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2017

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Articles 1261 - 1290 of 3691

Full-Text Articles in Sociology

Boxing Culture And Serious Leisure Among North-American Youth: An Embodied Ethnography, Nuno F. Ribeiro Jun 2017

Boxing Culture And Serious Leisure Among North-American Youth: An Embodied Ethnography, Nuno F. Ribeiro

The Qualitative Report

In this paper, I discuss how I followed in the footsteps of Loïc Wacquant (2004) and took a closer and personal look at boxing as a leisure activity, from the point of view of those who participate in it, using embodied ethnography as the means of research. I was curious as to how and/or if leisure theory relates and applies to boxing, given the latter’s peculiar characteristics, which seem to equate it more with “work” than with “leisure.” I sought to answer a basic question, "Why do you box?" within these theoretical and methodological frameworks, and discovered that, while Robert …

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Modernity - Man's Precarious Reality, Bror Welander Jun 2017

Modernity - Man's Precarious Reality, Bror Welander

Denison Journal of Religion

Welander examines the instability that modernity creates in life. By studying the work of sociologist Peter Berger, Welander explores some of the most important questions spawned by modernity. Traditional societies boasted a high understanding of normative values, frequently through religious institutions, whereas modernity, characterized by industrialization, urbanization, technological innovation, bureaucratization, and globalization, lacks those common, binding principles. Economic, social, ideological, and technological changes have also resulted in a new level of pluralism. While one or two societal institutions previously were able to rule society's consciousness and stabilize morality, now hundreds of thousands of institutions vie for power. Overloading people with …

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Women Of Genesis: Mothers Of Power, Olivia Depreter Jun 2017

Women Of Genesis: Mothers Of Power, Olivia Depreter

Denison Journal of Religion

DePreter argues against the common argument that women have little or no power in the biblical narrative. DePreter acknowledges that the stories of the Hebrew Bible occur during a time of patriarchy, but she does not agree that women are stripped of their power because of this. Women of the Bible are often criticized for seeming to represent a stereotype of cruelty and manipulation. DePreter argues that this should not be attributed to women's nature but rather to a marginalized group doing what they have to do to fulfill the covenant. This is seen most apparently in the stories of …

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Harnessing Shakti: The Social Implications Of Vedic And Classical Hindu Interpretations Of Female Power, Olivia Cox Jun 2017

Harnessing Shakti: The Social Implications Of Vedic And Classical Hindu Interpretations Of Female Power, Olivia Cox

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay argues that the role of women in Hindu culture during different time periods has not been defined by theological change so much as social and political change. The concept of Shakti, or woman's power, has always been present in Hindu theology, but the way in which that power has been understood differed depending on the socio-historical context. For instance, the relative stability of the Vedic period and the emphasis on domesticity and family during that period made for an atmosphere in which women were of the utmost importance. Therefore, their power was available in private life as well …

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Abraham: First Patriarch, First Prophet: Genesis 12-23 As Motive And Model For The Hebrew Prophetic Voice, Eleanor Swensson Jun 2017

Abraham: First Patriarch, First Prophet: Genesis 12-23 As Motive And Model For The Hebrew Prophetic Voice, Eleanor Swensson

Denison Journal of Religion

Swensson claims not only that Abraham is the first prophet to appear in the Hebrew Bible, but also that his intimate, friendly relationship with God is the perfect model for the relationship between humanity and divinity. Swensson identifies four markers that differentiate Abraham's relationship with God from all other human-divine relationships previously available in the text: 1) a reciprocal call between the human and the divine, 2) the gradual revelation of God's will, 3) Abraham's direct and honest communication with God, 4) an "anomic, deviant existence" that shows Abraham's complete devotion to the will of God. The reciprocal call between …

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Gustavo Gutierrez's Liberation Theology: Traditional Catholicism From The Perspective Of The Afflicted Poor, Kimberly Anne Humphrey Jun 2017

Gustavo Gutierrez's Liberation Theology: Traditional Catholicism From The Perspective Of The Afflicted Poor, Kimberly Anne Humphrey

Denison Journal of Religion

This article turns to the Liberation Theology of Gustavo Gutierrez to explore a Catholic theology that directly addresses the problem of life in the Third World. Gutierrez focuses his argument on a God of history who worked for and lived with the marginalized, most notably in the Exodus and the Christ event. Furthermore, Gutierrez argues that the Church must be a light for all people who lives amongst the oppressed, and beckons the rest of the world to follow its lead. Humphrey concludes that Guti̩rrez's theology should be considered in light of the inhumane poverty that has become commonplace in …

