Blank | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title | Page Title Blank In This Issue: Message from the Division Chair 2011 SSSP Conference: CSAC Division Sessions Meet the Candidates: 2011-13 CSAC Division Chair Feature Story: Global Social Movements Gather in Dakar to Forge Unity and Political Path Forward Award Winner: 2011 CSAC Graduate Student Paper Competition Local Spotlight, Nevada: Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada Books & Publications Newsletter Editor: Deborah G. Perkins, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Sociology College of Science Coastal Carolina University P.O. Box 261954 Conway, SC 29528-6054 dperkins@coastal.edu Message from the Division Chair: Debbie Perkins Coastal Carolina University Greetings friends and members! This is the final newsletter for me as Division Chair. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve SSSP and the Conflict, Social Action, and Change Division. The election for your new Division Chair is currently in progress. Please make sure you cast your vote BEFORE June 30th at http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfml/pageId/1017. You can find information about each of the candidates contained in this newsletter. It’s time once again to get geared up for the SSSP Conference. This year’s conference is being held in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the theme is “Service Sociology. Sessions and workshops will focus on scholarship and research on a variety of social issues including civil rights, human rights, political and economic equality, labor rights, health and environmental justice. The Summer 2011 issue of the CSAC Newsletter provides more information about division sessions and events at the upcoming SSSP conference. Also included in this newsletter is our feature story, ”Global Social Movement Gather in Dakar to Forge Unity and Political Path Forward.” The story, reflections from the 2011 World Social Forum, was contributed by long time scholar-activists and SSSP members, Walda Katz Fishman and Jerome Scott. This issue’s “Local Spotlight,” which highlights a social justice and change organization sited in the host area, recognizes the work of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, a coalition of more than thirty groups working together for social, economic, and environmental justice in Nevada. Here’s wishing you a wonderful summer. I hope to see you at the SSSP meetings in Las Vegas . Page Title By: Walda Katz Fishman and Jerome Scott   The World Social Forum (WSF) gathered in Dakar, Senegal February 6-11, 2011 as the systemic crisis of global capitalism intensified and popular uprisings were sweeping North Africa and the Arab world. The social forum was a powerful convergence of peoples’ struggles and social movements from below, bringing together about 75,000 participants from all corners of Africa and the world to deepen relationships, to vision another world, and to chart a political path forward (www.ussfwiki.org). Goree Island, the strategic site of the Door of No Return through which at least 30 million African women, men, and children were forced into the genocidal violence and terror of the transatlantic slave trade, many destined for the United States, is a short ferry ride from the port of Dakar. This vividly contextualized the significance of the WSF focus on Africa and the Diaspora and the centuries of white supremacy and racism inextricably intertwined with systems of colonialism, neocolonialism, and capitalism on a global scale. Social movement organizations – Grassroots Global Justice, World March of Women, La Via Campesina, International Alliance of Inhabitants, among many others – came together in the Social Movements Assembly to confront the 21st century realities of global capitalism, poverty, racism, patriarchy, war, and climate destruction and to put forth a declaration of unity of action. It lifts up the “new universality” of humanity in all our diversity – as both objects of capitalist exploitation and oppression, and as political agents of our history, our liberation, and our future (www.ggjalliance.org). In this moment of the multiple crises of capitalism – economic, environmental, social, and political – and developing popular struggles and movements that challenge state rulers and policies, the social forum and especially the Social Movements Assembly is an important tool for pushing the process along the revolutionary line and toward socialism. The critical question is: “What is the relationship between social movements and the social forum process?” The leadership of bottom-up social movements in the Social Movements Assembly has been and is central for the political relevancy of the social forum. Going forward, social movement leadership needs to give direction to the broader social forum if it is to continue to have relevancy and capacity to articulate a clear vision and political strategy to achieve it. (continued on page 4) (continued on Page 4) imaginations of US citizens, for “another United States is necessary” if we are to realize a different sort of world. The US media lacks political imagination, and only reports on activities that link directly to the “realistic politics” of conventional electoral and legislative processes. Page Title SSSP ? Conflict, Social Action, and Change Division ? Summer 2011 ? Page # Page Title Page Title Tracy Perkins Sociology Department University of California—Santa Cruz Winner of the 2011 Graduate Student Paper Competition Award for her paper entitled, “Explaining Women’s Activism: Rethinking the Women’s Environmental Justice Narrative in California’s San Joaquin Valley” The author will present her award winning paper at the SSSP conference Saturday, August 20th, Session #58 Creating