Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley’s Post

Voter registration is vital in a democracy because it ensures that eligible citizens can participate in the electoral process. Join Dr Awa Ibnou Oumar, specialist in electoral sociology in this webinar titled Mobilising the next generation of voters as we delve on the importance of voters registration in a democracy Join the Chanel below to stay informed and get the link for the webinar https://lnkd.in/gm-5GRXe Together let's amplify our voices during this electoral process. #Politicos #YourVotesCount #EmpowerTheYouth #VoterRegistrationCampaign #CivicEngagement #Cameroon

Equity workshop announcement The City University of New York's Stone Center on Socio-Economic Inequality will be hosting Inequality by the Numbers 2024 workshop June 3-7, 2024. The workshop will take a broad approach to the study of socio-economic inequalities, spanning gaps in income, wealth, employment, wages, education, social mobility, politics, health, housing, the impacts of climate change, interactions with the criminal-legal system, and other topics. Applications are open to Ph.D. students & early-career scholars who work in a range of social science disciplines—incl anthropology, economics, sociology, political science, psychology, public policy, social work, and related fields. They also welcome applicants with backgrounds in journalism, nonprofit organizations, and other fields outside of academia. Applications are due 3/12/24 Details: https://lnkd.in/gZ2Aqxwb #Workshop #Training #Equity #Demography #Sociology #Health #PublicHealth #Economics #PoliticalScience #Journalism

Professor Megan Thiele Strong and former California State Assembly member Paul Fong, both at San Jose State University College of Social Sciences, provide feasible steps for increasing student knowledge about and interest in running for elected office: (1) "a clear map of which courses they can take to make themselves a viable and robust political candidate", (2) "use the resources we have" (instructors who have served as elected officials), (3) "network" and "invite local, state and federal representatives onto campus and into our classrooms". Read the rest of their insights on #goodgovernance in Inside Higher Ed. #CoSSproud #democracy #educatingfutureleaders

Dunja Antunovic, PhD, Nicole M. LaVoi, PhD, and Kim Soltis, graduate student in Sport Sociology, and a team of affiliated scholars with the Tucker Center, published a chapter that examines the role of advocacy in women's sports teams' communication strategies on social media. The chapter titled "Advocacy in women's sport: Business opportunity and/or political action?" is in a book titled "Media, women, and the transformation of sport: From Title IX to NIL."

A few weeks ago, in one of our sociology classes, we’re discussing “social exclusion”. Now, the thing with erudite professors, at times, is that they’ve a brimming sea of knowledge, newer waves of which keep embracing the shores of their minds and tongues. So, the class discussion got diverted to poverty, its attributional and structural theories. We also discussed the functionalist viewpoint on poverty, and the practical yet radical measures that can be taken to crackdown on it. Of note, during the discussion, I got futher convinced that our socioeconomic system has taken such firm root over the years that to bring about its overhaul seems beyond a pipe dream. However, right then, what our prof said instantly uplifted my dismayed spirits as a mindful citizen; sharing his thoughts with you (not quoting verbatim): “There’s no society in this world where inequality doesn’t exist, but the omnipresence of inequality doesn’t justify inequality; it doesn’t make the wrong right at all. We must thus instead begin to see equality as a rightful aspiration — as an ideal we should all be striving to achieve.” Peace. — Varisha // #foodforthought

The 'Universe 25' experiment is one of the most disturbing studies in the history of science, carried out by American scientist John Calhoun between 1958 and 1962. Calhoun designed an ideal environment for rats, called "Mouse Paradise", with abundant food, water and space, in order to study the social dynamics of a growing population. Initially, the colony prospered, but after 317 days, population growth began to stagnate. Upon reaching 600 mice, serious social problems arose: hierarchies were established, the strongest individuals began to attack others, and aggressive and maladaptive behaviors emerged, such as violence between females and a lack of reproductive interest in males. As passive, non-reproductive (beautiful mice) males dominated, the birth rate plummeted, juvenile mortality reached 100%, and the colony collapsed into cannibalism and homosexuality. The experiment was repeated 25 times, each time with similar results, and has been used to model the study of social collapse and urban sociology. #Re5pect

And perhaps in a similar vein to the post below by @ProfessorDamienPage, the UK government is looking to defund #Criminology at Level 3 ... why take the time to learn about the biopsychosocial factors which impact upon decisions to undertake criminal activities, when you could just encourage uninformed and passive acceptance of our woefully underfunded system and a policy focus on retributive rather than rehabilitative sanctions?

The Impact of Women’s Social Capital on Power Relations in the Family Institution https://lnkd.in/eW6Jy6ss Rashvand Sorkhkouleh, M., Mirhosseini, Z., & Shariati, R. (2024). The Impact of Women’s Social Capital on Power Relations in the Family Institution. Sociology of Social Institutions, 11(23), 154-176. doi: 10.22080/ssi.2024.26779.2176 #women   #familyinstitution   #socialcapital   #powerrelations

O’Connell, H. A. (2019). Historical shadows: The links between sundown towns and contemporary black–white inequality. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 5(3), 311-325. Abstract: I contribute to our understanding of black–white inequality in the United States by assessing the legacy of “sundown towns.” Sundown towns are places that restrict who can live there based on ideas about race. The often-violent tactics employed to create and maintain all-white spaces reshaped dramatically the demographic and social landscape of the non-South. I extend previous research on sundown towns by examining their association with contemporary black–white economic inequality. In addition, I advance a new theoretical perspective to explain how the history associated with sundown towns contributes to contemporary inequality, namely large-scale segregation. To assess the contemporary impact of sundown history, I employ a dataset on places connected to sundown towns in the eastern Midwest and county data from the 2008–2012 American Community Survey (ACS) period estimates. In addition, I use standard ordinary least squares (OLS) and spatial data analysis techniques to provide a multifaceted assessment of the contribution of sundown towns to contemporary black–white inequality. This analysis extends our understanding of the social impact of historical legacies and emphasizes the importance of the protection of white advantage and large-scale segregation when explaining the (re)production of black–white inequality in the United States. Keywords: sundown towns, racial inequality, historical legacy If this post grasps your interest, please feel free to comment or email me at: Babylonnegus2010@gmail.com #rudisonconsultancygroupllc #recruitmentmarketing #culturalequityaudits #histroicalservices #culturalstrategies

The tipping point in sociology In the 1950s, Morton Grodzins popularized the concept of the "tipping point," describing 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 at which a social group rapidly and irreversibly adopts a once rare, contested, or uncommon practice. Some argue that a mere 3.5% of the population is sufficient to catalyze a non-violent revolution. According to American commentator Malcolm Gladwell (in his book "The Tipping Point : How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference"), this influential tipping point is more likely around 10% of a population. This marks the level at which a committed minority can change social norms, pulling the silent majority along with them. But as you can see in this video https://lnkd.in/ddDJPKhJ, it'd be more like 15% of the population. ;) The context and mode of engagement also influence these figures, with tangible actions often proving more effective than social media shares. For instance, as illustrated by Thomas Wagner (Bon Pote), a mobilization of 1% of the French population in front of the Élysée Palace advocating for strict climate laws could have a more significant impact than 5% expressing complaints on Facebook. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱 : a committed minority within a company can influence the organizational culture well beyond its size ! The tipping point is not merely a sociological concept but is also applicable to businesses. Understanding this threshold can be the key to anticipating trends, initiating positive changes, and ensuring the sustainability of your business. #TippingPoint #SocialChange #BusinessInnovation #Leadership #Sustainability #BeezConsultingCH