Readings for Sociology 20033
Introduction to Social Problems
Fall 2021 [Course Completed]
NOTE: Readings will be posted about a week in advance. If you want to get a feel for what is coming you can see the Fall 2020 list of readings here. Many topics and readings will be repeated from last year but there will also be a lot of new material.Topics are still subject to change.
Links to Each Section
Part 1: [Opening Day] [LGBTQ Rights] [Reproductive Rights] [Black Lives Matter]
Part 2: [Wealth & Inequality] [Gender Inequality] [MeToo]
There are a lot of great online resources ND students can get for free or little cost. I especially encourage you to get a free subscription to the New York Times if you don't have one already.
(Optional) We will rarely, if ever, use Zoom in this class. But if we do, here are my Tips for using Zoom in the Classroom.
(Optional) I never used to cold-call on students. I've changed partly because I think cold-calling helps keep people involved in learning (especially online). But, I've also been influenced by this September 2019 article about Elizabeth Warren's Teaching Style. Warren adopted a cold-calling approach that sought to involve as many students as possible in every class period. "In essence, Warren's approach was borne of her concern that the classroom tends to reproduce societal inequalities. By only calling on students who raised their hands, the professor limited class discussion to those who traditionally felt the most comfortable speaking up." If interested, the article explains more about her reasoning.
[Optional] After the first class or two, I will post the Opening Day Questions I presented (PDF or Powerpoint) if you want to look at them again. Many of the items linked to will be used at some point during the semester.
The Culture Wars 1: The struggles over LGBTQ rights, lives, and marriage
Discussion questions:
How do gays cope with what is often seen as a stigmatized identify?
What are the arguments - from both the left and the right - for and against gay marriage?
What conflicts, if any, are there between the rights of gays and the rights of Christians?
With same-sex marriage now legalized, what problems remain for the LGBTQ community?
What battles are transgender individuals facing today?
What have been some of the issues and concerns with LGBTQ rights and treatment at Notre Dame?
[Optional] Do any of these issues have personal relevance for you - have you been to a gay wedding, do you know of a family that has been torn apart because a child is gay or transgender, do you have gay friends who are closeted because they are afraid of what others will say? [Note: Nobody has to reveal personal details if they do not feel comfortable doing so.]
Ashley Crossman briefly summarizes Erving Goffman's theory of Stigma. Jason Orne applies the perspective to gays in Queers in the Line of Fire (pp. 229-234 are required, rest is highly recommended.)
He is one of the most famous Republican lawyers in the country. He represented George Bush in Bush vs Gore 2000 and then served as Bush's Solicitor General. His wife died in 9/11. And today, Theodore Olson makes the conservative case for gay marriage. The Heritage Foundation makes its case against gay marriage (read the abstract and the key points on the first page; rest is recommended.). Long time lesbian partners Martha Ackelsberg and Judith Plaskow explain why we're not getting married.
"Same-sex marriage advocacy has accomplished an amazing feat - it has made being anti-homophobic synonymous with being pro-marriage. It has drowned out centuries of critical thinking and activism against the racialized, colonial, and patriarchal processes of state regulation of family and gender through marriage." For a really radical left-wing attack against gay marriage, take a look at Spade and Willse's Marriage Will Never Set us Free.
Notre Dame Sociologist Abigail Ocobock finds that same-sex marriage weakens the gay community. Colin Walmsley agrees and worries about the Queers left behind.
In this 4 minute video, Ted Cruz speaks out in defense of religious liberty. The Archdiocese of Denver doesn't think the children of gays should be allowed in Catholic Schools. A Notre Dame student writes a defense of Christian bakers who won't make wedding cakes for gay weddings.
A Notre Dame Student discusses The Complications of Coming Out. Another describes how he is fighting for every inch of existence.
In this one-minute video, the Notre Dame Alumni Association announces the creation of ARC ND, the official community for LGBTQ graduates. The Sycamore Trust condemns the move.
The Washington Post says Transgender girls are at the center of America's culture wars, yet again. Republican Governor Asa Hutchinson explains why he vetoed his party's bill restricting health care for transgender youth. Zada Kent describes 5 Horrible Things About Parenting a Transgender Teen -- with suicide and brutal violence topping the list. German Lopez debunks what he calls 10 common myths about transgender people. (All 10 are worth reading but at least skim 3 or 4.)
[Optional] In a famous study, Texas Sociologist Mark Regnerus challenges the claim that gay families are just as good for children as same-sex ones. But the American Sociological Association (and numerous others) criticized his work and filed a court brief reviewing the evidence on gay marriage. Here is the complete ASA brief on Gay Marriage. Stephanie Pappas reviews the empirical evidence and argues that gay parents may be the best parents. The world's largest study on the children of same-sex parents says they are doing as well or better than the rest of the population on key health indicators.
[Optional] In October 2021, the Irish Rover argued that on issues of gender and sexuality, the university's stance regarding Church teachings raises concern.
[Optional] Memories Pizza in Walkerton Indiana created a firestorm of controversy when it said it would not cater a gay wedding (something it had never been asked to do anyway) - and received $840,000 in donations as a result. An anti-gay group blasted JC Penney's Father's Day ad. But Avis went after the gay market. The Hallmark Channel Apologizes for Pulling Ads With Brides Kissing.
[Optional] John Harwood says that the vast majority of US corporations have already voted yes on gay marriage. Spencer Bokat-Lindell says only some queer people get married, but almost all of them work. He explains why he thinks the June 2020 Supreme Court Ruling on L.G.B.T.Q. Worker Rights Is Such a Big Deal. Gavin Ferlic argued that being gay-friendly was good for the local South Bend economy.
[Optional] A group of Notre Dame faculty and staff offer a Catholic Justification for support of the LGBTQ community.Nate Silver notes that change doesn't usually come this fast.
[Optional-Video] In 2011 Barbara Bush (George's daughter) joined the ranks of Republican offspring who support gay marriage (here is her 22 second video) and Iowa college student Zach Wahls (3 minute video) made an impassioned appeal on behalf of his lesbian parents. In this short video clip, The Golden Girls made the case for gay marriage more than 20 years ago. Notre Dame graduate President Bartlett turns the tables on those who use the Bible to attack gays. Preacher Phil Snider gives a gay rights speech with an unusual twist. Wikipedia lists several Christian denominations affirming LGBT people.
[Optional] Gay activist Katherine Franke warns that same-sex marriage is a mixed blessing. June Thomas says I'm a lesbian and I'm never getting married. Why are you?
[Optional] Here is Abigail Ocobock's full article on Status Or Access? The Impact Of Marriage On Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, And Queer Community Change
[Optional] In same-sex partnerships, how do couples decide who asks who to get married? ND Sociology Professor Abi Ocobocks examines that and other questions in Freedom and Constraint in Same-Sex Engagements: How Age and Gender Shape Adherence to Marriage Scripts.
[Optional] Notre Dame alum Greg Bourke was named one of National Catholic Reporter's 2015 Persons of the Year for his efforts to legalize gay marriage. Notre Dame Press interviewed him about his book Gay, Catholic, and American.
