Volume 39 • Number 7 • September/October 2011 103rd ASA President Erik Olin Wright: Reinventing Sociology inside Michael Burawoy, University of lining up with hundreds with his animated graduate California-Berkeley of others to give testimony students. Wherever he rik Wright, the 2012 President of that would prolong the goes, wherever he stays, Sociologist Heads NRC 3 Ethe ASA, was born in Berkeley, encampment. He then took Wright stirs up intellectual STEM Education Report CA, grew up in Kansas, was off for Germany to explain ferment. And so he will Report suggests policy educated at Harvard, Oxford, and Madison’s “Cairo” to schol- over the next year as he recommendations to Berkeley and has spent the last 35 ars at the Rosa Luxemburg prepares us for the 2012 help students become Foundation. This is typical, ASA Annual Meeting in years teaching at the University Erik Olin Wright scientifically literate. of Wisconsin-Madison. He is not developing projects in Denver. Madison and then lectur- only one of the most prominent The Birth of a Sociological ing about them to audiences all over Thinking About sociologists on the planet, but one Career 4 the world. “Interrogating who manages to be both a local and Wright brings the local to the I am unable to pinpoint where his Inequality” in 2013 a cosmopolitan. sociological career began. Maybe it A few months ago he could be global, but he also brings the global Invited session proposals to the local. For 28 years he has was at the childhood dinner table are solicited for the 108th found among the thousands of where each member of the Wright Madison citizens in their 17-day headed the Havens Center at the Annual Meeting program. University of Wisconsin, inviting family had to give an account of occupation of the capitol build- their day’s activities or as a Harvard ing, protesting Governor Walker’s leading intellectuals from all corners Conference Challenges of the world to Madison, where they undergraduate where he became 5 offensive against public sector aware of structural functionalism Constraints on Women unions and state spending, and are treated to an intense questioning The triennial Women’s World and have the privilege of working Continued on Page 8 Conference celebrates diversity. J. Milton Yinger (1916-2011) 7 Learning to See the Sociologists Explore Conflict Other Side’s Perspective at ASA Annual Meeting in A Towering A sociologist working in the area of reproductive Las Vegas Sociological Figure justice discusses her lessons from a Small learned when you listen Daniel Fowler, ASA Media Relations and to those with whom you Public Affairs College disagree. hat happens in Vegas when Stephen J. Cutler, University of Vermont Wmore than 5,000 sociologists descend on a city known for its ociology bright lights, grand hotels, great Slost one of From the Executive Officer .................2 restaurants, celebrities, and casinos? its most active Science Policy .........................................3 Given that it had never happened and influential ASA Forum ............................................ 12 before, nobody was quite sure. figures with the death Announcements ................................. 13 As it turns out, the result th of J. Milton Obituaries .............................................. 18 was a highly successful 106 Annual Meeting of the American Yinger, the 68th J. Milton Yinger Sociological Association. President of Originally scheduled for Chicago, the American the Association decided to move its Sociological Association, on July 28, 2011, at the age of 95 in Oberlin, Annual Meeting to Las Vegas for Randall Collins presented his Presiden- Ohio. Always ahead of the curve, first time in ASA history in response tial Address following the ASA Awards to a protracted labor dispute involv- Ceremony. Milt espoused interdisciplinarity ing hotels in the Windy City, includ- long before it became fashionable, ing the two that had been scheduled labor union action against Chicago he championed social justice well to host the meeting. hotels, that many ASA members before efforts to eradicate inequality “The shift in our meeting site felt was important to honor,” said came to be branded in this particu- from Chicago to Las Vegas was the ASA President Randall Collins, lar way, and he was the consummate result of a conflict—an unsettled University of Pennsylvania. mentor of students and colleagues Continued on Page 6 Continued on Page 10 footnotes • September/October 2011 To view the online version, visit <www.asanet.org/footnotes/septoct11/index.html> 1 American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org from the executive officer Promoting Transparency and Accountability at the ASA or non-profits, transparency about the ASA which we hope lay respondingly. The activities of discipline as a whole? (see pp. Fin organizational management out clearly and comprehensively the ASA have also expanded over 23-25) has been linked to increased trust, all the important