Sociologists for Women in Society

Category: Research Spotlight

Three Waves of Gender Reform in Tunisia: Reflections on the Eve of National Women’s Day, op-ed by Maro Youssef

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Tunis, Tunisia – June 10, 2022: Demonstrators gather in support of women’s rights during a protest denouncing violence against women at Avenue Habib Bourguiba.

“‘There has been backsliding on women’s rights—some related to implementation issues, and others were policy reversals.’

Tunisia is known as the birthplace of the 2010-2011 Arab Spring uprisings. It is also recognized for its progressive gender policies, particularly compared to its neighbors in the Middle East & Africa. As we near Tunisia’s National Women’s Day on August 13, I wanted to reflect on the two waves of gender reform that Tunisian sociologist Mounira M. Charrad writes about, and a third wave that has emerged since.”

To read the full article, please visit: https://www.wilsoncenter.org/blog-post/three-waves-gender-reform-tunisia-reflections-eve-national-womens-day.

Two New Publications by Chandra D. L. Waring, SWS Member.

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Two New Publications by Chandra D. L. Waring, SWS Member.

“We are Going to be the New White [People]:” Multiracial Americans Envision the Future.

As the multiracial population continues to rise, research on this population has expanded. Although multiracial people are often referred to as the future face of America, there are no empirical studies that centre how multiracial individuals themselves envision the future of race relations, given their unique racial vantage point. I analyse how 23 multiracial people of different racialized ancestries, although all have white ancestry, envision the future of race relations in the United States. Most participants anticipated negative race relations due to the lack of current impactful institutional initiatives that would facilitate meaningful change. Many participants predicted a nuanced perspective, yet they echoed the significance of systemic shifts for real change to unfold. Fewer participants offered positive predictions that were rooted in individualism. I consider the implications of these findings in a society that often proclaims a positive racial future, in part, due to the multiracial population.

To view the full article, visit: https://doi.org/10.1080/01419870.2023.2215313

“Be Confident,” “Creative,” and “Careful”: Advice from Multiracial Adults.

As the U.S. and international multiracial populations have increased, so has research in this area. Despite a multitude of studies about the unique struggles of being multiracial, little empirical data has been published about specific strategies that multiracial individuals use to navigate a monoracial (single-race)-oriented society. In this article, I offer insights and suggestions to cope with discrimination involving family, friends, and others from 28 multiracial Americans with various racial backgrounds, although all participants have white ancestry. In advising their younger self and/or the next generation of multiracial people, participants suggested cultivating confidence, resilience, and assertiveness to withstand the onslaught of marginalization that multiracial people endure. Other respondents recommended creatively engaging with media to actualize affirmation, connection, and consciousness to generate space between themselves and others’ perceptions of them. White-presenting participants proposed being careful about sharing their backgrounds, considering they are frequently questioned. This article offers strategies to navigate being multiracial in a racially tumultuous society that was designed by and for monoracial citizens.

Please click here to view the full article: Waring 2023 Advice from Multiracial Adults

The politics of gender in ‘the election of the century’ by Ӧzlem Altıok

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Dr. Ӧzlem Altıok wrote an article discussing the politics of gender and the stakes for democracy to the Sunday’s critical election in Turkey.

On 14 May, the majority of voters in Turkey will vote against Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) for its economic mismanagement, corruption, human rights violations and catastrophically ineffective response to the 6 February earthquake that left at least 50,000 people dead and more than 100,000 wounded – a consequence of political choices made over two decades of continuous rule.

After 21 years, there is finally a good chance that Erdoğan’s AKP will lose its majority in parliament and will no longer form the government.

To view the full article, visit: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2023/05/10/the-politics-of-gender-in-the-election-of-the-century/

New book by Kelsy Burke is out this week! The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Obscene Obsession

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The Pornography Wars: The Past, Present, and Future of America’s Obscene Obsession by Kelsy Burke, SWS member, is out this week! Kelsy purposely wrote it to be accessible to a general audience to deepen our understanding of sexuality, politics, and culture in America and I think it would be a great addition to undergrad classrooms. You can find a teaching guide here.