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The Problem Of Death And Dying In Contemporary America: A Thanatological Diagnosis And The Case For Religion, Eleanor Swensson Jun 2017

The Problem Of Death And Dying In Contemporary America: A Thanatological Diagnosis And The Case For Religion, Eleanor Swensson

Denison Journal of Religion

Swensson lays out the many obstacles that have resulted in twenty-first century Americans being unable to accept death. By examining the history of major social changes in the West, such as the Protestant reformation, as well as the current ways of dealing with death and dying, Swensson posits that improving how society deals with death and the dying must be aided by theology. Currently, social, political, and religious changes in the West have led to a general sense of loneliness, meaninglessness, and helplessness that are only intensified when a person faces death. Unfortunately, the current environment in which most people …

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Walter Rauschenbusch And The Social Gospel, Amanda Conley Jun 2017

Walter Rauschenbusch And The Social Gospel, Amanda Conley

Denison Journal of Religion

This article brings Walter Rauschenbusch's theory of the Social Gospel into the current age and argues for its continued relevancy as a social critique and a charge to create a better world. The Social Gospel was concerned with collapsing Christianity and social issues onto each other. Rauschenbusch looked to a God active in history to make his argument that Christianity must be a revolutionary faith"one invested in politics and social concerns. To do this effectively, Rauschenbusch stated that religion must be concerned on all levels of daily life"from the larger political and economic issues, to the effects of those issues …

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The Empirical Impulse: Empire And Religion As Bane And Blessing For Art, Jacquelyn Fishburne Jun 2017

The Empirical Impulse: Empire And Religion As Bane And Blessing For Art, Jacquelyn Fishburne

Denison Journal of Religion

This article rests upon the premise that empire and religion are often intertwined and reliant upon each other. Fishburne points to the time of Constantine as a world-altering example of this. After his conversion, Christianity and the Roman Empire became synonymous, with far-reaching implications. This is easily apparent when one examines the role that empire and religion played in art. Historically, this melding of religion and empire spawned an artistic revival that pushed artists into new techniques and styles. However, this new burgeoning was balanced by the strict control the Church had over artists. Art was restricted to religious subject …

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Laughter In A Time Of Tragedy: Examining Humor During The Holocaust, Whitney Carpenter Jun 2017

Laughter In A Time Of Tragedy: Examining Humor During The Holocaust, Whitney Carpenter

Denison Journal of Religion

Carpenter argues that it was humor that inspired the Jewish people to survive the Holocaust. The power of laughter is shown in three respective functions: as an alternative hermeneutic, as a form of rebellion, and as an acknowledgement of God. The first showed itself in the Jewish peoples by serving as an alternative to internalizing the despair of their situation. It provided a means through which they could detach themselves from their circumstance and choose to live in the light of a different perspective. Laughter could also serve as rebellion: by laughing at the jokes that the Nazis tried to …

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Joanna Macy: Buddhism And Power For Social Change, Caiti Schroering Jun 2017

Joanna Macy: Buddhism And Power For Social Change, Caiti Schroering

Denison Journal of Religion

This article examines Joanna Macy's theory of "despairwork" and its roots in the Sarvodaya Buddhist movement. Macy writes with the purpose of inspiring communities and individuals to look honestly at the state of the world and to respond passionately. She argues that apathy appears so common today because feigning disinterest is far easier than facing the monumental problems that face the world. From the threat of nuclear war to environmental destruction, humanity is overwhelmed by the possibility of its own end. Instead of giving in to crippling despair, Macy believes that honestly admitting the frightening possibilities can be a powerful …

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Redeeming The Atonement: Girardian Theory, Michelle Kailey Jun 2017

Redeeming The Atonement: Girardian Theory, Michelle Kailey

Denison Journal of Religion

his article shows a discomfort with the way that mainstream Christianity often discusses the atonement by deifying meekness and sacrifice, an attitude that often legitimizes the cycle of domestic abuse. The author seeks a theology that will not allow the cross to become an oppressive force against the marginalized, and finds her answer in Girardian theory. This theory proposes an understanding of human behavior in four basic stages: mimetic desire, mimetic rivalry, scapegoating sacrifice, and scapegoating myth. Mimetic desire states that humans only want what they want because they know others desire it. Next, a rivalry begins between groups that …

