{"title":"“Bringing Our Small, Imperfect Stones to the Pile”: The Everyday Work of Building a More Just World","authors":"B. Battle, Tamara K. Nopper, A. Randolph","doi":"10.1177/01605976231158397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976231158397","url":null,"abstract":"In this conversation between Brittany Pearl Battle and Tamara K. Nopper (facilitated by Antonia Randolph), two sociologists who have been involved in a variety of social justice struggles (e.g. prison abolition, worker’s rights, Asian American rights), describe the everyday practices that make up struggles for social justice. They identify a spectrum of practices that individuals can do to bring about a more just world, while arguing that all practices towards justice do not constitute organizing or activism. Moreover, they describe the salience of their status as workers and women of color as structuring the ways they have pursued social change at different points in their lives. In so doing, they identify academia as a workplace rather than being an academic as a status as the salient force that shapes how they work to build a more just world. Ultimately, the article questions the usefulness of the designation scholar-activist, opting to recognize the unique role of activists in social change while affirming that we all bring what we can to struggles for justice.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"79 1","pages":"193 - 209"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"77971617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sociology of Vibe: Blackness, Felt Criminality, and Emotional Epistemology","authors":"Corey J. Miles","doi":"10.1177/01605976221146733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221146733","url":null,"abstract":"The opacity and mundaneness of racism often allows it to slip through our traditional systems of accounting and measuring. The study of racialized emotions has been an important intervention in sociology to understand the intimate nature of racialized social structures. There still is a need to understand the language Black communities use to communicate their complex emotional worlds and the nuanced ways abusive power systems are felt in everyday life. Using 24 months of ethnographic fieldwork in northeast North Carolina and data from 23 in-depth interviews, the author examines the relationship between Black people’s emotional habitus and racial structures. The results indicate that Black people developed vibe as a rhetorical tool to articulate their complex emotional economy and it is regularly used to make sense of racialize experiences. Vibe is not limited to racial understanding as it works to name the often unsayable and perceptive ways people know, feel, and respond to the opacity and non-quantifiable dimensions of social experience. This paper focuses on the ways Black community members used vibe to articulate feeling the criminalization of Blackness or what this research refers to as ‘felt criminality.’ Despite facing emotional subjugation Black community members were still invested in emotive projects and used their felt experience as an epistemological resource to make sense of racial processes in a supposedly colorblind society.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"30 1","pages":"365 - 384"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90541107","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dissociation as Dislocation From Violence","authors":"J. Logan, Mallaigh McGinley","doi":"10.1177/01605976221146111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221146111","url":null,"abstract":"Those of us with embodied experiences of gender diversity and sexually assault have and continue to be subject to psychiatric diagnosis and categorization that pathologize our acts of dissociation within a medical framework. In this paper we adopt Barad, Karen. 2007. Meeting the Universe Halfway: Quantum Physics and the Entanglement of Matter and Meaning. Durham and London: Duke University Press new materialist ontology of agential realism to argue that agentially cutting psychiatric discourse on dissociative symptoms could materialize new realities for embodied people which have been excluded to the psychiatric realm of abjection via gender diversity and sexual assault. Specifically, we explore how approaching dissociative symptoms not as dysfunction but as forms of agential dislocation from hegemonic norms of race and gender could open new political horizons by naming relations of dominance.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"16 1","pages":"323 - 341"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90176910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Living as Socially Marked Individuals: Two Stories on Stigma and Its Consequences","authors":"Cindy Brooks Dollar, Grant Tietjen","doi":"10.1177/01605976221137714","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221137714","url":null,"abstract":"Perceptions, applications, and consequences of stigma have been of interest to sociologists for centuries. Following criticisms of original labeling models, modified labeling theory (MLT) sought to reframe arguments about the consequences of negative labeling. MLT focuses on explaining how socialization teaches us the deleterious consequences of stigmatizing labels, and how anticipations of stigma are met with deliberate management to cope with expected stigma. MLT proposes three stigma management strategies: secrecy, withdrawal, and education. In the present paper, we use an autoethnographic, narrative sociology approach to share our personal experiences with stigma. The autoethnographic-storytelling approach effectively places our experiences within our cultural settings and demonstrates MLT’s applicability. Using one narrative of a designated “criminal offender” and the other of a “sexual assault victim,” we show how the politically charged labels of “offender” and “victim” while publicly framed as opposing, share similarities, thus emphasizing MLT’s explanatory potential. The narratives indicate, however, that stigma management may be more complex than present literatures capture. We propose the notion of a stigma management toolkit to help explain the availability, selection, and employment of certain stigma management practices and conclude by encouraging further theorization on stigma-related processes.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"24 1","pages":"3 - 28"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78196047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Shadow of Lives Lost in the Mediterranean Over Europe","authors":"M. Aidnik","doi":"10.1177/01605976221120537","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221120537","url":null,"abstract":"Europe’s treatment of refugees provides growing evidence that the continent is losing its moral compass, and that Europe is increasingly callous – so-called Fortress Europe. Brute force, deterrence, including pushbacks and barbed wire fences have become the instruments with which European governments have responded to irregular migration and refugees. This article seeks to bring to the fore the contradiction between the EU’s self-proclaimed values — human dignity and human rights — and the callous policies of nation states and the EU’s migration regime. My main focus lies on the calamitous conditions of refugees and the thousands of deaths that have occurred in the Mediterranean Sea since 2015, the year that refugees fleeing Syria’s civil war started making their way to Europe. Importantly, the Mediterranean is the deadliest border in the world; it is the veritable global epicenter of lethal border crossings. Drawing on contemporary critical theory, I undertake a humanist critique of the European status quo. The EU, as a force for a better, more livable world, is on its way to becoming irrelevant, something that was evident well before the Covid-19 pandemic. This is what is principally at stake today.