The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) authorized d... more The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) authorized drug testing of welfare recipients as a criterion for assistance eligibility. This raises the question of a possible confluence of War on Drugs and Welfare Reform policies, as indicated by continuity in policymakers’ rhetoric. We examine federal-level policymakers’ debates surrounding the authorization of drug testing welfare recipients. The analysis reveals that themes of social pathology were present in both policy areas. Crime, drug addiction, welfare dependency, and drug testing themes are comparable in both debates. Teen pregnancy, out-of-wedlock birth, and female-headed households themes were more prevalent in Welfare Reform debates, with the exception of drug-addicted newborns, which crossed both policy streams.
ABSTRACT We explore the perspectives of 26 domestic violence advocates from 14 nonprofit organiza... more ABSTRACT We explore the perspectives of 26 domestic violence advocates from 14 nonprofit organizations on gaps in the immigration-related provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as these relate to the intersectional needs and experiences of Asian Indian marriage migrants. Findings indicate that, based on immigration status and other intersectional locations, policy provisions differentially affect this population. In addition, because agencies focus on broadly defined populations (immigrants or women), but victims’ locations are intersectional, intersectional policy analysis and coordination between and across agencies formulating and administering policies are required to meet the needs of abused Asian Indian marriage migrants.
Underlying this research is the authors' belief that labor unions have played. and will conti... more Underlying this research is the authors' belief that labor unions have played. and will continue to play, an important role in defending workers' rights. But the extent to which labor unions will be able to carry on this role in the future depends on whether they survive the attacks of the corporate community and the anti-labor governments. We began this research with the premise that comparative-historical studies have the potential to make an important contribution to the recent debates regarding the future of labor unions by examining how the histories of nationalized industries and their socio-economic contexts shaped, and were shaped, by labormanagement struggles. The following paper reflects both our extant commitments and a new stage in our intellectual journey marked by the emphasis on the importance of institutional traditions and actors' identities in shaping the dynamics and outcomes of industrial conflicts.
A key role of sociology is to examine the interplay of history, individual biography and the broa... more A key role of sociology is to examine the interplay of history, individual biography and the broad patterns of social relations. An intersectional perspective developed by women of color, especially African American women, to account for the complexity of people’s social locations, is an integral component of the sociological imagination. Introduced to mainstream sociology in the 1990s, an intersectionality perspective focuses on the interaction of class, race, gender, and age inequalities in shaping people’s experiences. In this paper, we examine whether a paradigm shift has occurred in mainstream sociology to incorporate an intersectional perspective. To address this question, we conducted a case study analyzing discussions of U.S. poverty in 15 most popular introductory sociology textbooks published between 2000 and 2007. We found that poverty is discussed in the context of racial/ethnic, gender, and age inequalities. Importantly, with a few exceptions, these inequalities are discussed separately, impeding the realization of the sociological imagination. We conclude by proposing a dialog between intersectionality perspective and mainstream sociology.
ABSTRACT In this paper we juxtapose assimilationist and diversity arguments found in recent metat... more ABSTRACT In this paper we juxtapose assimilationist and diversity arguments found in recent metatheoretical discussions about a crisis in North American sociology. Each argument identifies a very different crisis, yet the remedies proposed appear similar in certain instances. We suggest that the assimilationist response to the crisis reproduces it, because this response requires exclusivity in sociological inquiry. Diversity reasoning acknowledges different forms of inquiry, largely as representing situated actors in different relations of domination. In doing so, diversity reasoning points towards how to transcend exclusivity because it implicitly focuses on issues related to the question ''sociology for whom?'' (Lee 1976). In the last part of this paper, we offer one possible way to elaborate further the potential for this transcendence: making social problems the explicit focus of sociological knowledge and incorporating nonacademic communities into sociological projects.
Traditionally, poverty scholarship in the U.S. focuses on the levels, trends, and effects of pove... more Traditionally, poverty scholarship in the U.S. focuses on the levels, trends, and effects of poverty across social categories broadly defined either by race (minorities) or gender (women) or age (children). An intersectional perspective elucidates the complexity of people's social locations by conceptualizing race, class, gender as simultaneously interacting power relations. In this work, we suggest how an intersectional approach can
... 9. The new pension system and future experiences of old age. ... The creation of the private ... more ... 9. The new pension system and future experiences of old age. ... The creation of the private pension funds helped the stock market, as the pension funds invested about 28 ... per se; as a result, the previous occupational inequities embedded in the communist system are diminished. ...