Cultural Monsters: Serial Murder in America (CRC Press, Taylor and Francis Groups 2011) by Dr. Julie B. Wiest is now available. A unique and comprehensive explanation of serial murder, this book draws on the years of dedicated research by the author. The book examines connections between American culture and the incidence of serial murder and draws clear and well-supported conclusions. Environmental Health and Racial Equity in the United States (American Public Health Association Press 2011) by Robert D. Bullard, Ph.D., Glenn S. Johnson, Ph.D., and Angel O. Torres, MCP. Written in collaboration with W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this book provides a first-rate account of events, individuals, and organizations that have shaped the environmental justice movement over the past two decades. The struggled chronicled are both instructive and inspirational to any one who wants to make a difference. Peer-Reviewed Journals Swank, Eric and Breanne Fahs. 2011. “Pathways to Political Activism among Americans who have Same-Sex Sexual Contact” Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 8(2): 126-138. Gomez, Antoinette M., Fatemeh Shafiei, and Glenn S. Johnson. 2011. “Black Women’s Involvement in the Environmental Justice Movement: An Analysis of Three Communities in Atlanta, GA.” Race, Gender, and Class, 18(1-2): 189-214. Announcing a New Book Series Solving Social Problems Series Editor: Bonnie Berry, Director of the Social Problems Research Group, USA www.ashgate.com/sociology Solving Social Problems provides a forum for the description and measurement of social problems, with a keen focus on the concrete remedies proposed for their solution. The series takes an international perspective, exploring social problems in various parts of the world, with the central concern being always their possible remedy. Work is welcomed on subjects as diverse as environmental damage, terrorism, economic disparities and economic devastation, poverty, inequalities, domestic assaults and sexual abuse, health care, natural disasters, labour inequality, animal abuse, crime, and mental illness and its treatment. In addition to recommending solutions to social problems, the books in this series are theoretically sophisticated, exploring previous discussions of the issues in question, examining other attempts to resolve them, and adopting and discussing methodologies that are commonly used to measure social problems. Proposed solutions may be framed as changes in policy or practice, or more broadly as social change and social movement. Solutions may be reflective of ideology, but are always pragmatic and detailed, explaining the means by which the suggested solutions might be achieved. If you would like to submit a proposal for this series, please email: the Series Editor, Bonnie Berry: solving@socialproblems.org or the Commissioning Editor, Neil Jordan: njordan@ashgatepublishing.com Page Title The Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly, crafted to guide our struggles, declares (http://www.cadtm.org/Declaration-of-the-Social,6448): “… [W]e are gathered here to affirm the fundamental contribution of Africa and its peoples in the construction of human civilization. Together, the peoples of all the continents are struggling mightily to oppose the domination of capital, hidden behind illusory promises of economic progress and political stability. Complete decolonization for oppressed peoples remains for us, the social movements of the world, a challenge of the greatest importance. … We affirm our support for and our active solidarity with the people of Tunisia, Egypt and the Arab world who have risen up to demand a true democracy and build the people´s power. … Capitalism´s destructive force impacts every aspect of life itself, for all the peoples of the world. Yet each day we see new movements rise, struggling to reverse the ravages of colonialism and to achieve well-being and dignity for all. We declare that we, the people, will no longer bear the costs of their crisis and that, within capitalism, there is no escape from this crisis. This only reaffirms the need for us, as social movements, to come together to forge a common strategy to guide our struggles against capitalism. … We fight against transnational corporations because they support the capitalist system, privatize life, public services and common goods such as water, air, land, seeds and mineral resources. Transnational corporations promote wars through their contracts with private corporations and mercenaries … We will continue to mobilize to ask for the unconditional abolition of public debt in all the countries in the South. We also denounce, in the countries of the North, the use of public debt to impose unfair policies that degrade the social welfare state. When the G8 and G20 hold their meetings, let us mobilize across the world to tell them, No! We are not commodities! We will not be traded! … We defend the food sovereignty and the agreement reached during the Peoples’ Summit against Climate Change, held in Cochabamba, where true alternatives to face the climate crisis were built with the social movements and organizations worldwide. … We call on everyone to mobilize together, everywhere in the world, against violence against women. We defend sexual diversity, the right to gender self-determination and we oppose all homophobia and sexist violence. … We fight for peace and against war, colonialism, occupations and the militarization of our lands. … Inspired by the struggles of the peoples of Tunisia and Egypt, we call for March 20th to be made a day of international solidarity with the uprisings of the Arab and African people, whose every advance supports the struggles of all peoples: the resistance of the Palestinian and Saharian