The University of Akron
AKRONews
Department of Sociology
Takyi
Fall 2011 Issue
Editor: Dr. Baffour K.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR INTERIM CHAIR
Welcome to the Fall 2011 edition
of AKRONews, the annual
newsletter of the Department of
Sociology at the University of
Akron.
I am pleased to serve the
Department as Interim Chair for a
second year. I am assisted by Dr.
Kathy Feltey (Associate Chair of Sociology, as well as
Interim Director of Women’s Studies), Dr. Stacey
Nofziger (Graduate Director), and Dr. Valerie Callanan
(Undergraduate Director). I am grateful for their help and
the myriad ways in which they go beyond the call of duty
on a regular basis. Special thanks to Dr. Rebecca
Erickson for her many years of excellent service as
Graduate Director. As with last year, Tammy Dixon and
Christi Terry keep things running smoothly in the front
office. Unfortunately for us, Cindy Steinel was reassigned
to serve the College of Arts and Sciences as part of a
University-wide reorganization of technical support. We
will miss Cindy and we appreciate the great help she
provided for over a decade. We are also sad that Dr.
Rachel Schneider will relocate to Columbus at the end of
spring semester. Dr. Schneider graduated from our Ph.D.
program and has served us well as a College Lecturer. In
fact, she was promoted this fall to Associate College
Lecturer.
We are most pleased that Dr. Adrianne Frech has joined
us this fall as an Assistant Professor (see page 6).
Although she has been with us less than a year, she has
already published in the top Sociology journal (American
Sociological Review). Not a bad start! We are also happy
that Dr. Julie Abi Ghanem has joined us as a Senior
Lecturer. Her timely research on military expenditures
and economic development is described on page 12.
Sociology is also proud to be the new home of the
Women’s Studies Program.
As you can see from reading the rest of this newsletter,
we have been very busy since the previous issue.
Highlights include Dr. Feltey’s prestigious teaching
award (see page 2), Dr. Tausig and Dr. Fenwick’s
important new book (page 2), and Dr. Callanan’s groundbreaking research being featured in an LA Times article
(see page 3). One of our graduate students (Marci
Cottingham) was also featured in the national media for
her innovative work (see page 14). Daniela Jauk, another
graduate student, was elected to as the representative to
the United Nations for the national Sociologists for
Women in Society and Dr. Jennifer L. Steele successfully
defended her dissertation on May 2011 and is now on the
faculty at Walsh University (see pages 14 and 16 for
other news about our graduate students). Don’t miss the
alumni and adjunct faculty briefs on page 12 and you can
see pictures of our new graduate students on page 17.
Enjoy reading the rest of the newsletter and please stay in
touch with us. We love hearing from you. Thanks again
to Dr. Takyi for putting this together.
Drs. Mark Tausig and Rudy Fenwick were panelists on a Special Plenary Session on Business Cycles
ant its Implications for Work Organizations and Health
at the Work, Stress and Health Conference, Orlando FL, May.
FACULTY AWARDS
AND RECOGNITION, 2011
Fenwick, Rudy, and Mark Tausig
served as members of the International
Scientific Organizing Committee for
the APA/NIOSH/CDC Work, Stress,
Health Conference in Orlando, FL,
May 2011.
Dr. Kathryn Feltey
Dr. Feltey, associate professor of
sociology and interim director of
the Women’s Studies Program was
honored by the North Central Sociological Association. The NCSA
presented Dr. Feltey with the 2011
Aida Tomeh Distinguished Service
Award.
Dr. Brian Pendleton
Dr. Pendleton (PI) received a $21,795 grant from the
Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services1. The Prime Award is provided
through a federal SAPT Block grant
from SAMHSA and will be used for
his project titled “The University of
Akron Alcohol Abuse Reduction Initiative [#99-8485-HEDUC-P-110100].”
The award recognizes a member who has provided outstanding service to the NCSA, either through a single
exceptional activity, activities over an extended period
of time or throughout the recipient's professional career.
Dr. Feltey joined the NCSA during her first year as a
graduate student. Since then, she has served in many
important leadership roles, including council member,
vice president and president. She has also been a presenter, chair, organizer, or discussant at 17 NCSA meetings in the last 22 years. She has chaired the Membership Committee, the Nominations Committee, and the
Race, Gender, and Ethnicity Committee. She has been a
member of the Student Awards Committee, the Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award
Committee, and the Scholarly Achievement Award
Committee. She is a past recipient of the Schnabel Distinguished Contributions to Teaching Award.
Dr. Valarie Callanan
Dr. Callanan was the recipient of the 2009-2010 Faculty
Mentoring Award presented by the local chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta, the International Sociology Honorary
Society at the 2011 Banquet and Awards.
Dr. Callanan received a Faculty Research Grant for
$10,000 to to collect preliminary data that will lead to
the resubmission of a larger $300,000 grant proposal to
the National Institute of Justice.
Dr. Callanan’s research on gender and suicide was
cited in the Los Angeles Times (http://
www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-menwomen-suicide-20110830,0,2002990.story ) , and on
the WJW-TV ( http://www.fox8.com/health/la-heb-men
-women-suicide-20110830,0,5545194.story).
Dr. Mark Tausig
Dr. Tausig was appointed Associate Editor for the journal:
Society and Mental Health. He will serve till 2011. Other
appointments:
Committee on Sections, American Sociological Association, 2010-2012.
[See Next Page for a reprint of the LA Times article]
Chair, Committee on Sections, American Sociological
Association, 2011-2012
Dr. Callahan has been promoted to an Associate
professor as of this semester! Congrats!
Drs. Mark Tausig and Rudy Fenwick published a
book titled “Work and Mental Health in Social Context.” The book was published by Springer Publishers
as part of their series on social disparities in health and
health care (see picture below).
Dr. Rudy Fenwick
2
Men nearly twice as likely as women to use a method
that disfigures the face or head when taking their own
lives
ON WHY MEN AND WOMEN MAY
CHOOSE DIFFERENT SUICIDE METHODS
Women who commit suicide are more likely than men to
avoid facial disfiguration, but not necessarily in the name
of vanity. Valerie Callanan from the University of Akron
and Mark Davis from the Criminal Justice Research Center at the Ohio State University, USA, show that there are
marked gender differences in the use of suicide methods
that disfigure the face or head. While firearms are the preferred method for both men and women, women are less
likely to shoot themselves in the head.
