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5/08/2012
Stice Memorial Lecture: Understanding the Increased Prevalence of Autism
Presented by Peter Bearman, Columbia University
Autism rates have increased dramatically over the past thirty years. In California, reported cases have gone up more than 600% just in the past two decades. Why remains a mystery. In his talk, Peter Bearman will discuss how spatial and temporal patterns can provide important insight into what’s behind the surge. His work focuses on influences of environment, genetics, and social awareness. His research shows how we can explain more than half of the increase, and points to ways of thinking about the autism "epidemic" that help us understand what caused so many children to be diagnosed with autism. His talk is based on research supported by the NIH Pioneer Award over the past 5 years
4/16/2012
From Leipzig to Tunis: Understanding People Power Revolutions in the Contemporary World
Presented by Steven Pfaff
In recent decades, spontaneous, peaceful popular rebellions have startled us with their ability to topple authoritarian regimes that seemed well-entrenched. What propels these "people power" movements, and why do hardline governments sometimes buckle when faced with massive popular opposition? Extending insights from the East German revolution of 1989, Pfaff will discuss the rebellion that began in Leipzig in 1989 and rapidly brought down the communist government. He then considers the case of Tunisia and the December 2010 popular uprising that overthrew the Ben Ali regime in the space of a few weeks and helped trigger the regional "Arab Spring".
5/03/2011
Bad Policy, Dead Baby Girls: An investigation of Infant Survival in Rural China
Presented by William Lavely
In rural China, despite an enviable record of improvement in health and infant mortality, the survival of baby girls has lagged abnormally behind that of boys. Findings from an intensive mixed-method investigation of a single county in southwest China suggest explanations, with implications for an understanding of the “missing girls” phenomenon, the role of population policy, and problems with cause of death statistics.
3/01/2011
Sex on the Move
Presented by Sara Curran
With newly available census files from around the globe we can observe historic and contemporary migration of men and women as never before. What we’ve learned is that by 2000 women are migrating in unprecedented proportions and numbers! These census-documented moves likely undercount the amount of female migration that results via informal and nefarious human trafficking networks.
The reasons for such rapidly rising and sustained female migration signal both rising female independence and vulnerabilities. The positive and negative consequences of female migration implicate profound changes to family, community, and societies in both origin and destination countries.
This lecture will discuss what we now know about past and contemporary female migration and discuss how immigration policies around the world are variously cognizant of this change in female spatial mobility.
12/01/2010
Sex Across the Life Course
Presented by Pepper Schwartz
Sex research has come of age and given us a much better vision of sex lives over the life cycle. This lecture will take a look at late adolescence and early adulthood, middle age, and later middle age (old age is the day before you die) and see what new research can tell us about cultural (and perhaps physical) trends. We will take a closer look at casual and uncommitted sexual relations as well as sexuality in marriage or other kinds of committed heterosexual and same-sex unions.
5/06/2010
Business Without Borders: Starbucks, Boeing, and You: Wage and Salary Determination in Our Deregulated and Disorganized Age
Presented by Jake Rosenfeld
Why do workers get paid what they do? Over the past few decades, U.S. companies have dramatically altered the way they allocate wages and salaries to their employees. These changes have corresponded with significant shifts in economic institutions, including the near disappearance of organized labor in the private sector, and the rapid deregulation of key industries. In this talk Professor Rosenfeld will examine how recent changes in workplace pay policies relate to a broader institutional restructuring of the U.S. economy, and how this new economic order affects inequality among American workers.
Jake Rosenfeld is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. His research focuses on changes in pay-setting institutions in the United States. His recent published work examines the political and economic consequences of labor union decline. With support from the Royalty Research Fund at the University of Washington, a second ongoing project investigates the rise of performance based pay practices in the workplace and how this development affects wage inequality.
3/04/2010
Business Without Borders: Wal-Mart, China, and You
Presented by Gary Hamilton
Wal-Mart is a firm that everyone has an opinion about. Some love it, some loathe it. But what most people don't realize is that Wal-Mart is one of a number of firms that is substantially changing the global economy. Wal-Mart is part of a retail revolution that started in the 1960s and that continues today. This revolution is not simply Wal-Mart's doing, but rather Wal-Mart is part of a broad movement that has increasingly taken economic power out of the hands of manufacturers and put it in the hands of merchants. Who drives this revolution? You, the consumer. What is the consequence of your consumer choices? The concentration of global manufacturing in China and elsewhere in Asia. Who is the beneficiary of this revolution? Wal-Mart and other global retailers. Is this revolution good or bad for Americans? That is for you to decide.
A specialist in East Asian economies, Gary Hamilton will examine Wal-Mart's rise as one of the world's largest corporations against the backdrop of their involvement in China, the world's fastest growing economy.
4/24/2009
Genocide, Lynching, and Murder: "Just the Facts, Ma’am”: Investigating Murder Myths
Presented by Joe Weis
UW Sociology Professor Joe Weis discusses the myths surrounding murder.Is the Pacific Northwest the serial murder capital of the world?
Is this is the most dangerous time to live in the history of the U.S.?
Are child abductions by strangers on the rise? Are gangs responsible for a significant percent of murders? Drawing primarily on research on murder in Washington State and from a national study of child abduction murders, the accuracy or illusion of many apparent “facts” about murder will be examined.
2/26/2009
Genocide, Lynching, and Murder: Strung Up and Riddled with Bullets: Southern Lynch Mobs and their Victims
Presented by Stewart Tolnay
UW Sociology Professor Stewart Tolnay will discuss the history of lynching in the American South and the different explanations that have been offered for this phenomenon. What evidence supports or contradicts these explanations? How do the characteristics of the lynch victims compare to those of the general population? Professor Tolnay's research will bring these answers to light.
10/30/2008
Genocide, Lynching, and Murder: Ending Genocide: Reality Confronts Wishful Thinking
Presented by Daniel Chirot
UW Sociology Professor Daniel Chirot gives an explanation of the main causes of mass politically inspired murder, what has been done in the past to try to mitigate violent political conflict, and what can be done now.
At the same time, he will point out why most of the activism on this issue, for example in Darfur, rather misses the point and is largely ineffective.
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