects of High School Position: Dorothy of Sociology, the ASA presidency. Our association has Tracking.” American Sociological Review Swaine Thomas Princeton a long tradition of excellence in research 57:812-828. Professor of University, and policy efforts on behalf of superior Personal Statement: As Vice President, I Sociology, 2002-present. economic and social arrangements. I hope would work vigorously with the President University of Former Professional Viviana A. Zelizer to build on that legacy. and Council to advance the goals of ASA. First, I would be an advocate for federal Pennsylvania, Positions: Professor, Candidates for funding for sociological research. My 1997-present. Department of Sociology, Princeton Vice President-Elect Former Professional Randall Collins University, 1988-2002, Chair, 1992- leadership in research and my experience with federal agencies have positioned Positions: Professor 1996; Assistant to Professor of Sociology, Adam Gamoran of Sociology, University of California Department of Sociology, Barnard College me well for this role, and new streams Riverside, 1985-1997; Pitt Professor and Graduate Faculty of Columbia Present of scientific research funding make this of American History and Institutions, University, 1978-1988; Assistant Professor, Professional a priority. Second, I would promote the University of Cambridge, 2000-2001; Department of Sociology, Rutgers Position: Professor public engagement of sociologists with the Professor of Sociology, University of University, 1976-1978. of Sociology, major issues of our time, including chang- Virginia, 1978-1982. Education: PhD, Columbia University, University of ing social institutions, immigration policy, Education: PhD, University of California 1977; MA, Columbia University, 1974; BA, Wisconsin- environmental sustainability, and global Berkeley, 1969; MA (psychology), Stanford Rutgers University, 1971. Madison, relations. My experience as a sociologist who addresses policy issues in education University, 1964; BA, Harvard University, Offices Held in Other Organizations: 1992-present. Adam Gamoran 1963. Advisory Board, Doctoral Program in Former Professional would support my efforts to create new Positions Held in Other Organizations: Sociology, Instituto de Altos Estudios Positions: Director, Wisconsin Center opportunities to enhance the salience of H. Paul Douglass Lecturer, Religious Sociales and Universidad Nacional de for Education Research, University of sociology in such deliberations. Third, Research Association, 2007; President, San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wisconsin-Madison, 2004-present; Chair, I would press for further inclusiveness Pacific Sociological Association, 1992- 2008-present; Member, Scientific Council, Department of Sociology, University of within our association and in the broader 1993; Consulting Editor, American Journal Paris School of Economics, 2006-pres- Wisconsin-Madison, 2001-2004; Assistant society so that we truly embrace diversity of Sociology, 1976-1978, 1990-1992; ent; Corresponding Editor, Theory and to Associate Professor of Sociology, and recognize it as a strength of our com- Founding Editor, Sociological Theory 1980- Society, 1988-2005; Editorial Board, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1984- munity, our nation, and our increasingly 1984; Founding Editor, Theory and Society, Contemporary Sociology, 1991-1994; Chair, 1992. interdependent world. Education: PhD, University of Chicago, 1973-1975. Eastern Sociological Society Merit Award David A. Snow Positions Held in ASA: Council Member, Committee, 2002-2003. 1984; AM, University of Chicago, 1979; 1987-1990; Committee on Publications, Positions Held in ASA: Chair, Economic AB, University of Chicago, 1979. Present 1980-1985; Chair, Sociology of Education Sociology Section, 2001-2002; Member, Offices Held in Other Organizations: Professional Section, 1982-1983; Committee on Committee on Nominations, 1992-1993; Chair, Independent Advisory Panel of Position: Nominations, 1981-1982; Distinguished Member, Council (1987-1989; 2001-2005); the National Assessment of Career and Chancellor’s Contribution to Scholarship Award Prize Committee (1987), Section on Technical Education, U.S. Department Professor of Committee, 1981-1983. Comparative Historical Sociology. of Education, 2007-present; Co-Chair, Sociology, Publications: Collins, Randall. 2008. Publications: Zelizer, Viviana A. 2009. Planning Committee for the Study of the University of Violence: A Micro-Sociological Theory. “Intimacy in Economic Organizations.” Education Research Doctorate, National California, Irvine, Princeton University Press; Collins, In Economic Sociology of Work. Vol.19, Academy of Education and American 2001-present. Randall. 2004. Interaction Ritual Research in the Sociology of Work, edited Educational Research Association, Former David Snow Chains. Princeton University Press; by Nina Bandelj. Bingley, UK: Emerald, 2006-2007; Member, Board on Science Professional Collins, Randall. 1998. The Sociology forthcoming; Zelizer, Viviana A. 2007. Education, National Research Council, Positions: Professor of Philosophies: A Global Theory of “Pasts and Futures of Economic Sociology.” National Academy of Sciences, 2006-pres- of Sociology, University of Arizona, 1987- Intellectual Change. Cambridge: Harvard In Special Issue “Coming and Going in ent; Member, Board on International 2001; Assistant to Associate Professor, University Press; Collins, Randall. 1995. Economic Sociology.” Edited by Nicole Comparative Studies in Education, University of Texas, 1976-1987; Instructor, “Prediction in Macro-sociology: the Case Woolsey Biggart American Behavioral National Research Council, National Southern Methodist University, 1975-1976. of the Soviet Collapse.” American Journal Scientist 50:1056-69; Zelizer, Viviana Academy of Sciences, 1998-2003; Elected Education: PhD, University of California, of Sociology 100:1552-93; Collins, Randall. A. 2006. “Money, Power, and Sex.” Yale Member, National Academy of Education, Los Angeles, 1976; MA, University of 1979. The Credential Society: An Historical Journal of Law and Feminism 18:303; 2001. California, Los Angeles, 1972; MA, Urban Sociology of Education and Stratification. Zelizer, Viviana A. 2005. The Purchase Positions Held in ASA: Co-Chair, Studies, University of Akron, 1971. New York: Academic Press. of Intimacy, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Willard Waller Award Committee, Offices Held in Other Organizations: Personal Statement: From my many University Press; Zelizer, Viviana A. 1994. Sociology of Education Section, 2006- Board of Directors, 1990-2001, and years on ASA committees, council, sec- The Social Meaning of Money, New York: 2007; Chair, Graduate Student Paper Vice President, 1995-2001, Primavera tions, and publications, I am very familiar Basic Books. Award Committee, Sociology of Education Foundation, Tucson, AZ; Board of with its local culture. I even chaired a Personal Statement: The worldwide 2008 Section, 1996; Chair, Sociology of Directors, Society for the Study of Social report on ASA’s organizational prob- economic debacle not only upset economic Education Section, 1993-1994; Chair, Problems, 1997-2000; President, Pacific lems as a bureaucracy and as a collec- institutions and practices, but has radically Nominating Committee, Sociology of Sociological Association, 1997–1998; Vice tion of disparate sections (published in undermined prevalent understandings of Education Section, 1989; Council Member, President, Pacific Sociological Association, Footnotes, Sept. 1989). I strongly believe how the economy works as well. As our Sociology of Education Section, 1986-89. 1993-1994; President, Society for the Study that you can apply sociology 24 hours a economic futures are being redesigned, Selected Publications: Ayalon, Hanna, of Symbolic Interaction, 1992-1993. day, even to the meetings we sit through. sociologists face a unique challenge and Eric S. Grodsky, Adam Gamoran, and Positions Held in ASA: Chair, The ASA president, like any such posi- opportunity. For years we have critiqued Abraham Yogev. 