Mining for Conflict and Staking Claims: Contested Illness at the Tar Creek Superfund Site

Drawing from extensive fieldwork and document analysis, we examine environmental illness claims in Oklahoma's Tar Creek basin, one of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) premier Superfund sites. Our findings indicate that contested illness in the Tar Creek Superfund site differed from typical cases in that the links between high lead exposures and permanent neurological damage were thoroughly and unequivocally documented. But, despite the certainty of these linkages, residents remained embroiled in controversy and they encountered obstacles in obtaining diagnoses, treatment, and compensation. The resultant environmental dispute took two forms: conflict between residents and EPA officials over the adequacy of the agency's remediation project and conflict among residents over ultimate responsibility for children's lead exposures and consequent learning disabilities.     

From the attic of theAmerican Journal of Sociology: Unusual contributions to American sociology, 1895–1935

This study examines articles published in theAmerican Journal of Sociology (AJS) from its inception in 1895 through 1935 in a search for contributions that have escaped the attention of most contemporary sociologists. The articles reviewed here provide a glimpse of a less well-known, and sometimes more unseemly, side of American sociological history. My primary focus is on the criticism of the emergent discipline, the extraordinary diversity of thought found in the earlyAJS, and antiquated or prescient ideas, particularly in the fields of deviance, race, and gender.     

Reflections on Mathematical Sociology

As a participant in the development of mathematical sociology over the past several decades, the author undertakes a personal and historical review of the field. A special effort is made to link early innovations and interests to recent developments. The paper deals successively with (a) the origins of mathematical sociology and its early achievements, (b) the cognitive interests and values of mathematical sociologists in relation to ideas associated with the founders of sociology, (c) the scope of mathematical contributions in terms of the general components of human action and society, and (d) the problematic specialty status of mathematical sociology. The paper concludes with some thoughts on the future of mathematical sociology.     

The Disqualification of Childminders: A New Form of Assessment?

SUMMARY. Amongst the many new statutory Regulations introduced with the Children Act 1989 are the “Disqualification for Caring for Children Regulations 1991‘. The Regulations outline, for the first time, exactly which previous criminal convictions may lead to a person being disqualified as a childminder, day care worker or private foster parent. The paper describes the background and implications of the Regulations and suggests some possible implications.     

Review of the Stata statistical package

Statistics and Computing -     

Socialization Ambiguity in Samoan Adolescents: A Model for Human Development and Stress in the Context of Culture Change

Rapid globalization is forcing youth around the world to confront new developmental challenges, and conceptual models are needed that can capture this experience and its developmental implications. Exposure to nontraditional lifestyles opens up new socialization opportunities and raises the possibility of stress‐inducing dissonance between participating socializing agents and the messages they deliver. Socialization ambiguity is introduced as a model for culture change and adolescent stress, and it is applied to a sample of 10‐ to 20‐year‐olds (N=295) in the islands of Samoa. A physiological marker of stress (antibodies against the Epstein‐Barr virus) is employed to overcome some of the difficulties associated with measuring stress outcomes. Socialization ambiguity is found to be a significant source of stress on the remote island of Savai'i and the transitional area of rural Upolu, although the direction of the association is different, possibly reflecting divergent socialization goals in these two regions.     

Konvergenz, Divergenz Oder Hybridisierung?

Zusammenfassung In der aktuellen Globalisierungsliteratur gibt es verschiedene Thesen zur Entstehung einer Weltkultur. Sie lassen sich schlagwortartig als Konvergenz, Divergenz und Hybridisierung bezeichnen. Dabei wird von unterschiedlichen Wirkungsmechanismen und Voraussetzungen globaler Kulturentwicklung ausgegangen. Um hier zu begründeten Einsch?tzungen zu kommen, wird ein Modell skizziert, mittels dessen die Beziehungen zwischen der globalen und der lokalen Ebene zu fassen sind. Die drei Thesen zur Entstehung von Weltkultur unterstellen spezifische Konstellationen dieser Ebenen und neigen zu übergeneralisierungen. Verschiedene dieser Selektions-und Wirkungsbeziehungen werden in den Blick genommen. Es wird gefragt, welche globalen Kultureffekte die mit Modernisierung verbundenen sozialstrukturellen Ver?nderungen haben. Da kulturelle Prozesse nicht auf strukturelle Bedingungen reduziert werden dürfen, sondern eine Eigenlogik entfalten, müssen die Mischungen zwischen globaler und lokaler Kultur gesondert analysiert werden. Die Herausbildung einer Weltkultur l?uft in der alltags?sthetischen, der normativen und der kognitiven Dimension jeweils anders ab. Zum Schluss wird mit der „Standardisierung von Differenzen” eine These pr?sentiert, die die globale Kulturentwicklung besser erfasst als die g?ngigen Annahmen.