sociology

Nov 30, 2015

Study: Kids From High Socioeconomic Background More Likely to Rely on Parental Help as Young Adults

A recent study finds that more than 40 percent of young adults no longer live with their parents, but still receive at least some financial support from mom and dad – and this is particularly true for grown children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. 

Sep 15, 2015

Tequila, Mezcal and Social Science: Q&A With Sarah Bowen

Sarah Bowen knows a lot about tequila and mezcal. Her new book, Divided Spirits: Tequila, Mezcal, and the Politics of Production, explores the complex web of relationships – from farmers to bartenders – involved in transforming agave grown in Mexico into high-end spirits and cocktails consumed around the world. 

Sep 14, 2015

Researchers Aim to Understand What Drives School Diversity or Resegregation

Why are some school districts able to maintain economic diversity in their schools, while others have become effectively resegregated in recent decades? That’s a question being explored by a team of researchers led by NC State University under a grant from the National Science Foundation. 

May 21, 2015

Race, Politics, and Neighborhood Schools: What You Can Learn From a School Board Election

Local school board elections can be sleepy affairs, but the past decade saw heated debate over elections to the Wake County Board of Education in North Carolina – a debate that raised issues of race, social ties, and what K-12 schools should do in order to best serve their students. 

May 19, 2015

Fisheries, Society and Sustainability: A Q&A With Stefano Longo

What happens when part of the ecosystem becomes a commodity? Stefano Longo explores this and other questions in his new book on fisheries and environmental sociology. 

Jan 5, 2015

Mezcal and Markets: One Battle in the War Over Mexico’s Agave Spirits

In 2011 and 2012, Mexico was the site of a battle over precisely how agave-based liquors could be branded or marketed. In the end, as outlined in a new paper in the journal Gastronomica, U.S. bartenders, retailers, and consumers played a key role in the debate – which raises some interesting questions about how to best protect local food customs and producers. 

Dec 9, 2014

Online Students Give Instructors Higher Marks If They Think Instructors Are Men

A new study shows that college students in online courses give better evaluations to instructors they think are men – even when the instructor is actually a woman. 

Sep 11, 2014

Childhood Mentors Boost Career Success

Young people who have had mentors are more likely to find work early in their careers, putting them on a path to success. 

Sep 3, 2014

‘Family Meal’ Ideal Is Stressful, Impossible for Many Families

New research shows that home cooking and family meals place significant stresses on many families – and are simply impossible for others. 

May 27, 2014

What Sociology Can Tell Us About the G.M. Scandal

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Martha Crowley, an associate professor of sociology at NC State and co-author, with Ohio State’s Randy Hodson, of a recent paper on how an organization’s work practices affect employee behavior and, ultimately, the performance of the organization itself. This post first appeared May 20 on Work In Progress,… 

Aug 12, 2013

Trust and Towns in Transition

Near the Blue Ridge Parkway, three North Carolina towns have grown rapidly as jobs shifted from mining and timber to hospitality and tourism. In Macon County, natural resource-based jobs plummeted from 10 percent to almost zero in the last 35 years. Meanwhile, service-industry employment in the Franklin area topped 30 percent. It’s the kind of… 

Sep 12, 2012

5 Things You Should Know About Parents, Teens, Sex Ed and ‘The Talk’

Editor’s Note: This guest post was written by Dr. Sinikka Elliott, an assistant professor of sociology at NC State and author of the new book “Not My Kid: What Parents Believe about the Sex Lives of Their Teenagers.” The Abstract has previously featured Sinikka’s research on “hooking up” and parental views of teen sexuality. 1). Parents… 

Mar 1, 2012

Food History Q&A, with Mark Kurlansky

Editor’s Note: Mark Kurlansky is the best-selling author of “Cod,” “Salt,” “The Big Oyster” and other books focused on the story (and history) of food. He is the winner of the James Beard Award for food writing and the Bon Appetit Food Writer of the Year, among other awards. Kurlansky is the keynote speaker at… 

Oct 4, 2011

The New Dating Game: When Dates Follow Hookups

Casual sex clearly carries its own risks, but the academic literature on “hooking up” may be presenting an unduly rosy picture of dating. New research doesn’t advocate no-strings hookups (i.e., casual sex between people who aren’t dating), but does highlight gender inequities in traditional dating that have previously been overlooked. “Most of the published research… 

Sep 20, 2011

How People Feel About Diversity And ‘Neighborhood Schools’: It’s Complicated

Editor’s Note: The Wake County Board of Education has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent years as it debates issues related to diversity and “neighborhood schools,” and voters are preparing for board elections October 11. But researchers from NC State have found that the issues are more complex than media outlets have made them…