News & Events 2018
Our Outstanding Faculty and Students are Often Making News
The BGSU Department of Sociology's research, disseminated as working papers, publications, and presentations, often garners media attention. Additionally, faculty, students, and staff participate in conferences, workshops, and seminars across the country, sharing policy-relevant research on American families with practitioners, fellow researchers, and policymakers.
Asian American Men in Romantic Dating Markets
Are Asian men marginalized in marriage markets despite high levels of earnings and education? Check out the most recent issue of Contexts to read about research by Drs. Grace Kao, Yale University, and Kelly Balistreri and Kara Joyner, BGSU, who document patterns of romance for different racial groups.
The New York Times cites study by Jennifer Copp (PhD '16) and colleagues
Jennifer E. Copp, assistant professor at Florida State University and BGSU PhD '16, in addition to colleagues Peggy C. Giordano, Monica A. Longmore, & Wendy D. Manning, examined the depressive symptoms of young adults returning to live in a parent's home.
Late to Launch: The Post-Collegiate Struggle
The New York Times
Susan Brown discusses divorce rate with Bloomberg
According to Bloomberg, Gen X and Millennials approach relationships differently from Boomers. “The change among young people is particularly striking,” said Distinguished Research Professor Susan Brown. While Brown and her colleague Professor I-Fen Lin's landmark gray divorce research study found the divorce rate has doubled for those 50-64 and tripled for those 65 and up, she notes “The characteristics of young married couples today signal a sustained decline [in divorce rates] in the coming years.”
Wendy Manning Recognized with Endowed Distinguished Professorship
Wendy Manning, Distinguished Research Professor, has been appointed to the Dr. Howard E. and Penny Daum Aldrich Distinguished Professorship in Sociology. This Endowed Professorship is designed to recognize and retain exceptional faculty who:
- provide students with challenging learning environments inside and outside the classroom
- are leading experts with extensive research records and national visibility
- make significant contributions to the development of students into scholars and researchers
- are dedicated to being a public spokesperson and strong advocate for sociology at BGSU
Wendy shines across all of these dimensions, and we are tremendously fortunate to have her as our colleague at BGSU. It is wonderful that we are able to recognize her with this Distinguished Professorship which was gifted to the institution by Howard and Penny Aldrich, both of whom are graduates of BGSU. Howard Aldrich is Kenan Distinguished Professor of Sociology at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Congratulations to Wendy on this well-deserved appointment!
Susan Brown and I-Fen Lin's gray divorce study in U.S. News and World Report
Gray divorce, the sudden jump in older age divorce rates, was uncovered by Susan Brown and I-Fen Lin in a landmark 2012 study.
"Older adults are at the forefront of family change," explains Brown, a distinguished professor and chair of the sociology department. "Most divorces among older adults are happening in the 50- to 64-year-old age range."
Read the full article...
Dennison and Demuth, a "Work in Progress"
Christopher R. Dennison (former graduate student, now assistant professor at SUNY-Buffalo) and Stephen Demuth (associate professor) have written a blog post on the American Sociological Association (ASA) "Work in Progress" blog about their new research findings.
Sociology well represented at #ASA18
Almost 20 faculty members and students presented research at this year's American Sociological Association's (ASA) annual meeting in Philadelphia August 11-14. The Annual Meeting of the ASA draws over 5,000 attendees and provides the opportunity for professionals involved in the scientific study of society to share knowledge and new directions in research and practice. Approximately 600 program sessions are convened during the four-day meeting, featuring over 3,000 research papers and invited sessions.
How the ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ movie could help change stereotypes about Asian men
A study by BGSU's Associate Professor Kelly Balistreri and Professor Kara Joyner and Yale University Professor Grace Kao, which was cited in the Washington Post, found that “with the exception of Filipino men, Asian men are significantly less likely than white men to be currently involved with a romantic partner.” The findings were published in Population Research and Policy Review.