[Optional-Video] Notre Dame Athletics says If you can play, you can play.
[Optional] Some people predict that the first openly gay President of the United States will be South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. But historians speculate that there might have been other gay presidents before him.
[Optional - Many find it fascinating while others don't like it at all] In one of the most controversial sociological studies ever done, Laud Humphries examined the covert lives of closeted homosexuals in Tea Room Trade. Laura MacDonald did an update in America's toe-tapping menace.
[Optional] An August 2004 op-ed piece lamented that Notre Dame was ranked as the most homophobic school in the country and urged students to prove the ranking wrong. A horrible anti-gay cartoon that somehow got published in the Observer in January 2010 probably didn't help. But in 2015 ND suddenly dropped out of the top 20. Maybe it was because in early 2012 members of the 4 to 5 movement said It Needs to Get Better at Notre Dame -- and then in late 2012 the University responded by making major changes in LGBT policy. A few months before that Notre Dame students exposed The Gay Agenda. In 2018 a student described what it is like to be Gay and Catholic at Notre Dame.
[Optional] A Notre Dame student issues A Call for Empathy from a Gay Catholic. Two underclassmen ask Does Notre Dame fear the queers? The Observer tells Notre Dame Don't just include, protect.
[Optional] A Conversion therapy center founder who sought to turn LGBTQ Christians straight now says says he’s gay, rejects 'cycle of self shame'.
[Optional] Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling explains why Sex is not Binary.
[Optional] The parents of an Oklahoma transgender girl fear for their child's safety. German Lopez attacks The ugly myth about transgender people opponents of a Houston civil rights law used to win.
[Optional] Samantha Schmidt discusses the splits within the ranks of feminists whether Women's issues are different from trans women's issues. Michigan's Womyn's Fest was torn by controversies over transgender exclusion. Julian Wyllie outlines how Women's Colleges Are Handling Transgender Applicants. Rebecca Jane Morgan explores how TERFS (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) became so powerful in Great Britain.
[Optional] The Notre Dame Leprechaun was recently denounced as the 4th most offensive mascot in college football. In its defense, Notre Dame noted that the leprechaun began in England -- as a disparaging symbol of Irish people. "Irish-Americans -- including those at Notre Dame -- again have turned back on former oppressors as a sign of celebration and triumph," the university wrote. "In both the upraised fists of the leprechaun mascot and the use of the word 'fighting', the intent is to recognize the determination of the Irish people and, symbolically, the university's athletes." What other group has taken a once-derogatory term and transformed it into a symbol of Pride?
[Optional] In August 2021, the Sycamore Trust blasted Notre Dame for sterilizing "welcome week of heteronormative messages that created an unwelcoming or awkward environment for many students."
The Culture Wars 2: The battle over abortion and reproductive rights
Discussion questions:
What strategies are effective and ineffective in reducing abortion? Why do same say legal abortion is safer and others say it isn't?
Is it acceptable or not acceptable for Catholics to support pro-choice candidates and/or organizations like Planned Parenthood? Present the key arguments made by both sides.
Why was the Tebow family's seemingly innocuous Super Bowl ad so controversial? Why was George Tiller a hero in some people's eyes and a baby killer in others? Be sure to pay close attention to the arguments William Saletan makes about both figures.
What have been some of the controversies at Notre Dame surrounding abortion? Obama is the obvious example, but there are many others.
Why do some object to stem cell research while others strongly support it? How and why do religions differ in their beliefs about when life begins and how do those differences impact their attitudes toward abortion and stem cell research?
What unique issues are raised in the debate over abortion and Down Syndrome?
[Optional] Do any of these issues have personal relevance for you, e.g. do you know people who have had abortions; or people who have refused to have abortions despite the adversity they faced; or do you know anyone with Down Syndrome and if so, what has their life been like? [Note: As always, nobody has to reveal personal details if they do not feel comfortable doing so.]
How did Susan B. Anthony and other early feminists feel about abortion?
There are ongoing battles over whether or not abortion should be legal - but according to the Guttmacher Institute, across the world, abortion rates are about the same whether it is legal or not. In Leeches, Lye and Spanish Fly, Kate Manning warns about the dangers of illegal and unsafe abortions. A 2018 study by the World Health Organization and the Guttmacher Institute says nearly half the world's abortions are unsafe. Personhood USA counters that a baby is not the worst thing that can happen to a rape victim -- an abortion is.
Ramesh Ponnuru and Robert P. George say Biden's stance on abortion contradicts his Catholicism. Conservative evangelical David French discusses how to be pro-life in Joe Biden's America. Evangelical minister Rob Schenck explains why he switched from being an anti-abortion crusader to an advocate for Roe V Wade. Nicholas Kristof asks abortion opponents some tough questions. But Ross Douthat fiercely argues there is no pro-life case for Planned Parenthood (and, presumably, abortion). [There are a lot of other pieces I like very much in the optional readings]
View Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow's seemingly innocuous Super Bowl ad that ignited a national controversy. William Saletan countered with what he called the grisly truth about the ad.
Bill O'Reilly called murdered abortion doctor George Tiller Tiller the Baby Killer, but Barbara Shelley claims he helped thousands. William Saletan asks troubling and provocative questions in Is it Wrong to Murder an Abortionist?
In the views of alumnus Paul Witkowski, On abortion, Notre Dame gets only marginal grades. Notre Dame students explain Why they will join the March for Life and Why they won't. (There is much more in the optional readings about controversies involving Notre Dame.)
Barack Obama's March 2009 decision to expand federal funding for stem cell research exposed sharp religious divides over when life begins. Nancy Reagan and Arthur Caplan praised the decision. Parkinson's victim Michael Kinsley explains what pro-lifers are missing in the stem cell debate. [Several other relevant articles appear at the bottom of the optional readings, including recent Catholic controversies over Covid vaccines.]
Ruth Graham discusses How Down Syndrome is Redefining the Abortion Debate. It is called "screening" but George Will says it is really a search and destroy mission in the attack on kids with Down Syndrome. Time notes that the life prospects for those with Down Syndrome have never been better - and the ability to abort them has never been greater. Mark Schrad has a child with Down Syndrome. He explains why he and his wife decided not to abort - and why he supports the right of others to choose differently. George Will offered reflections of his son on Jon Will's 21st birthday.
[Optional but recommended] The New York Times explains the new Texas Abortion Law. Notre Dame Law Professor O. Carter opposes abortion but doesn't think the Texas law is the right way to deal with it. The local tri-campus community is divided over the law. A doctor explains why he violated Texas's abortion ban.
[Optional] CNN offers some Fast Facts on Roe V Wade. In 2019 the Pew Research Center provided a demographic breakdown of abortion attitudes of Americans. A national longitudinal study finds that almost no women regret their abortions five years later. Guttmacher further claims that Abortion Is a Common Experience for U.S. Women, Despite Dramatic Declines in Rates. The Pew Research Center offers Eight Key Findings on Catholics and Abortion. The Population Reference Bureau provides extensive Abortion Facts and Figures 2021.
