Leath named Iowa State's next president The Iowa Board of Regents has named Steven Leath the 15th president of Iowa State University. More
2011 Welcome Back Picnic Photos
The annual department welcome back picnic took place on August 26 at Moore Memorial Park. It was a great time to meet new faculty, students and staff. Click here for more photos from the event.
ISU Prof, migration researcher assesses the current crisis in Somalia The images of starving children and violence caused by famine and political unrest in Somalia are horrific. More
Colleen Conrad, ISU Soc '06, writes children's book about homeless youth in Iowa, Colleen became interested in the homeless population when she was younger, and since then, has been drawn to the problem of...More
Faculty in the News
|
AMES, Iowa -- The U.S. Department of State estimates that up to 27 million persons are victims of human trafficking worldwide, mostly involving forced labor and sex. And since 2005, research by the Network Against Human Trafficking (NAHT) shows that more than 125 victims of labor and sex trafficking have been identified right here in Iowa. "We're just trying to raise awareness that we all have a role in identifying potential trafficking victims and in establishing community context where people are safe from that type of exploitation," said Teresa Downing-Matibag. More |
|
AMES, Iowa -- While the horrific images of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, remain seared in the memories of many Americans, public remembrances of the tragedy have largely diminished the last few years. But this year's 10th anniversary will renew interest among Americans, according to Brian Monahan, an Iowa State University sociologist who authored a book on the media coverage of 9/11. More See also: The Washington Post, USA Today, HealthDay, Omaha World-Herald, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lazer 103.3 |
|
MASON CITY, Iowa—When Aileen Prabhakaran took a job in Iowa, the young doctor from India expected a land of icy winters, cultivated fields and quiet living. "In Iowa, we have our uniqueness. It's something about growing up on a farm," says Paul Lasley, a rural sociologist at Iowa State University. More |
|
Unmarried heterosexual couples up in Iowa and U.S. As the debate rages over marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples, heterosexual couples are increasingly declining the option. "Some sociologists call marriage a kind of capstone, where you sort of get everything else out of the way," Stewart said. "You get your education. You make your way into the work force, and then you get married." More |
|
Conservation a concern as fewer farm owners manage land Recent studies sponsored by the Drake University’s Agricultural Law Center and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University have put a finger on a growing concern: If fewer and fewer farm owners are actually living on and farming the land, what happens to conservation efforts on those agricultural properties? “It’s pretty clear that trends toward more distant ownership are going to continue,” said J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr., “About half of landowners are former farmers and spouses of former farmers. Many of them will be passing their land on to kids who do not farm, and who tend to live away from the land. More |
|
Number of children living in poverty rising faster in Iowa than nation AMES, Iowa - The number of Iowa children in households with incomes below the poverty line is growing faster than the national average, according to an Iowa State University study. "One of the big trends is that child poverty is growing faster in Iowa than it is nationally," Peters said. "So even though we have lower rates than nationally, we are catching up to the national average." More |
|
-
|
ISU sociologist leads research on the 'new destination towns' in the Great Plains - Iowa State News Service AMES, Iowa -- Small town America is getting smaller. The latest U.S. Census data shows increasing population losses from small towns to more urban areas. "The old-time philosophy would be, 'If you put jobs there, then people will come,'" said Terry Besser. "Now there's a slight variation on that philosophy, which says, 'If you have amenities, then you attract the workforce that will bring businesses that will create more jobs.'" More |
|
Time is now for transformative change in agriculture, says ISU professor - ISU News Service AMES, Iowa - The agricultural systems and processes that have developed in the past decades need to be re-examined, says an Iowa State University professor who has studied the issue for years. "We need a long-range approach on how we use the land," said Flora emphasizing the need to be more sustainable. "And farmers are already making adjustments." |
|
Census shows decline in prime work force age - Associated Press Des Moines, Iowa (AP) — The number of Iowans in what experts say is the prime work force age group is on the decline creating challenges for the state as it tries to climb out of the recession, according to the latest U.S. Census data released late Wednesday. "Peters said the loss of people in rural areas is not a surprise because of a lack of jobs there, but the decline in micropolitan areas is concerning." |
Four PSA Students Named Recipients of the Fred Foreman Scholarship in Leadership Participation
Ashlee Hespen, Kristi Olson, Rebecca Jardon and Kelley Glanz
Gender and Society now ranked 4th among all sociology journals
New journal rankings have been released and Gender and Society has been ranked 4th, based on impact factors. Articles published in Gender and Society analyze gender and gendered processes in interactions, organizations, societies, and global and transnational spaces. Important topics covered in this journal range from: activism and social movements, class inequality, division of household labor, and feminist identity. A full list of topics may be found on their web site here.
Many professors in the sociology department at Iowa State University are no strangers to being highlighted and cited within this prestigious journal.