Colleagues found boomers and older Americans divorcing later in life
Susan Brown and I-Fen Lin's research on gray divorce found that 25% of all new divorce filings were by those 55 and older - the result of changing attitudes toward marriage and monogamy.
Senior splitting from your spouse? 'Collaborative divorce' is a friendlier, cheaper way
The Inquirer
Karen Guzzo discusses #MeToo movement's potential impact on dating, relationships
“I will be really curious to see if parents are having more discussions now with their kids,” Guzzo said. “Parents of daughters have had these conversations for a lot longer. What I’d hope is that more parents are having these conversations with their sons.”
Kara Joyner elected ASA Council Member
Kara Joyner has been elected Council Member of the American Sociological Association (ASA) Section on the Sociology of Population. She will serve a three year term, which begins in August right after the ASA annual meeting. Way to represent, Kara!
Karen Guzzo discusses declining birthrate with WPR, Bloomberg, and LiveScience
Is America's Low Birth Rate A Cause For Concern?
What's Discouraging Millennials From Starting a Family?
US Birth Rate Hits All-Time Low:
What's Behind the Decline
Is cohabitation here to stay?
"Cohabitation is here to stay and I think it's a legitimate family form that we need to recognize," Manning said . "I don't' see a retreat in cohabitation anytime soon."
--Wendy Manning to Daily Mail
Consciously uncoupled: A quarter of American parents are unmarried as more people choose cohabitation over vows
I-Fen Lin named GSA Fellow
Congratulations to Professor I-Fen Lin, who has been awarded Fellow status at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). She was nominated by the current and former editors of the flagship GSA journal, Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences. GSA Fellow status recognizes members for their outstanding and continuing work in the field of gerontology. Way to go, I-Fen!
Steve Demuth serves as expert witness in federal civil rights case
Associate Professor Steve Demuth donated his time to research misdemeanor arrest records in Harris County (Houston), Texas, the third largest jail system in the country. Demuth said the work he did for the Civil Rights Corps (CRC) of Washington, D.C., helped substantiate that the money bail system in Harris County is unconstitutional. His research and analysis were part of CRC’s class-action lawsuit against the county for misdemeanor bail practices.
Susan Brown discusses LAT (Living Together Apart) relationships with Time
Researchers are beginning to focus on specific concerns that might arise with LAT coupling, said Distinguished Professor Susan Brown, chair of the sociology department. “It’s really remarkable that older adults are in the vanguard of family change,” she said.
Karen Guzzo's research on mid-life childbearing appears in The Atlantic
Karen Guzzo, associate professor, examined childbearing after age 40. She found the overall birth rate for women 40-44 peaked during the Baby Boom and reached a low in 1981 of 3.8 births per 1,000 women aged 40-44. Since then, the overall birth rate has increased steadily, reaching 11.4 in 2016.
John Boman receives Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award
John Boman, assistant professor, received the Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award from #BGSU chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Way to represent sociology, John!
Ray Swisher appointed as Graduate Director
Professor Ray Swisher has been appointed as Graduate Director, replacing Associate Professor Steve Demuth after 8 years. Welcome aboard, Ray, and thanks to Steve who has done a great job shepherding students through our program and building our reputation on and off campus. Ray and Steve have been working together these past few months to ensure a smooth transition. We appreciate their willingness to serve in this vital leadership role.
Jorge Chavez and Thomas Mowen discuss school security and safety on WBGU TV's The Journal
Following another mass shooting in Florida, school safety and school violence is again at the top of the news cycles. Associate Professor Jorge Chavez and Assistant Professor Thomas Mowen chat with Steve Kendall's The Journal to discuss school violence and the research behind school safety issues.
Distinguished Professor Susan Brown Receives Clifford C. Clogg Award
Susan Brown, distinguished professor and chair, was honored at the Population Association of America's (PAA) annual meeting with the Clifford C. Clogg Award. The award was established to honor outstanding innovative scholarly achievements of population professionals who have attained their highest professional degree within the previous 10-20 years. The award is sponsored by PAA in association with the Population Research Institute of the Pennsylvania State University, and commemorates the memory and creative contributions of Clifford C. Clogg to the field of quantitative methods and labor force demography.
