Around the Web

Professor Jooyoung Lee recently published an article on Items, where he discusses the concept of “social loss” and taking an ethnographic approach to studies of gun violence. Professor Lee discusses how victim-centered research has helped him understand the social losses felt by victims, their families, and entire communities after a shooting. Through this approach, and … Read More

In a TEDx talk, Professor Ashley Rubin recently discussed the history of prisons, while questioning whether it is time for a new approach to punishment that doesn’t involve incarceration. She explains the difference between jails and prisons, and how the evolution of prisons has involved controversy because of the inhumane nature of long term confinement, … Read More

In an article by CTV News, Professor Judith Taylor commented on how certain changes in the music streaming universe are part of a broader phenomenon, where the public is pressuring musicians to hold their colleagues accountable for their actions. Many artists, including Lady Gaga and Celine Dion, are taking down their collaborations with R. Kelly … Read More

Professor Owusu-Bempah participated in a discussion on TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paiken regarding the issues of carding. Justice Michael Tulloch recently called for an end to random carding in Ontario, among other recommendations, because it has a minimal role in deterring offenders, or reducing crime. Professor Owusu-Bempah spoke as part of a panel.  He … Read More

Professor Dan Silver’s research was featured on CityLab for his study on how populism took hold in Toronto, particularly under Rob and Doug Ford’s influence in Ontario politics. Professor Silver is studying the rise of the “Ford Nation,” a broader populist movement, along with Fernando Calderòn-Figueroa (a graduate student at U of T), and a … Read More

University Affairs recently published an interview with Professor Michelle Pannor Silver regarding her new book, Retirement and its Discontents: Why We Won’t Stop Working, Even if We Can. In an attempt to better understand why people in high performance careers perceived retirement as difficulty rather than reprieve, Dr. Silver interviewed doctors, CEOs, athletes, professors, and … Read More

Professor Owusu-Bempah discussed cannabis justice measures in a video on VICE. Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have been charged with cannabis-related offences, and racialized communities have been hit especially hard. In response, Professor Owusu-Bempah explains a three-pronged approach to reparations: cannabis amnesty and expungement of records; inclusion in the list of the cannabis industry; and reinvestment … Read More

Professor Melissa Milkie spoke to CNN about gender and household work. As women contribute to household income more than ever before, they are still also doing the majority of the unpaid domestic work. According to Professor Milkie, although both men and women are working more paid hours than previous generations, women are also contributing many … Read More

Professor Gail Super was featured in U of T News for her research in the ‘blurry’ space between policing and collective punishment in South Africa. After receiving a SSHRC Insight Development Grant in 2018, Professor Super has been attempting to untangle complex factors affecting the landscape of law and justice in South Africa, such as … Read More

Professor Neda Maghbouleh spoke on the Ajam Podcast, a platform that challenges simplistic representations of the ‘Ajam’ region in Western media, and brings academic debates on the topic to a wider audience. After discussing the major themes and reception of her book, The Limits of Whiteness: Iranian Americans and the Everyday Politics of Race, Professor … Read More

Professor Jooyoung Lee was interviewed on The Annex, an American academic sociology podcast, to discuss gun control. Speaking to a largely US-based sociology audience, Professor Lee discussed the gun violence policy debate in Canada. In comparison to the United States, Canada remains a relatively safe place. Nonetheless, as rates of violence have gone up in … Read More

Professor Jerry Flores recently updated his published article in The Conversation Canada, “Cyntoia Brown needs support, not 51 years in prison,” to address her recently granted clemency. It is now entitled “Clemency for Cyntoia Brown was long overdue,” where Professor Flores discusses the surprising and welcome development of the case of a teenager who was convicted … Read More

Professor Jooyoung Lee recently published an article in VICE entitled “Doctors and Emergency Workers Tell Us About the Toll of Treating Gunshot Victims.” After a tweet from the NRA criticized doctors for speaking out in favour of gun control, doctors and Emergency workers responded by tweeting about the gunshot victims they see in their working … Read More

Professor Monica Alexander was featured and interviewed in UofT News for her research on how marginalized populations are disproportionately vulnerable to conditions or events that can cause an early or unnatural death. By analyzing data on when, how and who dies, researchers like Professor Alexander can learn a lot about how to improve or even … Read More

Professor David Pettinicchio’s research was highlighted and discussed in The Society Pages, in the Discoveries section of the blog.  The Society Pages  (TSP) is an open-access social science project operated from Department of Sociology at the University of Minnesota with support from individual donors. The Discoveries page highlights “new and exciting research from the journals, … Read More

Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver was interviewed by Global News for her thoughts on how people can have a biological age that differs from their actual age. On top of physical health risks, she states that if someone’s biological age is greater than their actual age, it can affect their mental well-being, too. Factors like genetics, … Read More

Professor Jennifer Jihye Chun has recently co-written an article that has been featured in Global Dialogue, the digital magazine of the International Sociological Association. The article discusses how market interventions and transnational circuits of care work have altered social relations and modes of belonging, from the moment of conception to end-of-life experiences. Professor Jennifer Jihye Chun … Read More

Professor Jooyoung Lee has recently been featured on a segment for The Social talking about the long-term health care needs of gunshot victims in the US and Canada; and the efficacy of common sense gun laws. The Social is a television program produced by Bell Media Studios that describes itself as bringing “a fresh, daily … Read More

The University of Toronto Magazine recently published a debate in its Opinion pages regarding the merits of legalizing all drugs in Canada. Sociology Professor Akwasi Owusu-Bempah presented the case in favour of legalization. He wrote in opposition to Professor Robert Mann, of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, who argued that the potential harm … Read More

The University of Toronto Mississauga’s student newspaper, The Medium,  recently published an interview with Professor Andrew Miles. The article focused on Miles’ newly funded research that asks whether adhering to morals can make people happy. His study, “Living Right, Feeling Good: The Effects of Moral Action on Positive Emotion,” focuses on understanding human behaviour (why … Read More