[Optional] In Sept 2019, Guttmacher provided a Fact Sheet on Induced Abortion in the United States -- and found, among other things, that one-fourth of all women may have an abortion by the time they are 45. In July 2020, Guttmacher provided additional statistics on Unintended Pregnancy and Abortion Worldwide.
[Optional] In 2004, it was Notre Dame intramural warfare as scholars Mark Roche, Gerard Bradley, and Charles Rice battled over whether or not Catholics could vote in good conscience for John Kerry. Douglas Kmiec is a conservative legal scholar, a former law professor at Notre Dame, and a past advisor to Ronald Reagan and Mitt Romney. But in 2008, he said Sorry McCain. Barack Obama is a natural for the Catholic vote.
[Optional] In September 2021, Former Notre Dame Arts & Letters Dean Mark Roche discussed Abortion through the lens of Germany's (Catholic) Compromise.
[Optional] Professor Ralph McInerny claimed that Notre Dame forfeited its right to call itself a Catholic university when it invited Barack Obama to speak at commencement. Bishop Fabian W. Bruskewitz of Lincoln said he was "utterly appalled" by Omaha native and ND President John Jenkins' "absolute indifference to the murderous abortion program and beliefs of this President of the United States." Professor Richard Williams had kinder words for his fellow Nebraskan.
[Optional] The National Catholic Reporter contends that the hyperfocus on abortion obscures the focus on other issues Catholics care about. Susan Venker says To be Catholic and vote for Democrats in 2020 is just wrong.
[Optional] Four Notre Dame students argue that Planned Parenthood may have a new face, but it still has the same (dismal) legacy. (I'm linking to the original source because the online comments are also very good. But if the link doesn't work, a pdf version is here.)
[Optional] In 2012, Notre Dame Professor Carter Snead and Princeton Professor Robert George blasted abortion provider Planned Parenthood. About the same time, John Saveland explained why he's pro-life and supports Planned Parenthood while William Saletan argued that funding Planned Parenthood was the best way to reduce the need and demand for abortions. America Magazine argues Erasing Margaret Sanger from Planned Parenthood doesn't change abortion's eugenic logic.
[Optional] Katha Pollit doesn't agree that feminists can be pro-life. In January 2020 Notre Dame students battled fiercely over pro-life and pro-women marches.The Feminists for Life web site expands on its call for a pro-woman, pro-life feminist revolution. Ruth Graham notes that many dispute the idea that Susan B. Anthona was a pro-life heroine. Pro-choice advocate Ronald Klain (who later became Joe Biden's White House Chief of Staff) fears that Reversing Roe V Wade will be just the beginning of the judicial attack on women's reproductive rights.
[Optional] Sister Margaret McBride was excommunicated for agreeing to an abortion that probably saved a woman's life. Pro-life Catholic Julianna Baggott and columnist Nicholas Kristof defended her.
[Optional] Georgia Right to Life touched off a firestorm of controversy when it launched a campaign claiming abortion is the primary tool in a decades-old conspiracy to kill off blacks. But Linda Greenhouse says Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman in Congress, would strongly disagree.
[Optional] Studies from the Guttmacher Institute offer facts on induced abortion in the United States and worldwide, and also examine the reasons US women have abortions. The Guttmacher Institute further notes that the abortion rate is at an all time low -- and claims that better birth control is largely to thanks. Anti-abortion groups, however, argue that the drop shows new state restrictions on abortion are working.
[Optional] Columnist Margaret Carlson is pro-choice - but even she isn't comfortable with Partial-Truth Abortion.
[Optional] Some said "The poster child jumped off the poster" when Norma McCorvey (Roe of Roe V. Wade) converted to being a pro-life advocate. The Washington Post profiled McCorvey when she died in 2017. But on her deathbed, McCorvey stunningly revealed her anti-abortion routine was all just an act.
[Optional] Emma Green discusses whether Science Is Giving the Pro-Life Movement a Boost. Religious groups, scientists and doctors debate whether some popular forms of contraception cause abortions. The New York Times reviews the scientific evidence and concludes abortion qualms on the morning after pill may be unfounded. Father John Jenkins chose not to include alleged abortion-causing drugs when he announced Notre Dame's new contraceptive coverage policy. Tara Culp-Pressler argues that the birth control method Hobby Lobby won't cover is leading to a decline in teenage pregnancies.
[Optional-Video] Professor Richard Williams & Father Jonathan Morris debated Barack Obama's visit to Notre Dame. Richard Williams and Randall Terry offered their opinions of each other. [NOTE: I hesitate to include videos of myself, partly because I don't like how I look but mostly because I don't want anyone to feel like they have to agree with what I say. You are free to take whatever positions you want so long as you can defend them. Also note that Williams praises the efforts of both the pro-life and pro-choice students on campus.]
[Optional-Video] In this one minute clip, Dr. Willie Parker, the only abortion provider in Mississippi, is confronted by an angry protester. The Washington Post explains Why Willie Parker changed his mind about abortion. In one of the most memorable moments of the ND Obama protests, Father Norman Weslin was arrested for defending the unborn (see especially the first 3 minutes or so). Pam and Bob Tebow expand on their pro-life beliefs and their decision not to abort Tim despite the great risks. Then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton argued that, for the women of the world, abortion should be legal, safe, and rare. Former Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg offers his thoughts on Reproductive Freedom.
[Optional] Sarah Zhang offers a lengthy, in-depth discussion on The Last Children of Down Syndrome. Rachel Adams says My son with Down syndrome is not a mascot for abortion restrictions. Likewise Emily Barbero opted to keep her baby, knowing that he might never walk or talk - and she tells Republicans how they can prove they are pro-life too. If you are curious about how Jonathan Will is doing, George Will updates his story here and here.
[Optional] NPR explains how China's One_Child Policy led to forced abortions and 30 million batchelors. George Will condemns Iceland for its genocidal campaign to eliminate people with Down Syndrome.
[Optional] Margo Kapan asks Fertility clinics destroy embryos all the time -- Why aren't conservatives after them? Liza Mundey warns that there are moral dilemmas about what to do with the Souls on Ice -- the hundreds of thousands of frozen unused embryos.
[Optional] Some Church leaders say the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should be avoided if possible. But ethicists worry Catholic Bishops may be making "pastorally dangerous" statements about vaccines. Jesuit priest Sam Sawyer says Some bishops are choosing the culture war over the common good. ND Law Professors Thomas Paprocki and Gerard Bradley argued that Catholics do not have a moral obligation to get vaccinated. Sociology Professor Richard Williams countered that Pope Francis sets the example.
Blacks Lives Matter: Minorities and the criminal justice system
Discussion questions
Both Alice Goffman and Michelle Alexander argue that the criminal justice system and the war on crime have had devastating and unfair effects on African Americans and inner city communities. What does Goffman mean when she says young black men are "on the run?" What does Alexander mean when she refers to "the new Jim Crow?" What are the arguments that support or refute their positions? Be sure to include related arguments made by the Sentencing Project, R.L. Stephens, and possibly others.
