Tags: sociology

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Sociology faculty, students, honored at ASA conference

Faculty and students in the department of sociology were recognized for career excellence and innovative research at the 118th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association: The Educative Power of Sociology in Philadelphia, PA in mid-August. William Alex Pridemore, professor and head of the department of sociology, received the 2023 Albert J. Reiss Distinguished Scholarship Award. Presented every other year by the American Sociological…

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Adversity can accelerate brain aging among Black Americans

Longitudinal research studies led by faculty in the UGA Center for Family Research have changed the landscape of developmental, health, and prevention science by demonstrating its potential for narrowing social and racial disparities in health and well-being. By tracking the experiences of individual subjects over decades, prospective investigations of resilience among Black Americans have set a standard for conducting research with historically…

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Who Black women can love: judgments of others affect relationships with white men

New research from the University of Georgia describes how Black women in interracial relationships with white men perceive experiencing varying treatment due to expectations of who Black women should date and marry. Despite examples of high-profile, interracial relationships, perceived reactions to people with double minority status (Black women) and a double majority status partner (white men), can lead the former to have the validity of their…

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Simons, Ma, Hermanowicz elected as AAAS Fellows

Five University of Georgia faculty – three from the Franklin College – have been named new Fellows for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, bringing the university’s total representation on this prestigious list to 42. Fellows are elected annually by the AAAS Council for extraordinary achievements leading to the advancement of science. This year, UGA’s new Fellows, representing four disciplines, are Joseph Hermanowicz, Ping…

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2023-24 RED Seed Grant Recipients

The Center for Research and Engagement in Diversity (RED), a program of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, has as its mission to engage in diversity research and outreach in order to enhance individual, institutional, and community learning, effectiveness, and well-being.  In support of these goals, RED offers seed grants to graduate students in the Franklin College who are pursuing diversity research. Recipients for 2023-24 RED Seed…

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Locked Out: Sentencing Project 2022 report

New research by the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for restoration of voting rights for people with prior felony convictions, estimates that 2% of the voting age population in the United States will be ineligible to cast ballots during this year's midterm elections due to state laws banning people with felony convictions from voting. The Sentencing Project advocates for effective and humane responses to crime that…

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Clay-Warner named OIBR director

The UGA Office of Research named Jody Clay-Warner the new director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research, effective Aug. 1. Clay-Warner, Meigs Professor of Sociology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, received a Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University and has been at UGA since 1998, where she previously served as director of the Criminal Justice Studies Program and as head of the department of sociology. She has been…

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40 Under 40: Candace Alynn Hill Duvernay

Clayton County Magistrate Court Judge Candace Alynn Hill Duvernay (A.B. '06) majored in English with a minor in Sociology before moving on to the UGA School of Law. The Managing Partner of Hill Duvernay and Associates, Judge Duvernay leads a team of dynamic women attorneys who handle cases throughout the Metropolitan Atlanta Area. With a heart for service and a passion for the community, Judge Duvernay is also a member of the 2022 class of the…

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The complexity of mixed-race ancestry

Some people see themselves as part of a sole racial group, others identify with multiple groups Mixed-race ancestry, a widespread fact of the human population for centuries, does not uniquely translate to any specific racial identity. A new study authored by a University of Georgia sociologist describes the experiences, beliefs, and personal characteristics such as skin color that play a role in self-identification. While the current era…

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Lewis, Shannon among 2022 Meigs Professors

Five University of Georgia faculty members have been named Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors, the university’s highest recognition for excellence in instruction. “Meigs Professors are an elite group of faculty members at an institution that places a great value on outstanding instruction,” said S. Jack Hu, the university’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “I congratulate the recipients of this significant honor and…

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Noted and Quoted, November 2021

From the "Great Resignation" to cryptocurrency, La Nina, zoom fatigue, and fungal blooms, Franklin College faculty offered expertise, scholarship, and opinion in media platforms across the world. A sample of recent reporting and stories from the month of November and early December: Cameras off can lessen fatigue – Kristen Shockley, associate professor of psychology, quoted by Sales and Marketing Why it’s time for the term “minority” to…

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Heroic archetypes and the silver screen

Despite the rise of feminism, a new UGA research study describes how romance films persist in stereotyping women’s roles. Based on a sample of 250 romance films—from “The Notebook” to “Up in the Air”—that were released between 2000 and 2014, the study found that many of those movies seem to initially question the gender status quo by positioning the female lead as adventurous and independent. But they typically end essentially the same way: with…

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A history of colorism sheds light on discrimination today

Colorism is a form of discrimination, typically within a racial or ethnic group, favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.This pernicious form of discrimination is often overshadowed in discussions about racism, but it affects a broad swath of people across multiple populations. A new study by a University of Georgia researcher explores the present-day impact of colorism, provides case studies of the effect of skin tone on U…

