http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/topic/47/sociology Inquiries Journal provides undergraduate and graduate students around the world a platform for the wide dissemination of academic work over a range of core disciplines. en-us Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:14:19 -0400 Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:14:19 -0400 http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1963/the-role-and-weaponization-of-scientific-objectivity-in-gender-discourse-and-the-debate-over-transgender-rights By Esme I. Smithson Swain - The label of ‘science’ or ‘biology’ can become somewhat of a trump-card in excluding trans people from civil rights, because many scientific (and pseudo-scientific) opinions are weaponized during transgender rights debates. This paper will therefore explore three dominant fields of thought in the gender/sex divide: biology, cognitive neuroscience, and queer theory. All three fields contribute immensely to our understanding of gender and sex, but the belief that any one discipline can objectively and unequivocally explain ‘gender’ can be dangerous. The theories... Tue, 04 Oct 2022 09:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1963/the-role-and-weaponization-of-scientific-objectivity-in-gender-discourse-and-the-debate-over-transgender-rights http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1962/#itsnotmyperiod-hashtag-activisms-challenge-to-narratives-of-menstrual-stigma By Jessie J. Liu - Perceptions of menstruation as a taboo subject have historically characterized Western and non-Western societies alike and persist today, both perpetuating harmful cultural understandings of women’s abilities and normalizing institutional practices that exacerbate gender disparities. With the advent of viral social media movements or “hashtag activism,” however, challenges to these oppressive, misogynistic mainstream narratives have become increasingly powerful. Centered on menstrual activism and dismantling menstrual stigma, #ItsNotMyPeriod is one such movement. This paper argues... Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:02 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1962/#itsnotmyperiod-hashtag-activisms-challenge-to-narratives-of-menstrual-stigma http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court By Katharina Geppert - Numerous studies have investigated why women are vastly underrepresented in prisons across the United States. In explaining this “gender gap,” scholars have found that women are treated more leniently than men at various stages of the judicial process. Explanations for women’s lenient treatment are often oversimplified as “sex differences” in criminal behavior and could benefit from further investigation. Through qualitative interviews with federal judges and attorneys, as well as observations of criminal court proceedings, this study examines how the family, as a... Wed, 09 Feb 2022 01:17 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1936/explaining-the-gender-gap-in-the-criminal-justice-system-how-family-based-gender-roles-shape-perceptions-of-defendants-in-criminal-court http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1914/eo-wilsons-sociobiology-and-the-marxist-response-a-critique-of-the-critics By Sharan K. Garlapati - Sociobiology is a sub-discipline of biology that aims to examine and explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from disciplines including psychology, ethology, anthropology, evolution, zoology, archaeology, and population genetics (Wilson 2000). While the term "sociobiology" appeared at least as early as the 1940s, the concept itself did not gain significant recognition until the publication of Dr. E. O. Wilson's, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis in 1975. This book pulled together a vast body of zoology, ethology, and research from other disciplines... Tue, 05 Oct 2021 10:37 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1914/eo-wilsons-sociobiology-and-the-marxist-response-a-critique-of-the-critics http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1904/industrial-safety-factors-that-present-barriers-to-reporting-workplace-incidents-and-contribute-to-cultures-of-non-reporting By Rana M. Van Tuyl - This research study explores factors that present barriers to reporting workplace incidents and contribute to cultures of non-report. The research purpose was to explore human, workplace/organizational, and external factors identified by industrial sector personnel working in the oil and gas industry in Northern Alberta, Canada to build an understanding of why cultures of non-report develop as a subculture. The participant organization was a multinational that provides construction and technical services on industrial facilities. Data was collected through one-on-one, semi-structured interviews... Tue, 08 Jun 2021 08:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1904/industrial-safety-factors-that-present-barriers-to-reporting-workplace-incidents-and-contribute-to-cultures-of-non-reporting http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1898/double-lives-a-qualitative-analysis-of-identity-navigation-in-chicagos-south-and-west-sides By Ava V. Levin - This paper draws on qualitative interviews to address internal and external identity navigation among gang members and how nonprofits address this navigation. Gang members ultimately lead double lives as they weave between gang and community life. At the same time, community members also engage with gang culture in daily life, as gang membership may be clear while gang and community life are blurred. This dual existence can breed cognitive dissonance, which gang members address through a variety of neutralization techniques that allow them to nevertheless view themselves as moral individuals.... Tue, 11 May 2021 02:03 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1898/double-lives-a-qualitative-analysis-of-identity-navigation-in-chicagos-south-and-west-sides http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1880/a-critical-analysis-of-the-biopsychosocial-risks-associated-with-postpartum-depression-in-indian-mothers By Dia A. Kapoor - Motherhood is an essential yet challenging feat that requires constant emotional, social, and physical support. