VOLUME 35 MAY/JUNE 2007 NUMBER 5 Looking forward to the 2007 ASA Annual Meeting in New York . $1,000 (in 2005 constant dollars) fell by 156,833, while the number renting Down and Out in New York City for $1,400 or more grew by 63,187, an increase of almost 25 percent. Despite Despite Well-Intentioned Social Policy, New York’s Homeless Problem Is Worsening this evidence of worsening afford- ability problems confronting renters, by Mitchell Duneier, Princeton University outlined in the Mayor’s plan, visitors to rent program seems to be a 20 percent the Bloomberg administration recently and CUNY Graduate Center, and Patrick New York City this summer will encoun- annual reduction in the rent supplement announced it will replace the HSP pro- Markee, Coalition for the Homeless ter a city that is falling significantly provided to formerly homeless families, gram with a new rent subsidy aimed at behind on its own and rules excluding homeless families, which is limited to A generation of sociological study benchmarks for the working poor and only one or two years—again, raising and activism on homelessness—both in the plan’s imple- disabled people from enormous concerns among advocates, its measurement and in thinking about mentation. There is the program. Indeed, service providers, and homeless families. what to do about it—has influenced an all-time record under HSP rules, Counting the Homeless public debate and initiatives on combat- number of homeless families in the pro- ing homelessness in New York City over families residing gram are prohibited The numbers of street homeless have the past few years. In late 2005, Mayor in shelters as well from leaving welfare traditionally been hard to count, with Michael Bloomberg, responding to calls as thousands of for work, despite the City estimates usually ending up lower by advocates and service providers, individuals still fact that their rental than both scholarly counts and the announced a 10-year agreement with literally sleeping on assistance is reduced estimates by advocates. In recent years, then-Governor George Pataki to finance city streets and in each year. At the same Professor Kim Hopper (author of the and develop 9,000 new units of sup- the subway system. time, housing costs have been skyrocket- classic Reckoning With Homelessness) from portive housing—subsidized permanent ing while wages cannot keep up. the Mailman School of Public Health at Low Wages and High Rent housing with social services—for chroni- According to data collected by the Columbia University, has worked closely cally homeless people and people living One reason for rising family home- Census Bureau’s Housing and Vacancy with the City’s Department of Homeless with disabilities. The key idea motivat- lessness may be flaws in the city’s Survey, between 2002 and 2005 (the most Services as it conducted an annual ing Bloomberg was to reduce the reliance “Housing Stability Plus” program (HSP). recent data available), the number of on temporary shelter and to expand the Launched in December 2004 to replace apartments available at rents of less than See Homeless, page 8 supply of cost-effective supportive hous- federal Section 8 vouchers for homeless ing, which is an idea that many sociolo- families, HSP provided declining rent gists have long advocated. subsidies to families to move them out Looking forward to the 2007 ASA Annual Meeting in New York . Bloomberg’s initiative to build more of shelters and into permanent housing. supportive housing was part of a larger However, the number of homeless fami- Plenary Examines Popular Culture plan announced a year earlier to reduce lies moved to permanent housing fell by homelessness in New York City by two- 11% last year to 5,950, the lowest number as Propaganda and Critique thirds over five years. At that time, the in four years, and HSP moved fewer City released and posted on its website families in its second year of operation by Bonnie Thornton Dill, University of can serve as a force for progressive social detailed implementation plans with than in its first (4,524 families in 2005 vs. Maryland and ASA Vice President change also increases. For example, there timelines and targets. Unfortunately, 4,033 families in 2006). is considerable debate around popular despite the laudable and ambitious goals Part of the problem with the cur- Popular and commercial cultures have culture’s capacity to address issues of long been important sites of cultural con- inequality within a capitalist economic flict, where ideas about social relations structure, where the dissemination of are persuasively embedded and in con- ideas and ideologies is so tightly bound Eliza Pavalko to Serve as the Next stant negotiation with critiques of such to economic resources. These themes ideas. Academic discussions on popular suggest that to understand where global Editor of JHSB culture started as soon as contemporary entertainment and popular culture are mass society formed itself, and the views headed, one should begin by looking by Tom Gieryn, on