aspects of the time. Together, these changes • What is the ASA doing to raise loyalty, and engagement Association’s governance, pose a new challenge to commu- awareness of sociology and by those who have a stake activities, and finances nication—namely, information increase coverage of sociological in their missions and to help members and overload. How do we provide, at findings in the media? (see p. 30) activities. But what is prospective members least once a year, comprehensive • Which articles were down- organizational transpar- assess ASA’s successes information about the work and loaded the most in 2010 for ency and how is it measured? and challenges. For many years, organizational well-being of the each of the association’s five Brad Rawlins (2008) focuses on the state of the Association has ASA to our members and other journals? (see p. 7) information sharing (positive been communicated annually to audiences so that it is in one • How does the Association sup- and negative) that is extensive, members and other interested place, not too long, and provides port departments of sociology? accurate, timely, balanced, and audiences through a variety of links to the electronic location of (see p. 13-14). unequivocal. The purpose of shar- separate activities: oral reports more detailed information? Feedback ing such information, he says, is to from officers at the Association’s This new ASA Annual Report enhance the ability of stakehold- annual business meeting; print is our first attempt at producing We will assess the results of ers to make reasoned judgments copies of ASA Council min- such a comprehensive print and releasing this report in order about their organizations and hold utes and the ASA Audit in our electronic document that, we to decide how to structure a them accountable, thereby sup- Association newsletter, Footnotes, hope, increases transparency of 2011 Annual Report. We are in porting stakeholders’ trust, loyalty and its predecessors; and sub- our vibrant and complex schol- an exploratory mode, and we and engagement. The success of stantive reports and articles in arly organization. The data cover have chosen to err on the side transpar- Footnotes. 2010; the financial information is of providing more informa- ency can be These for calendar/FY 2009, which was tion in the 2010 report than in measured important the last year for which audited typical corporate annual reports. by whether While you might not docu- data were available before We hope that you will find the information immediately think of an Annual ments were going to press. (After Council content interesting, as well as accurate, substantial, useful, is truthful, Report as fascinating reading, the moved reviewed and approved the FY substantial online 2010 audit during the recent and balanced. Ultimately, the ASA Annual Report provides and useful; during the Annual Meeting, it was made Association is accountable to each if stake- succinct answers to many last decade available on the ASA website. Go of its members for its actions and holders can questions that you and other with the to www.asanet.org — click on policies. We invite you to read the report and think about the participate members might have asked about intent of “About ASA,” then “Governance,” in identify- expand- and then “Audits of Financial three parts of the ASA mission: ing what the Association. ing and Records.”) to serve sociologists in their information improving While you might not immedi- work; to advance sociology as a they want; their acces- ately think of an Annual Report science and a profession; and to and if the sibility. as fascinating reading, the ASA promote the contributions and reporting is balanced. The Association website has also Annual Report provides succinct use of sociology to society. Based At this summer’s Annual given us a venue for quickly plac- answers to many questions that on what you read, do you see Meeting, the ASA released its ing new, timely and time-sen- you and other members might the ASA’s activities and policies first published “Annual Report.” sitive information online about have asked about the Association. advancing our mission? Do you I hope you picked up a copy at Association deadlines, programs, For example, think the Annual Report contains registration, the ASA Bookstore, and important professional and • ASA is a membership organi- the information you need? Please the Business Meeting or at various disciplinary news (www.asanet. zation, but to what extent do let me know what you think. You other venues. But, if not, the 2010 org). members really participate? can email me at executive.office@ Annual Report is now posted as How is the ASA organized? asanet.org. The Challenge of New an interactive PDF file on our What are all those ASA com- Reference Communications Technology website (see www.asanet.org/ mittees and to whom do they The continued evolution Rawlins, Brad L. 2008. “Measuring the about/annualreport.cfm). The report? (see pp.