Winter 2024 Newsletter

Students have settled back in on campus after a well-deserved break, the spring term is well underway, and the 3rd floor of Uris Hall is buzzing.

As the days grow longer, (and here and there begin to feel slightly warmer), we embark on yet another exciting semester within the vibrant academic community of Cornell's Sociology Department. This winter newsletter provides you a glimpse into what has taken place in the Sociology Department this past fall and summer (since the summer '23 newsletter).

The spring term promises stimulating courses, engaging discussions, and countless opportunities for growth and exploration. Dedicated faculty members have been hard at work preparing innovative and thought-provoking curriculum, designed to challenge and inspire our students.

This semester's courses delve into the field's latest research, spanning social and urban inequality, big data, the computerization of the American social system, nationalism and identity, contemporary sociological theory, mass incarceration, and much more.

Students, faculty, and staff, we wish you all the best for the spring term ahead; may it be a time of growth, discovery, and fulfillment. Alumni of Cornell Sociology, thank you for tuning in! We are always eager to write where-they're-at-now spotlight stories, so please do not hesitate to reach out and reconnect with the Department.

All the best,

The Sociology Department Communications Team

(News stories and information relevant to the Department and future newsletters should be sent to Carrie D'Aprix, the Communications and Programming Assistant, at cmd294@cornell.edu--Thank you!)

Congratulations, Landon!

Sociologist honored with early career award

The award is given by the American Sociological Association's Sociology of Religion Section.

Soc PhD named to Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

Katherine Zaslavsky has been selected to join the Cornell Chapter of the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

Black and white image of two people sitting on a bench, seen from behind

Spouses sharing friends may live longer after widowhood

New Cornell sociology research: The “widowhood effect” – the tendency for married people to die in close succession – is accelerated when spouses don’t know each other’s friends well.

Why Big Changes Early in Life Can Help Later On

Study shows moving can help foster a more robust social network, by strengthening “long ties” with others.

Real-time Social Networks and Health among Older Adults in Chicago

Does Social Togetherness matter for short-term health outcomes?

With McCarthy out, ‘we are slouching towards political chaos’

With our government stalled, our democracy is threatened like never before, says comparative sociologist Mabel Berezin.

Donald Trump said he'd be a dictator for one day. His supporters say they're not worried.

Former President Donald Trump drew a torrent of criticism when he told Fox News' Sean Hannity earlier this month he wouldn't be a dictator "except on Day One" of a second administration.

Is France having a George Floyd moment?

Violent protests have died down in France after the police killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk. But now the country’s far-right seems to have an opening.

Inequality scholars voice concerns after Supreme Court bans race-conscious admissions at top universities

The Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action policies at Harvard and the University of North Carolina forces students and admission offices to employ workaround options, which scholars such as Professor Hirschman presume will not go the distance in furthering diversity in collegiate classro...

Remotely Unfair

Tulsa, Oklahoma, offers remote workers incentives to move. There are a few issues for existing residents.

Two arms with hands joined. A tree is in the background

LGBTQ Catholics in a state of ‘conditional belonging’

Sociologist Landon Schnabel says the blessing of same-sex couples is an important and complex step for the Catholic Church.

Doorway decorated with a wooden cross and colorful painting of four figures

Cornell expert on same-sex marriage in Greece vote

Legalizing same-sex marriage in Greece would show other Eastern Orthodox Christians that providing rights does not undermine culture and values, says sociology scholar Landon Schnabel.

1) Alexandra Cooperstock | publication in City & Community: The Echo of Neighborhood Disadvantage: Multigenerational Contextual Hardship and Adult Income for Whites, Blacks, and Latinos

2) Alexandra Cooperstock | received two ASA awards for The Demographics of School District Secession (the David Lee Stevenson Student Paper Award in the Sociology of Education Section, and the Student Paper Award in the Population Section)

3) Meaghan Mingo | awarded ASA David Lee Stevenson Student Paper honorable mention for Stay in a Child’s Place: Adult Authority and Schooling in the Black Belt

4) Jacqueline Ho | first sole-authored piece published in American Journal of Cultural Sociology: Agentic Selves, Agentic Stories: Cultural Foundations of Beliefs about Meritocracy

5) Mary Beth | publication in Journal of Family Relations: "I was a soccer mom—high or not”: The intersecting roles of parenting and recovery

6) Katrina Hamilton | awarded Russell Sage Foundation "Future of Work" grant in the amount of $75,000

7) Katherine Zaslavsky | named to Bouchet Graduate Honor Society

8) Alexandra Cooperstock | won a Gertrude Spencer Portfolio Award, recognizing outstanding achievement in her student's development of a portfolio of essays under Alex's guidance (First-Year Writing Seminar: Educational Inequality and Reform Efforts in the U.S.)

From the College

Aerial view of the Arts Quad in the fall

A&S honors 23 faculty with endowed professorships

The professorships are possible because of generous gifts from alumni, parents and friends.

Undergrads relish challenging Nexus Scholar projects

Nexus Scholars spent eight weeks this summer working with researchers on campus on projects in the humanities, social sciences and physical sciences.

Sevearl people holding blue certificates

Community spotlight: 2023 First Generation Celebration Week

To kick off the 2023 First Generation Celebration Week, Student and Campus Life gathered insights and advice from first-gen students, alumni and staff.

2023's Happiest States in America

Professor Sharron Sassler weighs in on what key ingredients make up a happy life.

Best & Worst States for Singles (2024)

Everyone has different priorities when searching for love, but certain places simply make dating easier than others.

California’s Dichotomy: Rising Numbers of Ultra-Rich Residents Amidst Deepening Inequality

Amidst Tales of Population Decreasing, Number of Millionaires and Billionaires Rise.

Wealth flight: should we care when the rich threaten to go into tax exile?

High earners often warn they will up and move when taxes are raised, but in the long term they are better off staying put.

Bezos’ Miami Move Is Not About Washington’s Taxes

The billionaire is returning to a city where he went to high school and where his parents live — it’s as simple as that.

Final Reading: Flight Myth

State lawmakers consider whether to raise taxes on Vermont's richest residents this year...could higher taxes on the wealthy drive them out of the Green Mountain State?

Sociologically Significant Songs

Explore Music with Sociological Relevancy

Jeopardy Display Case

The Uris Hall 3rd floor display case has been redesigned to feature a rotating set of Sociology themed Jeopardy questions, as well as the "Sociology Book Nook," featuring works from past and present Cornell Sociology Scholars.

Check out the current set of Jeopardy questions and test your knowledge by heading to the Jeopardy! page.

Spring Sociology Colloquia

Sociology Graduate Symposim

May 08 Wednesday 12:45 PM

Mann 102

See all events

323 Uris Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
United States

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