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Research Commentary

Research commentaries are short, carefully cited, 800+ word pieces by Sociologists and/or sociology students. Research commentaries are sociological analysis of current events, topics of interest, or ever green issues that are grounded in the sociological literature. Anybody with some degree of sociological knowledge can submit a commentary, but submission are reviewed for the quality of writing, quality of citation, readability, grammar, expressive clarity, and so on. Please consult our Writing Tips section prior to submitting your article. Email your submission to [email protected] , along with a quick biographical background statement telling us who you are. If your submission is accepted you will be required to register a username on this site in order that your contribution might be properly attributed.

Radicalization – Causes and Consequences

Yesterday, 7th of July 2013 was the eighth anniversary of the terrorist attack in London. The attacks led the British government to launch initiatives to identify why and how one becomes radicalized[1] and develop measures to counter the terrorism threat. ...

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Ding Dong the Alpha Male is Dead

Young-Justice-01x13-Alpha-Male-05

Is our socialization process a process of ideological indoctrination? As part of our socialization we learn "how the world really works." Our religions teach us of a cosmic "fight" between good and evil, science teaches us about the struggle for survival and "survival of the fittest," and everybody talks about how its OK for the "winners" to dominate the "losers." It is all part of the natural (or divine) social order! But is it really, or is it just indoctrination. You be the judge.

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Redefining Reality: Seeing is Disbelieving

Good Science

Epistemology = How do we know the world that we know? Ontology = What is the nature of the world that we know? In this short article Dr. Tim argues not only that the world is a materialist presence that exists independent of our observation (his ontological statement), but that this materialist presence can be known basically through a process of empirical trial and error. The empirical trial and error is necessary because the human is fallible, given to delusion, and open to manipulation and contrivance. That much is true, we are too easy to fool it seems. But is that in our nature, or is it a function of our flawed socialization process? That's the rub. Personally, I think socialization but then hey, this a Sociology journal and I'm a sociologist, so maybe I'm biased (or maybe, it is the Truth).

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American Association for the Advancement of Science

Good Science

Science, science, science. Has there ever been a thing more wondrous and beautiful, terrible and ugly, than science? From acetylsalicylic acid to atom bombs, Prozac to Pontiac, it is impossible to deny that science is at least partially responsible. So find out more about it, and teach your students well. Make Good Science a textbook in your methods, theory, or even introductory class.

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