Abstract
Embedded Sociology: What Happens in Vegas
In August 2011, thousands of sociologists shared Caesar’s Palace with bachelor parties, high rollers, and Jerry Seinfeld. It wasn’t the first choice for their annual meeting, but when a labor dispute in Chicago left the American Sociological Association without a conference venue, Vegas was one of the few places that could accommodate such a large gathering on such short notice. And while the location is big topic of conversation at any professional meeting, the criticisms and praise run a bit deeper when the attendees are all sociologists.
An Inside Higher Ed article quoted many sociologists expressing disdain for the city they were “stuck” in. Many worried over supporting a city they see as engrossed in sexual exploitation, obsessed with consumption, and harmful to the environment. Others, though, were happy to explore the plethora of social problems known as “Sin City” and seemed genuinely shocked at their colleagues’ reluctance to embrace the situation. “It seemed counterintuitive to me,” wrote University of Nevada Las Vegas professor Shannon Monnat in an e-mail to Inside Higher Ed, “that so many sociologists, whose job it is to study social relationships, social structures and social interactions, were so resistant to leaving the Strip and venturing to other parts of Las Vegas.” Lisa Wade, a frequent Contexts contributor and professor at Occidental College, added, “Spending a few days in a difficult and even disturbing environment could prompt [sociologists] to think about the ‘real people’ who call the city home.” However, she noted how obviously overwhelming this city’s social problems can be for sociologists: “What am I going to do—write a post [on Sociological Images] that there’s sexual objectification in Vegas? It’s news to absolutely no one.”
Regardless of the actual ratio of the uncomfortable to the intrigued, articles reporting sociologists’ alliance to either viewpoint seemed to fascinate the general public. One online reader commented that sociologists should worry less about whether they believe in Vegas-values and more about understanding them—that, or “move to the philosophy department.” A.C./H.N.B.
Immigration: Reaching a Goal
Some politicians suggest putting off talking about immigration reform until the United States “regains control of its borders.” According to Princeton University sociologist Douglas Massey’s July 2011 article on CNN.com , that moment has arrived.
Massey writes, “The rate of new undocumented migration from Mexico dropped to zero in 2008 for the first time in 50 years. This remarkable event partly reflects the drop in labor demand in the context of a deep economic recession, but it also stems from a massive increase in border enforcement.” And while this increased enforcement surely contributed to decreased immigration, it also likely decreased the outflow of immigrants who were already here. Net undocumented migration is now slightly negative.
The article also points out that the number of immigrants employed as guest workers and the number of migrants becoming citizens are both increasing.
Just one main component of comprehensive immigration reform remains unrealized: the creation of a pathway to legalization for long-term, undocumented residents of the United States. Massey explains, “Somewhere around three million of these people entered the country as minors. They did not make the decision to violate U.S. immigration law and should not be held responsible for choices made by their parents…” Further, he believes those “undocumented migrants who entered as adults should be offered a temporary legalization that confers the right to live and work in the United States for some extended period, during which they would be able to accumulate points ultimately to qualify them for legal permanent residence.” Despite this hotly contested roadblock, we are, Massey believes, quite close to the ultimate goals of immigration reform. H.N.B.
Infidelity: Points of Privilege
From the revelation of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “love child” to Anthony Weiner’s online dalliances, the news hasn’t been kind to rich and powerful men who cheat on their wives lately. But, as Abby Ferber (a sociologist at the University of Colorado) writes in the Huffington Post, sensational headlines have still underscored an overlooked element of heterosexual privilege: the broader cultural implications for the institution of marriage itself.
Ferber explains that in this flurry of media coverage, one accusation that hasn’t been leveled at these cads is that, in harming their own marriages, they’re destroying marriage itself. No, that accusation is reserved for gay and lesbian couples seeking the right to marry. “The actions of individual heterosexual men are never used against all heterosexuals. One of the central benefits of being part of a privileged social identity group is that your own behavior is never taken as representing that of your entire group.” It’s as if they have a right to act badly and suffer the consequences individually.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail sounded so innocent until South Carolina’s Governor Mark Sanford made it an enduring euphemism for infidelity.
Ferber’s brief, but powerful, op-ed shows the importance of paying attention to the unsaid—sometimes it’s the questions not asked and generalizations not made that reveal privilege. K.G.
Media: Headline Watch
When sociologists Ed Laumann and Benjamin Cornwell (University of Chicago and Cornell) discovered that men’s rates of erectile dysfunction might be linked to relationships between their wives and their friends, word spread fast. Laumann and Cornwell claimed about one-quarter of men experience “partner betweenness,” a mindset that his wife is closer to his buddy than he is. Men who reported experiencing partner betweenness were 92 percent more likely to report erectile dysfunction. According to Laumann, “There are social situations that may be undercutting your confidence in yourself.”
When sociologists arrive at such a bold claim it can take off like wildfire, and over 150 news sources reported this finding. All cited essentially the same basic facts derived from the modestly-titled press release “When a man’s partner is too close to his friends, his sex life may suffer,” but the headlines were repackaged to convey a variety of messages. Headlines ranging from CBS News’s “Do wives cause husbands’ sexual problems?” to Business Insider’s “Men’s Sex Drive Plummets When Their Wives Mingle With Their Male Friends” seemed to accuse wives of sabotaging their sex lives by choosing the wrong confidant. Meanwhile, headlines such as “Are his mates coming between you?” (Sydney Morning Herald) and “Close pals can ruin your sex life” (Times of India) warned both men and women of the “dangers” of certain friends. Finally, some outlets’ headlines suggested tighter male-male friendships could help fix a stale romance: “Study: A Guy’s Bromances May Help Keep Sex With His Wife Alive” (TIME) and “No Girls Allowed? Sometimes, Testosterone Zone Makes Sense” ( msnbc.com ).
As headlines get flashier, academics (and the public perception of them) can be at the mercy of press presentation: Are sociologists in charge of pinpointing blame, prescribing overlooked solutions, or simply discovering new relationships in a complex world? A.C.
Advertising: Selling Sports and/or Sex
Lately, it seems you’re just as likely to find a female athlete on the cover of a “lad mag” like Maxim or Playboy as on Sports Illustrated. And if her sporting success leaves the sports media no choice but to celebrate her accomplishments, there’s still a good chance she’ll end up depicted as a sex object. Some argue these scantily-clad images actually bolster the popularity of women’s sport, but sociologist Mary Jo Kane of the University of Minnesota’s Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport challenges this notion in The Nation.
Kane reports the results of a series of focus groups in which participants were shown images of female athletes ranging from on-field action shots to wholesome “girls next door” photo to soft-core pornography. The “sex sells” approach did little but alienate the core fan base of women’s sports—women and older men. Young women found the images of women actually playing sports most appealing, and all women and older men reported the sexual images were, well, offensive. Some young men in the study acknowledged the sexier images were appealing, but pointed out that their interest in women’s sports hadn’t been piqued by the pics. As Kane puts it, “The key takeaway? Sex sells sex, not women’s sports.” K.G.
Skill beats sex when it comes to selling women’s sport.
