SSSP SOCIAL PROBLEMS THEORY NEWSLETTER, DECEMBER 2020 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR Dear Social Problems Theory Division Members, I’m honored to write my first message to you as the new division chair. It’s customary in spaces like this to say that the need for thoughtful, theoretical analyses of social problems has never been greater. Without taking away from previous expressions along these lines, I really think it’s true this time. I won’t minimize all that we’re facing by presuming that I can summarize it. And I won’t enjoin you, as individual readers, toward acts of intellectual heroism. Rather, I’d like to ask that we help each other. We may feel small, restricted, confined, disconnected. Let’s use this forum to limn a sense of agency, efficacy, space, and community. There are some formal ways in which we can come together. The 2021 SSSP Social Problems Theory sessions (see p. 2) provide opportunities to engage with one another’s work. Please submit, and please (virtually) attend! The paper competitions (p. 3) offer an opportunity to celebrate some of our excellent scholarship. Again, please submit your work so that we have a chance to recognize your contributions! But there are many ways that we can engage with one another, and over the next two years, I hope to be a facilitator for any initiatives you have on the go. Please write to me (pjoosse@hku.hk) and I will publicize your efforts and engagements via the newsletters and over our email list. I want to thank our outgoing Division Chair, Arthur McLuhan, not only for his excellent service over the past two years, but also for helping me immensely during the transition. Many thanks also to Rebecca Blackwell, our Manager of Communications and Membership Strategy, for her help with putting together this newsletter. Paul Joosse, University of Hong Kong IN THIS ISSUE: Page 2: SSSP Annual Meeting Social Problems Theory Sessions Page 3-4: SSSP Theory Division Award Winners Page 5: 2020 Award Calls (Outstanding Article Award and Best Student Paper Award) Page 6: Calls for Papers and Other Opportunities Page 9: Recently Published Articles from the Membership Page 11: New Books from our Members Editors: Paul Joosse and Rebecca Blackwell Here are the sessions the Division is sponsoring or co-sponsoring. Please submit through the SSSP call for papers: https://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/838/fuseaction/ssspsession2.publicView SESSION #: 015 Theorizing Revolution: Liberation, Populism, and Charismatic Mobilization 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Conflict, Social Action, and Change Paul Joosse (pjoosse@hku.hk ) SESSION #: 023 Theorizing Juvenile Delinquency 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Crime and Juvenile Delinquency Paul Joosse (pjoosse@hku.hk ) SESSION #: 037 Drugs and the Sociological Imagination: Implications for Theory and Policy 1. Drinking and Drugs 2. Social Problems Theory Joshua Stout (jhstout@udel.edu) SESSION #: 049 Theorizing Environment and Society in the Anthropocene 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Environment and Technology June Jeon (jjeon24@wisc.edu ) SESSION #: 075 Institutional Ethnography and the Epistemologies of the Global South 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Institutional Ethnography Henry Parada (hparada@ryerson.ca) SESSION #: 097 New Work in Social Problems Theory 1. Social Problems Theory Joshua Stout (jhstout@udel.edu) SESSION #: 098 Problematizing Classical Social Theory Courses 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Teaching Social Problems Jared Del Rosso (jared.delrosso@gmail.com) SESSION #: 099 Shame, Stigma, and Society 1. Social Problems Theory 2. Youth, Aging, and the Life Course Joshua Stout (jhstout@udel.edu) SESSION #: 534 VIRTUAL SESSION: Contagion: Theorizing Purity, Pollution, and Inequality Amid the Pandemic 1. Social Problems Theory Paul Joosse (pjoosse@hku.hk ) SESSION #: 535 VIRTUAL SESSION: Performance and Power: New Theoretical Developments 1. Social Problems Theory Paul Joosse (pjoosse@hku.hk ) NOTE: The SSSP Social Problems Theory Division will also host a special invited session called “The Crisis of Expert Legitimacy,” which will be organized by David C. Lane (dlane@udel.edu). DIVISION AWARDS: 1. We are very pleased to announce that this year’s Annual Student Paper Award goes to Joseph Wallerstein, a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at Harvard University, for his paper, “When Noxious Ties Help (or Do No Harm): The Case of Addiction.” Abstract: Sociologists have long argued that severing noxious or delinquent social ties can prove essential to overcoming criminal engagement, addiction, and other troubling life circumstances. Yet in examining how actors overcome narcotic