A study looking at differences in suicide methods between
men and women found that while women are less likely to
shoot themselves in the head than men, there may be specific reasons why they choose to die that way.
Researchers from the University of Akron and Ohio State
University examined 621 suicides that occurred from 1997
to 2006 in Summit County, Ohio. In addition to looking at
methods of suicide and what led up to them they also divided the data by gender to see if men's and women's
means to suicide were different.
Although a number of studies have looked at gender differences in suicide risk, few have examined gender differences in suicide methods. Understanding gender differences in suicide methods has important implications for
suicide prevention efforts. Callanan and Davis examined
the medical examiner's files of 621 suicide cases in Summit County, Ohio in the US, covering a 10-year period
(1997-2006). They found that women were significantly
less likely than men to use suicide methods with the potential to disfigure the face or head. Indeed, men were
nearly twice as likely as women to have used such methods.
Men were almost twice as likely as women to use a method
that disfigured their face or head. Several theories have
been given for this phenomenon: that women are more concerned with their physical appearance, even in death; that
women aren't as familiar with guns as men are; and that
women don't want to upset their loved ones who might find
their disfigured bodies.
But in exploring the data, the researchers discovered two
things that were linked with the likelihood of women shooting themselves in the face or head: having prior suicide attempts and experiencing stressful events leading up to the
suicide.
The researchers also found that for every one-unit increase in blood alcohol level, the odds of using a disfiguring method increased by nearly 10 percent. Gender, age,
stressful life events and prior suicide attempts all predicted the use of methods that disfigure the face and head.
"The findings suggest that women who have earlier unsuccessful suicide attempts may later try again using more lethal methods," the authors wrote. "This counteracts gendered assumptions that attempts by women are merely cries
for help."
The authors conclude: "To suggest that women are less
likely to shoot themselves in the face or head because
they are more concerned about their appearance than men
is to minimize the significance of the act of suicide. What
we do know is that those experiencing stressful life events
are at far greater risk of employing an especially lethal
method of suicide than those not experiencing such
events."
By examining differences in suicide methods between men
and women, they added, better prevention strategies can be
developed.
Source: Callanan, VJ & Davis MS. 2011. Gender and
suicide method: do women avoid facial disfiguration? Sex
Roles: Published online, 27th August.
Copyright: Jeannine Stein, LA Times, August 30, 2011
Copyright/Credits: http://www.healthcanal.com/mentalhealth-behavior/20141-Suicide-methods-differ-betweenmen-and-women.html
Dr. Callahan
3
Dr Baffour K. Takyi
Professor Takyi joined 13 expert
group members from around the
world to present his work on African
families at a United Nations Expert
Group Meeting held at the UN in
New York between June 3-6.
The recommendations and papers
stemming from the meeting were used in writing the
2011 Report of the Secretary-General in preparation for
the Observance of the 20th Anniversary of the International Year of the Family.
Apart from his presentation titled “Transformations in
the African Family: A Note on Migration, HIV/AIDS
and Family Poverty Alleviation Efforts in Sub-Saharan
Africa,” he also served as a moderator for a session on
anti-poverty policies on families in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
Dr.
Frech
Dr. Rebecca J. Erickson
http://www.latimes.com/health/
boostershots/la-heb-unwedmothers-poor-health20110602,0,3427429.story?
track=rss
Adriane
Assistant Professor Adrianne Frech’s research was
cited by several the media outlets.
For further information, check the
following links:
Elected, Chair of the UA Graduate
Council’s Student Policy Committee
for 2011-2012.
http://jezebel.com/5808187/what-being-a-single-mom++-or-getting-married-++-does-to-your-health
Professor Erickson was quoted in a
PhysOrg.com story on empathy fatigue in the workplace. Text is available at http://medicalxpress.com/
news/2011-12-empathy-fatigueworkplace.html .
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20110603/
sc_livescience/singlemomshavepoorerhealthinmilife
Adrainne’s research on mothers in the workforce is
noted in a Huffington Post story. Text is available at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-damaske/all-duerespect-to-norman_b_1105078.html (see next page for a
reproduction of this news).
Dr. Robert L. Peralta
Associate Professor Peralta
was the keynote speaker at
the 2011 University of Wisconsin System AODA Symposium held at the Holiday
Inn Convention Center, Stevens Point, WI on October
12. This year’s symposium
focused on the intersection
between alcohol and other drug abuse, violence, inequality, and identity.
Dr. Frech also received an Honorable Mention for the
2011 Roberta Simmons award for Best Dissertation in
Medical Sociology at the 2011 ASA meetings.
See: https://charge.wisc.edu/uwsa/aoda2011.asp
4
Mom Is Buying and Making
Thanksgiving Turkey This
Year
Angela worked part-time and she concurred, telling
me, "Not that I treat myself all the time but it makes
me feel a little more at ease to say that we could. I
could do some extra stuff and not feel like I'm just taking my husband's money."
As the holidays approach, more moms than ever are both
buying and making the turkey that will be on the table
Thanksgiving day. Last week, the Census published a
report showing that 73% of new mothers aged 20 and
older (and 76% of those 22 and older) worked during
their pregnancies. Of those working, 80 percent returned
to work within a year after giving birth.
Even women who worked for low-wages explained
that working gave them the ability to spring for the
occasional pizza or child's toy, because of the greater
sense of economic security that came with paid employment. Maritza, a mom who worked full-time making $20,000 annually, said, "My first paycheck -- I
said, 'Wow.' It felt good."
Not only are more moms working during pregnancy and
soon after their first birth, but they are also increasingly
returning to work once their children are school-aged.
Preliminary results from a study I am conducting with
Professor Adrianne Frech at the University of Akron suggests that only 10% of mothers remain out of the workforce until their youngest is 12, according to data from
the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979.
All due respect to Norman Rockwell, but it's time to
repaint the portrait of America and show an accurate
picture of family and holidays. Mothers are more
likely than not to be earning part of the family income
this year. And our best shot to improve our economy
around the holidays (and throughout the year) may be
to promote programs that support women's continued
employment. Greater access to paid maternity leave
(the Census reported that only 50% of moms have
this) and universal childcare for pre-school age children would be a step in the right direction.
