Sociology Commons^™

Preface, Mary Jo Deegan, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

To us, as feminist professors, the structural inequality of women is obvious. To our nonfeminist students, however, this inequality is often invisible. They believe, optimistically, that all women's problems have been solved or will be by the time they complete their undergraduate education. They are firm believers that American society is egalitarian and radically different from the world of ten or twenty years ago. This book is oriented toward our students and our vision. We, too, believe that people are flexible and can change, and that the United States Constitution guarantees equality for all citizens. We know, however, that women's …

"Martha's Rules": An Alternative To Robert's Rules Of Order, Anne Minahan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

For several years I have been teaching a social work course on how social workers can make their employing organization more responsive to consumers. We study how decisions are made in organizations. The students and I have become intrigued with the use of consensus decision-making in some organizations. Many—but by no means all—of these organizations are feminist organizations that wish to put feminist beliefs and philosophy into practice within organizations and to avoid structured administrative hierarchies for decision making. In their study of consensus decision-making organizations, students have reported that some participants are impatient with the time required by the …

Spatial Structure In Pedestrian Route Choice, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Aggregated pedestrian trip lengths typically follow gravity model predictions. Given this, the present research asks which route will a pedestrian choose when confronted by two or more distance-minimizing routes of equal length. Ethological, questionnaire, and interview data reveal the spatial structure of pedestrian route choices in terms of spatial complexity measures. Route complexity is found to vary by age and gender. The study is based on data collected in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Review Of Accommodating The Pedestrian By Richard Untermann, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Untermann undertakes to provide design professionals and other decision makers with a down-to-earth, practical guide for converting existing automobile-dominated urban areas into bicycle and pedestrian-oriented neighborhoods and cities. Based primarily on his personal observation, experience, and professional predilections, Untermann lists the presumed "needs" of pedestrians/bicyclists and presents a brief, uneven description of the "characteristics" of walking. A separate chapter, not well-integrated with the rest of the book, focuses specifically on bicyclists and bikeways. The second half of the book addresses specific improvements-primarily for pedestrians suggested by the author for older neighborhoods, downtowns, and suburban communities respectively.

Sexism In Space: The Freudian Formula In "Star Trek", Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

These words, spoken at the beginning of each televised "Star Trek" episode, set the stage for the fantastic future. Although the "Star Trek" series was cancelled in 1969 after only three years of production, it generated a large cult following that flourishes still today. One reason for the series' remarkable longevity is its depiction of the future as a Freudian fantasy. This Freudian vision draws on cultural myths embedded in the patriarchal dominance of men over women characteristic of Western civilization.

According to Freud, both sexes are driven by three instincts --- sex, aggression, and the death wish---but men have …

Walking Straight Home From School: Pedestrian Route Choice By Young Children, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Unobtrusive observations of 50 randomly selected pedestrian youngsters were made after the children had been dismissed from elementary schoois in Lincoln, Nebraska. The results demonstrate that (a) 88 percent of the students walked directly to a residential dwelling: (b) 98 percent chose a least-distance path from their school to their residence or other destination: (c) the majority of students (62 percent), by choosing to minimize distance, found their route choices reduced to a single route option:' and (d) when faced with the choice between two or more distance-minimizing routes, the children in this study selected structurally more complex routes than …

Review Of Aesthetics And The Sociology Of Art, By Janet Wolff, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

In this compactly written and generally accessible monograph, Janet Wolff outlines the contours of reductionism and ideology as central issues in the sociology of art. She provides a thorough critique of contemporary sociological practice, surgically identifying sloppy logic and intellectual imperialism in nearly every recent attempt to solve the "problem" of aesthetics sociologically. Upon completing the book, the reader will no doubt feel greatly informed about a wide range of epistemological, methodological, and ideological issues. At the same time, the reader may feel perplexed in his/her attempt to frame an answer to the question, "What's the next step?" Hence, the …

Hegemonic Life-Worlds: A Discussion Of The Phenomenology Of Routes And Connectivity In Planning And Design, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

I. Introduction

II. The Social Context of Spatiality

I I I . Class-Ernbedded Descriptions of Routes: A Personal Example

IV. Designers and Hegemony

A. Life-World Hegemony

B. Hegemony and Opposition

E. An Example of Gender-Specific Hegemony

D. Access, Disability, Physical Design and Collective Responsibility

V. Positivist Hegemony and Destruction of Human Values

VI. Positivist Conceptions of Routes

A. Arithmetizing Paths

B. Geometrizing Paths

C. Discussion: The Maze at Hampton Court

VII. Toward the Phenomenology of Routes

A. A Program of Investigation

B. Discussion

On The Possibility And Realization Of Feminist Art, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The focus of this paper is the possibility and realization of feminist art. I will move directly to the central arguments--outlining the case against and the case for the possibility of feminist art. I will argue that a sociological perspective leads one inexorably to the firm possibility of feminist art. Finally, I will open discussion toward the realization of feminist art and invite you to begin with me an exploration of sociology’s potential contributions to the realization of this feminist project.

