Strange Bedfellows: Anachronisms,Identity Politics,and the Queer Case of Trans*

This article explores trans identities, as articulated within a few historical texts. From early literary depictions of gender difference, to medicalized conceptions of transsexualism, to a proliferation of trans and queer identities represented by an ever-expanding “alphabet soup” of identity labels, our understandings of identities, sexualities, and queer community-building continue to change. I use the notion of “kind-making,” as elaborated on in the work of Ian Hacking, to illustrate that some queer and trans identifications are affiliative, whereas others are contrastive or oppositional in nature, and these structural differences have important implications with respect to understanding identity and sexuality, and also trans inclusion within LGBT communities and activist efforts.     

Who Is to Blame for Deviance in Organizations? The Role of Scholarly Worldviews

This paper explores two of the most important challenges facing contemporary scholars who seek to assign blame for deviance in organizational contexts. The first concerns the selection of an appropriate level of analysis. The second focuses on the social meaning of intent, or willfulness, also called mens rea in criminal trials. We suggest that scholarly worldviews play a central role in determining how these issues are discussed in the literature, thereby impacting the assignment of blame. Throughout, we use the case of the Tuskegee syphilis study to illustrate key issues.     

ATTRIBUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY AS A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONCEPT

Attributions of responsibility (AR) are of interest to sociologists and psychologists. However, the measurement of AR has been inconsistent both within and across the disciplines. The present study tests whether AR is a multidimensional or unidimensional concept. Data for study 1 were collected from 201 undergraduate students at a large, midwestern university. Results indicate that there are four factors associated with AR, supporting the contention that AR is a multidimensional concept. Study 2 replicated the findings of the first with a sample of 441 undergraduates. Results indicate that there are four factors that respondents consider when attributing responsibility for wrongdoing.     

White Fathers and Their Black–White Biracial Sons

The purpose of this literature review was to ascertain the concerns of White fathers raising their biological Black–White biracial sons, as well as the concerns of the sons themselves. Nine databases were selected for this review. The criteria for this review were (a) studies with a sample or subsample of White fathers, (b) studies with a subsample of Black–White biracial male participants (c) articles from scholarly peer reviewed journals, and (d) a date range between 2000 and 2016. A total of eight articles were found that matched the criteria. Of the eight studies, seven were qualitative with the number of participants ranging from 10 to 31, and the quantitative study had 317 participants. Three concerns were revealed for White fathers: dealing with racism, access to minority culture, and teachers’ expectations. Three challenges for the sons were self-identification, force-choice dilemma, and appearance. Implications and future research are discussed.