peoples; European, Asian and African mobilizations against debt and structural adjustment plans; and all the processes of change underway in Latin America. We also call for a Global Day of Action Against Capitalism on October 12th, when we express in myriad ways our rejection of a system that is destroying everything in its path. Social movements of the world, let us advance towards a global unity to shatter the capitalist system! We shall prevail!” (Continued from Page 3) “Global Social Movements Gather in Dakar…” Page Title ? Date Time Location Session Session Title/Event Friday 8/19 8:30 – 10:10 Studio 2 8* Representations of Race and Ethnicity in the Media I: Frames and Public Discourse 10:30– 12:10 Studio 2 16* Representations of Race and Ethnicity in the Media II: Film, Popular Culture, and Celebrity 12:30—2:10 Studio 2 24* Teaching Service Sociology for Change 2:30—4:10 Studio 2 34* Immigration, Exclusion, and Human Rights: Changes in State and Local Policy 4:30 – 6:10 Studio 2 43* Immigration, Exclusion, and Human Rights: American Perspectives 6:30 – 7:30 Reno Division Reception (joint reception)   Saturday 8/20 8:00—9:40 Laughlin 50* Environmental Activism: Race, Class, and Inequalities 12:30 – 2:10 Tonopah Division Meeting 2:30 – 4:10 Tonopah 75 Papers in the Round: Youth Service and Activism for Social Justice 4:30 – 6:10 Laughlin 87* Author Meets Critics: JoAnn L. Miller and Donald C. Johnson, Problem Solving Courts: A Measure of Justice (2009, Rowman & Littlefield)   Sunday 8/21 12:30– 2:10 Ely 115 Service Sociology: Connecting to Movement Building for Social Change * Co-Sponsored Session MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN NEVADA SITE OF THE 2011 SSSP CONFERENCE Page Title STOP CORPORATE ATTACKS ON WELFARE Submitted by Launcerlake Friday, 2011-05-20 14:57 (Source: http://www.planevada.org/content/stop-corporate-attacks-health-care) Consumers to Demand Greater Transparency, Accountability From Health Insurance Executives on Corporate Spending for Political Campaigns Activists to Attend United Health Care Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., to Educate Shareholders on Risks of Damage to Co.’s Reputation and Business Las Vegas, Nev. – Consumer advocates will attend United Health Care’s annual meeting in Las Vegas Monday to urge executives to disclose their company’s direct and indirect spending on political campaigns. Local activists from PLAN, ProgressNow Nevada, SEIU, and Health Care for America Now will be on hand to demand greater transparency and accountability from UHC officials. UHC is one of the nation’s largest for-profit health insurance companies and a member of a trade group that in 2009 contributed at least $86 million for ads to oppose health care reform. UHC and other insurers have resisted disclosure of political spending that would permit citizens and shareholders to make informed decisions. The problem has grown since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling held that corporations may now spend freely on election-related political activities. Companies that do so put their reputations – and their shareholders’ investments – at risk. PLAN Member Groups: AFSCME Local 4041 Committee to Aid Abused Women Culinary Workers Local 226 Family Ties of Nevada Food Bank of Northern Nevada Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada Great Basin Resource Watch Great Basin Water Network Human Services Network League of Young Voters Education Fund National Association of Social Workers- Nevada Chapter Nevada Conservation League Nevada Justice Association Nevada Lawyers for Progressive Policy Nevada NOW Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Nevada State Education Association Nevada Women's Lobby People of Color Caucus Planned Parenthood Mar Monte Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada ProgressNow Nevada Reno-Sparks Indian Colony Reno-Sparks NAACP SEIU Local 1107 Sierra Club- Toiyabe Chapter Sierra Interfaith Action for Peace Sunrise Sustainable Resources Group TRENDZ Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Las Vegas Unitarian Universalists Social Action Committee- Reno Washoe Legal Services (Continued on Page 9) PLAN is a coalition of about 30 groups dedicated to social, economic and environmental justice in Nevada Member groups include anti-poverty activists, children’s advocates, people of color, disabled persons, environmentalists, LGBTG persons, and labor unions. The organization’s mission is “to build collective strategic action among coalition partners in order to deepen democracy and achieve greater social justice in Nevada.” Using research, critical education, leadership development, and grassroots organizing, PLAN strives to create more humane solutions to Nevada’s problems. See following links for more information on the organization and their work: http://www.PLANevada.org/ http://www.youtube.com/user/planevada PLAN Condemns Mining Industry Influence on Legislative Process News Release, PLANBlog, Submitted by Launcerlake on Sun, 2011-06-05 09:03 (Source: http://www.planevada.org/content/plan-condemns-mining-industry-influence-legislative-process) The Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada, a statewide coalition of groups working for social, economic and environmental justice, is calling for members of the Nevada Legislature to reject the unseemly and overbearing influence of the gold-mining industry in dictating the state’s budget and tax law. The record on mining’s influence on the political process is clear, and appears to be directly related to campaign contributions. In the 2008 and 2010 election cycles, the two biggest multinational mining companies in Nevada and the world, Barrick and Newmont Mining, spent $924,225 on candidates, including $40,500 to Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, $18,250 to Assemblyman Marcus Conklin and $15,500 to Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea. That represents nearly 87 percent of the entire industry’s state campaign contributions in those two elections. The entire mining industry gave $1,066,225 to candidates in the past two election cycles, with 62 percent going to Democrats and 38 percent going to Republicans. “It appears that the $1 million that mining industry invested in elections will reap windfall dividends for their largely foreign shareholders,” said Bob Fulkerson, PLAN state director. “The Nevada Assembly appears reluctant to move mining revenue reforms before adjournment on Monday, relying instead on a one-time contribution that represents a tiny fraction of the billions these companies export from our state every year. “The one-shot payoff that mining is offering does nothing to fix the systemic problem, and consigns the Nevada Legislature to the pathetic role of Oliver Twist begging for gruel from an overbearing master,” Fulkerson said. The figures were compiled by the Alliance for a Just Society using data collected from the National Institute on Money in State Politics: http://www.followthemoney.org/index.phtml (PLAN, Continued from Page 7) Walda Katz Fishman, Ph.D., Howard University, is a scholar-activist and popular educator from Howard University. Walda serves on the Steering Committee of Grassroots Global Justice and is a Coordinating Committee member of the U.S. Social Forum. Jerome Scott is a long time labor organizer, community organizer, and popular educator and author. Jerome serves on the national Planning Committee of the U.S. Social Forum and is an activist for Grassroots Global Justice and other social justice movement organizations, including the League of Revolutionaries of a New America. Long time SSSP members, Walda and Jerome are co-founders of Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide and co-recipients of the American Sociological Association’s 2004 Award for the Public Understanding of Sociology. They have written numerous articles on globalization and development and have developed popular education materials for global movement building and social justice. Page Title 2011-13 CSAC DIVISION CHAIR MEET THE CANDIDATES MEET THE CANDIDATES Maralee Mayberry, Ph.D., Professor of Sociology, University of South Florida Social justice is at the core of the Society for the Study of Social Problems. My scholarship aimed at school reform efforts is aligned with the Conflict, Social Action, and Change division's mission "to advance critical scholarship and understanding of economic and social inequalities and to promote activism and social change toward prevailing injustices." During the course of my career, I have authored works on alternative educational movements, feminist science studies, feminist pedagogy, and school reform efforts for LGBTQ youth. Each of these endeavors has been approached with a critical eye to mainstream and reproductive approaches to social change. I have been a member of SSSP for almost 15 years and active in the division for three years. My goals for the division would be to further highlight the value of social justice scholarship by developing a network of scholars and community activists whose interests are aligned with facilitating substantive, long-term social change and by showcasing institutionally-oriented social justice research. I look forward to becoming more involved in SSSP and contributing to social justice through my scholarship and service to the division. DEADLINE FOR VOTING IS JUNE 30th. To cast your vote go to http://www.sssp1.org/index.cfml/pageId/1017 John C. Alessio, Ph.D., Dean and Professor of Sociology, Minnesota State University I have been a member of the SSSP for many years and have been an avid supporter of what I believe the organization represents. As chair of the Permanent Organization and Strategic Planning Committee a number of years ago I completed a sight visit to the location of the SSSP Administrative Office and submitted a full report to the SSSP Board. I also conducted a survey of the membership to determine whether SSSP should continue to meet with the ASA or have meetings with other smaller organizations that share a similar purpose. While there was not adequate support for SSSP to move in a different direction, it is clear to me from that work and from my interactions with others in SSSP, that many members have consistently wanted to see our mission kept separate from the mission of the ASA. That is, they want to see us focused on activism and solving social problems rather than just studying social problems from a distance. I believe it is no accident that the ASA in recent years has moved more in the direction of recognizing the importance of social action, activism and social responsibility. Indeed, the ASA has become more like SSSP rather than the other way around. In my book that is coming out this summer I heavily stress the importance of identifying socially responsible solutions to social problems -- offering both micro and macro approaches. I recently served as chair of the Poverty, Class, and Inequality Division and tried to use that position to further the activism component of the SSSP mission. I would do the same as chair of the Conflict, Social Action and Change Division, which by its very title requires that orientation. While I would be happy to serve as Division Chair for Conflict, Social Action and Change, I also want to support the involvement of other newer people to the organization. If the other person running for this office fits that description, please vote for her/him. It is vitally important that we continue to draw new people into the organization's leadership.