Tag: Sociology

“People are born here and only leave here when they die": On forced land eviction in Salvador, Brazil.

November 1, 2013

View of Gamboa de Baixo, a neighborhood in the Brazilian city of Salvador, Bahia, which is known for its Afro-Brazilian culture and street carnival. It is also known as Brazil’s “capital of happiness.” BY KEISHA-KHAN Y. PERRYAssistant professor of Africana studies at Brown University Gamboa de Baixo is a neighborhoodin the northeastern Brazilian cityof Salvador, … More “People are born here and only leave here when they die": On forced land eviction in Salvador, Brazil.

Space, identity, and Turkish Berlin

September 25, 2013

Photograph by the author. BY ANNIKA HINZEAssistant professor of political science at Fordham University Identity is an incredibly complex concept. Each and every one of us is shaped by a myriad of different identities—individual and personal identities, such as the sports and foods that we like, and group identities, which can be related to different … More Space, identity, and Turkish Berlin

Listening to students—especially the most marginalized.

September 11, 2013

BY GILDA L. OCHOAProfessor of sociology and Chicana/o–Latina/o studies, Pomona College Twenty years after I graduated from high school, I returned to a Southern California school as a researcher. On campus, the brick buildings, school bells, lunches, and overall rhythm of the day were familiar. So was the clustering of different students across campus, and … More Listening to students—especially the most marginalized.

Syria: Traditions of Protest and the Reconfiguration of Baathist Authoritarianism

August 29, 2013

This post is excerpted from the essay “Syria” by Paulo Gabriel Hilu Pinto, which appears in Dispatches from the Arab Spring (UMP, 2013). ——-A long history of resistance and opposition to the Baathist regime existed in Syria before the uprising that began in 2011. While both secular and religious political movements had tried to counter … More Syria: Traditions of Protest and the Reconfiguration of Baathist Authoritarianism

Race relations and our everyday lives: An excerpt from Albert Memmi’s "Racism"

July 30, 2013

The dynamics of race and prejudice in a gated community in Florida resonate throughout the world because they are, in fact, global and human conditions. In Racism, published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2000, sociologist Albert Memmi describes scenes in Paris and in Algeria that share significant similarities to the interactions between Trayvon … More Race relations and our everyday lives: An excerpt from Albert Memmi’s "Racism"

More guns in schools? An ethnographer’s perspective.

January 10, 2013

Author Kathleen Nolan has studied what really happens when police patrol school hallways. Images from Creative Commons. BY KATHLEEN NOLANPrinceton University lecturer <!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073741899 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal … More More guns in schools? An ethnographer’s perspective.

World-Making and World-Devastation in Adrian Piper’s Self-Portrait 2000

December 6, 2012

Adrian Piper’s Self-Portrait 2000 (2000; Scroll-Down Website Artwork) is featured in the introduction to The Reorder of Things by Roderick A. Ferguson. Here, Ferguson explains the significance of this piece to his book. Collection and copyright Adrian Piper Research Archive Foundation Berlin. BY RODERICK A. FERGUSONProfessor of race and critical theory at the University of … More World-Making and World-Devastation in Adrian Piper’s Self-Portrait 2000

How did same-sex marriage gain historic wins at the ballot box yesterday? Three ideas.

November 7, 2012

BY AMY STONEAssistant professor of sociology at Trinity University in San Antonio Last night was a huge victory for same-sex marriage at the ballot box. This November, voters in four states—Minnesota, Maryland, Maine, and Washington—were faced with ballot measures about same-sex marriage. For the first time, these ballot measures (all except Minnesota) had the potential … More How did same-sex marriage gain historic wins at the ballot box yesterday? Three ideas.

Same-sex marriage: In November, four states have the power to make history.

October 10, 2012

It’s going to be a nail-biting month: While Minnesotans will decide whether to ban same-sex marriage at the polls in November, voters in Washington State, Maine, and Maryland will be deciding whether to legalize same-sex marriage. BY AMY STONEAssistant professor of sociology at Trinity University in San Antonio This fall, same-sex marriage will be on … More Same-sex marriage: In November, four states have the power to make history.

Invisibility and its advantages: Why LGBT rights activists in Africa sometimes strategize to remain hidden.

August 29, 2012

A snapshot from a gay pride parade in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2006.As Ashley Currier demonstrates, Namibia and South Africa have complicatedhistories with leaders’ contradictory stances on LGBT rights. Photo from Creative Commons. BY ASHLEY CURRIERAssistant professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies at University of Cincinnati When people learn that I study lesbian, gay, … More Invisibility and its advantages: Why LGBT rights activists in Africa sometimes strategize to remain hidden.