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Cobb named 2021 Georgia CTSA KL2 Scholar

Ryon Cobb, an assistant professor in Franklin College of Arts and Sciences’ sociology department, is the first Franklin College faculty member named a Georgia Clinical & Translational Science Alliance KL2 scholar. The Georgia CTSA KL2-Mentored Clinical and Translational Research Scholars program is designed to support and enhance career development for junior faculty from a wide variety of disciplines at Emory University, Morehouse School of…

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Under the skin: How social and environmental factors affect health

Man Kit “Karlo” Lei came from humble beginnings in Macau, China. His mother was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease and died five years later when Lei was a teenager. It was a difficult time, but fortunately, he had good support through school and from friends. He thrived despite the challenges, earning degrees in law and sociology at National Taiwan University and then the University of Georgia. Lei’s studies led him to a question: Why do some…

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New UGA center to combat global human trafficking

Each year, an estimated 800,000 people are trafficked globally, though the true number may be higher. In a quest to arm officials and stakeholders around the globe with more accurate and trusted data to better understand and address this global problem, the University of Georgia has established a new interdisciplinary center to combat human trafficking through research, programming and policy development: The Center on Human Trafficking Research…

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COVID-19 Threat Increases psychological distress among Black Americans

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to devastate communities worldwide, Black Americans who face racial discrimination in hospitals and doctor's offices weather additional stresses that can exacerbate threats from COVID-19. A new University of Georgia study examines the interplay between the perceptions of coronavirus threat, , and psychological distress among Black Americans. The additional stresses arise from the prevalent belief among Black…

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Franklin College Visiting Scholar Rashawn Ray

Rashawn Ray, a David M. Rubenstein Fellow in Governance Studies at The Brookings Institution, Professor of Sociology and Executive Director of the Lab for Applied Social Science Research (LASSR) at the University of Maryland, College Park, will deliver a talk at 2 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26 as part of the Franklin College Visiting Scholars Program. Ray’s research addresses the mechanisms that manufacture and maintain racial and social inequality…

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Black Student Union chair works in minority recruitment

Nice feature story on sociology major Joshua Patton, a senior from Decatur who leads tours through UGA’s Visitors Center and served as a 2019 orientation leader sharing the best of UGA: “When people of color come to the university for tours, I want them to see other successful people of color. I want them to think ‘I can see myself doing that. I can see myself in that position. I can see myself getting involved in this organization,’” he said. “…

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AMA: Why Does COVID Affect Us Differently?

Ask Me Anything is an interactive online session between alumni and UGA faculty members from diverse academic disciplines. Experts from UGA will discuss the effects of this global pandemic on their specific area of expertise and provide participants the opportunity to ask questions. This month, there are two extraordinary opportunities with Franklin Faculty, beginning tomorrow August 4, with assistant professor of sociology Ryon Cobb.   DR.…

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Sociologist quoted in 'Alcohol and Isolation' policy article

A new article in Alcohol & Drug Abuse Weekly, from Wiley Online Library, tackles a particularly timely subject: Are people drinking more now that they are locked in a house with their nearest and dearest, facing job loss or having lost a job, bored and stressed? Probably. Is drinking a healthy way of coping? No. The article includes comments by experts including Paul M. Roman, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, who provided historical…

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Noted and quoted, February 2020

Critical views, insights, commentary, and explanation from Franklin College faculty over the month of February. A sample: Column: If you drink milk, thank Big Government, Stephen Mihm, associate professor of history writing in his regular column at Bloomberg February: The cruelest month, Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor Marshall Shepherd in the Eau Claire (WI) Leader-Telegram Clay — incredibly useful, professor and head of…

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Reducing rural incarceration rates

An interdisciplinary team co-led by sociology faculty member Sarah Shannon was awarded a grant by the Vera Institute of Justice to address increasing incarceration rates in rural communities and the impact of jailing people who are mentally ill or substance abusers: The $235,000 grant will allow faculty from the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Social Work to develop a “research hub”…

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Noted and Quoted, January 2020

Franklin faculty provided expert commentary and analysis as well as important new research in a strong start to 2020. Here are a few of the top stories so far this year: Voting rights restoration gives felons a voice in more states – associate professor sociology Sarah Shannon quoted by PEW,  St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The Crime Report, KyForward Five social media posts about weather that need to go away in 2020 – Georgia Athletic Association…

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2019 in Review

The many great Franklin College stories of 2019 create a vibrant image of ongoing excellence at every level. Our faculty, students and staff are leading the University of Georgia in its most dynamic era yet. From TED Fellows to Guggenheim Fellowships, imaginative research and teaching draw out the best in our students. Our colleagues provided elegant expression to the fire at Notre Dame de Paris and the death of Toni Morrison, cultural tragedies…
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