As the holidays approach, it is often speculated that
working brings moms guilt about whether they will have
time to do it all -- manage work, family and all of the
holiday events. But my research suggests that working
may mean something else to moms and their families:
greater consumer confidence at the holidays.
This holiday, let's be thankful for our mothers and our
fathers and all they do to raise the children of this
country. And let's take our thanks a step further by
recognizing that American parents feel squeezed at
work and at home and by developing federal and
workplace policies that address the challenges parents
face now that most adults in families are working.
In my study of 80 randomly sampled women from New
York City, I found that working increased women's confidence about their family's financial situation, regardless
of their class position. While working and earning an
income certainly increased the family's overall economic
well-being, it also increased the women's sense of the
family's financial security. Women who worked explained that it gave them an increased sense of selfreliance and independence.
Courtesy: Sarah Damaske. Author, 'For the Family?
How Class and Gender Shape Women's Work.'
Online at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarahdamaske/all-due-respect-to-norman_b_1105078.html
We've known for a while that women are the main consumers in the family. But women who work may feel
more comfortable in that role, as my respondents did.
Irene explained, "When you go out to make a salary, you
can go out and buy whatever [you] want, because [you]
earned it."
5
An interview with Dr. Adrianne Frech
I feel so lucky to be here at UA. The faculty have
been warm and welcoming ever since my initial interview, and I think it's important to feel like part of
a community in the workplace. I immediately felt
that UA was different from many other departments
in that the faculty and graduate students seem to
genuinely like one another and help each other out.
On top of this, the faculty are all accomplished researchers. I get the best of both worlds by being
around really smart & productive colleagues who
are also genuinely warm and friendly people.
Dr. Frech earned her Ph.D. in sociology from The
Ohio State University in 2009 and did a two year postdoctoral research at Rice
University in Texas before joining our department . Since joining the
department, she has
given a talk on how to
recruit students from low
socioeconomic status
(SES) and non-white students into medical research at NEOMED
(formerly NEOUCOM).
SOCNews: Can you tell us something about your
research: past, present and future plans?
My previous research placed a strong focus on the
mental health consequences and benefits of marital
transitions. Since my time at Ohio State, I've broadened my research by looking at both physical and
mental aspects of health all across the life course. I
expect to continue to focus not just on young adults,
as I have in the past, but also older adults, children
and teens, and the middle-aged. I also look less at
just marriage now, and have started to examine the
relationships between work and living away from
parents along with marriage and cohabitation.
She was recently recognized by the Medical Sociology
Section for the award for honorable mention for outstanding dissertations defended within 2 years prior to
the meeting in August 2011. Her research focuses on
the relationships between family transitions, employment, and mental and physical aspects of health, with a
focus on long-term trajectories of well-being.
SOCNews Editor: Welcome to our department. If
you don’t mind, I will like to ask you a few questions that our readers would love to know about
you!
On a lighter note, Dr Frech recently purchased a
house in Cuyahoga Falls where she tells me that she
is really enjoying running and hiking in the area
parks with her husband. She thinks it's really wonderful to return to her native Ohio after their time in
Texas!
Dr Frech: Sure I will be glad to do so!
SOCNews: What drew you to Sociology when you
were a student?
The first thing that drew me to Sociology was that it
included things that economics and political science did
not do-- a focus on the consequences of inequality for
mental and physical aspects of well-being. Economics
in particular seems to accept social inequalities as a
given, and not inherently problematic. Sociologists acknowledge that large inequalities are often problematic
in societies.
SOCNews readers and the whole department
take this opportunity to welcome you to UA. We
hope you enjoy your stay here in Akron.
SOCNews: Why Akron U? In other words why did
you decide to join our faculty?
I feel so lucky to be here at UA. The faculty have been
warm and welcoming ever since my initial interview,
and I think it's important to feel like part of a community in the workplace. I immediately felt that UA was
6
Associate chair of our Department, Professor Kathy Feltey
has been appointed the interim Director for UA’s
Women’s Studies program.
TRANSITIONS and HAPPEININGS!
Dr. Baffour K. Takyi
The Program offers an Undergraduate Certificate and Minor and a Graduate Certificate
in Women’s Studies.
Ended his tenure as the director of
UA’s Pan African Studies (PAS)
program. Takyi was appointed the
Director of PAS in Fall 2005.
She previously served as the
Director of the same program in the late 1998-2000.
On another note, Professor Takyi
was appointed a member of the
College of Arts ad hoc college
committee on Interdisciplinary and
Global Education Initiatives.
Dr. Juan Xi
Dr. Juan Xi, spoke about China’s one child policy during UA’s China Week activities this year. Her presentation took place at the Students Union Ballroom B on
October 12.
Dr. Mark Tausig
Professor Tausig , Associate Dean of the Graduate
School and Sociology Professor has been appointed the
interim chair of UA’s Department of Public Administration
and Urban Studies (PAUS).
Dr. Adrianne Frech
Recently gave a talk on Recruitment of low-SES and non-white
participants into medical research at NEOMED
(October 19).
New Graduate Director
Dr. Stacey Nofziger is the new director for graduate
studies. She can be contacted at: sn18@uakron.edu
On another note, Dr Nofziger is the proud mother of
Zach Evan Nofziger. He was
born on July 19th at SUMMA
hospital.
Dr. Kathy Feltey
7
FACULTY RESEARCH
CHERYL ELMAN
EMILY ASENCIO
Cheryl Elman. 2011. “The Midlife Years: Human Capital and Job Mobility.” Pp. 245-262 in Richard A. Settersten and Jacqueline Angel (Eds.). Handbook of Sociology
of Aging. New York: Springer.
Asencio, Emily K. and Peter J.
Burke 2011. “Can the Criminal
Identity be Changed by a Label?
Examining the Impact of Labels
from an Identity Theory Perspective.” Sociological Perspectives 54:163-182.
Elman, Cheryl and Andrew London.
2011.“Racial Differences in Multigenerational Living Arrangements in
1910.” Social Science History 35:275
-322.
Presentations
Asencio, Emily K. 2011 “Familiarity, Legitimation, and
Frequency: What Matters More for the Criminal Selfview?” Sociological Inquiry 80: 636-654.