2008. “Diversification Community and Urban Sociology Section, tion, is enmeshed in factional politics and the dangerous fantasy of self-regulating and Inequality in Higher Education: A 2008-2010; ASA Publications Committee, bureaucratic powers. The most important free markets. We have shown repeatedly Comparison of Israel and the United 2001-2003; ASA Council, 1995-1998; thing the office has freedom to do is to act that—far from autonomous—markets States.” Sociology of Education 81:211- Chair, Collective Behavior and Social as a symbolic exemplar of what the field are social, cultural, moral, and political 241; Shavit, Yossi, Richard T. Arum, and Movements Section, 1992-1993; ASA is about: An intellectual enterprise we can constructions. It is now our task to com- Adam Gamoran, with Gila Menahem, eds. Editorial Boards: American Sociological be proud of, and an exciting adventure municate widely and clearly our alternative 2007. Stratification in Higher Education: Review, 1990-1992, and Social Psychology of exploring the world through research. explanations of economic activity. For the A Comparative Study. Stanford, CA: Quarterly, 1993-2000. There are plenty of crises ahead in the past 30 years, that concern has inspired my Stanford University Press; Gamoran, Publications: Snow, David A. and Sarah world, and, in my view, sociology is the research and teaching. I have paid special Adam, ed. 2007. Standards-Based Reform A. Soule. Forthcoming in 2009. A Primer best discipline to guide our way through attention to the crucial economic signifi- and the Poverty Gap: Lessons for No on Social Movements. New York, NY: them with our eyes open. cance of such activities as unpaid and paid Child Left Behind.Washington, DC: W.W. Norton; Snow, David A., Rens American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 9
Vliegenhart, and Catherine Corrigall- Education and 1994. Women, Family, and Policy: A Global Writers for Social Justice, 1998-1999. Brown. 2007. “Framing the French ‘Riots’: Advancement of Perspective. Albany, NY: SUNY Press Positions Held in ASA: Chair, Labor and A Comparative Study of Frame Variation.” Women, University Personal Statement: As Secretary, I Labor Movements Section, 2004-2005; Social Forces, 86:385-415; Lofland, John, of California- would promote the American Sociological Co-editor, Rose Series in Sociology, 2000- David A. Snow, Leon Anderson, and Lyn Berkeley, 1981; Association’s mission of advancing sociol- 2005; Member, Nominations Committee, H. Lofland. 2006.Analyzing Social Settings: Assistant Professor ogy as a scientific discipline and profession 2000-2001; Editor, Contemporary A Guide to Qualitative Observation and of Sociology, serving the public good by strengthening Sociology, 1995-1997; Editorial Board, Analysis. 4th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth; Indiana University the public presence of sociology, the teach- American Sociological Review, 1989-1992 Morrill, Calvin, David A. Snow, and Cindy Southeast, New ing and learning of sociology, and socio- Publications: Clawson, Dan, Robert White. 2005. Together Alone: Personal Albany, IN, 1976- Catherine White logical research. My extensive experience Zussman, Joya Misra, Naomi Gerstel, Relationships in Public Places. Berkeley, 1979. Berhiede within the ASA governance system over Randall Stokes, Douglas Anderton, CA: University of California Press; Snow, Education: PhD, the past 30 years, including as a member of and Michael Burawoy, eds. 2007. Public David A., Sarah A. Soule, Hanspeter Kriesi, Northwestern University, 1976; MA, Council, has allowed me to see first hand Sociology: Fifteen Eminent Sociologists eds. 2004. The Blackwelll Companion to Northwestern University, 1973; BA, Beloit the work the ASA does from the edito- Debate Politics & the Profession in the Social Movements. Oxford: Blackwell. College, 1972. rial boards, to the sections, to the annual Twenty-First Century. Berkeley, CA: Personal Statement: Among the chal- Offices Held in Other Organizations: meetings, to task forces and briefings on University of California Press; Morris, lenges confronting the discipline and the Senator, Phi Beta Kappa Society, 2000- Capitol Hill. As chair of the Committee on Aldon and Dan Clawson. 2005. “Lessons of ASA, there are three especially critical present; Chair, Nominations Committee, the Executive Office and Budget, I would the Civil Rights Movement for a Workers’ ones. First, we need to continue to embrace International Sociological Association work with the Executive Officer to ensure Rights Movement.” WorkingUSA: Journal and nurture the virtues of diversity and Research Committee 32, 2001-2003; Vice- that the ASA remains financially sound as of Labor and Society 8:685-706; Clawson, inclusivity in terms of membership, President, Eastern Sociological Society, it continues these important activities and Dan. 2003. The Next Upsurge: Labor and theoretical perspectives, methodologi- 2001-2003; Treasurer, Eastern Sociological broadens its outreach to the full range of the New Social Movements. Ithaca, NY: cal approaches, and substantive interests Society, 1996-1999; President, Sociologists sociologists from students to contingent Cornell University Press; Clawson, Dan without generating a mix of disconnected for Women in Society, 1990-1991. faculty, from those working in non- and Naomi Gerstel. 2002. “Caring for interests and voices that renders what we Positions Held in ASA: Council Member, academic settings and teaching colleges to Our Young: Child Care in Europe and do indecipherable to others and ourselves. American Sociological Association, 1998- those at research universities. the United States.” Contexts, 1:28-35; Second, we need to vitalize a set of theo- 2001; Associate Editor, Teaching Sociology, Clawson, Dan, Alan Neustadtl, and James Dan Clawson retical and methodological principles that 1998-2000, 1988-1991; Chair, ASA Bearden. 1986. “The Logic of Business undergird and connect our substantive Committee on Committees, 1995-1996; Present Unity: Corporate Contributions to the pursuits—and that distinguish us from our Chair, ASA Section on Undergraduate Professional 1980 Congressional Election.” American sister disciplines in the social sciences— Education, 1993-1994; Chair, ASA Section Position: Professor Sociological Review 51:797-811. without undermining the diversity and on the Sociology of Sex and Gender, 1984- of Sociology, Personal Statement: The Secretary is openness generative of innovation and 1985. University of a trustee of the organization, elected to creativity. Lastly, we must understand more Publications: Berheide, Catherine White. Massachusetts- address behind-the-scenes issues. The fully that the viability of our discipline and 2007. “Doing Less Work, Collecting Amherst, Secretary is also a member of a wide range practice mandates that we engage press- Better Data: Using Capstone Courses to 1990-present. of committees and thus serves a bridg- ing domestic and global issues publicly by Assess Learning.” Peer Review 9(2):27- Former ing role, helping to connect members and conversing with the various polities and 30; Berheide, Catherine White. 2005. Professional Dan Clawson committees to each other and to the ASA publics relevant to those issues. These are “Searching for Structure: Creating Positions: Assistant staff. I would identify three concerns, broad and complicated challenges, but they Coherence in the Sociology Curriculum.” Professor to Professor, University of starting with our resources, including the are fundamental to our enterprise and will Teaching Sociology 33(1):1-15; Chin, Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, web, which should be used in ways that thus receive my attention as an officer of Jeffrey, Catherine White Berheide, and 1978-1990 facilitate member engagement with public the ASA. Dennis Rome, eds. 2002. Included in Education: PhD, State University of New sociology, making it possible for clusters Sociology: Learning Climates That Cultivate York at Stony Brook, 1978; MA, State of members to bring their work to larger Candidates for Secretary Racial and Ethnic Diversity. Washington, University of New York at Stony Brook, audiences. Second, the ASA is, and should DC: American Association for Higher 1975; BA, Washington University, 1970. remain, a leader in modeling the practices Catherine White Berheide Education; Berheide, Catherine White. Offices Held in Other Organizations: we would like to see in the larger society, Present Professional Position: Assistant 2001. “Using the Capstone Course for Vice President, Research Council 44, whether that be on gender, environmental, to Full Professor of Sociology, Skidmore Assessment of Learning in the Sociology International Sociological Association, racial, or labor fronts. Lastly, as a profes- College, 1979-present. Major.” Pp.164-176 in Assessing Student 2006-present; President, Massachusetts sional association, we must be concerned Former Professional Positions: American Learning in Sociology, edited by C. Hohm Society of Professors, 2003-2006; with job markets in relation to the chang- Sociological Association Congressional and W. Johnson. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: Co-convener, Labor and Childcare ing character of colleges and universities— Fellowship, Washington, DC, 1992-1993; American Sociological Association. Chow, Conference and Initiative, 1999-2001; and that is more than ever true in hard Visiting Fellowship, Center of the Study, Esther and Catherine White Berheide, eds. National Chair, Scholars, Artists, and times.
