This Week in Sociological Perspective

This week we discuss journalists' efforts to unionize, multiple logics of practitioner organizing, and the contrasting responses of The New York Times and The Atlantic to the unionization efforts. But first, I recently spoke with Dr. Daniel Ramirez, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Spanish National Research Council, about his recent paper titled "The Long Arm of Conflict: How Timing Shapes the Impact of Childhood Exposure to War." The paper is to be published in Demography, and is co-authored by Steven Haas.

Segment 1 -- Daniel Ramirez on "The Long Arm of Conflict: How Timing Shapes the Impact of Childhood Exposure to War."

Segment 2 -- Efforts to unionize and alternative logics of practitioner organizing.

This week I spoke with Dr. Christine Percheski, Associate Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University, about causes and implications of widespread declining birthrates. But first, I recently spoke with Dr. Judith Kas, postdoctoral researcher at the WZB Social Science Center in Berlin, about her recent paper titled "The role of reputation systems in digital discrimination." The paper is scheduled to be published in the Socio-Economic Review, and is co-authored by Rense Corten and Arnout van de Rijt.

Segment 1 -- Judith Kas on "The role of reputation systems in digital discrimination."

Segment 2 -- Christine Percheski on evidence, causes, and emergent questions of widespread fertility decline.

This week we discuss news reports of pets adopted during the pandemic being returned to shelters. And, I recently spoke with Professor David McElhattan of Purdue University about his recent paper titled "Punitive ambiguity: State-level criminal record data quality in the era of widespread background screening." The paper is to be published in Punishment & Society, and is sole-authored.

Segment 1 -- David McElhattan on "Punitive ambiguity: State-level criminal record data quality in the era of widespread background screening."

Segment 2 -- Affection or Abandonment? Predicament and Prospects for so-called Pandemic Pets.

This week we discuss an EU response to the German Green Party's proposal to tax kerosene, the basis of jet fuel. And, I recently spoke with Ms. Emily Handsman of Northwestern University about her recent paper titled "From Virtue to Grit: Changes in Character Education Narratives in the U.S. from 1985 to 2016." The paper is to be published in Qualitative Sociology, and is sole-authored.

Segment 1 -- Emily Handsman on "From Virtue to Grit: Changes in Character Education Narratives in the U.S. from 1985 to 2016."

Segment 2 -- Radical frames, radical reality, and German Green Party environmental policy proposals.

This week we discuss survey evidence on Americans' response to the difficulties of 2020. And, I recently spoke with Dr. Yikang Bai of Washington State University, and Professor Jennifer Givens of the Utah State University, about their recent paper titled "Ecologically Unequal Exchange of Plastic Waste? A Longitudinal Analysis of International Trade in Plastic Waste." The paper is to be published in the Journal of World Systems Research.

Segment 1 -- Yikang Bai and Jennifer Givens on "Ecologically Unequal Exchange of Plastic Waste? A Longitudinal Analysis of International Trade in Plastic Waste"

Segment 2 -- Americans' emotional response to the pandemic and other difficulties of 2020.

This week we discuss leftists' reluctance to return to normal as scientific knowledge about COVID, and the proportion of people vaccinated against COVID, both rise. And, I recently spoke with Professor Anne Groggel of North Central College about her recent paper titled "The Role of Place and Sociodemographic Characteristics on the Issuance of Temporary Civil Protection Orders." The paper is to be published in Law & Society Review, and is sole-authored.

Segment 1 -- Anne Groggel on "The Role of Place and Sociodemographic Characteristics on the Issuance of Temporary Civil Protection Orders."

Segment 2 – Leftists' reluctance to relax COVID protections as scientific knowledge about and vaccination incidence against COVID climb.

This week we discuss the recently released Census data on reapportionment. And, I recently spoke with Professor Sarah Lageson of Rutgers University about her recent paper titled "Digitizing and Disclosing Personal Data: The Proliferaton of State Criminal Records on the Internet." The paper is to be published in Law and Social Inquiry, and is co-authored by Elizabeth Webster and Juan R. Sandoval.

Segment 1 -- Sarah Lageson on "Digitizing and Disclosing Personal Data: The Proliferaton of State Criminal Records on the Internet."

Segment 2 -- Census data collection, statutory constraints, and ways to reduce Congressional under-representation.

This week we briefly juxtapose the original Minneapolis Police Department report on the death of George Floyd with the facts of the case we now know. Using a sociological lens, we consider how such a technically accurate, but fundamentally inaccurate report could be released–and what it says about the sources of organizational misconduct. And, I recently spoke with Dr. Eulalie Laschever of DePaul University about her recent paper titled "Growth and Decline of Opposing Movements: Gun Control and Gun Rights, 1945-2015." The paper is to be published in the journal Mobilization, and is co-authored by David S. Meyer.

Segment 1 -- Eulalie Laschever on "Growth and Decline of Opposing Movements: Gun Control and Gun Rights, 1945-2015."

Segment 2 -- How could the original Minneapolis Police Department report on the death George Floyd and the known facts of the case be so different? Answers why, with chilling implications

With reports that an Instagram for children is under development, we draw sociological insights on the move and the backlash. And, I speak with Professor Jacob Felson of William Patterson University about his recent paper titled "Online or in Person? Examining College Decisions to Reopen during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Fall 2020." The paper is published in Socius, and is co-authored by Amy Adamczyk.

Segment 1 – Jacob Felson on "Online or in Person? Examining College Decisions to Reopen during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Fall 2020."

Segment 2 – Instagram is developing a version for children, but some are pushing back against the initiative.

This week we discuss new estimates of the effectiveness of the Pfizer vaccine for young teenagers. And, I recently spoke with Professor Martha Copp of East Tennessee State University about her new paper titled "We've Come a Long Way, Guys! Rhetorics of Resistance to the Feminist Critique of Sexist Language." The paper is to be published in Gender & Society, and is co-authored by Sherryl Kleinman and Kalah B. Wilson.

Segment 1 -- Martha Copp on "We've Come a Long Way, Guys! Rhetorics of Resistance to the Feminist Critique of Sexist Language."

Segment 2 -- Structural zeros, sampling zeros, and the estimated efficacy of vaccines and other interventions.