Elman, Cheryl. 2011. “Involuntary Job Loss: Returns
from the Displaced Worker Supplements of 2008 and
2010.” Presented at the American Sociological Association annual meeting, August, Las Vegas.
VALERIE CALLANAN
Elman, Cheryl and Linda Wray . 2011. “Early Life
Health Status, Attainment Trajectories and Later life
Health.” Presented at the Gerontological Society of
America Annual meeting, Boston, MA.
Peralta, Robert L., Valerie J. Callanan, Jennifer L. Steele
and Lia Chervenak. 2011. “The Effects of Gender Identity
and Heavy Episodic Drinking on Alcohol-Related Violence.” Gender Issues 28: 111-133.
Callanan, Valerie J. and Jared S.
Rosenberger. 2011. “Media and Public Perceptions of the Police: Examining the Impact of Race and Personal
Experience.” Policing and Society 21:
167-189.
Callanan, Valerie J. and Mark S.
Davis. 2011. “Gender and Suicide Methods.” Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. Published on-line
May 11.
Elman, Cheryl, Kathryn Feltey, Barbara Wittman and
Daniela Jauk. 2011. Drawn to the Land: Life Course Consequences of Frontier Women’s Settlement.” Presented at
the Social Science History Association meeting, Boston,
MA (November).
Chair, Membership Committee. American Sociological
Association. Section on Aging and the Life Course.
REBECCA ERICKSON
Editorial Boards - Social Psychology Quarterly
Rebecca J. Erickson. “The Emotional Demands of Nursing.” Pp. 155
-178 in Nursing Policy Research:
Turning Evidence-based Research
into Health Policy, edited by Geri L.
Dickson and Linda R. Flynn. New
York: Springer.
Rosenberger, Jared S. and Val J. Callanan. 2011. “The
Influence of Media on Penal Attitudes.” Criminal Justice
Review (forthcoming, December)
Callanan, Valerie J. 2011. “The Hero, the Law, and the
People in Between: Models of the Legal System in Hollywood Films” in Jean-Anne Sutherland and Kathy Feltey
(eds.), Cinematic Sociology: Social Life in Film (2nd ed).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.
Rebecca J. Erickson. “The Context
of Care: Reconsidering Culture,
Structure, and the Performance of Emotional Labor.” Pp.
259-286 in Social Structure and Emotion, edited by Dawn
T. Robinson and Jody Clay-Warner. Elsevier.
Callanan, Valerie J. 2011. Film Review: Healing the
Wounds. Teaching Sociology.
8
MATTHEW T. LEE
Margaret M. Poloma and Matthew T. Lee. 2011. “The
Flow from Prayer Activities to Receptive Prayer: Godly Love and
the Knowledge that Surpasses Understanding.” Journal of Psychology and Theology 39:143:54.
KATHRYN FELTEY
Presentations
Elman, Cheryl, Kathryn Feltey, Barbara Wittman and Daniela Jauk. 2011.
Drawn to the Land: Life Course Consequences of Frontier Women’s Settlement.” Presented at the Social Science History Association meeting, Boston, MA (November).
Matthew T. Lee. 2011. “Public
Discourse about Immigration as a
Social Problem: Implications from
Empirical Studies of Violent Crime and the Emerging
‘Immigration Revitalization Perspective.’” Social Problems Forum: The SSSP Newsletter 42:1-5.
RUDY FENWICK
Tausig, Mark and Rudy Fenwick. 2011. Work and
Mental Health in Social Context. New York: Springer
Presentations
Matthew T. Lee and Margaret M. Poloma. 2011. “The
Role of Prayer in the D-Model of Godly Love: Findings
from a New National Survey” at the Association for the
Sociology of Religion conference in Las Vegas, NV
(August).
Presentations
Rudy Fenwick and Mark Tausig.
From “Fordist to “Post (Neo Fordist”
Job Stress: Changes in the Nature and
Distribution of Job Stress, 1970s2000s. APA/NIOSH Work, Stress and
Health 2011: The Ninth International
Conference on Occupational Stress & Health. Orlando,
FL May 2011
Margaret M. Poloma and Matthew T. Lee. 2011.
“Three Faces of Prayer: Qualitative Interviews with
Exemplars of Godly Love” at the Association for the
Sociology of Religion conference in Las Vegas, NV
(August).
STACEY NOFZIGER
ADRIANNE FRECH
Nofziger, Stacey. 2011. “Entering Deviance.” Pp. 183189 in Clifton D. Bryant (ed). The Routledge Handbook
of Deviant Behavior. New York: Routledge
Kristi Williams, Sharon Sassler, Adrianne Frech,
Fenaba Addo, Elizabeth Cooksey. 2011. “Nonmarital
Childbearing, Union History, and Women’s Health at
Midlife.” American Sociological Review 76: 465-486
Adrianne Frech, Rachel Tolbert
Kimbro. 2011. “Maternal Mental
Health, Neighborhood Characteristics,
and Time Investments in Children.”
Journal of Marriage and Family
73:605–620.
Military Expenditure vs. Economic Development
Dr. Julie Abi Ghanem
Senior Lecturer of Sociology
A significant number of studies examine the relationship between military expenditure and economic growth
in the world. However, little attention has been given to
9
ROBERT PERALTA
Takyi, Baffour K. 2011.
“America’s Newest Immigrant
Communities: On the Ghanaian
Diaspora.” Pp. 753-798 in Bayor,
Ron H. (ed.): Greenwood Encyclopedia on Multicultural America: The Newest Americans:
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
Peralta, Robert L., Valerie J. Callanan, Jennifer L. Steele & Lia Chervenak Wiley. 2011. “The Effects of
Gender Identity and Heavy Episodic
Drinking on Alcohol-Related Violence.” Gender Issues 28: 111-133.
Peralta, Robert L. and Daniel Jauk.
2011. “A Brief Feminist Review and
Critique of the Sociology of Alcohol-Use and Substance-Abuse Treatment Approaches.” Sociological Compass 5:882-97.
MARK TAUSIG
Mark Tausig and Rudy Fenwick. 2011. Work and
Mental Health in Social Context. Springer: New York.
Presentations
Jennifer L. Steele and Robert L. Peralta. 2011. Hispanic Adolescents, Substance Use, and Social Strain: A
Partial Test of General Strain Theory on an UnderResearched Population. Presented at the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse. Coral Gables,
FL. (August).