States. Black immigrants do better than concepts of sociologist NIH Blacks born here. Latinos and Asians do the Thomas Gieyrn, Indiana from page 3 same and given the composition of Latino University, who studied and Asian populations, their very good early American Society, to the important solutions . . . in terms of health profile must be understood in the Takeuchi said that socially addressing disparities.” But he cautioned context of these high levels of immigration.” constructed boundar- that there are a number of obstacles. Thus, a major challenge is to identify ies (e.g., academic versus For example, according to his research relevant factors that shape “this pro- applied, scientist versus with colleagues Manuela Costa, Adebola nounced pattern of worsening health with non-scientist, science disci- Odunlami, and Selina Mohammed, “there’s increasing length of stay in the United plinary boundaries) weaken a large racial gap in health, with African States.” In other words, “the American way our attack on disparities. Americans and American Indians having of life appears to be dangerous for your Given their social origin, higher death rates than Whites in the early health.” Consequently, health interven- boundaries can be particu- years. Latinos have comparable death rates, tions focused solely on individual health larly rigid and easily morph though slightly higher at . . . younger ages.” NIH health disparities panel [left to right]: Stephen Katz, NIAMS; behaviors will be ineffective, Williams said. into “etiological battles that Gaps persist into midlife, with death rates David Williams, Harvard University; Meredith Minkler, University Using tobacco smoking as an example of don’t tend to move the field of California-Berkeley; Margarita Alegría, Harvard Medical School; in the two groups at almost twice or as where there has been success, Williams forward,” said Takeuchi. He David Takeuchi, University of Washington. much as twice as high as that of the White said this has required the “contribution discussed issues such as the population. This pattern continues into late oped by Talcott Parsons, “maintains that of many organizations working through stock of knowledge that legitimizes each of life, so, “from the cradle to the grave, we etiologies provide ways to integrate con- multiple intervention channels to inform these boundaries and the values and work see large disparities,” said Williams. flicting demands, competing expectations, the public through multiple mechanisms, organization of boundaries. For example, “We need to understand the patterns and deals with the ambiguities in social to provide economic inducements to “Scientists set up boundaries, both infor- of disparities in the light of the contribu- life. This is a notion where things become reduce tobacco smoking, and also laws and mally and formally, and thereby enlarge tion of immigration,” Williams continued. a little unclear in life and scientists often regulations.” Williams emphasized that we the material and symbolic resources” of His research reveals that immigrants of all want to distinguish themselves [formally] need to “move upstream” toward the non- disciplines or professions to protect profes- racial and ethnic groups have better health from practitioners.” An excellent example, medical determinants of health. sional authority, he explained. trajectories than their native-born counter- Takeuchi said, are the many economists Takeuchi described the role of con- Takeuchi discussed formal and informal parts. “White immigrants have better health who advocated for the policies that created ceptual boundaries in preventing better ways that etiologies are used to maintain outcomes than Whites born in the United progress in health disparities. Adopting boundaries. First, “strain theory,” devel- See NIH, page 12 footnotes.asanet.org American Sociological Association 10 footnotes • March 2009 The Golden Anniversary of Medical Sociology he ASA Medical Sociology Section is auspicious beginning, the section has feature famous medical sociologists who findings on core topics from sociological Tcelebrating the 50th anniversary of its swelled to 1,022 members (as of 2008), will share their expertise with the next studies of health, illness, and healing and founding. In his The Word as Scalpel: A making it the fourth-largest section. The generation of medical sociologists. We will suggest the policy implications of those History of Medical Sociology, Samuel W. medical sociology field is concerned with recognize past chairs and Reeder Award findings. Leaders in each of the core top- Bloom recounts the establishment of the basic sociological research and its implica- winners at our reception. A special invited ics will be invited to write short articles section on medical sociology, which seeks tions for public policy and practice, includ- session will feature authors who are contrib- reviewing the key findings that have been to examine the phenomena of health and ing medical care, financing and health uting to the Extra Issue of Journal of Health produced in their subareas. The extra illness, the social organization of health care insurance, inequities in access to care, and Social Behavior: “What Do We Know? issue will seek to accomplish two specific delivery, and differential access to medi- medical technology, bioethical concerns, Key Findings from 50 Years of Medical goals. The first will be to provide a broad cal resources. The American Sociological the continuum of care, and comparative Sociology” to be published in 2010. overview of the state of research on health, Society (now the American Sociological health policies. illness, and healing for sociologists and Extra Issue of JHSB Association) Council approved the forma- health scholars in other disciplines. This Annual Meeting Activities tion of the Section on Medical Sociology in Thanks to a grant from the Robert Wood should also be accomplished through the September 1959. This followed the formal To celebrate the Golden Anniversary, Johnson Foundation to the ASA, the section scheduling of sessions at the 2009 and 2010 creation of ASA’s sections as they exist Janet Hankin, Chair of the Medical is publishing an extra issue of JHSB. In the ASA Annual Meetings. The second goal today, which were established “as a means Sociology Section (Wayne State University) past half-century, medical sociologists have will be to produce an executive summary for accommodating ‘special interest’ groups has planned special sessions for the 2009 provided key insights and findings on social highlighting three or four key findings for in the Society.” Formerly their activities Annual Meetings that highlight a common dimensions of health and health care rang- each topic. This executive summary will were primarily limited to organizing a ses- theme, “Fifty Years of Medical Sociology: ing from causes and consequences of health be written by a professional science writer sion for the Annual Meeting. Contributions and New Directions.” The disparities to the organization and financ- and disseminated widely to policymakers, By January 1960, the section had 407 sessions include the topics of Patients Meet ing of health care. Unfortunately, many funding agencies, media outlets and other members. A.B. Hollingshead was Chair, Providers, Health and SES, Health Policy policymakers, funding agencies, and health non-academic stakeholders. Odin Anderson served as Chair-Elect, and and Reform, and Fifty Years of Methods in scholars outside sociology are unaware of The Guest Editors for the Extra Samuel Bloom was Secretary-Treasurer. Medical Sociology. the scope and breadth of these sociological Issue are Hankin and Eric Wright, Everett Hughes, George Reeder (a physi- Special activities at the meetings include contributions. This forthcoming issue seeks Indiana University-Purdue University cian), and Benjamin Paul (an anthropolo- student roundtables, organized by our to remedy this. (Indianapolis). Eliza Pavalko, Indiana gist) were council members. From that student council representatives, which will The extra issue ofJHSB will review key University, is the Editor of JHSB.