addiction, I find numerous instances of such ties persisting and either helping or doing no harm. Why is this? Drawing on fieldwork and interview data, this article proposes that potential noxious ties can have the opposite effect when they exhibit nonjudgmental attitudes in the face of an actor’s slip-ups, model for an actor the worst-case scenario, and/or encourage an actor to enact nascent self-restraint. The article makes contributions to the literature on “negative” or “difficult” social ties, tie dissolution, and recovering from turmoil over the life course. The committee members were most impressed with the paper’s deft integration of a wide range of relevant sources relevant to social networks and addictions research.  The paper does what a theory paper should, which is to push us to think about a problem from a new angle and convincingly argue for reconsidering field-specific assumptions.  Joseph accomplishes this alongside rigorous empirical substantiation using ethnography and interviews. We suspect that the paper will go one to be published and be influential. Special thanks to Arthur McLuhan (University of Toronto), Brian Monahan (Baldwin Wallace University), and Paul Joosse (University of Hong Kong) for serving on the award committee. 2. We are very pleased to announce that the SSSP's Social Problems Theory Book Award for 2020 goes to Anthony Abraham Jack for his book The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students (Harvard University Press, 2019). The committee was unanimous in its decision, writing that: “The Privileged Poor is a detailed, comparative ethnographic study of an important topic in the history and sociology of inequality, race, and education in America.  By successfully separating the effects of social class and race on inclusion within an elite educational institution, it uses its strengths in analysis and descriptive detail to develop policy implications at both the institutional and governmental level.” Congratulations Anthony, and best wishes for your continued professional success! Special thanks to Arthur McLuhan (University of Toronto), Keith R. Johnson (Independent Scholar), Brian Monahan (Baldwin Wallace University), and Paul Joosse (University of Hong Kong) for serving on the award committee. AWARD CALLS This year there are two award calls: the Graduate Student Paper Award and the Outstanding Article Award. Please encourage your friends, colleagues, and students to apply—and please submit your own work! SOCIAL PROBLEMS THEORY ANNUAL STUDENT PAPER AWARD The Social Problems Theory Division invites papers for its annual Student Paper Award Competition. To be eligible, papers must (a) be authored or co-authored by students, (b) make an original and innovative contribution to the theoretical understanding of social problems, (c) not have been accepted for publication, and (d) be submitted through the annual meeting Call for Papers process as a condition for consideration, preferably to a Social Problems Theory Division session. Papers co-authored with faculty are not eligible. Self-nominations are welcome. Manuscripts should be limited to fewer than 10,000 words (including references). The winner will receive membership dues, annual meeting registration, a plaque, and $200 honorarium. The winner will also be invited to present their paper at the 2021 SSSP meetings. Please also note that students may only submit a paper for consideration to one SSSP division. A paper submitted to multiple divisions will not receive consideration for the Social Problems Theory Division Award. Please send the submission as an email attachment to the Student Paper Competition Committee Chair: Michael Adorjan (madoran@ucalgary.ca). Questions may be addressed to Paul Joosse, Chair, Social Problems Theory Division, pjoosse@hku.hk Deadline: 1/15/2021. SOCIAL PROBLEMS THEORY OUTSTANDING ARTICLE AWARD The Social Problems Theory Division requests nominations for its Outstanding Article Award. The Division welcomes papers that critique or advance the ongoing scholarly dialogue about social problems theorizing. More information regarding the Division’s vision can be accessed through our Mission Statement (https://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/pageid/1240/m/464 ). Eligible articles must have been published between August 1, 2018 and February 15, 2021. Single or multiple-authored articles will be accepted. Authors are encouraged to nominate their own work. Nominees must be members of SSSP. Please send all submissions as an e-mail attachment to the Outstanding Article Award Committee Chair: Joel Best, joelbest@udel.edu. Questions may be addressed to Paul Joosse, Chair, Social Problems Theory Division, pjoosse@hku.hk Deadline: 2/15/2021 OTHER CALLS FOR PAPERS AND OPPORTUNITIES Sociology of Religion: “Religion in the Age of Social Distancing” Sociology of Religion is issuing a call for papers for inclusion in a special issue on studies of religion in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. We are interested in studies about how the widely invoked practice of “social distancing” has reshaped how individuals and communities engage with and practice religion, as well as how religion shapes responses to the pandemic and its related social issues. We are particularly interested in studies using innovative and rigorous sociological methods to study religion in relation to issues connected to the ongoing pandemic. Potential topics that studies may examine include, but are not limited to: *Changes to religious practices due to social distancing. These can include congregational practices, clergy practices, private social gatherings, or personal religiosity and spirituality. * The role of religion (or lack thereof) for people who have been diagnosed with and are suffering from COVID-19. * The role of clergy and chaplains in caring for the sick and their families. * Changes to death, funerary, and burial rites due to social distancing. * The impact of the pandemic on church finances, employment, and closures. * The role of faith communities and faith-based organizations in caring for people through social support and resources during the pandemic. * The sacralization of practices related to food production, preparation, and consumption. * The influence of religious beliefs on social distancing practices and vaccine attitudes. * The role of congregations and religious gatherings in the transmission of COVID-19. * The claims and practices of faith healers in response to the pandemic. * Legal and political analyses of claims and cases about religious freedom in relation to social distancing measures. * The proliferation and spread of conspiracy theories relating to the pandemic. * Systematic analyses of discourse from faith leaders about theodicy and suffering related to the pandemic. * Studies of religion in relation to the pandemic undertaken at different levels of analytic scope, such as macro and comparative analyses. All submissions will undergo standard procedures of peer review. The deadline for submissions to be considered as part of the special issue is January 31st, 2021. For inquiries, contact the editorial team at: sorjournal@gmail.com. ______________________________________________ Research in Social Movements, Conflicts, and Change Call for papers for the forthcoming volume in Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change. Volume 46 will focus on race and ethnicity, but we welcome submissions appropriate to any of the three broad foci reflected in Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change (RSMCC). While Volume 46 will be open to all submissions, one section will be devoted to movements for racial equity and the operation of race in social movements. For the remaining chapters, we particularly welcome research examining the role of race and/or ethnicity in conflicts and social change. To be considered for inclusion in Volume 46, papers must arrive by December 31, 2020. For more info: RSMCC Vol 46 Call for Papers Symbolic Interaction Symbolic Interaction invites article submissions from members of the SSSP Theory Division—especially manuscripts that draw on or address interactionist work on the construction of social problems.  The journal also publishes book reviews (approx. 1000 words) as well as longer review essays.  Contact the editor, Scott.Harris@slu.edu, for more information. Recently accepted works include “Childhood?Grounded Explanations for Personal Troubles: Social Problems Work in Radio Counseling” by Nataliya Thell;  “Emotions into Disorder: Anxiety Disorders and the Social Meaning of Fear” by Jennifer Esala and Jared Del Rosso;  and a review essay by Joel Best on “Big Pictures: Three Books on Social Progress.” _______________________________________________ American Sociological Association 2021 Junior Theorists Symposium The American Sociological Association invites submissions of précis for the 15th Junior Theorists Symposium (JTS). The symposium will be held over Zoom on August 6th (additional dates TBD) prior to the 2021 ASA Virtual Annual Meeting.  The JTS is a conference featuring the work of up-and-coming sociologists, sponsored in part by the Theory Section of the ASA. Since 2005, the conference has brought together early career sociologists who engage in theoretical work, broadly defined.  