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a devastating illness that has detrimental effects on both the mother and her child. PPD is a growing problem in developing countries such as India, where populations are unaware and unaccepting of mental illnesses. Existing literature has identified several biological and psychological factors contributing to PPD. Interventions and public health policies have been motivated by recognized factors; however, they have not been as successful at reducing rates... Mon, 22 Feb 2021 02:36 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1880/a-critical-analysis-of-the-biopsychosocial-risks-associated-with-postpartum-depression-in-indian-mothers http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism By Amna Abudyak - This paper will attempt to link fundamental ideas and terms of environmental sociology in the context of ecotourism relating to human society and conceptions of nature. Furthermore, connections to neo-Marxist and neo-Gramscian theories will be made. As humans’ urban “habitats” grow exponentially, the relationship between tourism (i.e. ecotourism) and the naturework associated with the industry becomes increasingly important on the environmental, political, and cultural levels. As the tourists flows primarily from the Global North to the Global South are investigated sociologically... Thu, 18 Feb 2021 08:58 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1878/commodifying-nature-reflections-of-hegemony-in-ecotourism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1859/cultural-competencies-for-healthcare-providers-working-with-rural-finnish-americans By Abigail K. Carlson - The number of Americans aged 65-years-and-older is projected to increase significantly by 2050. As rural older adults age-in-place, it is imperative to examine the links between cultural competencies, ethnic minority status, and access to care. Rural providers from outside the local culture must recognize the need to practice cultural humility and cultural sensitivity to champion best practices of care. Finnish Americans have a unique subculture in the Upper Midwest, particularly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where they have historically faced much hardship, as well as significant barriers... Fri, 08 Jan 2021 12:54 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1859/cultural-competencies-for-healthcare-providers-working-with-rural-finnish-americans http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1847/genocide-memorialization-in-the-modern-era-communal-mourning-through-institutions-and-culture By Emily Bennett - Genocide Memorialization focuses on the community after a genocide in what they choose to remember and how they achieve that goal of memorialization. Memorialization efforts are museums, institutions, policy, law, education, documentaries and first person accounts and testimonies. By examining the precedent set by the aftermath of the Holocaust and the Genocide Convention of 1948, future survivors of genocide are able to expand the precedent or potentially ignore the precedent by no longer recognizing a genocide. After introducing the Holocaust I examine three modern genocides: The Indonesian... Mon, 07 Dec 2020 01:23 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1847/genocide-memorialization-in-the-modern-era-communal-mourning-through-institutions-and-culture http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1840/one-person-two-names-a-study-of-naming-practices-in-hong-kong-and-the-use-of-english-and-chinese-names By Wibke Eickmann - The practice of using an English name is widespread among native Chinese speakers. Especially in Hong Kong many use an English name in their everyday life. Using qualitative interviews, this study examines the thoughts and feelings about this practice among students who grew up in Hong Kong after the 1997 handover. Due to the high importance of English in education and commerce, English names have become symbolic capital and an expression of Hong Kongese identity. A good English name should be recognizable but at the same time not too common. The two names are used in distinct social settings:... Wed, 18 Nov 2020 09:39 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1840/one-person-two-names-a-study-of-naming-practices-in-hong-kong-and-the-use-of-english-and-chinese-names http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1827/exploring-the-role-of-skin-tone-among-low-income-black-college-students By Chelsea G. Gardner - Light-skinned slaves, who were often the children of Black female slaves who were raped by their White masters, received slightly privileged treatment in comparison to their dark-skinned counterparts. For example, light-skinned slaves were allowed to work in the house of the master instead of working on the field. They