In 2001, the US National Science Foundation inaugurated the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation ... more In 2001, the US National Science Foundation inaugurated the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation program with the primary objective of increasing the participation and advancement of women at American Universities in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Although ADVANCE has been received very well, its effects have been uneven among institutions receiving the ADVANCE grant. In this paper, we reflect on the NSF’s goals for ADVANCE and initiatives ADVANCE schools undertake to increase gender equity in the context of gender organizations theory. Specifically, we comment on tensions that emerged through our own research concerning the relationship between feminist objectives of equity and justice and the nature of the ADVANCE program and transformational initiatives. We conclude by raising the perennial feminist question: ‘Can the master’s tools dismantle the master’s house?’
Since the mid-1990, promoting responsible fatherhood has remained on the national policy agenda, ... more Since the mid-1990, promoting responsible fatherhood has remained on the national policy agenda, but fatherhood-related policy initiatives have yet to generate tangible outcomes for low-income communities. Almost 1 billion dollars have been allocated to address the combined efforts of marriage and fatherhood education, but the results have been minimal. Recent literature reveals a deep seeded legislative misunderstanding about the reasons behind low marriage rates among low-income couples. Contrary to popular cultural narratives that imply a blatant disregard for marriage, there is evidence that low-income couples respect the institution of marriage. Socio-economic barriers, however, inhibit that union from taking place. Despite this plausible explanation, policy-driven initiatives often employ program curriculums that seek to modify the behaviors of fathers by instilling in them the value of hard work as opposed to addressing the socio-economic circumstances they face. This partly ...
We apply intersectional frameworks and use a nationally representative dataset to investigate pat... more We apply intersectional frameworks and use a nationally representative dataset to investigate patterns of differential access to social capital among six racial and gender groups. We define social capital as resources controlled by individuals’ social contacts. Individuals can mobilize those contacts to facilitate their actions. We characterize one’s access to social capital with three indicators: the average occupational prestige score of individuals’ social contacts (average), the highest occupation reached among individuals’ contacts (reach), and the number of positions accessed (network diversity). Concerning the average score of one’s social contacts, our findings support the double jeopardy approach, with a simple hierarchy of gender and race/ethnicity: all men have a higher average score than their women counterparts. However, although white men have the highest average score in their social contacts, black women have the highest reach and highest network diversity, net of ef...
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) authorized d... more The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) authorized drug testing of welfare recipients as a criterion for assistance eligibility. This raises the question of a possible confluence of War on Drugs and Welfare Reform policies, as indicated by continuity in policymakers’ rhetoric. We examine federal-level policymakers’ debates surrounding the authorization of drug testing welfare recipients. The analysis reveals that themes of social pathology were present in both policy areas. Crime, drug addiction, welfare dependency, and drug testing themes are comparable in both debates. Teen pregnancy, out-of-wedlock birth, and female-headed households themes were more prevalent in Welfare Reform debates, with the exception of drug-addicted newborns, which crossed both policy streams.
ABSTRACT We explore the perspectives of 26 domestic violence advocates from 14 nonprofit organiza... more ABSTRACT We explore the perspectives of 26 domestic violence advocates from 14 nonprofit organizations on gaps in the immigration-related provisions of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) as these relate to the intersectional needs and experiences of Asian Indian marriage migrants. Findings indicate that, based on immigration status and other intersectional locations, policy provisions differentially affect this population. In addition, because agencies focus on broadly defined populations (immigrants or women), but victims’ locations are intersectional, intersectional policy analysis and coordination between and across agencies formulating and administering policies are required to meet the needs of abused Asian Indian marriage migrants.
Underlying this research is the authors' belief that labor unions have played. and will conti... more Underlying this research is the authors' belief that labor unions have played. and will continue to play, an important role in defending workers' rights. But the extent to which labor unions will be able to carry on this role in the future depends on whether they survive the attacks of the corporate community and the anti-labor governments. We began this research with the premise that comparative-historical studies have the potential to make an important contribution to the recent debates regarding the future of labor unions by examining how the histories of nationalized industries and their socio-economic contexts shaped, and were shaped, by labormanagement struggles. The following paper reflects both our extant commitments and a new stage in our intellectual journey marked by the emphasis on the importance of institutional traditions and actors' identities in shaping the dynamics and outcomes of industrial conflicts.
