Soc 320 Research Opportunity, Fall 2020: Compiling Case Histories from Jail and Court Records

Term: Fall 2020 (Soc 320, Section 135) Status: Closed Contact: Please contact Prof Pamela Oliver pamela.oliver@wisc.edu if interested. It is available for 1-3 credits. Description: This project is in collaboration with Dane County community activists who are concerned about who is in the jail and people’s criminal histories that send them in and out of …

John Eason Interviewed on COVID-19 in Wisconsin Prisons

Wisconsin Public Radio presented a news story on the rate of COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin prisons on Thursday, September 3.  John Eason, Associate Professor of Sociology and director of the University of Wisconsin Justice Lab, commented on the disproportionate rate of incarceration of African Americans in state prisons, and how increased COVID-19 testing will show …

Bloomberg News Features Max Bresbis’ New Book

Assistant Professor Max Besbris, one of the department’s newest faculty members, just had his book  Upsold: Real Estate Agents, Prices, and Neighborhood Inequality published by The University of Chicago Press Books.  

Greg Wilson and Randy Stoecker Present New Research on Black-led Nonprofits

On August 21, Greg Wilson, graduate student in the Department of Sociology, and Professor of Community and Environmental Sociology Randy Stoecker, gave a presentation on their research findings on Black-led nonprofits in Madison – organizations whose leadership is majority Black – to the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development, as part of the Justified Anger …

Jane Piliavin Interviewed About Milwaukee Bucks Protest

Last week Jane Piliavin, Conway-Bascom Professor of Sociology, Emerita, was interviewed by Channel 3000 about the Milwaukee Bucks boycott of Game 5 of the playoff series.  Piliavin, who has taught sports sociology for many years, stated “It’s often athletes who stand up and protest before other people do.”

COWS to Moderate Discussion on Economic Impact of COVID-19

The Center on Wisconsin Strategy (COWS) moderated a discussion on Thursday September 3 at 12:00pm (CST) that included front-line workers in healthcare and other essential jobs, as well as those who have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic.  This online event, The Experience of Frontline Wisconsin Workers under COVID-19,  was hosted by …

Max Besbris Publishes New Book “Upsold”

Assistant Professor Max Besbris, one of the department’s newest faculty members, just had his book  Upsold: Real Estate Agents, Prices, and Neighborhood Inequality published by The University of Chicago Press Books.  Besbris shows how agents successfully upsell, inducing buyers to spend more than their initially stated price ceilings.  Using ethnographic and quantitative housing data, the …

Jordan Conwell Presents at the Stone Center’s “Inequality by the Numbers” Workshop

Assistant Professor of Sociology and Educational Policy Studies, Jordan Conwell is part of the Stone Center’s Virtual Workshop 2020:  “Inequality by the Numbers.” The purpose of this workshop is to feature the latest research and thinking on equality across a wide range of topics, disciplinary perspectives, and geographical terrains.  Conwell presents an overview of inequality …

Reduction of Inmates at Dane County Jail Flattened the COVID-19 Curve

John Eason, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the UW–Madison Justice Lab, has presented early results from a research project that suggest that efforts to reduce the jail population in the months of January, February and March resulted in decreasing the number of COVID-19 cases in the Dane County Jail.  Eason has partnered with …

Kingsley Gobourne is a New Leader in Promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Madison

Kingsley Gobourne, UW Sociology alumnus (2009) and member of the department’s Board of Visitors, is working to improve the culture and climate at UnityPoint Health-Meriter.  As the program manager of diversity, equity and inclusion, Gobourne has applied his research and evaluation background with a 19-member committee that has divided into 4 sub-committees focusing on policy, …