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A Recuperative Theology Of The Body: Nakedness In Genesis 3 And 9.20-27, Emily Toler Jun 2017

A Recuperative Theology Of The Body: Nakedness In Genesis 3 And 9.20-27, Emily Toler

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay examines the two creation stories in the Hebrew Bible, and reinterprets the nakedness present in those stories. While nakedness is frequently seen as a shameful condition of humanity, Toler reminds the reader that it is part of the creation that God declared to be "good." Though nudity is associated with tumultuous moments in the relationship between humanity and God, Toler argues that it is fear of God, not fear or shame of nakedness that motivates the uncomfortable moments like the one when Adam and Eve hid from God behind a bush. Today, nakedness is so often associated with …

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Re-Imaging Modern Jewish Theology: A Closer Look At Post-Holocaust Theology, Rebecca Grimm Jun 2017

Re-Imaging Modern Jewish Theology: A Closer Look At Post-Holocaust Theology, Rebecca Grimm

Denison Journal of Religion

Grimm argues for a more accessible theology and metaphor for God. She looks to Melissa Raphael's post-Holocaust theology as a beginning to this new trend. Raphael, who started her theological study in the thealogy movement (known for its feminization of God,) brings this knowledge to her study of the Holocaust. The traditional Jewish theological explanation of the Holocaust asserts that God was absent during the Holocaust so as not to interfere with free will. However, this ignores the experience of half of the victims of the Holocaust: women. God appeared absent to some, she says, because they were looking for …

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Cardinal Bernardin: A Framework For Consistency, Katie St. Clair Jun 2017

Cardinal Bernardin: A Framework For Consistency, Katie St. Clair

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay illuminates the tension that exists for many religious people as they consider the appropriate amount of overlap between their personal convictions and public, often political, decisions. Bernardin was the former Archbishop of Chicago and a member of the Second Vatican Council. He made recognizable efforts to enact the doctrines of Guadium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. This document is famous for its declaration that the Church's aim is to "read the signs of the times and interpret them in light of the Gospel." Bernardin exemplified this notion by writing extensively on …

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Saving God's Body From Empire: An Analysis Of American Empire According To A Metaphorical Theology By Sallie Mcfague, Megan Pike Jun 2017

Saving God's Body From Empire: An Analysis Of American Empire According To A Metaphorical Theology By Sallie Mcfague, Megan Pike

Denison Journal of Religion

In this article, Pike uses the theology of Sallie McFague to criticize imperialism, particularly its ecological consequences, and to argue for an ecologically minded economy. Under the current empire of free market capitalism, God is a patriarchal figure who legitimates the ruling order. This bestows a false sense of approval on individuals, corporations, and nations that exploit the lowly in order to increase their own profit margin. Sallie McFague believes that the metaphors used for God profoundly influence how people conceive of their relationship with God and the world around them. The current metaphor for God reveals a divinity that …

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'You Shall Worship God On This Mountain': A Theological Reading Of Discrimination & Dehumanization At Denison, Emily Toler Jun 2017

'You Shall Worship God On This Mountain': A Theological Reading Of Discrimination & Dehumanization At Denison, Emily Toler

Denison Journal of Religion

This article examines protests against prejudice on Denison's campus in 2007 through the theological perspectives of M. Douglas Meeks and Jurgen Moltmann. The author argues that these two theologians offer pieces of a theology that can categorize the experiences at Denison during that time. First, Meeks thinks of communities as "households" that are asked to work as loving and supportive families. Meeks also asks Christians to remember the triune God and to use the example of that relationship"three persons in one, all working in community for the love of others"to serve as a model for their own relationships. Moltmann's theology …

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What Does Scripture Say About Homosexuality?: Ethical Questions For Christian Communities, Emily Toler Jun 2017

What Does Scripture Say About Homosexuality?: Ethical Questions For Christian Communities, Emily Toler

Denison Journal of Religion

This article seeks to articulate a close reading of the treatment of homosexuality in the bible in order to help Christians discern an appropriate reaction to homosexuality and homosexuals on a community level. First delving into the traditional verses used to condemn homosexuality like the story of the Sodomite, the Holiness Code in Leviticus, and Paul's letter to the Romans, the author finds that these passages frequently have competing interpretations. For example, the story of the Sodomites is often told as a condemnation of rape, violence, and inhospitableness, not homosexuality. The Holiness Code could be interpreted not only as a …

