From the President: Patricia Yancey Martin’s Message All is well with the qualities.” Several plenary and Southern Sociological Society. thematic sessions as well as regu- Membership is holding and, lar sessions will address this dy- based on all signs that we can de- namic. As noted in my last col- tect, interest in our association is umn, Idee Winfield and I are de- growing. SSS officers, commit- veloping the program and we, tee chairs and members are mak- and others who are organizing ing plans for the meetings at the sessions, have received commit- Monteleone Hotel in the heart of ments from many excellent soci- the New Orleans French Quarter ologists. For example, American for March 27-30, 2003. I hope Sociological Association Presi- you plan to participate. Remem- dent William (Bill) Bielby will ber, the deadline for submissions discuss links between work, fam- of proposals is (of necessity due ily, and gender; Judith Lorber to a March meeting date) firm will discuss feminist theory; this year: November 15, 2002. Mitch Duniere will discuss eth- My theme for the 2003 meeting is “Disrupting Ine- (Continued on page 2) The Southern Sociologist Southern The Contents From the Editor: Call for Participation…………………..………...5 This edition of The Southern Sociologist (TSS) Honors Committee Report……………..…….….6 marks the beginning of a new era. TSS is being pub- Award Winners…………………………..……...9 lished electronically by a new editor. I want to thank Call for Nominations……………………..….…13 the Publications Committee for selecting me and to Ida Harper Simpson’s Reflections…………...…15 thank George Rent and James Jones, the previous The Teaching Corner………………………...…19 editors, for their help in the transition. Please send Committee Activities……………………….…..20 material for TSS electronically (preferably in Word) Demographic Transitions…………………..…..23 [email protected]. FSU Establishes Professorships……….…….....25 Bob Freymeyer Call for Papers………………………………….27 Job Opportunities………………………...…….29 The Southern Sociologist Page 2 Fall 2002 Executive Committee and other committee President Martin’s Column minutes, all kind of reports, and announce- ments and news. Under their leadership, TSS (Continued from page 1) became a fully institutionalized feature of the Southern Sociological Society. It seems fit- nographic methods and his SIDEWALK ting that the move to a web-based format study; Jill Quadagno will address inequality should be under the leadership of a new edi- in U. S. healthcare; Margaret Andersen will tor. While thanks seem insignificant and in- discuss integrating race, class, and gender in adequate, we nevertheless offer them to the classroom. Chances are good that Flor- George and Jim from all 1200 of our mem- ence Bonner, Phyllis Moen, Walter Allen, bers. Kai Erikson, Carol Marks, and others will As we bid farewell to Jim and participate also. Details about how to par- George, we welcome Robert (Bob) Frey- ticipate--whether it entails presenting a paper meyer, of Presbyterian College (Clinton, S. or poster or organizing or chairing a panel, C.), as TSS editor. Bob is hard at work al- author meets critic, or paper session--are de- ready, as evidenced by this issue. Bob is ex- scribed elsewhere in this issue by Program perienced at editing newsletters, having co- Chair Idee Winfield. Our annual gathering is edited (with Barbara Johnson, of the Univer- a time of renewal on many levels— sity of South Carolina Aiken) the newsletter intellectual, social, cultural, and political--so of the Southern Demographic Association for I urge you to participate if you possibly can. many years. His willingness to share his skill Besides, you will have and talents with SSS fun. thanks to George Rent and Jim Jones and assume this duty Expressions of is greatly appreci- thanks. I take this op- who served as editors of The South- ated. I encourage portunity to express ern Sociologist for nearly 12 years you to send your de- thanks to two members partment’s news and whose expertise, skill, announcements to and good will have under-girded the Southern Bob: mailto:[email protected]. I also en- Sociological Society for more than a decade. courage SSS committee chairs and other offi- I refer to Jim Jones and George Rent of cers to contact Bob and to write columns or Mississippi State University who served as comments for upcoming issues. If a commit- editors of The Southern Sociologist from tee is pondering an issue or course of action, 1991 through the summer of 2002, nearly 12 using TSS to canvas the membership about years. During that time, they set a standard their opinions and advice is an ideal means of of excellence, reliability, and skill that bars communication. no challenge and will be hard to follow. SSS I also thank the Publications Commit- depends on having TSS published at the right