Are Journal Accept Rates as Low as They Look? JHSB Research Gets Local Paula England, Stanford University, and decision on the way. An author submit- sion. If the denominator had included former editor of ASR (1994–1996) ting would know her or his paper was only final decisions, the accept rate Airtime sure to be accepted eventually, so call- would have been 11.42%. The second uthors aspiring to publish in a ing the accept rate 100% makes sense rate is 38% higher than the first (the Nationwide Asociology journal typically under- in this scenario, and this is what we difference between the two over 8.25 stand that, in the best case, an article would get if only final decisions were is .38). Similar computations for Social ociological research is now showing gets accepted only after an invitation to in the denominator. However, the way Psychology Quarterly show that their Sin a living room near you. As a result revise and to resubmit (an R&R). They ASA calculates their journals’ accept official 2008 accept rate of 9.43% would of ASA’s partnership with the Discoveries often want to know the probability that rates, the rate is only 50% despite the be 15.96% if only final decisions were and Breakthroughs Inside Science (DBIS) an author sending an article to this fact that every paper is ultimately in the denominator, a 69% increase. program, sociological research published journal will eventually get it accepted accepted. If every paper required one If I apply the ASA method to Gender in ASA’s Journal of Health and Social by this journal. But, oddly enough, R&R and one conditional accept, the & Society statistics, their accept rate Behavior (JHSB) was covered in a 90-sec- this is not what ASA journals’ “accept rate would drop to 33%. Thus, under would be 9.67%; with only final deci- ond broadcast news segment distributed rates,” previously published annually in the present way of calculating rates, sions in the denominator, it is 11.88%, to more than 100 local television affiliates Footnotes but now online, tell us. differences across editors within a which is 23% higher. across the United States. Here is how ASA (and some other journal, between journals, or between DBIS is a broadcast news service Arguments For and Against scholarly journals) compute their disciplines may be affected by how launched with a grant from the National accept rates. The basic concept is to take many revisions editors typically require An argument sometimes made for Science Foundation (NSF) and supported acceptances during the year as a ratio of before acceptance. the status quo is that, when trying to by a coalition of science and engineer- all decisions—positive and negative— Clearly accept rates would be convince an interdisciplinary ten- ing societies with the goal of bringing the made in the year. ASA puts all deci- higher if only final decisions were in ure and promotion committee that latest science news to a general audience sions in the denominator, including the denominator (the a colleague has that is underserved with quality science reporting. DBIS provides its news reports accepts, rejections, conditional accepts, numerator is the same How much difference published in very and invitations to revise and resubmit. under either system). selective journals, to local television newscasts. Local televi- would it really make if only In effect, original submissions and How much difference the lower the rate sion news is the medium by which about revisions (after an R&R or conditional would it really make final decisions were put in the the more useful for 40 percent of the American public gets its accept) count as separate manuscripts if only final decisions denominator? the case. However, news, and 44 percent of American adults for purposes of the accept rate. A were put in the denom- even the more choose local television news as their top manuscript that ultimately gets accepted inator? To find out I realistic accept source of science and technology informa- counts twice—as one accept and one asked the editors of two ASA journals rates that I calculated above using only tion, according to NSF’s 2006 Science and nonaccept. If we want the accept rate and the journal of Sociologists for final decisions as the base show that Engineering Indicators. to answer the question I posed above, a Women in Society to share their 2008 our journals are extremely selective. In January, DBIS released its first better procedure would be to only put statistics with me so I could see what A downside of the current system is segment reporting on research find- final decisions in the denominator— differences it makes to calculate accept that it gives authors an unrealistically ings from the social sciences. The news accepts and rejects decided during the rates with only final decisions included low idea of their chances that their report, available at
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 11
announced a disengagement of the United or potential—in other San Francisco States in Southeast Asia, the cultural scene countries, most notably from page 1 was rocked in August by the Woodstock in Latin America, which Festival in New York and by the sensa- had equally violent protest “The Chaotic Society: Product of the Social tional killings in California by the Manson movements in the later Morphological Revolution.” Family cult. Lastly, the first week in 1960s. “Project Camelot” In advance of the 1969 meeting, soci- September (when ASA met) saw news of had been exposed in 1965 ologists elected as 59th president Arnold the My Lai massacre with an American and together with the Rose, who had a long career at Minnesota. military charged with premeditated mur- Vietnam War provided He was as much if not more of an “activist” der for the slaughter of 109 Vietnamese radical sociology students in race relations, civil rights, school deseg- civilians, victims of “collateral damage.” with an important target regation, and the labor movement as in This served as further fodder for the anti- for anti-military feel- academic affairs. Tragically, terminal can- war movement, which mobilized students ings. But why would the preview of his next target, Parsons, in The cer took his life before he could take office, across the United States (and elsewhere in “Sociology Liberation Movement” adopt Coming Crisis of Western Sociology, which but the ASA Council decreed that Rose Europe). Sorokin as their totemic figure? came out the following year. And, in 1970, should be taken as President. Accordingly, Sorokin’s posthumous attraction for with Reinhard Bendix as ASA President and his already prepared presidential address, ASA in 1969 San Francisco radical students was multifold: He himself with the United States entering a new policy “Varieties of Sociological Imagination” was Perhaps reflecting the mood of the had been a student sentenced to death for toward Asia, the Annual Meeting (and the read in San Francisco by his wife, Caroline country, there was an “establishment” revolutionary activities in Tsarist Russia; country) returned slowly to more normal Rose (and published in the October 1969 annual meeting and a “rump” meeting. The he had been a maverick, anti-establishment conditions, although far from being drab. issue of the American Sociological Review). latter was organized by students who found figure during Parsons’ hegemonic years; in As I reflect on San Francisco 1969, I like On short notice, Ralph Turner became a nearby church as a “sanctuary” from the his later writings he condemned the power to think the tumult, conflicts, and chal- ASA President. official program of activities, the latter elite, yet still elected 55th President of ASA lenges of the crisis of that period laid the Social Context held at the comfortable Hilton Hotel. I on the first write-in campaign in ASA his- foundation for this year’s ASA theme of signed in at the registration desk, and