Police actions and/or the Black Lives Matter movement have been both praised and criticized. What are some of the arguments made by both sides? Comments made by Rudy Guiliani, Peggy Hubbard, Sunil Dutta, Reddit Hudson, Ruth Marcus, and many others are relevant here.
Pierre (and also Goffman) note how black children are treated more harshly in schools. What is the evidence for this -- and is the cause systemic racism or something else?
What are some of the ways the Black Lives Matter movement has manifested itself on the Notre Dame campus?
[Optional] What have your own experiences (if any) with the police been like - do you tend to view them as friend or enemy?
In this highly acclaimed 16 minute March 2015 TED talk, Alice Goffman discusses how we are priming some kids for college - and others for prison. (I will probably show this in class, but watch it on your own if I don't.)
In these excerpts from On the Run (later expanded into this highly acclaimed book) Alica Goffman argues that the threat of imprisonment (often for minor infractions) has disrupted the lives of young black men in Philadelphia. A very good longer paper of hers is in the optional readings.
In this excerpt from her book The New Jim Crow, Michelle Alexander claims that, thanks to the criminal justice system and the war on drugs, we have not ended racial caste in America - we have merely redesigned it. She further summarizes her argument in this article from Mother Jones.
R.L. Stephens argues that mass incarceration is not the new Jim Crow and that black leaders were complicit in the rise of the prison system. The excellent (but demanding) Heather MacDonald optional reading provides a much more detailed attack, which I will probably try to summarize in class.
The Sentencing Project examines the causes and consequences of racial inequality in the American criminal justice system (Executive Summary; complete report is linked to below.) Marc Howard makes some similar points as he explains What Serena Williams's defeat in the 2018 US Open tells us about the criminal-justice system.
Donna Edwards despairs that There seems to be nothing our black sons and daughters can do to remain alive. Ruth Marcus says If you don't believe systemic racism is real, explain these statistics. Megan Underhill says police calls for living while black have gotten out of hand. Matthew Yglesias warns that White-on-White Murder is Out of Control. (Some might suspect he is being a little sarcastic or satirical, but his numbers are valid.)
Several reports claim that In City After City, Police Mishandled the Summer 2020 Black Lives Matter Protests.
African-American grandmother Peggy Hubbard's scathing attack on black lives matter went viral. Either read about it or watch her 6-minute profanity-laced video. (She later apologized for the language but not the sentiment). Conservative writer Rich Lowry expressed similar sentiments to Peggy Hubbard when he said for progressives, only some black lives matter.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani accused Obama and Black Leaders of stoking anti-police hatred. Veteran police officer Sunil Dutta defends the police and says that I'm a cop. If you don't want to get hurt, don't challenge me. But former police officer Reddit Hudson claims that many of his peers were racist and violent and knew they could violate rights with impunity.
Jeffrey Pierre outlines how the issues playing out between police and communities of color - including implicit bias and overly harsh treatment - are playing out in schools, too. But John McWhorter contends that arguments about Systemic Racism aren't as straightforward as some people think.
Players of former ND football coach Lou Holtz accused him of racism. An alumnus supports Lou Holtz and blasts the university's hypocrisy. A Notre Dame student condemned the university for profiting off of human lives with investments in for-profit prisons.
[Optional but highly recommended] Here is Alice Goffman's complete 19 page 2009 ASR paper On the Run: Wanted Men in a Philadelphia Ghetto, that later led to her book. [Warning: There are a lot of obscenities and racist terms in this piece, but in each case they are direct quotes from the people Goffman is writing about.]
[Optional but highly recommended] Heather MacDonald contends that the criminal justice system is not racist and that the high percentage of blacks behind bars reflects crime rates, not bigotry. [NOTE: This is a great article, albeit a difficult one. I have stopped requiring it but I still highly recommend it.] Debra Dickerson writes Know your Enemy: Heather MacDonald. Some of the reader comments (especially the first one by Michael Cohen) are much better than the article itself. MacDonald makes a powerful case in her article about the criminal justice system not being racist but some of the comments provide strong counter (or supporting) arguments.
[Optional but highly recommended] The ACLU supplements Alexander's arguments and elaborats on The Racist Roots of Denying Incarcerated People Their Right to Vote. Conservative writer George Will says there is no good reason to stop felons from voting.
[Optional] Jamila Michener claims that Racial discrimination pervades nearly every aspect of American life, and offers the data to prove it. Radley Balko says There's overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system is racist. Kamala Harris differs with Donald Trump and says There are two systems of justice in America.
[Optional] A New York Times investigation examines why traffic stops can escalate into fatal encounters and how hidden financial incentives increase the risks. The New York Times further examines video evidence of 120 vehicle stops over five years in which police officers killed motorists who were not brandishing a gun or knife or being pursued for violent crimes. In dozens of incidents, footage shows, officers made tactical mistakes that put themselves in positions of danger then used lethal force to defend against that danger. NYT Also examines The Demand for Money Behind Many Police Traffic Stops.
[Optional] David French may be a conservative but he is also the father of an adopted daughter from Ethiopia and he says that with American Racism, we've still got a very far way to go. Former Republican Congressman Joe Scarborough explains why he still believes in the American Dream but he understands why others don't (here is a pdf version). Caroline Randall Williams, the descendant of black slaves and white rapists, says My Body is a Confederate Monument -- and no one should dare her to celebrate her white ancestors.
[Optional] German Lopez says Riots are destructive, dangerous, and scary - but can lead to serious social reforms.
[Optional] A 2020 report from the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law claims that $372 billion in earnings are lost in the United States each year for those who have a criminal conviction or have spent time in prison - enough money to close New York City's poverty gap 60 times over.
[Optional-Video] These pictures from Katrina sparked controversy over how black and white crime are depicted. The NY Times offers several videos that are sparking outrage of Black Lives upended by policing. Example videos include Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, and Teenagers at a Pool Party.
[Optional] Eric Garner made the phrase "I can't breathe" famous. But the NY Times found that over the last decade at least 70 people have died in law enforcement custody after saying the same words. [You can read the first few pages and then skim the rest. The online version is very cool but if you can't get through the firewall here is the pdf.] The optional readings include several other compilations of readings accusing police of misconduct.
[Optional] These articles all have long, in-depth discussions. The Washington Post claims there is massive bias in our police systems and offers what it calls overwhelming proof. (Here is a pdf if the direct link doesn't work.) The New York Times maintains a chronology of stories on Police Brutality, Misconduct and Shootings. The NYT also talks about the stubborn problem of testilying by the police.
[Optional] Black Lives Matter Activists blasted the kid gloves treatment the Pro-Trump mob received on January 26, 2021.
[Optional] Rolling Stone presents what it claims are 11 racist police killings with no justice served.
[Optional-Video] RedState is a very right-wing web page -- but contributor Leon Wolf says Many Conservatives are Blowing it on the Ferguson DOJ report. Erick Erickson, former editor of RedState, makes a similar argument in Ferguson is not Binary.
