Volume 41 • Number 4 • May/June 2013 Looking forward to the 2013 Annual Meeting inside Williamsburg, Brooklyn: Capital of Cool Sharon Zukin, new African American Brooklyn College and migrants from southern Graduate Center, Webinars for states and Spanish- 4 CUNY speaking families from Professional Puerto Rico and the Development alf a century ago, Brooklyn was Hthe borough of New York City Dominican Republic, Learn more about where tight-knit communities of who made the borough professional development, second-generation Irish, Italian, an even more multi- teaching, and department Jewish, and Scandinavian immi- ethnic and multi- leadership through ASA grants hunkered down in waterfront cultural living space, Webinars. neighborhoods against the forces of though not without postwar change. arousing hostility and 5 An American in Australia They confronted the arrival of violence. Statistics teaching may not container shipping, which effectively During the 1960s be its strong suit, but in closed down the port where so many and 1970s, many Australia professors receive a had worked, and the removal of fac- Brooklynites moved great deal of support. tories and outsourcing of manufac- east to newly developed turing jobs, first to cheaper areas in areas of Queens and the Map of Brooklyn neighborhoods, <www.asanet.org/ suburbs of Long Island, footnotes/mayjun13/brooklynmap_0513.html> Addressing STEM New Jersey and then overseas. They 7 also contended with the arrival of while others moved Continued on page 10 Issues with Sociological Methods Sociologists bring their expertise to address STEM education in Idaho. Interrogating Inequality: Sociologists 8 ASA Awards Grants to Plans for ASA in New York Featured at 2013 Advance Sociology Cecilia L. Ridgeway, ASA President, problem of how inequality is made AAAS Annual From building a database Stanford University and, therefore, could potentially be on presidential appointees o set of questions is more unmade. What are the mechanisms? Meeting to a conference on defining fundamental to sociology than How do we uncover them? These culture, sociologists address N Roberta Spalter-Roth, those about inequality—what is it, questions take us to the heart of important topics. ASA Research on the Discipline and why is it, how Profession and Jean H. Shin, does it come ASA Minority Affairs Program ASA Grants Advance about, and 9 ociologists were a small Teaching and Learning what can we but visible part of the 2013 Four projects receive funds do to change S American Association for the to address teacher training, it? Indeed, Advancement of Science (AAAS) Open Education Resources, my own Annual Meeting, which took place peer learning assistants, and sense of our February 14–18 at the Hynes service learning. discipline is Convention Center in Boston, that it has two MA. Three types of activities foundational From the Executive Officer .................2 reflected this visibility: first was problems— a plenary address, the second a Science Policy .........................................3 the problem research symposium, and the third International Perspectives .................5 of social One World Trade Center included two section and com- order and the ASA Forum ............................................ 13 mittee meetings. At the meeting, problem of inequality—and we can seven sociologists were elected as Announcements ................................. 14 rarely talk about one without talking how social order in contemporary AAAS Fellows by the on Social, Obituaries .............................................. 18 about the other. As sociologists, we societies is made in a way that Economic, and Political Sciences study social inequality not just to results in inequality and how we (Section K) (for more information, chart patterns of resource inequal- could make it differently. ity but to understand the deeper Continued on page 12 Continued on page 6 footnotes • May/June 2013 To view the online version, visit <www.asanet.org/footnotes/mayjun13/index.html> 1 American Sociological Association footnotes.asanet.org from the executive officer Social Sciences under Attack—Again and Worse The federal budget debates of the past several months have placed the social sciences in policymakers’ crosshairs. n late March of this year with the world—open, accessible and reliable and timely data necessary ence associations, the ASA is plan- Ipassage of HR 933, Senator Tom merit-based regardless of per- to guide the effective distribution of ning to test the effectiveness of visits Colburn (R-OK) succeeded in his sonal or academic status. The public funding to states and locali- to the local district offices of key long-standing effort to bureaucratic scientific ties for schools, roads and local congressional legislators during the defund Political Science systems of our nearest transit, health care, rural develop- spring and summer. This initiative at the National Science national competitors do ment projects, services for people (the “BSSR Champions Initiative”) Foundation (NSF). H.R. not have this advantage. with disabilities and veterans, and (Behavioral and Social Science 933 funds the federal gov- Scientific peer review other basic societal functions? Research) strives to foster relation- ernment for the rest of FY 2013, but is a tested process that has Census Bureau evidence as well as ship between local social scientists, with the inclusion of an amendment spurred our nation’s innovation evidence from the social science national scientific organizations, introduced by Colburn, eliminates infrastructure for the last 60 research community has repeatedly members of Congress, and their virtually all NSF funding for research years, and it is the standard to shown that making the ACS volun- staff. We will also try to identify in Political Science Division. which other countries aspire tary will undermine the reliability of local business and industry leaders The attack on the social sciences for how to evaluate requests for the data, but these concerns appear who understand and support the continues with House Science public and private support of to fall on deaf ears in Congress. importance of social science to join Committee Chair Lamar Smith’s scientific inquiry. It is especially us in these visits. Already sociolo- Why? proposed bill that would reau- critical to funding basic science gists have met with Chairman Lamar thorize the America COMPETES where the new knowledge and Why are the social sciences Smith and Representative Larry Act, but would also prevent NSF societal benefits resulting from under political attack? Is it because Bucshon (R-IN), and are scheduled from funding any social science the investments cannot be we aren’t viewed as part of “real” to meet with Representative Frank research. Smith stated in a meeting assured in advance.” science? Or is it because legislators Wolf (R-VA) on May 22. view us as academic liberal elites? Is with pro-business lobbyists and Another reason for concern is Our hope is that stronger it because we social scientists have others that the country needs “good recent remarks made by Majority relationships will provide more not been effective at communicat- science,” and Leader Eric engagement by social scientists with ing the value of the contributions he highlighted Cantor their own congressional representa- our research makes? Or because the physical Legislators don’t recognize the (R-VA). tives and improve political leaders’ legislators don’t like our research sciences and positive consequences when they Cantor stated understanding of the value of our results? Probably all of these. But engineering, that medi- work to their’s. rely on our research in their policy it is also because legislators haven’t which, under cal research If you are interested in partici- makng partly because we and experienced sufficient negative his proposed should be a pating in these meetings, contact others do not remind them. consequences when they oppose plan, would priority but Bradley Smith, ASA Director of social science funding! We need receive the social science Public Affairs, at [email protected]. louder voices. Legislators don’t money saved research Even if you aren’t interested in recognize the positive consequences by cutting funded by the face-to-face engagement, consider when they rely on our research in social science research. In April, National Institutes of Health (NIH) calling your representatives at their their policy making partly because Smith circulated a draft bill, the should not be supported. Evidently, local offices, sending them letters we and others do not remind them. “High Quality Research Act,” that Cantor supports funding research or attending a town hall meeting. Social scientists are certainly not would require the NSF director to that could provide cures for heart We know from colleagues in the large campaign contributors and certify that all grants being funded disease, diabetes, etc., but not federal government that legislators our disciplines don’t bring in the be “ground breaking,” “not duplica- research that could prevent people do listen to what they hear from their big research bucks to university tive,” and important to our national from developing these diseases or constituents, especially when such systems (although among the social interest. In addition, on April 25, ensure they effectively use the treat- communications remind them of the sciences, sociology brings in the Smith sent a letter to NSF Acting ments that are available. local