Here are some of the early reviews:

  • “Burke has the gift of being supremely unruffled about even the most incendiary of subjects . . . The anti-porn and porn-positive camps she’s been chronicling actually care about the same things, she concludes: ‘human rights, sexual consent, and living a fulfilling life.’ Everyone wants to achieve ‘a real and authentic sexuality’ and break away from the ‘fake sex that surrounds us.’” ―Laura Kipnis, The Atlantic
  • “Compelling… No other book has covered American battles over porn quite so extensively… Burke establishes herself as a reliable guide with firsthand knowledge of the allure emanating from countervailing social forces. … I learned a great deal from The Pornography Wars and recommend it to experts and beginners alike.” ―Whitney Strub, Los Angeles Review of Books​
  • “A mature, thoughtful book about a complex and divisive topic. No matter their personal opinions, readers will likely find observations here to inform their thoughts about pornography’s creation and consumption.” ―Library Journal, Starred Review
  • “Compassionate and well-balanced … refreshingly unbiased … an astute and forthright presentation of a hotly contested issue.” ―Publishers Weekly
  • “A great overview… informative… And it has a fresh angle: rather than portray porn performers, producers, and pro-sex feminists as polar opposites of the people crusading against pornography, Burke suggests ‘this dividing line of anti- or pro-porn is a false dichotomy.’” ―Reason

Interested in ordering a copy or would like more information, visit: https://geni.us/pornographywars

Love without Bounds: An IntersectionAllies Book about Families, New Children’s book Co-Authored by LaToya Council

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(Photo provided by LaToya Council) 

Love without Bounds:
An IntersectionAllies Book about Families

New Children’s book Co-Authored by
LaToya Council, SWS Member

Book Title: Love without Bounds: An IntersectionAllies Book about Families
Authors: Drs. Chelsea Johnson, LaToya Council, and Carolyn Choi
Book Blurb: From CLC Collective, the sisterhood behind the critically acclaimed IntersectionAllies: We Make Room for All, comes a heartwarming celebration of family in all its unique shapes, sizes, and situations, as well as what makes each one so special: LOVE.
Book Page: https://www.dottirpress.com/love-without-bounds

Battle Creek native, author tackles diverse history of legal battles before Brown v. Board, critical race theory

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Quote from Battle Creek Enquirer: “Martinez-Cola has written her first book, “The Bricks before Brown,” published by the University of Georgia Press. It focuses on Chinese American, Native American and Mexican Americans’ struggle for educational equality leading up to the seminal 1954 Supreme Court decision, Brown v. the Board of Education, that deemed segregated schools unconstitutional.”

Marisela Martinez-Cola is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Utah State University.  She is an intersectional scholar with a research focus on comparative critical race studies.  Her teaching focus is on race & ethnicity, social movements, and qualitative methods. She has been published in Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Latino Studies, Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, Law & Society, and Teaching Sociology.  Her forthcoming book, The Bricks Before Brown v. Board of Education, will be published in The University of Georgia’s Race and Ethnicity Series. It is an intersectional, comparative, and interdisciplinary study of Mexican American, Native American, and Chinese American school desegregation cases that came before the famed 1954 case that dismantled the “separate but equal” doctrine. She earned her bachelors at The University of Michigan (African American Studies), her law degree at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, and her doctorate at Emory University.  She has been a member of SWS since 2016 and served as co-chair for Travel Arrangements for the 2017 Winter Meeting in Atlanta, GA. Marisela Martinez-Cola is a Co- Chair of Committee on Discrimination for SWS. 

View full article here: https://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/story/news/2022/07/29/marisela-martinez-cola-book-legal-battles-before-school-desegregation-critical-race-theory/10168392002/?fbclid=IwAR09pN_v1MQuedV-Gb6Ys30u8UHFSUHnb94mRCve4526K5hypXHAORAxlBQ#l6cdsq25o89ahd8s9vs