Amod Pyakuryal, Mark Tausig,
Sree Subedi and Janardan
Subedi. 2011. “Strangers in a
Familiar Land: The Psychological Consequences of Internal
Migration in a Developing
Country.” Stress and Health.
27:e199-e208.
Chervenak Wiley, Lia and Robert L. Peralta. 2011. Al
cohol and Victims of IPV: The Role of Heavy Episodic
Drinking in Intimate Partner Violence. Presented at
the American Sociological Association Meetings, Las
Vegas, NV. (August).
Mark Tausig, Janardan Subedi, Christopher
Broughton, Jelena Pokimica, Yinmei Huang and Susan
L. Santangelo. 2011. “The Continued Salience of
Methodological Issues for Measuring Psychiatric Disorders in International Surveys.” International Journal of
Mental Health and Addiction 9:229-239.
BRIAN PENDLETON
Presentations
Workshop
Brown, J. S., Tausig, M., Basnyat, K., Subedi, S.,
Subedi, J., S.L. Santangelo. Fundamental Causes in Illness Behavior: A Cross-National Comparison of Young
Adults in the U.S. and Nepal. Presented at the Annual
Meeting of the American Sociological Association, Las
Vegas, NV. (August 2011).
Schrop, SL., Pendleton, BF. 2011.
Stretching Budget Dollars. Ohio
Association of Free Clinics Annual
Conference. Columbus (Oct.).
Roundtable Leader
Roundtable, “Wellpoint Grant,
Processes, and Patient Education Opportunities”. Ohio
Association of Free Clinics Annual Conference. Columbus (Oct.).
Rudy Fenwick and Mark Tausig. From “Fordist to
“Post (Neo Fordist” Job Stress: Changes in the Nature
and Distribution of Job Stress, 1970s-2000s. APA/
NIOSH Work, Stress and Health 2011: The Ninth International Conference on Occupational Stress &
Health. Orlando, FL May 2011
BAFFOUR TAKYI
10
JUAN XI
Ginny Smerglia
Xi, Juan and Sean-Shong Hwang. "Relocation Stress,
Coping, and Sense of Control among
Resettlers Resulting from China's
Three Gorges Dam Project" Social
Indicators Research 104:507-522 .
Miller, N., V. Smerglia & N. Bouchet’s (2004) article on Women's adjustment to
widowhood: Does social
support matter published in
the Journal of Women and
Aging 16: 149-167, was
cited in Chapter 13 of Death,
Dying, Bereavement, and
Widowhood in Hooyman &
Kiyak (2011). Social Gerontology: A Multidisciplinary Perspective. Allyn &
Bacon (9th Ed).
Xi, Juan and Sean-Shong Hwang.
2011. “Unmet Expectations and
Symptoms of Depression among the
Three Gorges Project Resettlers.”
Social Science Research 40:245-56.
Hwang, Sean-Shong, Yue Cao, and Juan Xi. 2011. “The
Short-Term Social, Economic, and Health Impact of
China’s Three Gorges Dam Project: A Prospective
Study.” Social Indicators Research 101:73-92.
Presentations
Xi, Juan and Hwang, Sean-Shong. “Risk Perception and
Depressive Symptoms among the Three Gorges ProjectInduced Relocatees.” Annual Meetings of the American
Sociological Association. Las Vegas ND (August).
Xi, Juan and Hwang, Sean-Shong. “Experiencing a
Forced Relocation at Different Life Stages: the Effects of
China’s Three-Gorges Project-Induced Relocation on Depression” Annual Meetings of the American Sociological
Association. Las Vegas ND (August).
JOHN ZIPP
Prohaska, Ariane and John F. Zipp. 2011. “Gender Inequality and the Family and Medical Leave Act.” Journal
of Family Issues: 32: 1425-1448.
Zipp, John F. 2011. “Sport and
Sexuality: Athletic Participation by
Sexual Minority and Sexual Majority
Adolescents in the U.S.” Sex Roles:
64:19-31.
Above: A Picture of the Olin Hall Building! We
are located on the 2nd Floor, Rm. 247 !!!!!!!!!
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ALUMNI & ADJUNCT FACULTY
Dr. Scarisbrick-Hauser, an alumni and also Adjunct
Senior Lecturer at the Department, was interviewed
on Chanel 3 TV on the 10 year anniversary of 9/11.
taught a number of courses in the department for the past
couple of years. They include Juvenile Delinquency, Corrections
and Criminology. He has also
worked at the Institute of Health
and Social Policy at the UA. In addition, Keba worked on block
grants dealing with health issues in
Cleveland regarding at risk populations. From 2001-2002, he worked with the Upward
Bound program at Tri-C.
Dr. Scarisbrick-Hauser, did research as a member of
the only non-responder team, awarded a rapid response
grant from the Natural Hazards
Center in Colorado, permitted at
the crash site in Shanksville, PA
on 9-11 ten years ago.
Keba argues that making residents feel secure and safe is
paramount in accomplishing all the goals city leaders and
fellow candidates have. He would convene a town hall
meeting to address the economic and financial challenges
facing the city—if elected.
Dr. AnneMarie Scarisbrick-Hauser
Their research was published in a
special edition of the Natural Hazards Center research journal. She
and Nancy Grant were issued special invitations to attend the ceremonies for the dedication of the Flight 93 memorial site and the memorial
service with the families last weekend.
Publications
Keba Sylla. 2011. “Political Islam in West Africa and the
Sahel: A Review.” International Journal of Humanities
and Social Sciences 1 (10).
Cox III, Raymond W., Gregory Plagens and Keba Sylla.
2010. “The leadership-followership Dynamic: "Making
the choice to follow." Interdisciplinary Social Science 5:
37-52.
Source: Nancy K. Grant, David H. Hoover, Annemarie
Scarisbrick-Hauser, Stacy L. Muffet. 2002. Terrorism
in Shanksville: A Study in Preparedness and Response.
Quick Response Research Report #157. Boulder,
Colorado: Natural Hazards Research and Applications
Information Center, University of Colorado.
URL: http://www.colorado.edu/hazards/qr/qr157/
qr157.html
Dr. Rachel Z. Schneider
Dr. Schneider, will be leaving us as at the end of the
academic year. She is joining her husband who has been
transferred to Columbus, OH.