Intellectual Violence, Democratic Legitimation, And The War Over The Family, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper presents a view of democratically rationalized repression as a framework within which to discuss Brigitte Berger and Peter L. Berger's recent anti-feminist, bourgeois apologetic: The War over the Family: Capturing the Middle Ground. The Bergers' book is presented as an example of intellectual violence, a ruthless attempt to legitimate continuing patriarchal dominance through perverted appeals to "democracy" and democratic principles of fairness and consensus.

Walking, Crossing Streets And Choosing Pedestrian Routes: A Survey Of Recent Insights From The Social/Behavioral Sciences, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Walking at first appears to be a relatively simple, mundane behavior that should pose no great puzzle for the diligent researcher in the social and behavioral sciences. The review presented here of recent studies, however, demonstrates that the behavior and experiences of ordinary pedestrians are filled with opportunities for empirical investigation and intricate theory building. But, why bring these studies together for synthesis in this volume? I suggest here that there are, in fact, several reasons that argue in favor of a timely focus on the apparently simple behavior of the pedestrian.

First, the deceptive simplicity of the pedestrian experience …

Epistemology, Axiology, And Ideology In Sociology, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This paper (a) presents a systems framework for conceptualizing epistemological issues in sociology, (b) links this framework to axiological responsibilities, and then (c) locates both the epistemological and axiological discussions within the patriarchal ideology and hierarchical power structure of American sociology. I t is argued that adopting an activist, emancipatory ideological position obligates social scientists to critically review their axiological commitments and epistemological premises. Major arguments are set in italics to permit a quick scan of the paper. These arguments form an epistemological position paper for the closing of the Twentieth Century.

Selected References On Walking, Crossing Streets, And Choosing Pedestrian Routes, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Studies on the behavior and experiences of pedestrians have continued unabated since the first major bibliography on the subject, was compiled by Dietrich Garbrecht (1971a). Numerous additions were noted in a supplement by this author (Hill, 1976a). The present bibliography summarizes and updates these earlier works. Further, it includes several related references from the environmental design research literature which significantly illuminate the general problem of understanding the pedestrian environment. References on route choice by automobile drivers have specifically been included to encourage comparisons between vehicular and pedestrian transportation modes.

This bibliography is presented without annotations. However, those seeking a summary …

Exploring Visual Sociology And The Sociology Of The Visual Arts: Introduction And Selected Bibliography, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Visual studies in the social sciences have recently begun to enjoy increased popularity. Like the interdisciplinary excitement which earlier linked. the behavioral and social sciences to problems in environmental design, this event points to yet greater potential for collaboration between the social sciences, on the one hand, and the design disciplines, on the other. Whereas the interdisciplinary environmental design movement tended to focus specifically on the relationship between humans and the built urban environment (although some landscape architects properly extended their investigations to rural and natural environments), the intersection of visual sociology and the sociology of the visual arts encompasses …

Stalking The Urban Pedestrian: A Comparison Of Questionnaire And Tracking Methodologies For Behavioral Mapping In Large-Scale Environments, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Behavioral mapping in unrestricted, outdoor environments raises methodological challenges which have led several environmental behavior researchers to employ questionnaires rather than behavioral observation as the usual method of data collection. This study provides an empirically-grounded comparison of both techniques for recovering data on routes selected by pedestrians as they engage in unrestricted travel from place to place in an urban environment. Mid-trip interception tracking provides expensive but accurate data on partial trips whereas questionnaires provide more easily obtainable data on complete trips but with a lesser degree of accuracy. The reduced level of accuracy for questionnaire data is mild, however, …

The Social Context Of Pedestrians’ Rights, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Pedestrians' rights are now problematic only as a result of the relatively recent socio-technological development of motor vehicles and their widespread socioeconomic adoption as a transportation mode. Prior to the advent of motor vehicles, the “pedestrian problem” as we know it today did not exist, This is not because pedestrians did not exist, but because it was not yet politically necessary to define pedestrians and their behavior as a “Problem”. To drive home the point, a survey of state statutes in this country reveals that the legal definition of a “pedestrian” is uniformly found within the Motor Vehicle Code of …

Review Of Contexts Of Behavior: Anthropological Dimensions, By Robert J. Maxwell, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

This book is a massive disappointment. The well-designed dust jacket indicates that Maxwell, "Describes the interaction between humans and their environments, drawing upon a wide range of ethological and anthropological research to form a comprehensive, integrated picture of human cultural ecology." This is only partially true. Maxwell describes a substantial amount of research, but his review is neither comprehensive nor well-integrated.