Brown And Lin Receive President’s Award For Collaborative Research And Creative Work Award
Drs. Susan Brown and I-Fen Lin, professors in the Department of Sociology, have been working with two graduate students on a National Institutes of Health-funded research project on gray divorce and well-being. Using a collaborative approach, Anna Hammersmith, PhD candidate, and Matthew Wright, recent PhD graduate, have been integrated into all stages of the research process.
In recognition of this effort, they received a President’s Award for Collaborative Research and Creative Work at the Faculty Excellence Awards April 9. The award recognizes innovative research and creative work conducted by faculty members in collaboration with graduate students.
Susan Brown named Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology
A professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, Susan Brown can add the title Distinguished Research Professor to her name, an honor conferred upon her by the BGSU Board of Trustees at its Feb. 23 meeting in recognition of her outstanding scholarship. She was recognized a second time at the Faculty Excellence Awards on April 9.
Monica Longmore receives educator award for excellence
Professor Monica Longmore received an Outstanding Contributor to Graduate Education Award at the Shanklin Awards Reception on April 10. Longmore was nominated by William Clemens, doctoral candidate.
Wendy Manning promotes visibility of population research
Dr. Wendy Manning, Distinguished Research Professor of Sociology, is the 2018 President of the Population Association of America (PAA). Her key duties during her one-year term include organizing this year's PAA annual meeting in Denver (April 26-28) and delivering the presidential address on Friday, April 27. "This is a significant achievement in Wendy's exceptionally distinguished career," shared colleague Dr. Susan Brown. Read More about Dr. Wendy Manning
Sociology in Action: Stephen Demuth
Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies Stephen Demuth speaks with American Sociological Association (ASA) about serving as an expert witness with Civil Rights Corps in Washington, DC.
The Leading Edge welcomes Tom Mowen
Assistant Professor Tom Mowen appeared on The Leading Edge with host Jerry Anderson to discuss school resource officers and other responses to school shootings. The interview aired Sunday, March 11 at 8:30 a.m. on WTOL-11 and at 10:30 p.m. on FOX-36.
Guzzo, Stykes research on blended families in Chicago Tribune
According to research from Karen Guzzo and Bart Stykes, 63% of women who remarry come into blended families, with half of those involving stepchildren who live with the new couple.
Thomas Mowen, assistant professor of sociology, talks on AZ radio station about adding school resource officers
Thomas Mowen, a BGSU sociologist trained in criminology who studies effects of punishment and policing on youth, joins KJZZ.
Sociology Professors discuss scope of research findings with The Journal's Steve Kendall
Professor and Chair of Sociology Susan Brown and Distinguished Research Professor Wendy Manning appeared with Steve Kendall on WBGUTV's The Journal to discuss their roles as co-directors of the National Center for Family & Marriage Research and to review the past decade of research findings.
An initial goal of the NCFMR was to go in from a demographic standpoint and document key family changes that are taking place in America today, such as marriage, cohabitation, divorce, stepfamilies, and remarriage. A decade later, the NCFMR is at the forefront of that work providing up to the minute statistics, allowing opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students "to get their feet wet in that research."
BGSU Center for Family &
Marriage Research
The Journal
Research by Karen Guzzo finds link between adult contraceptive use and teen knowledge, attitudes
An article by Drs. Karen Guzzo and Sarah Hayford (OSU) was recently published in the Maternal and Child Health Journal. The study finds that attitudes and knowledge about contraception and reproduction learned as a teen have long-term consequences.
"Adolescent Reproductive and Contraceptive Knowledge and Attitudes and Adult Contraceptive Behavior"
Maternal and Child Health Journal
According to Guzzo, “These findings support comprehensive sex education during adolescence and ongoing efforts in adulthood as a mechanism to improve contraceptive use, potentially reducing high levels of unintended childbearing in the U.S.”
Updated: 09/02/2021 12:49PM