popular culture that were devel- afresh at the starting point: The funda- Indiana University-Bloomington cheeky authors in the years ahead, and oped at that time still influence popular mental cultural, political, and economic she will respond to them as she responds culture as propa- landscape of Eliza K. Pavalko has been selected to her horses: kind and firm. ganda and critique contemporary to succeed Peggy Thoits as editor of As globalism spreads, the intellectual Early Career within contempo- America as it the Journal of Health and Social Behavior rary America. formulations, political stakes, and stands today. (JHSB), and her colleagues at Indiana Eliza Pavalko did her undergradu- Given the popular investments about the extent to The plenary’s University-Bloomington now have ate work at Guilford College in North explosion in which popular and commercial cultures format is a moder- two reasons to congratulate her. At the Carolina, and completed her doctorate scholarly inter- ated conversation Department’s annual award ceremony in in 1987 at Florida State University, with est in popular can serve as a force for progressive among cultural April, Eliza was named the Allen D. and a dissertation on “Labor Processes and culture, which social change also increases. producers, critics, Polly S. Grimshaw Professor of Welfare State Formation in encompasses such and scholars. In a Sociology. the United States, 1900-1930.” mediums as comic books, digital media, “multilogue” orchestrated by Herman Eliza and I share a com- Her MA thesis at Florida State hip-hop, television and the Internet, the Gray of the University of California- mon interest in horse manure, tackled a different problem: “Popular Culture as Propaganda and Santa Cruz, five distinguished par- although her focus is more on “Measures of Self-Assessed Critique” plenary on August 11, 2007, ticipants will explore the limitations, the production end while mine Health: Comparing Health offers diverse perspectives about the challenges, and possibilities of critique is on its consumption. Eliza Indicators Among Older extent to which these cultures can serve in the popular and commercial culture spends many hours riding Males.” Traces of both early as a force for progressive social change. arena as well as its use and mobilization and training horses. My roses projects can be found through- Central to this year’s theme, “Is Another for understanding contemporary social benefit wonderfully from the out Eliza’s career of productive World Possible: Sociological Perspectives life. Their conversation will provide a manure that Eliza’s horses pro- research. She has maintained and Contemporary Politics,” this plenary critical lens for examining the goals, duce in abundance, but that is an interest in macro-level Eliza K. Pavalko is dedicated to the development of dilemmas, and challenges involved a story for another time. What and policy relevant aspects of dialogue not only between classical and in creating and disseminating these Eliza does with her horses just health care, along with an inter- sociological perspectives and contempo- products. might shed light on her dispositions and est in micro-environmental determinants rary politics but also between the United Participants include: tendencies as the new editor of JHSB. of health and well-being. It seems most States and the peoples and their coun- Sarah Banet-Weiser is associate Our colleague Jane McLeod describes appropriate that Eliza’s first publication, tries whom we affect and who affect us. professor in the Annenberg School of Eliza as the perfect balance of kindness based on her master’s thesis and co- As globalism spreads, the intellec- Communication. Her teaching and and firmness: “Her triumph in taming authored with Melissa Hardy, appeared tual formulations, political stakes, and research interests include feminist the- a cheeky horse is a sight to behold!” popular investments about the extent to No doubt Eliza will face at least a few See JHSB Editor, page 4 which popular and commercial cultures See Plenary, page 8 PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION MAY/JUNE 2007 FOOTNOTES The Executive Officer’s Column In This Issue . An “Accountability Squeeze” on Higher Education In September 2006, U.S. Department of Education (DoE) Secretary Margaret Spellings unveiled an ambitious plan—perhaps “campaign” better captures its complexity—to implement the recommendations of What the Federal her Commission on the Future of Higher Education. The Commission’s much-anticipated report—and ensuing year of debate and research— Budget Says About was intended to present to the higher-education leadership, policy- makers, and the public suggestions to help improve American public Fiscal Priorities higher education. The multifaceted plan has been both controversial 3 and provocative, and sociology education has a serious stake in its fate. On Capitol Hill, the ASA Conflict arises as educational institutions are driven increasingly by Congressional Fellow examines Sally T.