then tory, and as a badge of honor, he had been “The New Politics of Community.” There Before the ASA Annual Meeting in wandered around looking at the various bitterly opposed all along to the Vietnam was then, implicitly if not overtly, a search- September, 1969 saw tumultuous events display tables, noting the diversity of pro- War. For more details, see Barry Johnston’s ing for a new community with “a variety taking place on college campuses, through- fessional and non-professional literature, excellent Pitirim Sorokin, an Intellectual of contradictory meanings and around out the United States, and abroad. In advertisements, pamphlets. I noticed a flier Biography, 1995. which diverse January, Richard Nixon, hardly a favorite announcing that students had organized a The students had taken the initiative to social practices of academia, took office as the th37 U.S. session in honor of Pitirim A. Sorokin that organize a panel session in his honor, with a and understanding President; and martial law was declared afternoon at a nearby community church. I distinguished panel speaking about different occur” (to quote in Madrid and the university closed. In had been his teaching assistant at Harvard, facets of Sorokin’s works and life. I listened from this year’s February, the radical Front de Libération and had enjoyed a long friendship with and appreciated the testimonies about theme description). du Québec bombed the Montreal Stock him (despite his nemesis, Talcott Parsons, Sorokin, his commitment to sociology and The student grass- Exchange; in April members of the being my thesis advisor). Sorokin, like social justice, nuclear disarmament, and roots “Sociology Students for Democratic Society (SDS) Arnold Rose, had taught at Minnesota, and other laudable causes. Then came the last Liberation took over Harvard’s Administration also like Rose, had died of cancer in 1968. speaker, perhaps the most imposing figure Movement” did well Building, and Berkeley community mem- Leaving the Hilton and the more staid in sociological theory after Parsons at the to seek the recon- Pitirim A. Sorokin bers seized an empty lot owned by the sessions in progress, I went to the student time, Alvin Gouldner. Gouldner strode on struction of the soci- university to start a “People’s Park.” In May, gathering. Dozens of students—perhaps the stage, and startled us all—faculty, stu- ology community, and in my opinion, did the National Guard dispersed and evicted hundreds—proudly displayed buttons, dents, and non-sociologists attending this well to select Pitirim Sorokin as an icon young adults in North Dakota and used which I have kept to this day. The three event—by deriding and mocking Sorokin. (and we all would do well to read his presi- helicopters to spray anti-war protesters in buttons in greatest display proclaimed: To paraphrase, Gouldner said there have dential address, “Sociology of Yesterday, California. At the start of the summer, the “Sorokin Lives!,” “Sociology Liberation been only two radicals in the social sciences: Today and Tomorrow,” published in ASR, radical anarchist Weathermen faction took Movement,” and “Revolution not Counter- Marx, who is now dead, and himself, who is December 1965). Yes, I plan to wear my control of SDS, and the modern gay rights Insurgency.” alive. Gouldner’s ill-timed remarks brought 1969 buttons at our 2009 meetings! movement began with the Stonewall riots The last referred to the military use of consternation to the joyous gathering, and in New York City. Edward A. Tiryakian can be reached at social science research in ascertaining the left a bad taste in the mouth of all, save Directly preceding the ASA meet- [email protected] appeal and strength of insurgents—actual perhaps his devotees. This may have been a ing in San Francisco, while Nixon had
Tower of Babel (2001), I concluded Hillsman refers to the name change language’s ladder of abstraction points that this requirement of our ideals for of the section on Sociological Practice to the importance of general theory. the scientific method is fulfilled only to Sociological Practice and Public Gouldner’s call for a “reflexive sociol- rarely, as evidenced by the very limited Sociology. I applaud that change, but I ogy” in The Coming Crisis of Western number of cross-references within the find it a species of lip service that is not Sociology (1970) suggests that we look 400-odd articles in the Encyclopedia of backed up by the theoretical breadth of to the contradiction between our own Sociology (2000). This is also evidenced the papers in that section, granting that ideals and practices, such as the viola- Putting Theory First by the cherry-picking of social science such a failure exists throughout the dis- tion of the scientific method by our I take issue with Sally Hillsman’s argu- ideas by policymakers. cipline. As a co-founder of that section, specializations coupled with limited ment in the November 2008 Footnotes I suggest that we look back to the I was appalled by the theoretical nar- communication across specialized areas. Executive Officer column. She stated theoretical breadth of the classical rowness of members and left as a result. His reference to the importance of the that “there is strength in diversity,” and sociologists—Marx, Durkheim, Weber, Our physical and biological technolo- “background assumptions” behind the- that “research suggests that tapping and and Simmel—for inspiration at this time gists, our engineers and physicians must ory suggests that we examine our meta- nurturing a diversity of perspectives and of what I see as escalating problems follow the scientific ideal of exploring physical assumptions, just as Thomas talents in science increases complexity of throughout the world. We can also gain all relevant variables in order to be Kuhn suggested that we look to the thinking.” She looked to the work of our inspiration from several more con- effective, granting they could do more paradigms that shape scientific theories. 44 sections as encouraging that complex- temporary sociologists, such as Mills, cross-fertilization. The same is true for This call for a focus on the “extraordi- ity of thinking. Gouldner, and Wallerstein. It is essential our educators, political leaders, journal- nary language” of social science suggests I share Hillsman’s concern for that we learn to penetrate human com- ists, social workers, business people, and that we work toward integrating our achieving “complexity of thinking,” plexity if we expect to follow through on psychotherapists. Yet we sociologists— theories—combining concepts “to given the enormous complexity of the promise of sociology for becoming a like other social scientists—have failed mediate between the deficient under- human behavior and social problems. genuinely public sociology. Mills wrote to get our act together. standings of ordinary language and the I also share her conviction as to the in The Sociological Imagination that the It was Mills and Gouldner who different and liberating perspectives of possibilities of sections for advancing failure of social scientists to confront suggested the path to fulfill what Mills the extraordinary languages of social that complexity. Yet, such advance- our threatening social problems “is called “the promise of sociology.” His theory.” This gives practitioners a solid ment depends on the degree to which surely the greatest human default being sociological imagination, although basis on which to make progress on our members link those orientations to the committed by privileged men in our vague, points toward the breadth that humongous problems. full range of factors relevant to a given times” (176). Yet our discipline need not each one of us—not simply the disci- Bernard Phillips, [email protected], problem. In my Beyond Sociology’s continue to fail society during its time pline—requires. And Mills’ idea of the www.sociological-imagination.org