Volume 42 • Number 7 • September/October 2014 Profile of the 2015 ASA President inside Paula England: No Sense of (Geographic) Direction but a Profound Sense of Academic Direction Kathryn Edin, Johns Hopkins University data from former colleagues and sion of what predicts unintended New Department students across the country. Fellow fertility that they walked out of the 3 o say she loves what she does Affiliate Benefits faculty, past and present, were eager restaurant without paying. After would be an under- Benefits include a year of T to share particular “Paula the waitress chased them down statement. To claim that ASA membership for all moments.” One colleague the street and demanded payment, she’s hardworking doesn’t first-year graduate students recalls a long, grueling they realized that they were so lost begin to capture the truth. in the department. day during a MacArthur in conversation they were walk- One colleague, Timothy research network in Aspen. ing the wrong way. Then there are Smeeding, put it best: The group retired to the hot Paula’s distinctive habits—subject Start Planning for 2016. “Many people think I am 5 tub to relax and the conver- to change every decade or so. In the Yes, 2016! Send session hardworking, but I don’t sation wandered from one 80s and 90s, it was clogs and Diet proposals for the 2016 hold a candle to Paula.” inconsequential topic to Pepsi. When Paula left Arizona for meeting on “Rethinking And as for getting it right, Paula England another until Paula joined. Stanford, one colleague commented, Social Movements.” she’s as dedicated and as She was right back to the rich intel- “It sure will be hard to fill Paula’s tenacious as they come. Perhaps her lectual discussion that the group clogs!” core quality, though, say colleagues, August Council had been having earlier in the day. Anyone who knows the subject of 7 is her love of ideas. Highlights Another time, she and a colleague this essay well—knows she’s famous When assigned the task of writ- A snapshot of key decisions had been so intent in their discus- ing this essay, I set out to collect and information about the Continued on Page 8 Association. 9 Herbert Gans on the Direction of the The Contexts Editors Bring 2014 ASA Discipline Sociology needs to more Energy and Experience with Annual Meeting relevant, visible, and valued. Public Engagement Sets Attendance 10 Obituary for Ralph H. Douglas Hartmann, University of About the New Editors Records Turner Minnesota Philip Cohen is Professor of Daniel Fowler, Also former students and xtra! Extra! Read all about it! The Sociology at the University of ASA Public Information Office family pay tribute to this Enew editors for Contexts, the ASA’s Maryland-College Park, where past ASA president. one-of-a-kind, accessible to a general he received his PhD in 1999. He ociologists flocked to San audience publication, have been returned to his alma mater in SFrancisco for the 2014 2012 after stints at University of American Sociological Association From the Executive Officer .................2 chosen. They are Philip N. Cohen of the University of Maryland and Syed California-Irvine and the University Annual Meeting, which had the Science Policy .........................................3 Ali of Long Island University. Cohen of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. highest attendance ever for a meet- ASA Forum ............................................ 18 ing held outside of New York City and Ali will take their turn at helm Continued on Page 6 Announcements ................................. 19 beginning in and the third-highest attendance overall. Obituaries .............................................. 22 January. They bring with them With a total attendance 5,950, th big ideas about the 109 Annual Meeting was just sociology, tons short of the record-breaking 6,184 of energy and attendance of last year’s meeting in experience with New York City and the 6,025 who public engage- attended the 2007 conference also in ment, and their the Big Apple. own distinctive “We could not have been more (and sometimes pleased with the turnout,” said irreverent) ASA Executive Officer Sally T. sensibilities. Hillsman. “We believe that the Syed Ali and Philip Cohen Continued on Page 4 footnotes • September/October 2014 To view the online version, visit <www.asanet.org/footnotes/septoct14/index.html> 1 American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org from the executive officer Why Study Social Science? “Because It Matters.” he National Science Board (NSB) grounds, across areas of scientific And on [a] macro level, they enable questions being asked by some in Tis the governing body of the expertise and geographic areas. us to better understand and address Congress of scientists conduct- National Science Foundation (NSF) ASA is extremely gratified that at the vexing political, social, and ing basic research: What is the and official policy advi- this critical time two of economic challenges that dominate near-term return on the federal sors to the president and the most recent Board newspaper headlines.” investment in their research? And, Congress. In late April appointees have close ties Tornow then explained that the will this research produce the next 2014 NSB submitted a to the social science com- social sciences are sciences just like great product? This narrowing of highly unusual statement munity—current COSSA astronomy, astrophysics, chem- congressional focus on how taxpay- to Congress in response to pend- President James Jackson (Institute istry, and biology. Social sciences ers’ money should be invested in ing legislation—the Frontiers in for Social Research, University work with “observational data research will significantly hamper Innovation, Research, Science, and of Michigan) and Robert Groves and measurements,” emphasizing progress in the long history of the Technology Act of 2014 (FIRST Act). (former Director of the Census objective intent. She noted that sciences’ pursuit of the new knowl- The NSB has rarely made such a Bureau and provost at Georgetown simply because examining human edge that is essential for improving defiant statement to Congress. University). Jackson and Groves beings and their motivations may people’s wellbeing. The NSB argued that the FIRST were sworn in for their six-year not be the same as dealing with Prior to Tornow’s talk about the Act’s “specification of budget terms at the August 2014 Board some physical science inputs does social sciences at NSB, Board mem- allocations to each NSF Directorate meeting. not mean the ber Kelvin Droegemeier, Professor would significantly impede NSF’s social sciences of Meteorology at the University of Making the flexibility to deploy funds to On the most elemental methods are Oklahoma, noted that almost the Case for support the best ideas” in sci- less scientific. same number of people die today the Social level, the SBE sciences explain ence. A major target of FIRST Act She con- from tornadoes as they did in 1959 Sciences why you comprehend what I was the NSF Social, Behavioral, tinued and even though we now have made and Economic Sciences (SBE) With grow- am saying. On a day-to-day identified enormous scientific, engineering, Directorate which was scheduled ing opposition level, they help us navigate some of the and technological advances, such by the bill for a 22 percent cut. to the SBE familiar and professional big questions as Doppler radar. What our nation Directorate NSB’s statement and the subse- relationships, build stronger for the SBE doesn’t have yet, he went on to say, quent massive opposition from the from some Directorate. is the social scientific knowledge science community have stopped members of and safer communities and to How does base about “how people respond the progress of the FIRST Act. the Republican run businesses, efficiently and the human and react and understand.” Without Caucus in brain produce more social science research, he What Is the National Science effectively. Congress, cognition and said, the benefits of other sci- Board? the Board —Joanne Tornow behavior? How, ences and technologies cannot be The NSB was created as part of decided to when, and why translated into enhanced public the legislation that created the NSF fulfill its over- do we cooper- wellbeing. (National Science Foundation Act of sight responsibility at its August ate or compete? When does conflict Our nation faces many challenges 1950) with the authority to “recom- Board meeting and asked the SBE arise? today and will face many more mend and encourage the pursuit of Directorate to articulate why the During the questions and unknown challenges tomorrow. national policies for the promotion Directorate remains essential to answers section of the talk, Tornow Without enhancing the already of research and education in sci- federal support for the nation’s basic identified inequality as one of the strong knowledge base of the social ence and engineering.” The Board, research infrastructure. Acting SBE emerging challenges that SBE- sciences, we as a nation and a world working within Congress’s authori- Assistant Director Joanne Tornow funded research can address. citizen will not be able to adequately zation language and the President’s did such a superb job of this she address these challenges. Fundamental Understanding national science policies, does a may have converted some skeptics ASA members need to continue number of specific tasks, including to become ambassadors for the SBE When NSF was formed in 1950, their active support of the mission