[Optional] Adam Driver (Mishawaka High School class of 2001) says there were plenty of KKK rallies when he was growing up in St. Joseph County, and the facts support him.
[Optional] Here is the complete Sentencing Project's Report on Eliminating Racial Inequity in the Criminal Just System.
[Optional] Alice Goffman's On the Run is one of the most highly acclaimed Sociological books in years. The New York Times hailed it as "A remarkable feat of reporting . . . The level of detail in this book and Goffman's ability to understand her subjects' motivations are astonishing--and riveting." But in summer 2015 several critics started questioning her honesty and ethics. Here is a very detailed attack and a much shorter one. Goffman wrote a reply to her critics but Steven Lubet said she just raised even more concerns.
[Optional] In President Obama's Department of Injustice, Alec Karakatnis blasted the Obama administration for keepings tens of thousands of poor people languishing in federal prisons on illegal sentences.
[Optional] The Ban the Box Movement aims to end structural discrimination against people with conviction and incarceration histories, primarily in the areas of hiring and housing policy. This video explains the movement. To learn more, check out the campaign's web page. However, businesses have expressed concerns about the movement, and the Pew Institute warns that Ban the Box laws may be hurting young black men seeking jobs.
[Optional] The New York Times (April 2015) says that, because of early deaths and incarceration, more than 1.5 million black men are missing.
[Optional] A 2015 study says mass incarceration did not lower the crime rate.
[Optional] Facebook was torn by controversy when the Notre Dame Women's Basketball team declared I can't breathe. Here is the famous video of Eric Garner that inspired the protest.
[Optional] Notre Dame students went out on strike to speak out against racial injustice. In Fall 2020, Notre Dame Alums defended and attacked for-profit prisons. More information for each side can be found at the web sites for the GEO Group and for Abolish Private Prisons.
[Optional] Former Notre Dame basketball superstar Brianna Taylor, the daughter of two police officers, gives her views about the dialogue on race.
[Optional] The Marshall Project is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that seeks to create and sustain a sense of national urgency about the U.S. criminal justice system. It includes several articles on Police Accountability and other topics.
[Optional] A lot of people claimed that a gender double-standard hurt Serena Williams at the 2018 US. But the NY Times shows that men are actually penalized more often.
[Optional] In The Underpolicing of Black America, Jill Leovy says that police are better at stopping African Americans at random than they are at halting an epidemic of murder. Jenee Desmond-Harris says that black communities are both under-policed and over-policed, and that being both harassed and ignored is a bad combination. Viewing things from the left, Emory Professor Carol Anderson says Ferguson isn't about black rage against cops. It's white rage against progress.
[Optional] The Guardian explains what defunding the police means. Dionne Searcey further discusses What Would Efforts to Defund or Disband Police Departments Really Mean? Jenifer Eberhardt explains why she supports police reform but doesn't believe in defunding. Criminologist Rod Brunson notes Protests focus on over-policing. But under-policing is also deadly (pdf version). Geo Maher says Yes, we should defund the police. Wilfred Reilly says Defunding the police is stupid and counterproductive.
[Optional] Radley Balko counters Giuliani and says there is no war on cops and that those who claim otherwise are playing a dangerous game.
[Optional] Some African-American Community Activists were not Happy with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. In August 2019 the local chapter of Black Lives Matter called for Buttigieg to resign.
[Optional] Gallup found that in September 2020 Perceptions of White-Black Relations had Sunk to New Low. A study finds that 93% of Black Lives Matter protests have been peaceful.
Wealth, Poverty and Inequality: The Problems of the Poor and the Middle Class
Discussion questions:
Jot down at least 5 or 6 comments or reactions to the Part 1 Video Overviews. What things struck you the most? Did you find anything particularly surprising?
What are some of the problems of the poor, and how do they cope with them? What are some of the myths concerning poverty and homelessness?
Why do some people say the middle class is collapsing? What factors are supposedly contributing to this collapse? What causes middle class families to go bankrupt, and what effect does bankruptcy have on their lives?
In what ways are the rich dependents of the state too? Is taxing the rich a good way to solve societal problems?
[Optional] Feel free to add any personal observations or insights about the types of wealth and inequality described in these articles.
Part 1. Video Overviews of Wealth, Poverty and Inequality -- Watch on your own and be prepared to discuss in class!!! [Ready]
NOTE: I used to show these videos in class, but because Zoom was unreliable in 2020 I had people view them on their own. To my surprise, this turned out to be a very popular practice -- people liked being able to view the videos at their convenience.
Therefore, Wednesday, Oct 6, 2021, will be an asyncronous class day. Instead of coming to the classroom, you should watch these videos on your own. and be prepared to offer your comments and reactions when we meet again on October 11. There isn't much excuse for not viewing the videos so I may call on people at random.
In this 53-minute-long YouTube video, then-Harvard Professor Elizabeth Warren discussed The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class. This 6 minute video graphically depicts Wealth Inequality in America. Elizabeth Warren argues that nobody got rich on their own in her famous one-minute You didn't build that speech. In this 13 minute story, HBO discusses how the price of youth sports promotes inequality.
Part 2. Poverty and Inequality
In 2014 Barbara Ehrenreich wrote about how it is expensive to be poor. She speaks from experience - she tried working for several months as a poor person and wrote about it in Nickel and Dimed.
Linda Tirado was poor herself -- and she explains why she thinks poor people make bad decisions.
German Lopez challenges 11 myths about homelessness in America. Mark Rank describes Five Myths about Poverty. A fascinating experiment in Canada shows How panhandlers use free credit cards.
Part 3. The Problems of the Middle Class
In 2020, the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, published a study called The Cost of Thriving Index (and reached conclusions remarkably similar to what liberal Democrat Elizabeth Warren found 13 years earlier). [This is the PDF if you can't otherwise access but it doesn't show the charts.]
Elizabeth Warren outlines why middle-class families go bankrupt.
Part 4. Wealth and Inequality
Amia Srinivasan argues that the rich are dependents of the state too. To deal with income inequality, Nicholas Kristof says we should soak the rich - and they will still be wealthy. But Brian Reidl scoffs and says You cannot fund socialism by taxing the wealthy.
[Optional] The NY Times has interesting statistics on economic diversity and student outcomes at Notre Dame. You can look up other schools too if you want. For a broader picture see here. Notre Dame isn't the richest school out there, but it is pretty high up, and we also seem to be on the lower side as far as economic diversity goes. Notre Dame's Office of Student Enrichment tries to help lower-income students succeed.
[Optional] Here are the Census Bureau figures for Poverty and Wealth in the United States, 2018. The World Hunger Education Service overviews Poverty and Hunger in the United States.
[Optional] Kyle Spenser talks about students who are in College and Homeless. Nicholas Casey outlines how The Coronavirus Exposed Just how Unequal College Students Lives are.
[Optional] Eduardo Porter attacks the Myth of Welfare's Corrupting Influence on the Poor.
[Optional] Andrew Jabobs reviews Sidewalk, where Mitchell Duneier discusses how he spent five years examining the lives of poor book vendors in New York. Here are some excerpts from Sidewalk.