of need. importance of shuttling up and down footnotes.asanet.org American Sociological Association 12 footnotes • March 2009 NIH New NIH Program disparities will be examined. Takeuchi and James S. Jackson, who Discussing the effort to make the Kington referred to W.E.B. DuBois’ The received a Health Disparities Innovation from page 9 elimination of health disparities a prior- Philadelphia Negro, describing his chapter Award for their work with colleague on health that included a discussion of Margarita Alegría, on the National Survey the current fiscal and monetary crises. ity across NIH, NCMHD director John the social factors that might account for of American Lives. They are now distancing themselves, say- Ruffin presided over a panel, introduced by the poor status of health among African NCMHD is the focal point for leading ing, ‘Well, we didn’t tell you how to imple- Mary Woolley of Research!America. The Americans in the late 1800s’ Philadelphia. the planning and coordination of minor- ment them.’” panel also included NIH Acting DuBois was in charge of an annual ity health and health disparities research Second, Karl Marx’s “conflict Director Raynard Kington, conference to address the problems of within NIH, which is part of the U.S. theory” addressed etiologies as former NIH Directors Harold the African American population in the Department of Health and Human Services. social levers or weapons used by Varmus and Bernadine Healey, country at the time, Kington said, which The NCMHD is authorized to head the groups to further their political as well as former HHS Secretary he steered increasingly toward science. development and updating of the NIH and economic interests for power Louis Sullivan, former Surgeon “He had tremendous faith in the ability health disparities research agenda. In 2002, and advantage, said Takeuchi. General David Satcher, and of science to solve the Negro problems, NCMHD, in collaboration with NIH’s 27 Boundaries emerging from such NCMHD Deputy Director Joyce as they were called then, problems of institutes and centers and the Office of the informal mechanisms wield Hunter. disparities between Black and White Director, developed the first comprehen- powerful influence. “In sociology, “This is the first time since populations that ranged from economics sive NIH health disparities strategic plan: those who focus on medical soci- David R. Williams the establishment of the National and education to morbidity and mortal- NIH Strategic Research Plan and Budget to ology are often called too applied. at the NIH summit Center on Minority Health and ity,” Kington stated. Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health That is, we’re not sociological Health Disparities that all of “This was, however, a time not only of Disparities, Fiscal Years 2002–2006. It was enough. It creates this boundary about the NIH institutes and centers and their deep racism but also of growing scientific developed with involvement of academia, what is sociology.” Takeuchi suggests blur- partners have come together to collectively racism, the belief that such disparities were health care professionals, and representa- ring boundaries through incentives. For showcase the breadth of our accomplish- grounded almost exclusively in biology. Du tives of affected communities to address the example, NIH’s recent attempt to engage ments in health disparities,” explained Bois rejected such arguments and firmly fact that large segments of populations in researchers and community organiza- Ruffin. held this conviction that progress could the United States and globally continue to tions in community-academic research To much applause, Kington announced be made but that it could only be made suffer disproportionately from premature partnerships is excellent, he said. the newly approved enhancement and by following scientific methods.” Du Bois’ death, disability, and illness. Sociologists James S. Jackson, University rejuvenation of the NCMHD’s intramural argument “could serve as a charge for our of Michigan Institute for Social Research, research program on eliminating health See more information, disparities facts, and efforts to integrate science and policy in and Amy Schulz, University of Michigan disparities. The expanded NIH-campus- video and audio archives of the meeting practice in the elimination of health dis- School of Public Health, participated as and-disparity-community program will at
announcements
research findings in the formulation fund available for organizers of panels. DavisAndElkins.edu or Chandanachak@ and border-enforcement officials. Con- Correction of crime and justice policy by publish- Deadline for abstracts: March 20, 2009. gmail.com. tact: Frank Graziano at fgraz@conncoll. ing empirically based, policy-focused Contact: Chandana Chakrabarti at (304) edu. For more information, visit
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 13
announcements tiative will lead to grant applications for Indian Studies, 1130 E. 59th Street, Chicago, Collective Behavior/Social number of news outlets across the coun- Times op-ed about the inauguration of the support of CBPR projects designed to IL 60637; (773) 702-8638; aiis@uchicago. Movements try during the month of January. President Obama. He researches genera- meet identified community needs. These edu;
announcements
Daniel Lichter, Cornell University, had news websites such as CNBC.com and Anthony P. Maingot, Florida Interna- and Observer about the evolution of his findings surrounding women and MSNBC.com. tional University, authored an opinion black Santa Clauses. He was interviewed Awards divorce discussed in a February 1 San piece about the admission of Cuba to the on December 12th on CBS’s affiliate Paul Amato, Pennsylvania State Univer- Francisco Chronicle article. The article Medical Sociology Rio Group in mid-November. The column KYW radio on the various social factors sity, recently received two of the National also quoted Paula England, Stanford Nicholas Christakis, Harvard University, was published in The Miami Herald on which mitigated the role of race in the Council on Family Relations’ prestigious University, who commented about was a guest to discuss nut allergies on January 12. election of Barack Obama. honors: the Ernest Burgess Award, honor- cohabitating Americans. The Conversation, a radio show produced Christine Schiwietz, Georgetown Univer- Judith Stacey, New York University, ap- ing a lifetime contribution to the field of S. Philip Morgan, Duke University, by KUOW-FM, a Public Radio Interna- sity, appeared on National Public Radio peared on the January 21 edition of NBC family studies, and the Reuben Hill Award, discussed the potential for a recession- tional affiliate in Seattle. regarding the evolving social impact the Nightly News with Brian Williams to discuss which recognized his co-authorship of the based fertility drop in a January 14 Internet has on presidential campaigns how the Obama family reflects the chang- best family research article in the previous MSNBC.com article. Organizations, and discussed how technology influences ing demographics of the United States. year. Occupations & Work reputations in the digital age. Virginia Rutter, Framingham State Racial and Ethnic Minorities John Hagan, University of Toronto, College, is quoted in a January 18 Boston Helen Ebaugh, University of Houston, David Stuckler, Oxford University, was received the 2009 Stockholm Criminol- Globe Sunday Magazine article about had her “role exit” theory cited in a January cited for his work collaborating on a Camille Zubrinsky Charles, University ogy Prize. 