The Final Program for
the 2018 NCSA Annual Meeting is available
here.
It is a .pdf file
(To
register for the conference, please read the
announcement below. And remember to see
the announcement about your contribution to
the Himes Fund, which is a 501(c)(3)
charitable organization.)
The
announcement for the 2018 NCSA Annual
Meeting is a .pdf file which you may
access by clicking here.
There is information on how to register, a
call for papers and other information.
The Fall 2017 Newsletter is available here.
The newsletter is also a .pdf file.
Please contribute to the Himes
Award, which is named after our founder,
Joe Himes. This award and stipend goes
to students who have contributed papers which
advance sociology. The North Carolina
Sociological Association is recognized as a
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Internal Revenue Service. Donations
(Himes Fund or Other) may be tax
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We
have suggested a modest $5 contribution when you
attend the annual meeting.
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Click on the donate button and an enlarged page
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Our Statement on HB2
North Carolina's
HB2, also known as the bathroom bill, has
attracted widespread protests and threats of
major business groups to leave the state,
sending many high-paying jobs to other states
and spreading baseless fear of the LGBTQ
community.
The Executive
Committee of the NCSA has prepared the
statement listed below in response to
HB2.
On
March 23, 2016, the North Carolina General
Assembly and Governor passed House Bill 2
or the Public Facilities Privacy and
Security Act (HB2). HB2 reverses a
Charlotte ordinance that had extended
rights to people who are gay or
transgender. This new law also
nullifies local ordinances designed to
protect gay and transgender people from
being fired for their sexual orientation
or gender identity.
Legislation that
engages in overt discrimination against
groups of people needs be publically
condemned. As such, the Executive Council
of the North Carolina Sociological
Association (NCSA) express disapproval of
this legislation.
There are three
specific points we make here. One,
legislators are acting out of fear and
ignorance of the populations represented
by the acronym LGBTQ. Decades of
sociological research allows us to
understand the processes of emotional
distance that stems from “othering” people
on the basis of gender identity and sexual
orientation.
Two, through their
actions, the legislators and governor are
casting those who self-identify as
transgender as not only “deviants,” but
lacking knowledge of their own
identity. From the lawmakers’
perspective, the transgender population
could suddenly revert to the gender they
were ascribed with at birth and pose a
risk to others in public facilities.
Again, the empirical evidence indicates
that transgender populations virtually
NEVER do this. Also, it is feared
that men would pose as women to gain
access to women’s restrooms. Again,
this is rare behavior and is unlikely to
be deterred by HB2.
Three, the
legislator’s passing such a law can only
be understood as trying to protect North
Carolinians from having to reflect on
gender identity outside of the “born
binary” world that biology determines
sexual and gender identity. It is
virtually “unthinkable” for legislators to
contemplate that someone could change in
their preferred gender identity and
deviate from the implications of a birth
certificate classification.
The mission of NCSA
as summarized in our Constitution is as
follows: “The objectives of the
Association shall be to stimulate and
improve research, instruction and
discussion, to encourage cooperative
relations among persons engaged in the
scientific study of society, and to
encourage cooperative relations between
academic sociology and other agencies with
related interests.” Now is the
time for us to point to sociological
research, both done here in North Carolina
and elsewhere, as a source of information
and indeed of enlightenment on how to
create environments that calls for
inclusive and respectful treatment of ALL
people.
The Executive
Council of NCSA wish to emphasize that the
HB2 legislation in North Carolina does not
reflect the beliefs of the sociological
community of North Carolina, nor that of
those who are informed on the topic.
NC State University's Chancellor,
Randy Woodson released a letter to
the public stating that the University has
a "deep commitment to welcoming and
supporting all people at NC State,
regardless of age, color, disability,
gender identity, national origin, race,
religion, sex, sexual orientation or
veteran status. We strive to ensure that
our environment supports and encourages
the free and open exchange of ideas and
opinions, while also ensuring that all
members of our community are treated with
dignity and respect." The North
Carolina Sociological Association can
stand with Chancellor Woodson to support
this position.
The Executive
Council of the North Carolina Sociological
Association
Other News of Interest to
Sociologists
It is commonly thought that
more poor people live in cities than in the suburbs,
which are said to be relatively rich. By 1999,
however, poverty was about equally balanced between
the city and the suburbs. Since then the trend has
continued and there are now more poor in the suburbs
than in the cities of the United States. By 2010 the
gap is even wider.
The link to the full
report by the Brookings researchers can be found
at:
http://www.npr.org/documents/2006/dec/suburban_poverty.pdf
link.
Suburbanization is sometimes
accused to forcing people into isolation and
loneliness. But using national data, Economist
Jan Brueckner has found the opposite.
The link to the Brueckner
video is:
http://www.uci.edu/experts/video_news.php?src=brueckner&format=mov&res=highlink
The January 12, 2015 issue of The New Yorker
has an interesting article on Howie--"Only my mother
ever called me Howard"--Becker. Now 86, he is living
in Paris. The article gives an interesting
interpretation of his importance to American sociology
since become famous for the book The Outsiders.
He reminds us that on a stage, everyone
is there for a reason. You can probably read
this article by signing up for a free trial.
Our video on Max Weber is once again
available, thanks to Seth Allen who uploaded
it for us.
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The North Carolina Sociological Association
is recognized as a 501(c)(3) charitable
organization by the Internal Revenue
Service. Donations (Himes Fund or Other)
may be tax deductible. Check with your
tax preparer for details.