tee, particularly its chair Michael Hughes, for times and with the proper content to serve the recruiting Bob Freymeyer as TSS editor. needs and interests of the Society. Jim and (We had two other excellent candidates for George unfailingly published on time and the job and we thank them for offering their with the correct information--about awards services.) Michael served as chair of the and opportunities, budgets, the ways and Publications Committee for several years and means to participate in the annual meeting, (Continued on page 3) The Southern Sociologist Page 3 ____ Fall 2002 be given every year, assuming that qualified President Martin’s Column nominees are put forward by members and approved by the Honors Committee. Once the Honors Committee decides on the (Continued from page 2) award’s character, rules, and procedures, it in turning over the reigns to Cathy Zimmer. will forward a recommendation to the Ex- I hope he understands how much we appre- ecutive Committee that will act on behalf of ciate his service. Other than the Executive the membership to create the award (or not). Committee, Publications is the only elected If all goes smoothly, maybe we will have SSS committee and a term of service lasts our first SSS Distinguished Lecturer in five years. Thanks to Michael, Cathy, and 2004. all members of the Publications Committee I especially want to thank Richard for their valuable work. Levinson for his service on the SSS Honors New award. The Honors Commit- Committee both as a member and as Chair. tee works hard also. And I am about to in- Demands on the Honors Committee have crease their workload. I am proposing crea- increased exponentially as the number of tion of a new award for the Honors Commit- SSS awards has grown in recent years. In tee to deliberate and recommend, up or the future, the Honors Committee may de- down, to the Executive Committee. The volve some of its work to subcommittees, award is (tentatively) called ”Southern So- perhaps one for each major award. When ciological Society Distinguished Lecture- the Honors Committee decides on a proper ship--2xxx” (with the year in which the course, it will recommend any changes to awardee delivers the lecture as part of the the Executive Committee. Until then, we title). The award is modeled after the East- shall retain the current format and proce- ern Sociological Society’s Robin M. Wil- dures. And we thank folks like Richard for liams, Jr. Distinguished Lectureship, which doing their jobs under these constantly was founded in 1992. The Robin M. Wil- evolving conditions. liams award includes a cash prize of New TSS columns. As I noted in $1000.00 and a commitment by the awardee the Summer 2002 issue of TSS, some new to deliver a lecture at the ESS Annual Meet- “regular” columns are being instituted this ing and at two or three other, usually smaller year. One contains reflections by long time and/or remote institutions, in the year of the members about how the SSS began, has award. The ESS pays the honoree’s travel fared, and appears to be going. Abbott Fer- expenses and the host institution covers per ris was the first contributor to the Reflec- diem (room and board). The honoree deliv- tions Column and Ida Harper Simpson is the ers the lecture without an honorarium from second (see page 15). Thanks to them for the host institution, a practice that allows launching this column. Another new column less affluent institutions to enjoy a visit from is a Committees Column. In this issue, we a respected sociologist who will talk about have inaugural comments from three com- issues confronting the discipline and/or his/ mittees: Committee on the Status of Stu- her scholarly work. (Details of the ESS’s dents by Chair David Gay, the Honors Com- Robin M. Williams Jr. Lectureship can be mittee by Past-chair Richard Levinson, and seen at http://www.essnet.org/.) While many the Committee on Small Colleges by Chair details must be settled, I hope the award will (Continued on page 4) The Southern Sociologist Page 4 Fall 2002 you know of people who cannot do this, or President Martin’s Column cannot receive TSS electronically, please be aware that the Executive Committee voted to (Continued from page 3) make hard copies of TSS available to mem- bers in such situations. We cannot survive if Lee Bidwell. These are first in a series about SSS members cannot obtain TSS in a conven- how SSS committees function, the work they ient and timely manner. If the electronic do during the year and at the annual meeting, transition is a mistake, we’ll deal with it. In their hopes and plans, the issues they con- the meantime, please let Bob Freymeyer, me, front. When an organization meets only once or anyone on the Publications and Executive a year and for only a few days, it must do its Committees know your thoughts.