23 Inside Higher Ed article that reported on of Pennsylvania, was interviewed on the marital intimacy. report about the impact of privatization Patricia Yancey Martin, Florida State the research of Jeffrey Breese, Marymount on mortality rates in post-communist na- January 23 edition of the NewsHour with Pepper Schwartz, University of Washing- University, and Clifford D. Bryant, Virginia University, who found that people’s identi- tions. The article appeared in the January Jim Lehrer about the Obama presidency ton, was quoted in a January 29 New York Tech, were placed on the 2009 Southern ties are as shaped by the positions they and the civil rights movement. 16 New York Times. Sociological Society’s Roll of Honor. Times Magazine article about the rela- left as by the positions they enter. tionship between mothers and fathers. Immanuel Wallerstein, Yale University, Shirley A. Jackson, Southern Con- Peter Dreier, Occidental College, was interviewed about capitalism and necticut State University, was quoted in International Migration discussed the Service Employees Inter- the global financial crisis in a January a January 8 New Haven Register article Transitions national Union in a December 31 Los 12 question-and-answer column on the about a study that found that whites Andrew Beveridge, Queens College, Kevin B. Anderson has joined the De- Angeles Times article. He wrote about a website of the History News Network. tended to be more biased than they was interviewed for a January 27 New partment of Sociology at the University sit-in at a Chicago factory in the Febru- thought. She cited the concept of color- York Times story on the views of new of California-Santa Barbara as a Professor. ary issue of Le Monde Diplomatique, the blind racism. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Political Sociology December 9 Huffington Post, and the De- Jessie Daniels has been named Associ- immigration. Daniel B. Cornfield, Vanderbilt Univer- Aldon Morris, Northwestern University, cember 17 Dissent. He authored an article ate Professor in Urban Public Health at sity, was quoted in a January 10 New York was quoted in a January 19 article in the Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan, about labor law reform in the December Hunter College-City University of New Times article about a city proposal to limit Wichita Eagle in which he discussed the was cited in a Pravda, Slovakia, publica- 2 American Prospect. York, beginning September 1, 2009. communication to English in Nashville. significance of Barack Obama’s inaugura- tion on July 31 on Raúl Castro and Michael Sauder, University of Iowa, and He suggested that anti-immigrant senti- tion. Paul LePore is the new Associate Dean Cuba’s Transition. She was also cited in Wendy Nelson Espeland, Northwestern ment grew as the economy weakened. for Student and Academic Programs an article in Polityka on July 28, 2007, on Susan Pearce, Eastern Carolina Univer- University, had their American Socio- in Arizona State University’s College of Cuban exiles in Miami. Peter Dreier, Occidental College, was sity, was quoted in an article about the logical Review article about law school Liberal Arts and Sciences. quoted in the November 4, 2008, issue legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., on the rankings covered by U.S. News & World Latino/Latina Sociology of USA Today about the role of profes- website for WNCT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Dale Lund has joined California State Report’s “Morse Code” blog on February sional athletes in the recent presidential Greenville, NC. University-San Bernardino as Chair and Vanesa Estrada, University of California- 2, by Inside Higher Ed and The Chronicle of election. His article, “Shifting Gears: Professor of the Sociology Department. Riverside, was quoted in a January 8 Higher Education on February 3, and the Michael Rosenfeld, Stanford University, Transforming Obama’s Campaign into Press-Enterprise story about Latin Ameri- ABA Journal on February 4. was quoted in a January 18 Star-Telegram a Movement for Change,” appeared in can immigrants sending less money to article about interracial couples in the Bruce Western, Harvard University, had The Huffington Post on November 6, 2008. their families. She commented on a find- Dallas-Fort Worth area. People his research on income inequality detailed ing that showed similar foreclosure rates Riley E. Dunlap, Oklahoma State Univer- Jeffrey C. Alexander, Yale Univer- within a January 21 LiveScience.com for Latinos as for all homeowners. sity, was quoted in a January 22 New York Sociology of Religion sity, was named Distinguished Visiting article that appeared on the Yahoo! News Times in an article about the declining Scholar at the Library of Congress John Gaspar Rivera, University of California- website. Western’s study appeared in the Nancy T. Ammerman, Boston University, importance voters put on environmental W. Kluge Center. Los Angeles, was quoted in a January December American Sociological Review. discussed the prayer offered by Rick War- concerns. She also was interviewed on 15 Los Angeles Times article in which he ren for the presidential inauguration in Sharon Araji, University of Colorado- Sirius/XM P.O.T.U.S. channel’s “Morning commented on the case of an arranged Political Economy of the an article in the January 21 Boston Globe. Denver, was elected the 2010-2011 Briefing” concerning the political feasibil- marriage of a 14-year-old Mexican girl in World System President of the Pacific Sociological ity of the Obama Administration’s energy Jen’nan Read, Duke University, was California. Association. Ching Kwan Lee, University of California- and environmental agenda immediately quoted in a number of articles about Nestor Rodriguez, University of Texas, Los Angeles, was quoted in the January following the president’s January 26 American Muslims and Obama appearing Don Barrett, California State University- was quoted in an Associated Press article 30 edition of Science magazine regarding speech laying out his agenda. in news outlets across the country. Cover- San Marcos, was elected the 2010-2011 about Latino immigrants returning to civil unrest in China. Lee authored an ar- age included Newsweek, The Chicago Vice President of the Pacific Sociological Michael Eric Dyson, Georgetown Uni- their native countries to run for office. ticle about the growing rights revolution Tribune, and USA Today (November 7), Association. The article appeared on January 13 in in that country in the summer 2008 issue versity, published an opinion piece in the and The New York Times (November 6). Peter Dreier, Occidental College, was newspapers across the country and on of Contexts. January 18 Washington Post Outlook sec- tion about President Obama’s word usage Sociology of Sex and Gender invited to give the annual Urban Studies in pre-election speeches and debates. Lecture at the University of Pennsylvania C. Lynn Carr, Seton Hall University, was on November 14, 2008. His talk was titled Paul Hollander, University of Massachu- quoted in an article about “tomboys” from “Is There Hope for America’s Cities?” setts, forecasted a global decline in anti- Psychology Today. The article was posted Americanism in an article in the January on Newsday’s website on January 7. Carr Glen H. Elder, Jr., University of North 23 issue of the National Post. discussed the role of parents in shaping the Carolina-Chapel Hill, had his research on life course studies celebrated in a special Tomás R. Jiménez, Stanford University, qualities that children want to emulate. issue of Research in Human Development. authored an opinion piece in the January Lynn Prince Cooke, University of Kent, The special issue, “Glen H. Elder, Jr., and 23 San Francisco Chronicle asserting that discussed the relationship between the the Importance of Lived Experience,” was the United States needs an immigrant division of labor among spouses and edited by Michael J. Shanahan, also of policy, not an immigration policy. divorce in a January 9 article in The New University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, is Akil Kokayi Khalfani, Essex County Col- York Times. Volume 5, Number 4, October-December lege, was featured on WBAI Radio in New 2008. York to talk about the Obama presidency Sociology of Sexualities Silvia Pedraza, University of Michigan, and political challenges in Africa on Janu- Mary Bernstein, University of Connecti- was the keynote speaker at a conference ary 8. cut, was quoted in the Hartford Courant on immigration organized by the Uni- Michael W. Macy, Cornell University, dis- on November 12 about Connecticut’s versidad de Almería in Spain, December cussed political homophily in a January new same-sex marriage legislation. She 17-18, 2008. 