University Ink - A Showcase of UofL Authorship: Sociology

For the last twenty-thousand years, dogs and people have shared a unique bond in the animal kingdom. In How Our Love of Dogs Creates Social Conflict, James K. Beggan uses symbolic interaction to examine the meaning that dogs have for people as friends and family members. Although many animal rights advocates express dismay over the subordinate status ownership implies, the author argues that ownership creates a powerful psychological connection that makes it easier for people to imbue dogs with humanlike characteristics. Beggan outlines how dogs' sensitivity to inequity, in combination with a high degree of cognitive capacity, makes it possible for dogs to be active agents in creating conflict between people. The author's analysis of social conflict between people over their dogs connects to profound philosophical concepts about the nature of mind, the relationship between humans and animals, and the moral responsibility human beings have to dogs and other animals.

Different forms of consensual nonmonogamy, such as polyamory and swinging, have achieved greater prominence in daily conversation and representation in mass media. Although advocates recognize that the presence of additional people creates difficulties, the author argues that this greater complexity may lead to unavoidable instability. Drawing from classic work by Georg Simmel as well as modern research in the social sciences, James K. Beggan considers how the presence of a third person is what allows the formation of coalitions which then become part of the process that can break apart the triad.

Within these pages James K. Beggan puts forward a novel approach to understanding sexual harassment by high value superstars in the workplace. The approach integrates ideas derived from evolutionary theory, utility theory, sexual scripting theory and research on the regulation of emotion. Besides providing a better understanding of the phenomenon, the book aims to contribute to the development of better techniques to prevent sexual harassment. Recently, credible allegations of sexual misconduct against high profile figures have dominated the news. Sexual harassment has become an important issue for leaders and those who study leadership. The author presents a new approach to understanding sexual harassment in the #MeToo era that integrates research from a diverse range of areas typically ignored by researchers.

Timely analysis of the ways in which women grassroots activists, the European Union, and the Turkish state are involved in shaping gender policies in Turkey.

This anthology helps readers understand issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality at the individual level--by including stories by or about people who have actually experienced discrimination, prejudice, or inequality because of who they were. It then explains the historical, cultural, and institutional roots of inequality, before turning to theoretical explanations, and finally to a section on activism oriented toward social change. For United States citizens working for unity--while celebrating diversity--in the land they call home.