[Optional-Video] Here is the hour-long video for Sidewalk. You may or may not need to download it first (1.3 GB). It is in mpg4 format and is freely available. Here is the whole DVD (7 GB, in iso format) which has some extra features if you want it.
[Optional] William Julius Wilson reviews Edin and Shaefer's book $2 a day: Living on Almost Nothing in America.
[Optional] Brian Goldman reports that Housing insecurity in the nation's richest cities is far worse than government statistics claim.
[Optional] In Working the System that is working her, Jennifer Friedman and Laurel Graham describe how one woman dealt with poverty and all the obstacles it presented her with. (Fascinating albeit long; you can skim though, you don't have to read it super-carefully.)
[Optional] Byron Auguste says that Requiring a college degree hurts millions of qualified workers unnecessarily.
[Optional] Robert Reich warns that a weak middle class hurts everyone, including the rich.
[Optional] Allison Shrager says that Bernie Sanders' plan for free college tuition is a terrible idea.
[Optional] Eden & Shaefer describe one survival strategy of the poor -- Donating Plasma.
[Optional-Video] Gary Rivlin describes how payday lenders and others have helped to turn poverty into a multibillion dollar industry and says more about Fat times for the poverty industry.. In this humorous, profane, but also accurate clip, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver discusses Predatory Lending. Warning: Language is a bit crude at times. The Center for Responsible Lending has some more conventional but also very good videos. The CRL also addresses Payday Lending: Myths and Facts.
[Optional] Mark Rank says we need to rethink poverty and its solutions. His ConfrontingPoverty.org site offers several tools for understanding American inequality.
[Optional] In 2016 the Republican Party proposed what it thought was a better way to deal with Poverty, Opportunity, and Upward Mobility.
[Optional] Jesse Miler discusses The Disappearing Black Middle Class.
[Optional] In this 2012 report, Elizabeth Warren and Deborah Thorne update how bankruptcy is affecting the middle class. Thorne further discusses how financial distress affects families, especially women. Deborah Thorne explains why many find it hard to make a fresh start after bankruptcy.
[Optional] In October 2020, William Galston noted the current recovery is the most unequal in modern history
[Optional] Business Week discusses the role that luck plays in making someone rich or poor. Saez and Zucman say it is absurd that the working class is now paying higher tax rates than the richest people in America. They explain how to Tax our Way back to Justice.
[Optional] Michael Hobbes says The Glass Floor Is Keeping America's Richest Idiots At The Top.
[Optional] An MIT Economists claims Escaping Poverty Requires Almost 20 Years With Nearly Nothing Going Wrong.
[Optional] The New York Times reports on What Middle-Class Families want Politicians to Know.
[Optional] Several studies suggest that African American adults and their children receive less effective health care than their white counterparts - and their doctors may not even realize it. Racial stereotypes & a lack of minority doctors and condescending communication with patients may be among the reasons.
[Optional] The Marshall project finds COVID-19's Toll on People of Color Is Worse Than We Knew. African American orthopedic surgeon Kenneth R. Alleyne describes how covid-19 is a perfect storm for black Americans. Black Chicagoans say they have long confronted racism in medicine -- and Covid-19 didn't help.
[Optional] What should be done about poverty? Edin and Shaefer blast the Clinton-era welfare reforms and claim America's Poorest are getting virtually no assistance. Catholic Charities of Fort Worth praised Paul Ryan for his understanding of poverty. In 2014 the future Speaker of the House blasted the Obama administration for a system that perpetuates poverty. In investing in our children, Robert Samuelson argues that government programs can only do so much to combat poverty.
[Optional] Elizabeth Warren says $1.2 trillion in student loan debt is keeping young people out of the middle class, and describes what she thinks should be done about it. [Note: The article is only a few pages long. But, I left the comments in, in case you want to skim through them. A lot of people agree with Warren while others have no sympathy for students whatsoever!] But Charles Lane says proposed student debt plans violate principles of social justice.
Gender Inequality and Gender Roles
Discussion questions:
View the below videos before class on Nov 1. These capture different aspects of gender roles today.You should be prepared to offer comments on them. Many of the topics raised in the videos will be raised elsewhere in the readings and be hotly debated.
Christina Hoff Sommers has declared that there is a "war against boys." What does she base her claims on? In what ways are men disadvantaged compared to women? Why do some counter that the "Boy Crisis" is a myth?
Similarly, why does Hannah Rosin ask if we are seeing "The end of men?" What arguments support or refute her claims that modern postindustrial society is better suited to women?
In what ways are women still disadvantaged, and what are some of the reasons for those disadvantages?
[Optional but recommende] How have even toys become a source of controversy in the debate over gender roles?
Videos for discussion at Nov 1, 2021 class:
On September 20, 2011, Hanna Rosin, Christina Hoff Sommer, and others participated in a debate entitled True or False: Men are Finished (43 minutes). If you don't mind spending a little extra time, the 57 minute version is higher-quality video and a little more complete. (Both are edited versions; the long version is linked to below if you want to see the whole thing.)
Christina Hoff Sommers (aka The factual feminist) gives a quick overview on The War Against Boys (3:46). She also asks Do Men Need to Check Their Privilege (6:24) and claims that The Gender Wage Gap is a Myth (2:20)
Title IX got women playing college sports - so where are all the women coaches? ND's own Muffet McGraw is among those who voice their thoughts in this 7:40 long video.
Portrayals of women and girls in advertising have changed across time. Dove stressed soft skin in 1986 while in 2006 it showed its true colors. Today Dove says You're more beautiful than you think (3:00). In this 3:20 video, Always shows what it means to Do Things Like a Girl. Even Barbie (1:55) has come a long ways.
Regular Readings
Many feel that schools shortchange girls. Not Christina Hoff Sommers. Indeed, she thinks there is a War Against Boys [excerpts]. Judith Warner, on the other hand, says the Boy Crisis is little more than a myth.
Why are boys so unruly? It is in their nature, says Christina Hoff Sommers, and efforts to make them more docile and emotional are misguided.
Employed women are working a Second Shift when they get home, says Arlie Hothschild. Julia Carpenter describes the unpaid labor that always falls to women both at home and at work. At least in 2006, though, Demographer and ND graduate Suzanne Bianchi found remarkable gender equality in total workloads.
Women are now the backbone of the economy, says Kate Snow. In The End of Men, Hanna Rosin reports on the unprecedented gender role reversal now under way and its vast cultural consequences. [Pages 7, 8 and 13 are required; the rest of the article is highly recommended.] But Stephanie Coontz attacks The Myth of Male Decline.
In 2011 Hannah Rosin was winning debates about The End of Men. But once the pandemic hit she had to concede that maybe men aren't finished after all.
Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic asks the age-old question: Why do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders? Ruth Graham says It's Time to Admit That Allowing Men Into the Workplace Was a Mistake. (This piece is satirical -- I think).
Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, attributes the gender gap in corporate leadership to chauvinism and corporate obstacles -- but also, in part, to women who don't aggressively pursue opportunities. Eve Tahmincioglu counters that women are doing all the right things but they still lag behind men. Claire Cain Miller says Women did everything right -- and then work got greedy.
In an interesting and entertaining four part series, Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant team up to explain gender discrimination at work, why women stay quiet at work, how women help more around the office but benefit less, and How Men Can Succeed in the Boardroom and the Bedroom.
[Optional but recommended -- These are sort of fun!] Even children's toys have become part of the battleground over gender roles. Organizations like Let Toys be Toys and No Gender December are battling against the gendered marketing of toys. Goldie Blox offers award-winning construction toys for girls. Here is the ad that helped to put Goldie Blox in the national spotlight. Even Barbie has come a long ways since the 1990s. However Target created a firestorm of controversy when it announced that it would stop labeling toys for boys or girls. Luckily an outside volunteer going by the name of Ask ForHelp chimed in on Facebook to help with outraged customers. Christina Hoff Summers says you can give a boy a doll but you can't make him play with it.
[Optional] In her 2013 op-ed piece The Boys at the Back, Christina Hoff Sommers updates her arguments on the war against boys.
[Optional] Sayer and Pepin find that Moms spend even more time on housework when a man is in the house - but we can't just pin the blame on men.
[Optional-Video] Kristen Bell introduces Pinksourcing, where women are a bargain at the workplace (2:08).
[Optional] Do you want to dramatically improve policing? Then hiring more women may be the key to success.
[Optional] Christina Hoff-Summers and Jillian Berman debate the accuracy of the often made claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. A November 2018 study claims the gender pay gap is even worse than we thought. Politifact further analyzes the claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. In this lengthy but easy to read piece, Sarah Kliff tries to tell The truth about the gender wage gap.
[Optional] Former faculty member Abby Palko laments that Notre Dame did not make it possible for her to have a family of the size she wanted. (Palko's critique is pretty damning. But in fairness, ND says it can't respond because it cannot discuss individual cases.)
[Optional] Jennifer Britz apologizes to all the girls she has rejected - for admission to college. But apologies are not enough, says Richard Whitmire. He says women are discriminated against in college admissions and they ought to sue.
[Optional] On September 20, 2011, Hanna Rosin, Christina Hoff Sommer, and others participated in a debate entitled True or False: Men are Finished. And the winner was... The video (One hour and 49 minutes) is great if you have time to watch it. Time permitting, we will show excerpts in class. But Hanna Rosin faced much more formidable opponents in this 5 minute debate.
[Optional] Kevin Carey explains how Men Fall Behind in College Enrollment but Women Still Play Catch-Up at Work.
[Optional] Why does the gender wage gap persist? Part of the reason is that As Women Take Over a Male-Dominated Field, the Pay Drops. Politifact further analyzes the claim that women make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. In this lengthy but easy to read piece, Sarah Kliff tries to tell The truth about the gender wage gap.
[Optional] Why are many dating practices a throwback to an earlier era? Sociologist Ellen Lamont says If you want a Marriage of Equals, Then Date as Equals.
[Optional] Black doctors (mostly female) tell Delta #WhatADoctorLooksLike.
[Optional] Dan Abrams argues that Women Rule as doctors and investors. But anesthesiologist Karen Sibert says too many women doctors are working part-time and leaving the profession and we can no longer afford to continue training doctors who don't spend their careers in the fulltime practice of medicine. Eye surgeon Carolyn Anderson thinks Sibert is distorting the statistics and being unfair to women and explains why doctors should be allowed to work part-time.
[Optional] The late Suzanne Bianchi received her Master's Degree from Notre Dame (and was four years ahead of me at Creighton). Her New York Times Obituary covered some of the highlights of her life's work on gender roles.
The #MeToo Movement and the Battle Against Sexual Harassment and Assault [More to Come]
Discussion questions:
View the below videos in class on Nov 10 or on your own before class on Nov 15. These capture different aspects of the debate over the MeToo Movement and, specifically, The Hunting Ground. You should be prepared to offer several comments on them. Many of the claims made in the videos will be both vigorously supported and hotly challenged in the readings.
Why do so many women fail to report sexual harassment and assault -- and why and how has that started to change?
What are some of the widely believed myths about sexual assault and how do they affect our actions toward alleged victims? How common is sexual assault anyway?
What are major arguments made for the #MeToo movement, and what are the counter-arguments against it? What are the arguments for ending the #Metoo movement -- or for why it should never have been started in the first place? Why do some say that the #MeToo movement is causing unjust harm to men?
Why has The Hunting Ground been both praised and condemned? Specific cases from the movie (including one involving Notre Dame) are debated in the readings -- what are some of the major arguments presented, and how compelling do you find them?
Why has the #MeToo movement caused some -- including people who starred in them -- to re-evaluate some of the most popular films and songs of the past? In light of #MeToo, do you find anything in past or present TV shows/Movies/Music disturbing?
[Optional] If you feel comfortable sharing them, what are your own personal experiences and opinions on these issues? What, if anything, do you think should be done about sexual harassment and assault? Do you think the #MeToo movement has gone too far or not far enough?
Videos for discussion - Be ready to discuss them by Nov 15.
The Hunting Ground is a 2015 documentary film about the incidence of sexual assault on college campuses in the United States and the reported failure of college administrations to deal with it adequately. Here is the 2 minute trailer for The Hunting Ground. You should be able to view the entire film with either this link or this link. If neither works, let me know. The whole film (1 hour 44 minutes) is recommended. The required parts are from the 4:30-52:00 segment and 1:11:00-1:31:00
In this 6 minute video, AEI Senior Research Associate Caroline Kitchens accuses The Hunting Ground of sensationalism and shoddy journalism.
Who are these people, and why were they featured on the Cover of Time? This 3 minute video briefly tells the story of some of the women featured. The optional readings provide a link to the entire story.
Regular Readings
In this July 2018 article, the Chair of Columbia Sociology and his colleagues explain the social risks of labeling, telling, and reporting sexual assaults. This article deploys ethnographic data to explain why some students do not label experiences as sexual assault or report those experiences. (This excerpt includes the abstract and pp. 441-446. The entire article is linked to below.)
"If the attack on Dr. Ford was as bad as she says, charges would have been immediately filed with local Law Enforcement Authorities by either her or her loving parents," Donald Trump tweeted. But College students explain #WhyIDidntReport. Monica Hess tells dads why their daughters never told you.
The BBC debunks several myths about sexual assault -- including some that may have unjustly undermined the claims of Christine Blasey Ford.
Donald Trump says this is a scary time for men. But statistics suggest that false reports of sexual assault are very uncommon.
The claim that one in five college women have been sexually assaulted has been hotly disputed. PBS explains the controversy. Several more articles are in the recommended readings. But most seem to agree that, whatever the number is, it is too high.
Conservative Matt Walsh says the Kavanaugh case proves it is time for the #MeToo Movement to end. Kathleen Parker warns about the inevitable unintended consequences of me too.
