Latest news with #sociology
The Guardian
5 days ago
- General
- The Guardian
Carol Wolkowitz obituary
My friend and colleague Carol Wolkowitz, who has died aged 77, is best known as a feminist sociologist whose highly influential book, Bodies at Work (2006), has been a key source for those interested in how gender and embodiment shape our working lives. Most of Carol's academic life was spent as a sociology lecturer at the University of Warwick, which she joined in 1986. There she continued an earlier research interest in homeworking and published, with Annie Phizacklea, Homeworking Women: Gender, Racism and Class at Work (1995). Born in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the elder twin daughter of Elaine (nee Flur), a teacher, and William Wolkowitz, a scientist who had been seconded to the Manhattan Project and later worked for the US Atomic Energy Commission, Carol's origin as an 'atom bomb baby' informed much of her later work. She went to school at Valley Stream Central high school, Long Island, when the family moved there for William's work at Grumman Aerospace. After her first degree at Smith College, Massachusetts, she crossed the Atlantic to research gender and politics in India for a doctorate at Sussex University, being supervised by the Marxist sociologist Thomas Bottomore and subsequently by Ann Whitehead. While she was at Sussex she met Martyn Partridge in a house-share near Brighton; they moved to London for Martyn's career as a graphic designer and married in 1982. With her baby son, Tim, Carol's working life began with long-distance commuting between London and Bradford, where she was researching homeworking with Sheila Allen, a professor of sociology at the university. In 1987 they published Homeworking: Myths and Realities, which was important in drawing attention to homeworking's hidden and exploitative nature. Carol did not separate her work and life. As a feminist and as a mother, her understanding of 'the working day' challenged the conceptions that place boundaries between paid and unpaid work and which, at the time, did not regard women's unpaid domestic labour as 'work'. She was a founder member of the Warwick Centre for the Study of Women and Gender, and is remembered by her students as an inspirational teacher. She co-edited The Glossary of Feminist Theory in 2000 and was on the editorial boards of the journals Work, Employment and Society, and Gender, Work and Organization, for many years. She formally retired in 2017, but continued to supervise PhD students and undertake research until her death. She also enjoyed cooking, travelling and playing with her grandchildren. Carol's principal leisure activity was reading crime fiction. She is survived by Martyn, Tim, two grandchildren, Emily and Benjy, her twin, Barbara, her brother, Richard, and two step-sisters, Judy and Julia.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Dalhousie University professor looks at dangers of ‘looksmaxxing' trend
A Dalhousie University sociology professor is exploring the dangers of the 'looksmaxxing' trend among young men. Michael Halpin was the lead author of the study 'When Help is Harm: Health, Lookism and Self-Improvement in the Manosphere,' which explored more than 8,000 message board posts in an online looksmaxxing community that receives six million unique visitors per month. ''Looksmaxxing' means maximising one's physical appearance to attract partners and receive the social benefits that accompany being attractive,' the report reads. 'We argue that looksmaxxing harms the physical and mental health of the men and boys who participate.' The study found members of the online community suggesting tactics such as 'mewing' (pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth) and 'bonesmashing' (deliberating causing small injuries so the bones grow back stronger and more pronounced). 'We argue that this practice is tethered to hegemonic ideas about male beauty, both in terms of the aggressive name of the practice and that men are physically harming themselves to appear more manly,' the report reads. 'Furthermore, men who practice bonesmashing would experience health consequences (e.g., bleeding, bruising, and soft tissue damage) as they are explicitly aiming to damage their bones to shape their appearance.' Other users discussed surgical alterations such as leg lengthening, rhinoplasty, jaw surgeries, brow ridge shaving and fat removal. 'The research found that it can lead users to feel demoralized or like failed men, with some being encouraged to self‐harm or even end their lives,' the report reads. More to come… For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Yahoo
Family mourns 21-year-old killed in Fort Worth crash. ‘He spoke life into me.'