Please Note: Dr. Nancy Grant was the principal investigator for this project.
Dr. Keba Sylla
Dr. Keba Sylla was one of the candidates who contested to become a Cleveland Heights City Council
member during the November 8 elections. Born to
Senegalese parents in Paris, France, Dr. Sylla has
In the picture above: Alumni Drs. Rachel Schneider
(left) and Jean Ann-Sutherland (right).
12
the relationship between military expenditure and economic development in the Arabic countries. Dr.
AbiGhanem’s research addresses the debate about the nature of the relationship between military expenditure and
human development and how to achieve the gains of
peace, as well as the options that Arabic countries have in
their quest for adequate security and
sustained human development.
The paper investigated this relationship by examining variables related
to military expenditure and human
development in the Arabic countries.
The study showed that military burdens in the Arabic countries are not
determined only by the economic
factors, but also by the geopolitical situation in the area
and several political variables, such as regime type, institutional freedom, political freedom, and political stability.
Furthermore, achieving peace dividend and sustainable
development is not related only to a decrease in Arab military expenditure, but also to other concerns, such as: eliminating poverty, creating jobs, sustaining livelihoods, etc.
Nevertheless, developing the capacities for good governance and establishing a democratic political system underpin all these objectives.
Source: Abi Ghanem, Julie. 2011. “Military Expenditures
vs. Economic Development.” Lebanese National Defense
78: 97-132. Online at: http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/
article.asp?ln=ar&id=29440
13
GRADUATE STUDENTS NEWS &
Presentations
Hale, Lori & Jefferson, S. 2011. “Strategies for Responding to Students’ Reactions on the Discussion of
Privilege and Inequalities. Presented at the Pedagogy of
Privilege: Transformation, Education, Practice, and Research. Denver, CO.
Peralta, Robert L. and Daniela Jauk. 2011. A Brief
Feminist Review and Critique of the
Sociology of Alcohol-Use and Substance-Abuse Treatment Approaches.
Sociological Compass 5:882-97
Daniela Jauk . 2011. Book Review:
Public Toilets and Gender edited by
Olga Gershenson and Barbara Penner.
2010. Visual Studies 26: 79
Daniela Jauk and Kathryn Feltey. 2010. Book Review:
Imagining Transgender. An Ethnography of a Category
by David Valentine. 2007. Sex Roles 63: 445-447.
In the picture above: Lori Hale, Kasey Lansberry
and Nicole Rosen
Daniela was elected to the following positions in 2011:
Do you eat more when dining with a man or
a woman?
Representative to the United Nations for the national Sociologists for Women in Society.
Member, International Committee of Sociologists
Women in Society (SWS)
for
The answer, it turns out, depends on gender, according to
research by our won Marci D. Cottingham and her coauthors.
Students Representative, "Body and Embodiment" Section of the American Sociological Association.
In a co-authored paper by our own student Marci
Cottingham and her colleagues at Indiana University of
Pennyslvania, they studied the ways men and women eat
when they are together and when they are apart. They
observed that the sex of the people around us t leads us to
consume more or less food. This paper has been cited in
several news outlets in the US and around the world, including the National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC
News
Taylor, Tiffany and Kasey Lansberry. 2011. “Welfareto-Work Doesn't Really Work: A Review." Context 10
(Summer): 76-78 .
Both Hands Tied: Welfare Reform and the Race to
the Bottom in the Low-Wage Labor Market, by Jane
L. Collins and Victoria Mayer.
The NPR interview was by Vedantam,
Shankar for its Morning Edition. October 4.
Selling Welfare Reform: Work-First and the New
Common Sense of Employment, by Frank Ridzi
Allen-O'Donnell, Molly, Marci D. Cottingham, Thomas C. Nowak, and Kay A. Snyder. "Impact of Group
Composition and Gender on Meals Purchased by College Students." Journal of Applied Social Psychology
41:2268-2283
The NPR story is available at http://
www.npr.org/blogs/
thesalt/2011/10/04/140961754/eatingmeals-with-men-may-mean-eatingless?ps=cprs.
Cottingham, Marci D. "The Mist" and Sociology of
Religion: Film Clip Analysis. Teaching Resources and
Innovations Library for Sociology. Washington DC:
American Sociological Association. (http://
trails.asanet.org).
See Next Page for the ABC News Review of the article.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/sex-eating-companionsinfluences-people-eat-study/story?id=14666081.
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Gender of Eating Companions Influences How Much People Eat, Says Study!!!
It's not just the company we keep that influences how much we eat. A new study suggests it's the sex of the people
around us that leads us to consume more or less food. Researchers from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and the University of Akron found that the average number of calories college students consumed varied depending on whether they
ate with men, women or a mixed-sex group.
"What we found was that on average, when men were eating with women, they tended to purchase more calories than
their counterparts who were eating with other men. Women tended to purchase fewer calories when with men as compared to when they're with women," said Marci Cottingham, a co-author of the study and a graduate student at the University of Akron. The study's lead author, Molly Allen-O'Donnell, a graduate student at Indiana University, sat at an
eatery on the Indiana campus during lunch and dinner times over a 10-day period. She observed what foods students
bought and who their dining companions were. "We observed them in a campus eating environment, during routine
meals and just looked at the amount of calories purchased," said Cottingham.
Food Plays Big Role in Forming Impressions: The results, she explained, suggest that food strongly influences the impressions people form of each other. For White, college-age females, eating less is a way to seem more feminine when
men are around, and for college-age males, eating more when around women is a way to appear more masculine. Men,
whether unconsciously or consciously, don't want to be seen as light eaters, especially in front of women. "The theory is
you're more aware of gender when you're with the opposite gender and may want to prove your gender more," Cottingham said. "In a mixed group, women may think they're being judged if they eat more calories," said Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, N.Y. "It's also possible that women
are eating more calories when they're with each other because they're more relaxed, or people may eat fewer calories in
groups because they're enjoying the social aspects of the meal and aren't focused on eating," Ayoob said.
Alex McIntosh, a sociology professor at Texas A&M University in College Station, has done extensive research on eating behavior. He said it's a well-known idea that food helps form strong impressions of people in a variety of situations.
"I've had undergrads talk to me about eating on dates and in particular on the first day, if you're a female, some students
reported even when given the opportunity to eat, they don't, and if they do, they eat far less than they ordinarily would
because of the impression it makes," he said.