ND Alum Melinda Henneberger explained why she wasn't cheering for Old Notre Dame in the 2012 National Championship game. ND Business Professor John Gaski counters that there was an assault -- against the honor and integrity of a fine university.
Newsweek calls The Hunting Ground terrifyingly true. But Emily Yoffee says The Hunting Ground blurs the truth and puts advocacy ahead of accuracy. The directors of the film claim the facts support them.
Some longtime favorite films, songs, and actors have recently come under scrutiny.
Molly Ringwald, star of the 1985 John Hughes classic The Breakfast Club, revisits the memories of her youth in the age of #MeToo. The scene Ringwald is most concerned about appears around the 53:00 mark. If interested here is the trailer. (I've always loved the film but I admit to having some of the same mixed feelings that Ringwald describes.)
Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines may have been the #1 single across the world -- but critics accused it of perpetuating rape myths. Here is the closest thing I could find to a PG rated video of the song.
Some say "Baby it's Cold Outside" is about date rape, others say it is actually a feminist anthem, while yet others say geez, people, it is just a fun song, chill out. There have been numerous articles lately, but this piece from 2016 provides one of the most thorough discussions I have seen. Here is the award-winning version of Baby its Cold Outside from 1949's Neptune's Daughter. Several other versions are in the optional readings.
[Optional] Time Magazine named The Silence Breakers -- the men and women who spoke up against sexual harassment and assault -- as its 2017 Person of the Year. (The article is much shorter than it looks -- much of it is pictures -- and you can feel free to skim through it.) If the link doesn't work then here is a PDF version. Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, Megan Kelly, and a lot of other people you may or may not have heard of are featured. Time's editors explain their choice of The Silence Breakers for 2017 Person of the Year. This two minute Washington Post video explains why Taylor Swift deserved to be on Time's cover.
[Optional] An October 2019 study of 180,000 college students found that most don't believe their reports of sexual assault will be taken seriously. Twitter offers several accounts of #WhyIDidntReport. (This gets updated all the time, but try skimming through a few entries.) Rebecca Traister assesses the toll of #MeToo for those who came forward. The NSVRC warns that misconceptions about false reporting rates cause many sexual assault victims to not report at all.
[Optional] The claim that one in five college women have been sexually assaulted has been hotly disputed. The Hunting Ground says numerous studies support the figure and the ones that don't are flawed. But Christina Hoff Sommers warns that the numbers are vastly overstated. Angus Johnston counters that Hoffman is a rape denialist. (First 4 pages recommended; remaining pages are comments you may find interesting.) A detailed 2017 study reviews numerous studies that have been done on the one in five statistic and concludes the figure sounds about right. (See especially Pages 566-572 if just want the most important points.)
[Optional] Sexual assault victim Emily Yoffe expresses her concerns about the Kavanaugh hearings and the problems she sees with the #BelieveSurvivors movement. Yoffe earlier wrote about how she was sexually assaulted three times before she was 20 and explains why she never told her family or the police.
[Optional] After several rape accusations in 2021, Fraternities Faced Protests and Growing Anger
[Optional] In some #MeToo cases, there is near universal agreement about how terrible the person's behavior was. Vox explains why Anziz Ansari's case is not one of them. Bari Weiss says Aziz Ansari is guilty - of not being a mind reader.
[Optional] The case of Al Franken continues to be controversial. David Burke says #MeToo got it wrong.
[Optional] NBC reports that Science is changing how police respond to sexual assault victims.
[Optional] In this July 2018 article, the Chair of Columbia Sociology and his colleagues explain the social risks of labeling, telling, and reporting sexual assaults. This article deploys ethnographic data to explain why some students do not label experiences as sexual assault or report those experiences. You may want to read the abstract and pp. 441-456 and skim the rest.
[Optional] Patti Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter, explains why she doesn't remember many of the details from her sexual assault.
[Optional] The NY Times reports how saying #MeToo changed the lives of Ashley Judd, Gwyneth Paltrow, and 18 others,
[Optional] Michelle Goldberg discusses Why Sex-Positive Feminism Is Falling Out of Fashion.
[Optional] If you have Amazon Prime, you can watch The Hunting Ground. Segments on Notre Dame appear at around the 36:20 and 47:30 marks. Florida State shows up at about 1:12:00. Lady Gaga's 5 minute graphic video Til it gets better was featured in the film.
[Optional] Lizzy Seeberg's dad says Notre Dame Deeply Let us Down. A former Notre Dame Police officer is critical of the University's handling of sexual assault cases. Melinda Henneberger elaborates on her condemnation of Notre Dame's handling of the Lizzy Seeberg incident.
[Optional] The former Notre Dame linebacker accused in the Lizzy Seeberg case insists he did nothing wrong. John Jenkins said that Notre Dame's investigation of the Seeberg case was thorough and careful and that he could not allow the integrity of Notre Dame to be challenged so publicly. The National Review claims that Florida State Quarterback Jameis Winston got railroaded by the Hunting Ground.
[Optional] Regardless of who is right, Notre Dame made important changes to its Sexual Assault policies in September 2011 and May 2015. In September 2020 The Observer discussed how the conversation on sexual assault continues 10 years after Lizzie Seeberg.
[Optional] In this lengthy article, Emily Yoffe criticizes Campus Rape Policies for their lack of due process and the destructive effects they can have on the unjustly accused.
[Optional] The Council on Contemporary Families reviews the research on Sexual Assault on Campus. The U.S. Department of Justice provides rape and sexual assault statistics The DOJ also explains why reported victimization rates differ widely across sources.
[Optional] In these 5 minute videos Christina Hoff Sommers attacks Sexual Assault Myths, more sexual assault myths and adds Rape culture panic is not the answer. She makes some similar points in the article Panic is not an answer. In this 6 minute video, she asks #MeToo: Movement or witch hunt?
[Optional] Heather Mac Donald attacks the #MeToo's movement impossible premise.
[Optional] For a somewhat lighter take on the issues, female satirist Alexandra Petri warns that every man should be worried.
[Optional] Monica Lewinsky says Bill Clinton should apologize. Both Bill Clinton and Donald Trump have had numerous allegations of sexual harassment and assault made against them.
[Optional] Here is a cutesie version of Baby its Cold Outside by Idina Menzel & Michael Buble (they also performed it at Disneyland!) that cleans it up a bit. Other versions are from Lady Gaga, Glee, and Leon Redbone. Many more versions can be found. A blogger argues that Baby, it's Cold Outside is actually a feminist anthem.
[Optional] Pharrell Williams now denounces Blurred Lines. Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski says Robin Thicke sexually assaulted her on the set.
[Optional] Promising Young Woman has been called a rape-revenge satire about a society that thinks what a shame it would be if the career of a promising young man were ruined over some alleged incident in which both parties were probably drunk.
[Optional] Propublica claims that Liberty University discourages and dismisses students' reports of sexual assaults. Conservative columnist David French speaks further on The Moral Collapse of America�s Largest Christian University.
[Optional] Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai alleges she was sexually assaulted by a high-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party -- and has been barely heard from since.
[Optional] Here are several resources for the victims of sexual assault.