also had more access to learning trade skills and received some schooling (Hunter 2007). During slavery, there was a small class of freed people who were early business and community leaders; these individuals were more likely to be light-skinned. After slavery, light-skinned Blacks... Tue, 27 Oct 2020 08:56 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1827/exploring-the-role-of-skin-tone-among-low-income-black-college-students http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1820/flipping-the-cultural-script-papaya-soap-and-skin-color-stratification-in-the-philippines By Aimiel Trisha W. Casillan - Centuries of subjugation under Spanish and American colonial rule have embedded an idealistic view of white beauty in the minds of Filipinos. It continues to be deeply rooted in Philippine culture due to the constant exposure of Filipina bodies to the advertisements of the massive skin lightening industry. Papaya soap, one of the many objects produced by the industry, has perpetuated social stratification in the Philippines. In the following critique, I explore the origins of papaya soap while using a feminist consumerist lens to reveal how it has been marketed to promote a colonial mindset of... Wed, 21 Oct 2020 09:14 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1820/flipping-the-cultural-script-papaya-soap-and-skin-color-stratification-in-the-philippines http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1816/preserving-cultural-identity-in-english-language-use-by-korean-immigrants By Heajune Lee - This paper argues that the Korean cultural values of humility and social deference directly influence the linguistic choices in Korean immigrants’ English emails. This relationship can be seen in consistent qualification of requests, ambiguous use of power verbs, and excessive use of impersonal statements. To support this argument, I first examine the literature establishing a strong relationship between an individual’s identity and linguistic choices. Given the centrality of humility and respect in Korea’s Confucian society, I explore ways in which these cultural values are... Wed, 14 Oct 2020 08:25 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1816/preserving-cultural-identity-in-english-language-use-by-korean-immigrants http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1809/the-cycle-of-punishment-in-producing-society By Maureen A.S. Arsenal - These “at-risk populations” tend to be marginalized and/or minority groups. The implication of this “at-risk” judgement, is that the legal system marries moral panic with racialized criminality. Stereotypes and the overrepresentation of Blacks, Hispanics and Indigenous people in our correctional facilities fuel our perception of race(s) that are ‘likely’ to be criminal. The cycling of offenders in and out of the judicial system is how the legal system controls them, for example: the use of criminal history as a tool to justify further monitoring, restrictions... Sat, 03 Oct 2020 07:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1809/the-cycle-of-punishment-in-producing-society http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1785/womens-erotic-consumption-articulating-the-sexual-self-under-late-capitalism By Ella Agoos - From a very young age, women are taught to suppress their sexuality. Sex, we are told, is deeply personal; a private act that must be sequestered within the four walls of a bedroom and never see the light of day. However, as we grow up we are steeped in a culture of sex that permeates Western society. Gyrating hips in music videos, subtle and not-so-subtle innuendos peppered throughout song lyrics, hardcore internet pornography available at the click of a mouse, sexy fembots complete with large titanium breasts as the faces of vodka advertising campaigns– sexual imagery of women and their... Tue, 14 Jul 2020 08:41 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1785/womens-erotic-consumption-articulating-the-sexual-self-under-late-capitalism http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence By Humza Husain - South Asian women in particular are not only vulnerable to domestic violence, but exceptionally vulnerable to underreporting of domestic violence. The problem compounds itself by making it difficult not only to quantify the issue, but also harder to understand its roots. This paper studies this phenomenon by analyzing the potential causes for both domestic violence as well as underreporting, through understanding what systemic, legislative, and cultural issues specifically plague South Asian women in the United States. Stark cultural differences between eastern and western values and culture,... Fri, 20 Dec 2019 09:25 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1777/why-are-south-asian-immigrant-women-vulnerable-to-domestic-violence http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1770/why-are-women-more-religious-than-men By Mie A. Jensen - Scholars have since the 1980s tried to explain why women are more religious than men, but contradictory evidence complicates a precise answer (Pew Research Center 2016:54), so this essay evaluates some theories to explain women’s increased religiousity. It first critically analyses Woodhead’s (2007) theory of double deprivation. Next, I evaluate gendered religiosity in relation to Judaism. I explain how motherhood makes women more religious due to their socialisation. Then, I show how practices related to behaviour affirm women’s religious role in the family. Finally, I examine... Fri, 04 Oct 2019 08:33 