Can Findings Help Shape Healthier Eating Habits?"Much attention has been given to the increase in obesity among both
children and adults in the United States, as well as to eating disorders among young people, particularly women," the authors wrote. "Those who are trying to address these concerns should consider the importance of the role of gender and
social context in developing solutions and meeting needs."
Because of the power of social relationships, they should be considered when educating the public about better nutrition.
"The impact of others is, of course, the logic behind nutrition education in schools, integrated into school meals and can
offer opportunities in communities," said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University in
St. Louis. But giving people the nutritional information they need is also key, because even though people may eat less or
eat healthier around certain groups of people, they may not make the same when they're alone. "Restraining themselves
when in a group doesn't mean that's all the food they're going to consume," said Ayoob. "People may eat very sparingly
in a group and then hit the ice cream and chips at home."
Credits: Kim Carollo, ABC News (October 5)
15
GRADUATE STUDENTS HIGH-
Feldman, Jamie. "Women Eat Less in the Company of
Men, Study Shows." Gothamist. Oct 4. http://
gothamist.com/2011/10/04/
women_eat_less_in_the_company_of_me.php
Peralta, Robert L., Valerie J. Callanan,
Jennifer L. Steele and Lia Chervenak Wiley. 2011. “The Effects of Gender Identity and Heavy Episodic Drinking on Alcohol-Related Violence.”
Gender Issues 28: 111-133
Congrats to our 2011 graduants and recent alumni
members!! We are proud of you!!! Keep in touch
and let’s hear from you wherever you may be!!!
PhD Graduates
Presentations
Jennifer L. Steele and Robert L. Peralta. 2011. Hispanic
Adolescents, Substance Use, and Social Strain: A Partial
Test of General Strain Theory on an Under-Researched
Population. Poster accepted for presentation at the National Hispanic Science Network on Drug Abuse Meetings, Coral Gables, FL. (August).
Dr. Jennifer L. Steele (May 2011)
Advisor: Dr. Robert Peralta
Dr. Richelle Dykstra (Dec 2011)
Advisor: Dr. Becky Erickson
Chervenak Wiley, Lia and Robert L. Peralta. 2011. Alcohol and Victims of IPV: The Role of Heavy Episodic
Drinking in Intimate Partner Violence. American Sociological Association Meetings, Las Vegas, NV.
MA Graduates
Callanan, Valerie J. and Jared S. Rosenberger. 2010. “Media and Public Perceptions of the Police: Examining the Impact
of Race and Personal Experience.” Policing and Society 21: 167-189.
Lori A. Tuttle
Rosenberger, Jared S. and Valerie J.
Callanan. 2011. “The Influence of Media on Penal Attitudes.” Criminal Justice Review (forthcoming, December).
Monica Oliva
Michael Steiner
Addendum: Extra Media Coverage: Cottingham
and Colleagues Research on Eating!!
Quoted by Brian Dalek in "The Waist-Shrinking Power of
Guys' Night." Men's Health. Oct 7.
Kyle Zellman
http://news.menshealth.com/the-waist-shrinking-power-of
-guys'-night/2011/10/07/
16
Dissertation award recipient announced
Meet Our Fall 2011 Graduate Students
The 2011 Barbara J. Stephens Dissertation Award was
given to David Skubby at the annual
AKD banquet. David’s dissertation
topic is: “A History of Medical Practices in the Case of Autism: Foucauldian Perspective. ”
The Barbara J. Stephens Dissertation
Award was established in 2003 to provide financial assistance to graduate students at The University of Akron conducting dissertations in the areas of
health and social policy research.
Kelsy Risman
Friends and family of Barbara J. Stephens created the
award to honor and remember the impact she had on the
lives of others during her career. Each year collaborating
departments select student applicants who are reviewed
by a selection committee at UA's Institute for Health and
Social Policy. The award is to be used for dissertation
research expenses and is based on the academic merit of
the proposed project.
Mike Maul
Publications:
Kristin Santos
Gallager, Mary, David Skubby, Natalie Bonfine, Mark
R. Munetz and Jennifer L. S. Teller. 2011. “Recognition
and Understanding of Goals and Roles: The Key Internal
Features of Mental Health Court Teams.” International
Journal of Law and Psychiatry 34: 406-413
Rania Issa
Lenzy Jones
Will LeSeur
In the picture above: Alumni Drs. Rachel Schneider
(left) and Jean Ann-Sutherland (right).
Corey Stevens
17
2011-2012 COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
A.K.D.: Adrianne Frech
Associate Chair: Kathy Feltey
BCC: Erickson (Representative), Matt Lee (Alternate)
CBT: Rachel Schneider
Educational Development: Juan Xi
Graduate Studies: Satcey Nofziger (Chair in Fall), Cheryl
Elman (Chair in Spring), Rob Peralta, and Baffour Takyi
Publicity: Baffour Takyi
In the picture above: Drs. John Zipp, Rob
Peralta (back), Kathy Feltey (front row)
RTP chairs: Brian Pendleton (Full Professor) and Cheryl
Elman (Associate Professor and Retention)
AKD Announcements
Sociology Club: Emily Asencio
The date and location for the Silent Auction has been
set. The Silent Auction will take place on March 11th
in RM 335 of the Student Union. The room is free to
rent and should allow AKD to raise a much larger
amount of money to fund the end of the year banquet
and donate to Access House of Akron. There will be
a cash bar at the event, and despite the location
change the event will function in the same way as
previous years.
Undergraduate Studies: Val Callanan (Chair), Rudy Fenwick, and Brian Pendleton
CHARLES C. ROGLER ENDOWED
SCHOLARSHIP
The Charles C. Rogler Endowed Scholarship was founded
in 1977 by Charles C. Rogler, Professor Emeritus of Sociology (1949-1962). His wife, Margaret F. Rogler, Emeritus Assistant Professor of Marketing (1948-1972) and son
Lloyd Rogler support and continue his efforts for the
scholarship. Academic excellence and financial need are
the criteria for the award. Scholarship award of $1,000.
Donations for the silent auction are now being accepted. If you have a donation to submit please see
Mike Steiner who is in charge of donation collection
and all other auction related issues.