A key role of sociology is to examine the interplay of history, individual biography and the broa... more A key role of sociology is to examine the interplay of history, individual biography and the broad patterns of social relations. An intersectional perspective developed by women of color, especially African American women, to account for the complexity of people’s social locations, is an integral component of the sociological imagination. Introduced to mainstream sociology in the 1990s, an intersectionality perspective focuses on the interaction of class, race, gender, and age inequalities in shaping people’s experiences. In this paper, we examine whether a paradigm shift has occurred in mainstream sociology to incorporate an intersectional perspective. To address this question, we conducted a case study analyzing discussions of U.S. poverty in 15 most popular introductory sociology textbooks published between 2000 and 2007. We found that poverty is discussed in the context of racial/ethnic, gender, and age inequalities. Importantly, with a few exceptions, these inequalities are discussed separately, impeding the realization of the sociological imagination. We conclude by proposing a dialog between intersectionality perspective and mainstream sociology.
ABSTRACT In this paper we juxtapose assimilationist and diversity arguments found in recent metat... more ABSTRACT In this paper we juxtapose assimilationist and diversity arguments found in recent metatheoretical discussions about a crisis in North American sociology. Each argument identifies a very different crisis, yet the remedies proposed appear similar in certain instances. We suggest that the assimilationist response to the crisis reproduces it, because this response requires exclusivity in sociological inquiry. Diversity reasoning acknowledges different forms of inquiry, largely as representing situated actors in different relations of domination. In doing so, diversity reasoning points towards how to transcend exclusivity because it implicitly focuses on issues related to the question ''sociology for whom?'' (Lee 1976). In the last part of this paper, we offer one possible way to elaborate further the potential for this transcendence: making social problems the explicit focus of sociological knowledge and incorporating nonacademic communities into sociological projects.
Traditionally, poverty scholarship in the U.S. focuses on the levels, trends, and effects of pove... more Traditionally, poverty scholarship in the U.S. focuses on the levels, trends, and effects of poverty across social categories broadly defined either by race (minorities) or gender (women) or age (children). An intersectional perspective elucidates the complexity of people's social locations by conceptualizing race, class, gender as simultaneously interacting power relations. In this work, we suggest how an intersectional approach can
... 9. The new pension system and future experiences of old age. ... The creation of the private ... more ... 9. The new pension system and future experiences of old age. ... The creation of the private pension funds helped the stock market, as the pension funds invested about 28 ... per se; as a result, the previous occupational inequities embedded in the communist system are diminished. ...
In 2001, the US National Science Foundation inaugurated the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation ... more In 2001, the US National Science Foundation inaugurated the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation program with the primary objective of increasing the participation and advancement of women at American Universities in all science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. Although ADVANCE has been received very well, its effects have been uneven among institutions receiving the ADVANCE grant. In this paper, we reflect on the NSF’s goals for ADVANCE and initiatives ADVANCE schools undertake to increase gender equity in the context of gender organizations theory. Specifically, we comment on tensions that emerged through our own research concerning the relationship between feminist objectives of equity and justice and the nature of the ADVANCE program and transformational initiatives. We conclude by raising the perennial feminist question: ‘Can the master’s tools dismantle the master’s house?’
Since the mid-1990, promoting responsible fatherhood has remained on the national policy agenda, ... more Since the mid-1990, promoting responsible fatherhood has remained on the national policy agenda, but fatherhood-related policy initiatives have yet to generate tangible outcomes for low-income communities. Almost 1 billion dollars have been allocated to address the combined efforts of marriage and fatherhood education, but the results have been minimal. Recent literature reveals a deep seeded legislative misunderstanding about the reasons behind low marriage rates among low-income couples. Contrary to popular cultural narratives that imply a blatant disregard for marriage, there is evidence that low-income couples respect the institution of marriage. Socio-economic barriers, however, inhibit that union from taking place. Despite this plausible explanation, policy-driven initiatives often employ program curriculums that seek to modify the behaviors of fathers by instilling in them the value of hard work as opposed to addressing the socio-economic circumstances they face. This partly ...
We apply intersectional frameworks and use a nationally representative dataset to investigate pat... more We apply intersectional frameworks and use a nationally representative dataset to investigate patterns of differential access to social capital among six racial and gender groups. We define social capital as resources controlled by individuals’ social contacts. Individuals can mobilize those contacts to facilitate their actions. We characterize one’s access to social capital with three indicators: the average occupational prestige score of individuals’ social contacts (average), the highest occupation reached among individuals’ contacts (reach), and the number of positions accessed (network diversity). Concerning the average score of one’s social contacts, our findings support the double jeopardy approach, with a simple hierarchy of gender and race/ethnicity: all men have a higher average score than their women counterparts. However, although white men have the highest average score in their social contacts, black women have the highest reach and highest network diversity, net of ef...
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