Maxwell throws out a bibliographic fishing net and cleans his variegated catch in slip-shod fashion. Unfortunately, his net also has gaping, unexplained holes. The best that one can say about this book is that the bibliography would have been …

Cuban Women In Popular Culture, Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Popular culture is, by and large, a disruptive influence on the Cuban goal of equality for women. This rather strong statement is based on a short visit to Cuba, but fairly extensive data sources. These include daily bombardment by muzak, two evenings at nightclubs, five Cuban long-playing record albums, three women's magazines and a popular music booklet, visits to the Bay of Pigs Exhibition, and the viewing of national-sponsored television. In other words, during even a brief stay, the visitor is in frequent contact with Cuban popular culture.

There are two origins of Cuban popular culture: foreign and indigenous. The …

Walking Into The Night – An Exercise In Integrated Pedestrian-Oriented Facilities Design, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Several of the ideas and approaches outlined in the sections above were implemented as exercises in a joint, graduate-level community planning/landscape architecture design seminar at Iowa State University during the 1980/81 winter academic quarter. Students were challenged to approach the environments utilized by pedestrians in an integrated, holistic manner. A specific focus was required for the course, however, and the co-instructors chose to concentrate on the character of the pedestrian environment as it is experienced when walking at night.

A review of the literature would lead the planner/designer to conclude that the pedestrian environment largely disappears after dark. With the …

Social/Behavioral Science Contributions To Our Understanding Of The Pedestrian Experience: A Brief Review, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Social/behavioral research of the last decade has set the stage for major advances in our understanding of pedestrians and their world. Many of these ideas could radically change our approach to planning for pedestrians. However, full-scale realization of these perspectives during the next ten to twenty years will depend, in very large part, on our receptivity as practitioners to new goals, motivations, and research methodologies which are presently gaining momentum within the social/behavioral disciplines. The discussion here reviews the. emerging outlines of this happy renaissance in pedestrian research and. underscores the philosophical, ideological, and methodological issues which are so central …

The Autobiography Of W.E.B. Dubois: An Analysis, Michael R. Hill

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The Autobiography of W.E.B. DuBois: A Soliloquy on Viewing My Life from the Last Decade of Its First Century tells the impressive and inspiring story of an individual’s struggles, defeats and accomplishments, as well as his major ideas developed during ninety years of a life dedicated to promoting racial equality and the sociological study of African- American realities in the United States. The Autobiography presents a view of American life distilled through the perceptive, analytical eyes of this country’s foremost African- American intellectual, William Edward Burghardt Dubois. Progressing from the reconstruction era at the end of the U.S. Civil …

“Sociology At Nebraska: 1884-1929,” Together With “A History Of Sociology At The University Of Nebraska,” By J.O. Hertzler, Joyce O. Hertzler, Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

At the turn of the century the University of Nebraska was one of the four leading centers of sociology in the United States. Despite this auspicious start, Nebraska has remained relatively obscure in the accounts of the history of Sociology. This is partially a result of its size: until 1959 the faculty consisted of only five members and was oriented to a small but quality graduate program. The document which follows is an original manuscript recording the early history of the department. It was written by Joyce O. Hertzler in the Winter of 1929. This rough draft, now yellowing and …

George Herbert Mead And Social Reform: His Work And Writings, Mary Jo Deegan, John S. Burger

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

There are two popular myths concerning the eminent philosopher and social psychologist George Herbert Mead: that he published little during his lifetime and that Mind, Self, and Society is his most important sociological work. This misrepresentation of Mead's contributions is partially grounded in the neglect of his work and writings on social reform. The misrepresentation of the significance of the almost seventy articles Mead wrote during his lifetime distorts the meaning of his concepts and has profound implications for symbolic interactionists who claim Mead as one of their founding fathers.

American Drama And Ritual: Nebraska Football, Mary Jo Deegan, Michael Stein

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Football is a major sport in the United States because of its dramatic enactment of social values of violence, bureaucracy, sexism, and commercialism. The spectators of this game are particularly enthralled in the state of Nebraska. Here, a state with a large geographical area and a small, predominanty rural population, the ~' fans have elevated Nebraska football to a significant ritual and source for identification. As avid supporters they dress in the team colors, red and white; participate in pre- and postgame celebrations; travel great distances; and emotionally express their loyalty and dedication to "Big Red."

By combining the dramaturgical …

Invited Response To James J. Kilpatrick’S “And Some Are More Equal Than Others”, Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

It is difficult to take Mr. Kilpatrick's column seriously. Not only is it written in a light-hearted vein, like many remarks written on minority groups and women, but also it takes an illogical and indefensible position. Somehow, I gather, the reader is supposed to feel that women should not be in half of the illustrations relating to society. In "reality" they are 51% of the population, so perhaps Mr. Kilpatrick is referring to a different reality than the one where women live. It would be interesting to know where this" reality" exists. In an additionally inexpicable manner there is supposed …

Ritual Appraisement In White Singles’ Bars: From A Woman’S Perspective, Mary Jo Deegan

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Singles bars provide a unique opportunity to observe sexual norms and mores in action. This set of expectations is particularly visible in these spots because they accentuate the mobility and "meat market" aspects of selection of dating partners. The meat market bargaining process is an important part of this ritual introduction, and it is a major organizing concept in the analysis.