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Literature, Christianity, And Empire, Laura Perrings Jun 2017

Literature, Christianity, And Empire, Laura Perrings

Denison Journal of Religion

Empires use all the weapons in their arsenal as it attempts to justify its actions. Literature has often been made a tool, but it also has a history of criticizing empire. In this essay, Perrings uses the example of the novella Oroonoko by Aphra Behn. This woman author of the 17th century uses a tale about an African prince sold into slavery in South America as a critique British Empire's dehumanization of native peoples, slaves, and women. The language that Behn uses over the course of work resonates with Christian metaphors. While religion was often used to legitimate empire, Behn …

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Changes In Sufism In The American Context, Patrick Hamilton Jun 2017

Changes In Sufism In The American Context, Patrick Hamilton

Denison Journal of Religion

This article considers the ways in which Sufism has altered since entering the American context. While in Islamic countries, Sufism's atypical rituals and interpretations of the Qur'an often made it a target of mainstream Islam. Once Sufism arrived in the United States, however, it rapidly began to change as practitioners no longer had to consider the pressures of a largely Islamic community. This does not mean, however, that there is no pluralism within Sufism in the United States. While early generations of immigrant Sufis remain more strongly tied to a traditional Islamic heritage, many of the Euro-American converts claim no …

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Desmond Tutu: A Theological Model For Justice In The Context Of Apartheid, Tracy Riggle Jun 2017

Desmond Tutu: A Theological Model For Justice In The Context Of Apartheid, Tracy Riggle

Denison Journal of Religion

The power that religion can have over society today is undeniable. Riggle laments that our culture is plagued with strong memories of terrorist attacks, and fear of religious injustices based on gender and sexuality. Instead of giving up on religion's potential for positive influence, the author turns to an example of life-giving religion. Desmond Tutu, an Anglican Archbishop and South African political activist, demonstrates the continued existence of life-giving faith. Tutu, a man influenced by his Anglican religion, his African spirituality, and Apartheid, bases his theology on imago dei, the notion that humans are made in God's own image and …

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The Tower Of Babel: The Dispersion Of God's People, Stephanie Dixon Jun 2017

The Tower Of Babel: The Dispersion Of God's People, Stephanie Dixon

Denison Journal of Religion

Dixon reimagines the story of the tower of Babel by making God's dispersion of the people a reward instead of a punishment. While this story is often read as a sign of humanity's hubris and disobedience and God's punishment, this essay choose to see the narrative as evidence of God's pride in his people and his confidence in them to populate the earth. While the vast majority of the Genesis stories show very specific interactions between particular men and women and God, this story depicts a broader narrative. Perhaps while the other stories attempt to demonstrate the relationships that exist …

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The Tower Of Babel, Laura Perrings Jun 2017

The Tower Of Babel, Laura Perrings

Denison Journal of Religion

This essay refocuses the narrative of the tower of Babel to focus not on the division of languages or cultures, but rather on the relationship with god that this division reflected. Perrings notes that while the original unified language of humanity must have eased communication between people and can be seen, particularly in this day of cultural tension and violence, that this relationship was not pleasing to god. God is not only offended by the pride of the people, but is also concerned with their inattention to his rules and also their misunderstanding of their relationship with god. The focus …

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Role Of Civil Society Organizations In Conflict Resolution And Peacebuilding In Ghana, Abdul Karim Issifu Mr Jun 2017

Role Of Civil Society Organizations In Conflict Resolution And Peacebuilding In Ghana, Abdul Karim Issifu Mr

Journal of Interdisciplinary Conflict Science

Ghana is both locally and internationally described as an oasis of peace and stability on a continent circumvented by conflicts. The country has not experienced any form of large-scale violence or civil war since independence in March 1957. Nevertheless, it is faced with pockets of relative violence, including chieftaincy conflict and land dispute, killing several people and destroying many properties. In an effort to help resolve these conflicts, the Ghanaian government ends up prolonging it due to its position in some of the conflicts. However, the review of secondary data revealed that many of the conflicts in Ghana have often …

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Monks As Model Men: Gender Anomalies Or Heroic Ideal?, Aaron Raverty Osb Jun 2017