Dr. Sharon Bird, associate professor of sociology, was Deputy Editor for Gender and Society from 2006-2008 and now is on the Editorial Board. One of Bird’s articles, “Welcome to the Men’s Club: Homosociality and the Maintenance of Hegemonic Masculinity” has been cited 210 times according to Google Scholar. She has encouraged and mentored graduate students to publish in Gender and Society, and more recently, Laura Rhoton, (ISU Sociology Ph.D. graduate, 2009) was published. Rhoton’s article, “Distancing as a Gendered Barrier: Understanding Women Scientists’ Gender Practices" was published online, October 3, 2011.
Dr. Bird, along with Dr. Steve Sapp, published “Understanding the Gender Gap in Small Business Success: Urban and Rural Comparisons” in 2004. This article explored how urban versus rural community location shapes the extent to which various individual, relational, and structural factors affect the gender gap in small business success. In 2003, Bird published “De-Gendering Practice/Practicing De-Gendering.”
Dr. Carmen Bain, published an article titled “An Analysis of Whether International Development Assistance Targets Women and Gender” in 2011. This article analyzed agricultural-related development aid and examined whether international development assistance has increasingly targeted women and/or gender. Through their findings their results showed that the number of agricultural aid projects and the dollar amounts targeting women/gender increased between 1978 and 2003. This increase, however, was modest, and agricultural aid has declined since the late 1990s. This decline in aid comes at a time when there is an increasing number of women engaged in agriculture.
Dr. Anastasia Prokos also published two articles in Gender and Society. More recently, “An Unfinished Revolution: England Symposium Introduction” which was published in 2011. Prokos also published an article “An Examination of Competing Explanations for the Pay Gap among Scientists and Engineers” which examines a nationally representative data set to determine the role of glass ceiling barriers and cohort effects on the earnings differences between women and men in an elite and growing group of professionals: Scientists and engineers.
Department of Sociology Selected to Participate in NWRC Study
Venturing into Room 311 East Hall, you’d be hard-pressed to miss the rather large treadmill with attached desk. Amidst the rows and rows of old thesis books sits a TrekDesk, compliments of the NWRC (Nutrition and Wellness Research Center). Faculty and staff in the department of sociology have been lucky to be selected to participate in a study conducted by the NWRC. The purpose of the study is to determine employee reactions to and use of a TrekDesk mobile workstation in a typical office work environment. Anyone who wants to participate in the study may use the workstation whenever they want, as long as they fill out a simple log sheet at the end of each session. There are obviously many health benefits from using this workstation including weight management and lowered risks of chronic diseases. After one month, the TrekDesk will be removed from East Hall and the information will be recorded and analyzed for a future journal report.
Awards
Dr. Brian Monahan
2011 Early Achievement in Teaching Award
Veronica Rau-Mason
2011 Research Excellence Award
Adrienne Riegle
2011 Teaching Excellence Award
Dr. Cornelia Flora named W.E. B. DuBois Committee Chair for 2011-2012
Nick Around Campus
Click here for pictures of the beautiful fall colors on campus.
2011 AKD Scholarship Ceremony
Click here for photos from the annual AKD Scholarship Ceremony.
Tyler Danielson Memorial Tree Planting
Click here for photos from Tyler Danielson's Memorial Tree Planting. A scholarship in his name was given out at this past year's AKD Scholarship Ceremony
Lois Wright Morton 60th Bday Surprise!
We were able to surprise Lois Wright Morton for her 60th birthday. Click here for the photos.
Paul Lasley playing bass with the "Deuces Wild"
Paul Lasley was able to play bass alongside "Deuces Wild" when they played a show in Ames, IA. Click here for the video
New Babies
Rick Reger's grandson, Logan Richard Reger, was born on 9/15/11 and weighed 6 lbs. 6 oz.
Roshan Malik and his wife Rabia were blessed with a baby daughter, Sofia Malik. She was born on Sept. 2 and weighed 8 lbs
Congratulations to Annet Mulema and family who were blessed with a baby girl, Anastasia Nicole Kigongo Mulema. She was born on Sept. 14 and weighed 7 lbs.
Upcoming Events
Oct. 20, 7:00 PM
SWS - Sociologists for Women in Society-ISU Chapter
Critical conversation about the motion picture "The Help." Email for more info
Oct. 26, 12:00 PM
Blackboard Workshop
Wendy Harrod
113 East Hall
Nov. 11, 12:00 PM
Diego Thompson Dissertation Research
Location TBA
Nov. 17, 12:00 PM
Changing the Farmscape in the Midwest: Latino/a Landowners
Location TBA
Dec. 8, 12:00 PM
How Latina Mothers Feel about Feeding their Children in the U.S.
Kimberly Greder and Flor Romero, Location TBA
What's New With You?
Please send us a note about new roles, honors, accomplishments, or whatever that you would permit us to consider including in one of the next newsletters.
Visit our Alumni Page and fill out a virtual postcard.
Department of Sociology
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa, 50011
103 East Hall
(515) 294-6480
sociology@iastate.edu
www.soc.iastate.edu