Digital Commons Network^™

Introduction: This Bridge We Are Building: “Inner Work, Public Acts”, Chris Bobel, Tim Sieber, Karen L. Suyemoto, Shirley Tang, Ann Torke

Chris Bobel

The symposium for which this is an introduction arose like a flower out of soil usually not known for nourishing vibrant, critical intellectual reflections: routine university governance committee work. All authors have been co-members for two years of the Diversity Committee, of the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Sciences and Mathematics, at the University of Massachusetts Boston. While it is true that most of us share wider intellectual and programmatic collaborations outside this committee, it was genuinely the task of doing our committee work that gave impetus to this panel. For this symposium, we used as an …

A Study Of Japanese Animation, Michele Gibney

Michele Gibney

This paper takes a sociological approach to the question of popular culture’s ability in Japan--specifically that of Japanese animation--to be reflective of the country's sociological concerns. This is not to say that all anime shows consciously reflect Japanese life, but by extrapolation of recurrent themes one can construct a model of certain sociological issues in Japan. The author split the paper up into five sections each of which tackles a different theme. These sections are: Education, Social and Class Differences, Environment, Post-Nuclear Visions, and An Emergent Feminism. The main point that the author conveys in each section is a way …

Sudden Death And The Myth Of Cpr / Book Review, David B. Sugarman

David B Sugarman

Whether we think about Miracle Max, quoted above, or Dr. Mark Green from the television show, ER, our society harbors a stereotype of emergency healthcare practitioners who serve the public interest by rescuing critically ill or injured individuals from sudden death, that is, the termination of cardiopulmonary functioning. Stefan Timmermans, a Brandeis University sociologist, offers both the general public and the academic reader a backstage view of our healthcare system's failing attempt to live up to the mythical images that we have constructed. His observations are simultaneously enlightening and disturbing.

Why All The Counting? , Roger D. Clark

Roger D. Clark

This article addresses the question of why counting has figured so prominently in feminist social science studies of children’s literature. It documents the quantitative approach to children’s books used by both liberal and radical feminists, gives an account of why this approach has been so popular among feminist social scientists, and outlines some of the achievements and limitations of this approach. The article also indicates some reasons why recent, multicultural feminist, social science studies have used a more qualitative approach to children’s literature, as well as some reasons to expect that one might count on a greater balance of qualitative …

Multinational Corporate-Investment And Womens' Participation In Higher-Education In Noncore Nations, Roger D. Clark

Roger D. Clark

This article posits a theoretical connection between multinational corporate (MNC) investment and women's participation in higher education in noncore nations. It suggests that because MNC investment encourages a "breed-and-feed" ideology for women, the prejudicial hiring of men in high-status occupations, and the lack of state regulation of gender discrimination, its presence skews the demand for higher education away from women. Panel regression analyses of data from 66 noncore and 44 peripheral nations indicate considerable support for this position.

Reflections On Visual Field Research, Kenneth Tunnell

Kenneth Tunnell

This article describes ongoing visual field research by focusing on its self-reflective and auto-ethnographic components. Photographs and field notes are presented and personal encounters from the field are described. Recognizing the symbiotic order of the personal and political, the author details confrontations and emotions from ongoing efforts at recording visually.

The Role Of ‘Workplace Family’ Support On Worker Health, Exhaustion And Pain, Linda A. Treiber, Shannon N. Davis

Linda A. Treiber

Discursive Fault Lines: Reproducing White Habitus In A Racially Diverse Community, Meghan A. Burke

Meghan A. Burke