Monks As Model Men: Gender Anomalies Or Heroic Ideal?, Aaron Raverty Osb

Saint John’s Abbey Publications

The movie The Mask You Live In portrays gender socialization for men in the United States today as dominated by a trajectory emphasizing ruthless competition, a never-ending search for prestige in material wealth, and a largely self-serving quest to overcome and control women. The movie graphically depicts all the accompanying psychological dysfunction, legal difficulties, and emotional distress experienced by boys and young men desperately trying to conform to such a scripted model of masculinity. Anthropological research invites alternate ways of thinking about the relationship between sex and gender. This is especially true among those who claim a close relationship with …

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“They Teach You How To Weather The Storm, But They Don’T Teach You How To Dance In The Rain:” Veterans’ Perspectives On The Pathways To Criminal Justice Involvement, Kelli E. Canada, Clark Peters Jun 2017

“They Teach You How To Weather The Storm, But They Don’T Teach You How To Dance In The Rain:” Veterans’ Perspectives On The Pathways To Criminal Justice Involvement, Kelli E. Canada, Clark Peters

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"Some veterans face elevated risk of mental illness, alcohol, and drug use, and difficulty adjusting post-deployment, which can increase the risk of homelessness and contact with the criminal justice system (Elbogen et al., 2012). This study adds to the limited and mixed findings regarding factors associated with criminal offending among veterans. It explores, from veterans’ perspectives, what contributes to their criminal justice involvement. In-depth interviews with 28 U.S. Veterans on probation or parole explored their military service, mental health, and the events surrounding arrests. Findings indicate that substance use was a significant contributor to arrests. Alcohol and drugs were used …

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Conjectures, Refutations, And (Elusive) Resolution: An Exercise In The Sociology Of Knowledge Within Criminology, Brendan Dooley Jun 2017

Conjectures, Refutations, And (Elusive) Resolution: An Exercise In The Sociology Of Knowledge Within Criminology, Brendan Dooley

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"An analysis of in-depth discussions (oral histories) with 17 leading criminologists on the seminal debates in which they each participated showcases the benefits of intellectual debate. Over the last half-century, the field’s understanding of crime and its control has experienced genuine gains through a vigorous exchange of conjectures and refutations. It stands to benefit from more of these. However, there is a tension between professional and scientific concerns that limits the expansion of this process. The insistence on open ended inquiry in advancing professional ends dulls the interest and opportunity for debating first principles. As a result, the field is …

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Kitty Calavita And Valerie Jenness, Appealing To Justice: Prisoner Grievances, Rights, And Carceral Logic, Talisa J. Carter Jun 2017

Kitty Calavita And Valerie Jenness, Appealing To Justice: Prisoner Grievances, Rights, And Carceral Logic, Talisa J. Carter

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"In Appealing to Justice, by Kitty Calavita and Valerie Jenness explain the grievance system of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in detail. Grievance systems are the formal internal process by which inmates contest prison conditions. Federal law requires that prisoners fully exhaust the grievance system before their claims can be heard in court. Although there may be an assumption that justice exists in systems that are charged with upholding standards of safe and humane conditions within confinement facilities, the authors find the grievance process to be riddled with inefficiencies and inequalities."

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Waverly Duck, No Way Out: Precarious Living In The Shadow Of Poverty And Drug Dealing, Jascha Wagner Jun 2017

Waverly Duck, No Way Out: Precarious Living In The Shadow Of Poverty And Drug Dealing, Jascha Wagner

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"No Way Out: Precarious Living in the Shadow of Poverty and Drug Dealing examines how the residents of “Lyford Street,” an impoverished Black neighborhood, organize for survival against the backdrop of “increasingly desperate circumstances.” Decades of deindustrialization and misguided social policies have left the neighborhood economically and socially isolated. Unemployment and poverty are rampant for young men of Lyford Street. Stripped of educational or economic opportunities, the drug trade has become their “principal employment.” However, against the “stereotypical image of the drug infested ghetto,” Waverly Duck compels us to see Lyford Street as a place with a unique social …

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Aldo Civico, The Para-State: An Ethnography Of Colombia’S Death Squads, Elena Sciandra Jun 2017

Aldo Civico, The Para-State: An Ethnography Of Colombia’S Death Squads, Elena Sciandra

Qualitative Criminology (QC)

"On August, 24, 2016, the Colombian conflict returned to the spotlight. On this day the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the last active guerrilla group, the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionaria de Colombia), had been signed after decades of discontinuous peace talks. Such discontinuity, along with other peculiarities, have long piqued the interest of scholars in this conflict; not only is it one of the longest civil wars in recent history – its origin dating back to the end of the 1950s – it has also shaped the political, economic, and cultural life of the country. Started as sectarian …

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