A wrong-way driver crashed into another car in northwest Fort Worth on Feb. 3. A 21-year-old college student was severely injured and died at the scene. Police investigated, filed their report and closed the case. The story ended for everyone else. But for those who loved Solomon Sanchez, the crash near the intersection of Boat Club Road and Ten Mile Bridge Road was more than just an accident. Sanchez's family and friends are still searching for closure. Daquirie Thanphirom, 35, was 14 years older than her baby brother Solomon. Thanphirom, the oldest of four siblings, said her parents were both nurses. Their father worked nights, their mother worked days, and 'so in between the chaos of everything, I was kind of helping as the oldest daughter,' she said. Growing up when she had a bad day, her brother would get an extension cord, plug in a strobe light, and blast one of his favorite Hall and Oates songs. Solomon would come in a black blazer, and he would just start to 'mic test' — 'He's like, 'Wake up! The day is here. It's gonna be OK. It's a party. Make it a party,'' Thanphirom told the Star-Telegram. She said that was one of her best childhood memories. 'Everywhere I took (Solomon) people always asked if he was my son,' Thanphirom said. Solomon loved reading. 'He just wanted to understand the world — that is why I think he chose sociology as his degree that he was going to get at the end of this year,' his sister said. 'He never wanted anyone to have a bad day. He started saying that when he was about 10, because he was bullied a lot at school, just because he really didn't care what other people thought he was,' she said. People would always tell him that he reminded them of King Solomon in the Bible, 'just very wise beyond his years,' Thanphirom said. Thanphirom had completed a seven-mile run that day to train for a half marathon, which her baby brother had encouraged her to do. Solomon attended a full day of classes at UT Arlington and planned to play basketball with friends that evening, she said. Around dinner time, he texted her asking what she was cooking, and she told him she was making hamburger sliders and would save some for him, Thanphirom said. At 8:45 p.m. he texted that he was about to head out and might stop by her place. At 9:08 p.m., he texted that he was on Boat Club Road, she said. 'And that was the last text I got from my brother,' she said. She and her husband were waiting for Solomon. She had already packed his food and dessert. When he didn't arrive, she became concerned and texted him, 'We're still waiting for you. Take your time. Drive safe,' Thanphirom said. Her brother's friend called her around 9:30 p.m., concerned about Solomon's location, which hadn't moved for 25 minutes, she said. 'I remember looking at my husband, and before I could even tell him anything, he was already running down the stairs and hopped in his car,' she said. Thanphirom followed in her own car after she arranged care for their children. 'I got stuck in traffic because all of Boat Club was shut down both ways,' she said. She then called her brother's friend Heaven to wake her parents, who live a few blocks away. Her husband was already at the crash site, Thanphirom said. 'He told me, 'I don't think it's good. Before he could say anything else, I heard my mom scream. And then he said it: 'He's gone' 'I just spoke with him at 9:08 and I'm here standing on the street where he just died at 10:05 p.m.,' she said. Solomon was killed in a head-on collision with an 84-year-old driver who was on the wrong side of the road, according to a police report. Fort Worth police told the Star-Telegram that the driver who hit Solomon may have struck something on her side of the road before she veered onto the opposite side, but she was not intentionally driving on the wrong side, according to their investigation. The woman also was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to a hospital by ambulance. She later died, according to an obituary. The detective had requested that the driver be evaluated by a medical advisory board, according to the crash report, but police said their investigation did not find that the driver's age or a medical condition factored into the cause of the accident. The detective did not determine for how long the driver was on the wrong side of the road. 🚨 More top stories from our newsroom: → Fort Worth ISD board approves plan to close 18 schools → TCU student murder case moves toward trial → Mansfield ISD board approves superintendent's contract [Get our breaking news alerts.] According to the report and the detective on this case, it appears the collision was 'purely accidental,' a police spokesperson said, and no charges were filed. After the initial crash, a third car that was behind Solomon collided with the other two vehicles, according to the report. Heaven Sayus, 23, said that Solomon became her first new friend when she moved to Texas, providing her with a sense of home. 'If happiness was a person, it would literally be Solomon,' Sayus said. Sayus and her husband were the last people to see Solomon on the night of the accident. 'We were just having a good time goofing off playing basketball,' she said. A mutual friend gave Sayus a call about 10 p.m. and asked, 'Have you heard from him?' 'When I got there with my husband, we saw tons of cop cars, lights, everything,' she said. 'There were so many things going through my head, but I think the whole time I was just praying that it's not him,' she said. Sayus said spending time with Solomon's loved ones has helped her cope with the loss of her friend. 'Being with his family and friends and sharing stories and happy memories of him is really what has helped in coping,' she said. 'Obviously, there are still hard days where I just really miss him, but I think being around them helps.' Echo Splain, 24, said she met Solomon when he served her drinks at the coffee shop where he worked, Crude Craft Coffee Bar. Later they became friends and bonded over their love for coffee, music and sociology. Splain said Solomon made every social situation safe and loving. 'He was the kind of person who, when in a group of people, made the most overlooked people feel seen,' she said. It took Splain two days just to fully process her emotions related to the accident. 'I think I was just kind of in shock, just trying to figure out what I could do to help the family,' she said. 'Because I haven't experienced a loss like that before.' Splain said the way the case was handled did not allow 'a lot of closure,' for the family and friends. 'Within our group, we're able to find a little bit of healing, but it's purely just because of how good of a person Solomon was,' Splain said. 'Every single person that came up to us said the same thing,' Thanphirom recalled, through tears. 'They said, 'Your brother always spoke life into me.'' Thanphirom said when she thinks about how her brother was taken, she is angry, but life goes on. 'I'm just going to take it day by day, because I truly believe in how we're told tomorrow was not promised, and that phrase will stick with me for the rest of my life.' 'Grief is not linear, and it's a tragedy that's going to bring on so many raw emotions, but you have to find your voice in all the chaos and stick to your loved ones' narrative and fight for them,' Thanphirom said. 'If I'm being completely honest, I really hate when people say, 'Life will go on. You're going to be OK. Don't worry, it'll get better,'' Thanphirom said. 'I don't think it'll ever get easier when someone you love is taken from you.'