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"28 1","pages":"303 - 322"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88177977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Southern Identity and Serendipitous Opportunity in Qualitative Research Among Appalachians in Chicago","authors":"R. Guy","doi":"10.1177/01605976221095493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221095493","url":null,"abstract":"In qualitative research, identity is often discussed in terms of being an outsider vis- à-vis the subjects and setting. While important, there are research situations that require instrumental demonstrations of identity rather than a cloaking of the outsider status. This article uses ethnographic work among urban Appalachians in Chicago as a backdrop to examine how identity is a conduit for enhancing serendipitous opportunities in research. While it is known that identity facilitates more access to subjects, I examine instances of when it is purposefully used to the advantage of the researcher among populations resistant to outsiders. I demonstrate instances of identity work as an interactive process between the researcher and subject that involves the use of shared meanings that convey authenticity and acceptance to facilitate inquiry.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"10 1","pages":"636 - 651"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78648364","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Understanding the Rise of Anti-Political Correctness Sentiment: The Curious Role of Education","authors":"Andrew F. Baird, J. M. Roos, J. S. Carter","doi":"10.1177/01605976221120536","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221120536","url":null,"abstract":"The anti-politically correct (PC) stance has been a key defensive position held by many conservative Americans for more than three decades. This position holds that being forced to be politically correct hinders open dialogue and debate on important yet sensitive issues, especially those around race and racism. However, scholars have questioned this anti-PC orientation and tied it to political orientation and racism. One caveat that stands as the basis of this paper is the role of education in moderating the impact of racial emotions on various outcomes. While some scholars, such as Seymour Lipset, highlight the liberalizing impact of education, others question such impact. Accordingly, this research examines how educational attainment, racial resentment, and White guilt concerning racial injustice interact to impact the likelihood of White Americans taking an anti-PC stance. Our data is drawn from the American National Election Study 2016 pilot survey. In line with past research, we find that racial resentment and White guilt indeed predict views toward political correctness; however, we find educational attainment does not change the effect of these variables on views toward political correctness. We discuss the importance of these findings in relation to prominent social theories on race and social dominance.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"4 1","pages":"95 - 117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79560532","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Theoretical Sociology of War and Structural Causes of the 2003 US Invasion of Iraq","authors":"Randy La Prairie","doi":"10.1177/01605976221119997","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221119997","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, I present a theory of American military imperialism that combines three structural factors: the military-industrial complex (MIC); elite control of public policy; and elite, imperial ideology. I argue that because this theory is more plausible and empirically grounded than major Weberian and Marxist theories of war, it can provide a better explanation for specific US military interventions. As a theory of American military imperialism, it is also more nuanced than existing power elite theories. A case study of the 2003 Iraq War is presented to illustrate the utility of the theory. The case study shows that in invading Iraq, key Bush administration officials sought to expand the MIC and their own decision power making within it, and that these preferences were associated with their specific elite social backgrounds, and the hardline ideology they subscribed to. I conclude with suggestions for future research.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"28 1","pages":"283 - 302"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86204119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Maintaining Value: How University Janitors Gain Status on the Job","authors":"Brandi L Perri","doi":"10.1177/01605976221111815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221111815","url":null,"abstract":"A university campus is a critical site to analyze the day-to day experiences of custodial staff and to examine the practices janitors employ to manage the negative social attitudes commonly associated with their positions. Building on service work literature, this paper asks how janitors create more value and meaning within low-status jobs. With data collected from in-depth interviews, observations of worksites at a public university, and in the janitors’ local union office, I argue that within higher education institutions, janitors find ways to add value to their jobs in two ways: taking on non-compensated roles such as parental surrogates or university historians and participating in various types of resistance on a personal and/or community level. Participating in these processes, the janitors themselves report feeling more fulfilled in the job, and they establish the importance of their work, beyond the broom and mop.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"1 1","pages":"29 - 48"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82907423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Amelia E Clark, Erin Macey, Ashley Irby, C. Stone, Mary Pell Abernathy, J. Turman
{"title":"Diverse Perspectives to Support a Human Rights Approach to Reduce Indiana’s Maternal Mortality Rate","authors":"Amelia E Clark, Erin Macey, Ashley Irby, C. Stone, Mary Pell Abernathy, J. Turman","doi":"10.1177/01605976221109785","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01605976221109785","url":null,"abstract":"Maternal mortality in the United States of America is a human rights issue. This study gathered perspectives from Black women community members and from duty bearers in four fields (academic, special interest, government, and media) on barriers to maternal health in Indiana. Semi-structured interviews and an editing (data-based) analytic strategy revealed six themes regarding barriers to maternal health: lack of continuous, quality health care coverage; racism and implicit bias; trauma and lack of mental health services; lack of instrumental and emotional support systems; insufficient knowledge for self-advocacy; and lack of data transparency and reliability. Participants raised several strategies to address barriers, including continuous high-quality health care coverage, implicit bias training, mental health services, doulas, and grassroots-university partnerships. We discuss these barriers and solutions using a human rights-based approach to health (HRBA). These findings present a blueprint for duty bearers in Indiana to increase women’s ability to claim their right to health.","PeriodicalId":81481,"journal":{"name":"Humanity & society","volume":"10 1","pages":"69 - 94"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79382874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}