Locations for the end of the year Banquet are still
being scouted, but the date is tentatively set for Friday, April 20th 2012. Expect details to be finalized
by the end of the month
In the picture below: Drs. John Zipp (Associate
Dean and former Chair of the Department and
Becky Erickson.
In the picture above: Drs Juan Xi (UA Sociology)
and Manacy Pai (Kent State University Sociology)
18
AKD NEWS and Updates
Miscellaneous News!!!!!!!
AKD would like to thank everyone who attended the
2011 banquet.
JANET C. FISHER ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP
The Janet C. Fisher Endowed Scholarship Fund was
founded in 1994 with the express purpose of assisting
students within the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences Department of Sociology. This endowed
scholarship is provided by the estate of Janet C.
Fisher, a native of Canton, Ohio. Janet Fisher was a
1985 graduate of the University. She wished to thank
the University for the fine education she received and
which helped contribute to her success. Scholastic
achievement and leadership characteristics are the
criteria for the award. Scholarship award of $1,000.
The 2011-2012 representatives are the following:
President: Mike Steiner
Vice President: Peter Barr
Secretary/Treasurer: Nicole McEroy
Service /Social Chair: Joy Harvell
AKD STUDENT AWARDS 2011
Outstanding Paper: David Skubby
Outstanding Student Award: Jen Steele
Outstanding Student Teaching Award: David Skubby
Peer Mentor Award: Lia Chervenak Wiley
Faculty Mentor Award: Dr . Becky Erickson
North Central Sociological Association Student
Paper Competition 2011. Two divisional awards:
(1) Graduate Student Division and (2) Undergraduate
Division. The maximum length of a paper is 5,000
words. An abstract of no more than 100 words must
also be included. Papers with multiple authors will be
considered provided that all authors are students in
the same division category. Deadline: January 14,
2011. Contact: Carolette Norwood, Department of
Africana Studies, University of Cincinnati, P.O. Box
210370 Cincinnati, OH 45221-0370; Carolette.Norwood@uc.edu, Subject line: NCSA Student
Paper Competition.
Outstanding Undergraduate Award: Hanna Furnas
NEWS FLASH!!!!!
Next Year’s (2012) Speaker for our Annual Awards and
Banquet will be Dr. Patricia Yancey Martin from Florida
State University. The tentative date for the awards will be
April 20, 2012.
Undergraduate Advising
From this now onwards, all "administrative" advising
is now the responsibility of the "BCAS Undergraduate Student Academic Affairs and Services Office":
Room 448 CAS; phone 972-7880; fax 972-7222;
bcasadvising@uakron.edu
19
The McNair Scholar’s Program
UNDERGRADUATE
STUDENTS SPOTLIGHT
2011 Rogler Scholarship Winners ($1,000 each)
2011 Rogler Scholarship Winners ($500 each)
2011 Fisher Scholarship Winner s ($500 each)
Hannah Furnas
Joshua Snyder
Courtney Modie
Congrats to you all for a good job done!!!
Dr Takyi and his student Ms. Sara Lute (Psychology Dept.)
during the 2011 Summer MacNair Scholars’ Presentation at
the Students Union. Sara’s research was on posttraumatic
stress among veterans and victims of domestic violence.
Below: The Editor of SOCNews and Professor Chand
Midha (Dean, CAS) (right) at this year’s Office of Multicultural Development’s Scholarship Awards and Ban-
Please Encourage your students to participate in this
summer funded and also prestigious research based
Hannah Furnas’s Honors Project
Hannah is a sociology major and
also an honors student. She is currently working on her honors thesis in which she is analyzing the
2008 Ghana Health and Demographic Health Survey to look at
the intersection of economic conditions and domestic violence in
Ghana, Africa. She plans to present her final paper at
the NCSA meeting and also submit it for publication
in the future.
quet held at the Student Union on Oct 21st.
INTERNSHIP INFORMATION
All Sociology/Criminology & Law Enforcement majors are
required to complete an internship. Students must have
completed a total of 64 credits with at least 12 credits in
Sociology before starting an internship. Plan to make your
initial contact with the Center for Career Management
(CCM) located in Simmons Hall, Room 301 or call (330)
972-6586.
Her advisors and mentors for this project are Drs.
Becky Erickson, Kathy Feltey, Brian Pendleton, Baffour Takyi and Emily Ascencio.
See: http://www3.uakron.edu/sociology/internship.html.
20
In the picture are some of our current graduate students, 2011-2012
(Please Note: The names are not in order) Jamie Chapman, Michael Maul, Danielle Shaw, Jared Rosenberger, Will
LeSuer, Lenzy Jones, Marci D. Cottingham, Monica Oliva, Corey Stevens, Lia Wiley, Kelsey Risman, Kasey Lansberry,
DeMario Brantley, Nicole Lise Rosen, Nicole McElroy, Rania Issa, David Skubby, Kristen Santos, Daniela Jauk, Jodi A.
Henderson-Ross, Marquita Mitchell, Michael Steiner, Marie Bozin and Lori Hale
21
DONATIONS
SCHOLARSHIPS CHANGE LIVES
THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROSITY!
Many students today cannot afford the cost of a college
education and rely on the availability of scholarships to
pursue their dream of achieving a college degree in their
field of interest. The University of Akron is proud of it’s
top-notch Department of Sociology, whose alumni and
friends are especially mindful of students’ needs.
Ms. Celestine Jackson
Mrs. Maryann Kelly
Mrs. Olivia Yukie
Mrs. Paulette Bray
A scholarship in your name can be established for as little
as $10,000. For information on contributing your support
or for making a donation of any denomination, please contact:
Department of Development
The University of Akron
Akron, OH 44325-2603
330/972-8255
ghv@uakron.edu
AKRONews is a publication of the Department of Sociology, University of Akron, Akron OH
44325-1905. Its purpose is to provide news concerning the activities of the Department, including
teaching, research, scholarship,
and service.
MEET OUR HARDWORKING
OFFICE STAFF!!!
Tammy Dixon
Contributions and comments are welcomed. Please
direct all correspondence to:
Administrative Assistant
tjd1@uakron.edu
Dr. Baffour K. Takyi [Editor]
Christi Terry
Secretary
cmt51@uakron.edu
btakyi@uakron.edu or 330-972
-6887
We encourage you to visit our website at
www.uakron.edu/sociology
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