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1770/why-are-women-more-religious-than-men http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1766/fatherhood-socialization-of-masculinity-through-parental-involvement-in-youth-sport By Joseph M. Serrato - Fathers often use sport to socialize their sons into masculinity. When coaching their own son in a sport, men must juggle their own desire to win with their son’s enjoyment. This paper examines the types of masculinity in coaching, while integrating theories of parental participation and involved fathering. As identified with mixed research methods, inclusive masculine fathers have better father-son relationships than orthodox masculine fathers. Techniques used by inclusive masculine fathers were studied through qualitative interviews; they often delegate their own son to other coaching... Wed, 02 Oct 2019 09:55 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1766/fatherhood-socialization-of-masculinity-through-parental-involvement-in-youth-sport http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1736/educational-investment-and-sociopsychological-wellbeing-among-rural-chinese-women By Jason Hung - Universal secondary education is vital if rural China is to achieve long-term socioeconomic sustainability, as education offers the pragmatic skills and knowledge base that would allow those living in rural China to adapt to the knowledge-intensive global economy (Rong and Shi, 2001: 108-9; Bush and Haiyan, 2000: 62; Oxfam Report, 1999: 1; Liu, 2004: 5; Bennell and Furlong, 1998). In rural China, each student ostensibly has access to nine years of mandatory education (Liu, 2004: 6). However, local governments are often incapable of subsidizing compulsory schooling, particularly post-primary schooling... Wed, 09 May 2018 12:52 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1736/educational-investment-and-sociopsychological-wellbeing-among-rural-chinese-women http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1714/narratives-binaries-and-framing-in-the-cultural-contest-over-climate-change By Scott B. Remer - The above texts have been selected because they are iconic and authoritative. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is authorized by the United Nations and is the world’s foremost source of expertise on climate change.[1] The United States’ 2014 National Climate Assessment was produced by over 300 scientific experts and subject to an open review process and National Academy of Sciences oversight.[2] Laudato Si received extensive media coverage and has been lauded by numerous environmental groups.[3] 350.org, Greenpeace, and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC... Wed, 13 Dec 2017 11:45 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1714/narratives-binaries-and-framing-in-the-cultural-contest-over-climate-change http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1713/leaving-religion-a-qualitative-analysis-of-religious-exiting By Rose M. LeCount - Religion has been a part of society for thousands of years and touches every life on the globe. Despite this, religious non-affiliation is one of the fastest growing religious identities, and is currently the third largest globally. There has been research into the religious “nones” and conversion, but there has been less focus on the factors and process of leaving a religion. This study looks at the stages of religious exiting with a comparison to Helen Ebaugh’s stages of role exit. Through a qualitative analysis of an online survey (n=610) and interviews (n=17) several themes... Tue, 12 Dec 2017 11:02 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1713/leaving-religion-a-qualitative-analysis-of-religious-exiting http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1711/the-looking-glass-self-the-impact-of-explicit-self-awareness-on-self-esteem By Sarah A. Fricke - Cooley (1902) introduced the looking glass self as an individual’s self-concept defined, in part, by societal heuristics. Silvia and Phillips (2013) showed self-awareness (SA) was influenced by presenting stimuli that both explicitly increase SA (e.g., mirrors) and implicitly increase SA (e.g., name priming). Objective SA theory, coined by Duval and Wicklund (1972) and updated by Silvia and Duval (2001), stated SA could occur without explicit stimuli (Silvia & Phillips, 2013). Research has not yet addressed this prediction. The current study assessed the impact of increasing explicit... Mon, 04 Dec 2017 11:01 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1711/the-looking-glass-self-the-impact-of-explicit-self-awareness-on-self-esteem http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity By Gustaf Forsell - Similarly to many European countries, the Swedish population often perceive their history as an epoch of homogeneity: a time when every Swedish citizen was believed to have had the same ethnic phenotype, spoken the same language, believed in the same God, and shared the same basic values (Gardell, 2011, p. 23). It is embedded in the Swedish national identity, as if it is possible to explain lex naturalis. The notion is expressed on the well-recognised Swedish website Nationalencyklopedin (National Encyclopaedia of Sweden) which argues that Sweden has been ‘an immigration country’ (&... Thu, 01 Jun 2017 10:38 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1645/nationalism-identity-and-public-policy-in-sweden-pursuing-an-elusive-national-identity http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1643/nature-or-culture-the-anthropocene-as-social-narrative By Kelly Power - Is it possible to objectively define the Anthropocene? This essay argues that whether or not it is precisely definable as a geological epoch, its true value, as a concept grounded in futurity, lies within the social realm. The origins of the term are discussed and several hypotheses for defining the Anthropocene are considered. These are linked to earlier accounts of human influence over the environment. Next, the universality of the Anthropocene narrative is challenged, with an emphasis on its cultural and social dimensions. This critique does not seek to diminish its value but refocus it, stressing... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1643/nature-or-culture-the-anthropocene-as-social-narrative http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1650/alienating-ethnic-kin-assessing-immigration-integration-policies-for-the-brazilian-nikkeijin-in-japan-and-joseonjok-marriage-migrants-in-south-korea By Kenneth Lee - In recent decades, Japan and South Korea have become hosts to ethnic return migrants who have returned to their ancestral homeland after once emigrating overseas. Since the 1980s, the Brazilian nikkeijin, or members of the Japanese diaspora, have returned to Japan as labor migrants. From 1992, joseonjok, or ethnic Korean Chinese, migrant women traveled to South Korea to marry Korean men. Japan and South Korea have targeted these groups for their ethnic affinities – the attraction and kinship between the homeland population and returning migrants – on the presumption that they would... Mon, 22 May 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1650/alienating-ethnic-kin-assessing-immigration-integration-policies-for-the-brazilian-nikkeijin-in-japan-and-joseonjok-marriage-migrants-in-south-korea http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1635/the-effects-of-race-and-religion-on-patriotism-among-americans By Maria Islam - This paper examines the reasons behind people's different views of defining what "patriotism" is. Three multivariate linear regressions were performed to determine the causes behind an individual's level of patriotism. Two of the regression models found that individuals who identify as black have lower levels of patriotism than whites. None of the models supported the author's hypothesis that Muslims would have lower levels of patriotism than someone non-Muslim. The study also found support from all the regression models for one of the confounding variables, age; the older you are the more patriotic... Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:00 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1635/the-effects-of-race-and-religion-on-patriotism-among-americans http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1576/social-networking-sites-and-romantic-relationships-effects-on-development-maintenance-and-dissolution-of-relationships By Kenadie T. Wilkerson - In our now largely virtual world there are many different ways that we can choose to communicate with one another. Texts, FaceTime, and social media sites have become some of the most popular ways for people to communicate with each other. Romantic partners express their relationship in many different ways. A couple can choose how they want their relationship to be expressed to the public. Now, with the increasing growth of technology, romantic partners can express their relationship online for essentially everyone they know to see. Social networking sites are used to try to recreate face-to-face... Tue, 14 Mar 2017 05:06 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1576/social-networking-sites-and-romantic-relationships-effects-on-development-maintenance-and-dissolution-of-relationships http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1568/the-conceptual-access-network-thesis-theorizing-the-success-of-new-internet-based-products-services-and-technologies By La Shun L. Carroll - The Conceptual Access-Network Thesis proposed suggests that the development or success of any new internet-based product, service, or technology will ultimately be contingent upon how well it satisfies the criterion of providing access to or creating a network of potential users, products, and services. The significance of this thesis is that, as a criterion, the principle not only explicates how internet technology evolves but can explain what underlies a range of technologies beyond that of the internet, which include chemical forms such as Insulin and highways that are based on the tenets of... Mon, 13 Mar 2017 10:29 EDT http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1568/the-conceptual-access-network-thesis-theorizing-the-success-of-new-internet-based-products-services-and-technologies http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1549/harry-potter-is-gay-an-investigation-of-queer-fan-culture By Tianna K. Mignogna - Not long after J.K. Rowling published the first Harry Potter book on June 26, 1997, The Boy Who Lived exploded into an international phenomenon. Teachers read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to wide-eyed students and parents read it aloud to put their children to sleep, continuing to turn the pages into the night. So many people wanted to escape to Harry’s magical world where nearly anything was possible – and these people began to respond to this universe in very real, critical ways. For some fans, like those at MuggleNet.com, that meant creating websites and publishing... Thu, 02 Mar 2017 12:02 EST http://www.inquiriesjournal.com/articles/1549/harry-potter-is-gay-an-investigation-of-queer-fan-culture