Skift
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Skift
Canadians Won't Come to Your Conference? Try Hosting Two
Canadians balked at attending the NASSS's conference in Seattle. The fix: add one in Vancouver as well as a virtual option. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport (NASSS) was all set for its 2025 annual conference this November at the Westin Seattle. The problem: Some 40% of its members are Canadian, and many don't want to attend due to Trump administration policies. The solution? A three-part format. NASSS will host a smaller Seattle event, a parallel in-person gathering at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver, and a virtual option. 'U.S. policies are creating an inhospitable environment for conferences,' said Travers, the group's president-elect and a trans professor of sociology at Simon Fraser University. 'People who are trans, racialized, on student visas, or not citizens of the United States, said they're not attending a conference in Seattle. They don't want to deal with the border. Not only is there the issue of safety, but Trump's rhetoric, talking about annexing Canada, making it the 51st state, plus the tariffs.' NASSS will use the event app Whova to coordinate programming. 'This is going to be complicated to figure out. But we feel we can do it successfully,' Travers said. Calgary is set to host its 2026 conference, followed by Atlanta in 2027. NASSS is now negotiating to scale back the Atlanta event and add a Canadian program as well. 'It's more work, but the member support is overwhelming," said Travers. Plus, canceling Seattle would have cost the group $71,000 in penalties, Travers said. Geopolitical Tensions Shift Events NASSS isn't alone. Other academic groups are rethinking U.S. travel amid rising political risk. Many are experimenting with flexible conference formats. In addition, the Canadian Association of University Teachers is recommending that its members avoid non-essential travel to the U.S. 'The CAUT strongly recommends that members considering travel to the U.S. review options for remote attendance and travel only if necessary,' it states in its advisory.
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Sad end in hunt for baby-faced student, 22, who vanished at California beauty spot
The search for a University of California Santa Barbara student who vanished while out with friends at a rural beauty spot has ended in tragedy. The body of Tanner Prentiss, 22, was discovered in Big Bear Lake on Monday. Prentiss disappeared on Saturday night while visiting the area with friends, according to the Big Bear Sheriff's Department. He was last seen just after midnight when he left his rental cabin and never returned. Police said he was wearing a black hoodie and jeans. The student was reported missing and deputies implemented an exhaustive search, recruiting dive team members to look for Prentiss. Authorities then issued a grim update that Prentiss' body was located in the water near the Pine Knot Marina. A cause of death has yet to be determined, but the coroner's office has initiated an investigation. There is no foul play suspected at this time. 'Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tanner's family, friends, and all those who are affected by his loss,' the sheriff's department said in a statement. Big Bear Lake is a popular tourist destination, and Prentiss was staying at a rental cabin in the area, according to authorities 'The family is requesting privacy as they navigate through this tragic incident.' Prentiss was a senior at the University of California Santa Barbara studying sociology and economics, according to his LinkedIn profile. A representative for the university told the Los Angeles Times,:'Losing a member of our UC Santa Barbara community is heartbreaking.' 'We understand the impact and stress surrounding this tragedy and are committed to supporting our campus community who may be impacted. 'Our campus offers resources to students, staff and faculty who are in need of support.' Tributes have already begun pouring in for the university student, with dozens of comments on social media praising Prentiss. 'Rest is paradise Tan Man love you forever brother,' one comment read on his recent Instagram post. 'You better be dj'ing your heart out up there. rest is peace tanner, you're missed so much already,' another read. 'Rest in peace [heart emoji] i hope they find out what happened to you, may your soul be safe and sound,' a third added. A GoFundMe was set up for the Prentiss family, by his roommate. The fundraiser has already surpassed the $20,000 goal. 'It's hard to put into words what Tanner meant to those who knew him. He truly was an angel on earth — kind, compassionate, and deeply selfless,' the description read. 'Tanner believed in the good in people, even when they didn't see it in themselves. 'That's something I'll always carry with me, and I know many others will too.'