20 Washington Post article. was also quoted in the Columbian news- paper El Espectador on February 4 about Vincent J. Roscigno, Ohio State Universi- John Skrentny, University of California- her research on the lesbian, gay, bisexual, ty, was elected President of the Southern San Diego, authored an op-ed in the and transgender movement. Sociological Society. October 1 San Diego Union-Tribune. The Richard Sennett, London School of Eco- piece explored the cultural identities of Laura Carpenter, Vanderbilt University, nomics, has been awarded the Heinrich the crucial swing voters of the Rust Belt. was quoted in a January 22 CNN.com ar- ticle about a woman who was attempt- Tessenow Medal, an honor which, until Doug Snyder, Maryland Legal Services, ing to auction off her virginity. now, has been reserved for architects and was quoted in a January 19 front-page designers. Washington Post article. The quote was Melissa Embser-Herbert, Hamline Catherine Zimmer, University of North drawn from Snyder’s letter to the editor University, was quoted in an article in the Carolina-Chapel Hill, was elected Vice attacking a challenge before the Supreme January 13 San Francisco Chronicle about President of the Southern Sociological Court to the 1965 Voting Rights Act. the President Obama’s plans regarding the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Society. Race, Gender, and Class Kristen Schilt, University of Chicago, had Joe Feagin, Texas A&M University, and her research on how when transgender New Books Sharon Collins, University of Illinois, people become men, their pay rises, and were cited in a January 24 Newsweek when they become women, their pay Alessandro Bonanno and Douglas H. article about race and class. drops covered in Time and Ms. Magazine. Constance, both of Sam Houston State University, Stories of Globalization: Trans- Abby Ferber, University of Colorado- Pepper Schwartz, University of Wash- national Corporations, Resistance, and the Colorado Springs, has a regular blog that ington, was interviewed for the January State (Penn State Press, 2008). appears in the Huffington Post. 15 National Public Radio show On Point about the release of a revised edition of Robert D. Bullard, Clark Atlanta Charles Gallagher, La Salle University, The Joy of Sex. University, and Beverly Wright, Dillard was quoted on December 20 in the News University, Race, Place, and Environmental
American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org footnotes • March 2009 15
announcements
Justice After Hurricane Katrina: Struggles the post-industrial urban environment, crime, drug use, and alcoholism. treatment in correctional settings and David Knoke). Jim also published numer- to Reclaim, Rebuild, and Revitalize New the program requires a minimum of David’s early scholarly contributions community-based crime prevention, as ous articles and book chapters, many in Orleans and the Gulf Coast (Westview 60-credit hours beyond the MA and in- were primarily concerned with alcohol well as the national evaluation of the the flagship journals in sociology as well Press, 2009). cludes an interdisciplinary professional usage and addiction, but he later Violent Offender and Truth in Sentencing as top specialty journals in his field. seminar, disciplinary core requirements, branched out into studies of deterrence, legislation. She was part of the NIJ edito- Jim served as Associate Director for Dean John Champion, Texas A&M Inter- disciplinary electives, interdisciplinary the effects of labels on future behavior, rial team for Volume 3 of Criminal Justice the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana Uni- national University, Richard D. Hartley, electives, a capstone interdisciplinary and tests of hypotheses from self-con- 2000, “Policies, Processes, and Decisions of versity and the Director of the Project on Statistics for Criminal Justice and Criminol- seminar, and a dissertation. The program trol theory. He was responsible for one the Criminal Justice System,” and served Governance of Nonprofit Organizations. In ogy, 3rd ed. (Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2010). is currently accepting applications for of the cleverest experimental studies of on the editorial board of the NIJ Journal. this latter position he managed a budget Carolyn Ellis, University of South Florida, fall 2009. Contact: Donileen R. Loseke, the deterrence hypothesis in the litera- As Division Chief at NIJ, Winterfield of more than $1.6 million from the Lilly En- Revision: Autoethnographic Reflections on at [email protected];
funding For Members Only . . . ASA Sections 2009 Student Forum Travel Awards ASA Sections are a means of increasing communication and interaction among persons of similar interests within the framework ASA seeks applications for student travel to 2009 Annual Meeting of larger organizations. While sections facilitate relationships and work among persons with a common interest, they also provide an The ASA Student Forum is pleased to announce that Council is mak- opportunity for individuals to participate actively in the association. ing funds available to support student travel awards to the ASA Annual Only current ASA members can join ASA’s special interest sections. Meeting. The Association anticipates granting approximately 33-35 travel awards in the amount of $225 each. These awards will be made on a ASA’s 48 sections include a wide range of interests, alphabetically from Aging and the Life Course to Theory; from the oldest section competitive basis and are meant to assist students by defraying expenses (Teaching and Learning) to the newest sections-in-formation associated with attending the 2009 ASA Annual Meeting in San Francisco. (Sociology of the Body and Atruism and Social Solidarity). There are To apply, complete the online application or submit four copies of the small but active sections such as Animals and Society, and Rationality 2009 Student Forum Travel Award Application form no later than April 1, and Society, to traditionally large sections such as Culture, Sex and 2009. Gender, and Medical Sociology. Sections publish newsletters, host websites and listservs, and sponsor sessions at the ASA Annual Applicants must be students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate soci- Meeting. Two sections, Community and Urban Sociology and Political ology degree in an academic institution and a current student member Economy of the World-Systems, publish their own journals. of ASA at the time of application. For more information, contact the ASA Through sections, ASA members can network, meet leaders in the Executive Office [email protected] g or (202) 383-9005, ext. 322. field, learn of current research and grant opportunities, post book The award application form can be found on the ASA website (
For complete information on these and other ASA member D•R•G benefits, visit www.asanet.org/benefit< s>. Here to Help with Program Review, Assessment, and Curriculum Development Membership in ASA benefits you! Now offering off-site consulting and a mentors program for new department chairs, directors of graduate studies pro- grams, assessment coordinators, and others with key roles in the department. Contact: ASA Academic and Professional Affairs Program (202) 383-9005 x323 or [email protected] Volume 37 • Number 3 • March 2009