It is our honor to announce that Jean Beaman (University of California, Santa Barbara), Gil Eyal (Columbia University), and Frederick Wherry (Princeton University) will serve as discussants for this year’s symposium. Kyle Green (SUNY Brockport) and Daniel Winchester (Purdue), winners of the 2019 Junior Theorist Award, and Neil Gong (University of Michigan and University of California, San Diego), winner of the 2020 Junior Theorist Award will deliver keynote addresses. Finally, the symposium will include an after-panel titled “Theorizing for Troubled Times,” with panelists Javier Auyero (University of Texas, Austin), Jennifer Carlson (University of Arizona), Harvey Molotch (New York University), Christina Simko (Williams), and Howard Winant (University of California, Santa Barbara). We invite all ABD graduate students, recent PhDs, postdocs, and assistant professors who received their PhDs from 2017 onwards to submit up to a three-page précis (800-1000 words). The précis should include the key theoretical contribution of the paper and a general outline of the argument. Successful précis from last year’s symposium can be viewed here. Please note that the précis must be for a paper that is not under review or forthcoming at a journal. As in previous years, there is no pre-specified theme for the conference. Papers will be grouped into sessions based on emergent themes and discussants’ areas of interest and expertise. We invite submissions from all substantive areas of sociology, we especially encourage papers that are works-in-progress and would benefit from the discussions at JTS. Please remove all identifying information from your précis and submit it via this Google form. Sarah Brothers (Yale) and Laura Halcomb (University of California, Santa Barbara) will review the anonymized submissions. You can also contact them at juniortheorists@gmail.com with any questions. The deadline is Friday, February 19th. By mid-March, we will extend up to 12 invitations to present at JTS 2021. Please plan to share a full paper by July 6, 2021. Presenters will be asked to attend the symposium in its entirety in order to hear fellow scholars’ work. Please plan accordingly. Held over Zoom on August 6th (additional dates TBD) __________________________________________________ Agenda for Social Justice Editorial Search Call for Applications The Editorial and Publications Committee of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) solicits applications for two positions on the Editorial Team of the volume, Agenda for Social Justice. The Editor’s four-year term will start in February 2021, and the new editor will be responsible for editing and promoting volumes to be published in 2022 and 2024. An editor may be reappointed, or have their term extended, with the approval of the SSSP Editorial and Publications Committee and the SSSP Board of Directors. Applicants must be members or become members of the SSSP by the time of the application deadline and maintain membership during their tenure as editor. The primary activity required is the cultivation, editing, and production of the Agenda for Social Justice, a volume of public sociology published by Policy Press at the University of Bristol. While chapters in the volumes are grounded in rigorous social science, they are presented in a way that is accessible to a generally educated public. The editorial team is responsible for producing a volume every other year, alternating between US-focused volumes and global-focused volumes. Volumes of the Agenda for Social Justice are available open access, and are distributed to SSSP members. The committee seeks a diverse pool of candidates with good scholarly records, preferable academic editorial experience (e.g., service as journal editor or associate editor, editor of scholarly editions), strong organizational skills, and the ability to work and communicate well with others, including with scholars in academic and non-academic settings. Familiarity with the Agenda for Social Justice volumes and a commitment to the SSSP are essential. A new member should have a genuine commitment to working in the field of social justice, with an interest in the wide range of themes that the study of social problems encompasses. We encourage applications from scholars from all career stages, and applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. Please direct inquiries and applications by email to each of the following persons. In the subject line, specify, “Application to Join Agenda for Social Justice Editorial Group.” Glenn Muschert: glennmuschert@gmail.com Kristen M. Budd: buddkm@miamioh.edu David C. Lane: dclane1@ilstu.edu Jason A. Smith: jasonsm55@gmail.com Deadline for applications is January 15, 2021. For more information: Open access copy of the most recent Agenda for Social Justice, the US-focus volume: https://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/771/locationSectionId/0/Agenda_for_Social_Justice Open access copy of the most recent Global Agenda for Social Justice, the global-focus volume: https://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/323/locationSectionId/0/Global_Agenda_for_Social_Justice Information about the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP): https://www.sssp1.org/index.cfm/m/453/locationSectionId/0/Who_We_Are ___________________________________________________ Newsletter opportunity for job market candidates: Are you a student who will be applying for jobs this year? For the next newsletter, we would like to include an “On the Market” section where we can bring attention to you and your work. Please send a bio (roughly 200 words), a photo (optional), and list of publications or working papers that you would like us to feature to: pjoosse@hku.hk MEMBER PUBLICATIONS Adorjan, Michael, Rosemary Ricciardelli, and Mohana Mukherjee. 2020. “Cyber-risk and Restorative Practices in Schools.” Chap. 23 in, Justice Alternatives, edited by P. Carlen and L. Ayres Franya, New York: Routledge. Best, Joel. 2020. “Mid?Range Future Claims: Constructing the Near?Future Consequences of COVID?19.” Symbolic Interaction 43(3):541-556. Best, Joel. 2020. “COVID-19 and Numeracy: How about Them Numbers,” Numeracy 13(2): article 4. Best, Joel.  2020.  “The Social Problems of COVID-19.” Pp. 134-42 in Social Problems in the Age of COVID-19, edited by G. W. Muschert, K. M. Budd, M. Christian, D. C. Lane, and J. Smith.  Bristol, UK: Policy Press. Blackwell, Rebecca and William Force. 2020. “Donileen Loseke,” in SAGE Research Methods Foundations, edited by P. Atkinson, S. Delamont, A. Cernat, J. Sakashaug, and R. Williams. doi:10.4135/9781526421036896556 Campeau, Holly, Ron Levi, and Todd Foglesong. 2020. “Policing, Recognition, and the Bind of Legal Cynicism.” Social Problems spaa 017 Chambers, Brooke B., and Joachim J. Savelsberg. 2020. “Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing,” in Oxford Encyclopedia of International Criminology, edited by E. Erez and P. Ibarra. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.594 Esala, Jennifer J., and Jared Del Rosso. 2020 “Emotions into Disorder: Anxiety Disorders and the Social Meaning of Fear.” Symbolic Interaction 43(2):235-256. Furedi, Frank. 2020. Why Borders Matter: Why Humanity Must Relearn the Art of Drawing Boundaries. New York: Routledge, 2020. Halpin, Michael. 2020. “The Brain and Causality: How the Brain Becomes an Individual-Level Cause of Illness.” Social Problems spaa 030. Howell, Junia and Elizabeth Korver-Glenn.* Forthcoming. “The Increasing Effect of Neighborhood Racial Composition on Home Values, 1980-2015.” Social Problems spaa 033 (check out the accompanying video for this piece). Jenness, Valerie,* and Julie Gerlinger. 2020. “The Feminization of Transgender Women in Prisons for Men: How Prison as a Total Institution Shapes Gender.” Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice 36(2):182-205. Joachim J. Savelsberg. 2020. ”Anti-Impunity Transnational Legal Ordering and Human Rights—Formation, Institutionalization, Consequences, and the Case of Darfur.” Pp. 205-233 in Transnational Legal Ordering of Criminal Law, edited by Ely Aaronson and Gregory Schaffer. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Joachim J. Savelsberg. 2020. “The Representational Power of International Criminal Courts.” Pp. 493-510 in Power in International Criminal Justice: Towards a Sociology of International Justice, edited by M. Bergsmo, M. Klamberg, K. Lohne and C. Mahony. Nuremberg Academies, TOAEP Joachim J. Savelsberg and Amber Powell. 2020. “Politics, Institutions and the Penal State.” Pp. 513-537 in The New Handbook of Political Sociology, edited by T. Janoski, I. Martin, J. Misra, and C. De Leon. Cambridge University Press. Johfre, Sasha Shen. 2020 “What Age Is in a Name?” Sociological Science 7:367-390. Joosse, Paul, and Robin Willey. 2020. “Gender and charismatic power.” Theory and Society 49(4):533-561. doi: 10.1007/s11186-020-09392-3 Kelly, Benjamin, and Michael Adorjan. 2020. “Agnostic Interactionism and Sensitizing Concepts in the 21st Century: Developing Shaffirian Theory-Work in Ethnographic Research.” Qualitative Sociology Review 16(2)76-91. Korver?Glenn, Elizabeth, Sylvia Emmanuel, Mary E. Campbell, and Verna M. Keith. 2020. “Media Consumption and Racial Residential Preferences.” Social Science Quarterly 101(5):1936-1950 Lane, D., Williams, K. R., and Foster, J. 2020. Businesses, Places, and Homicide: A Preliminary Empirical Examination. Deviant Behavior. doi: 10.1080/01639625.2020.1743137 McLuhan, Arthur. “Adopting a Cloak of Incompetence: Impression Management Techniques for Feigning Lesser Selves.” Sociological Theory 38(2):122-141. Milne, Emma, Betsy Thom, and Rachel Herring. 2020. “Drinking in Pregnancy: Shifting Towards the ‘Precautionary Principle.’” Chap.5 in Risk and Substance Use: Framing Dangerous People and Dangerous Places. New York: Routledge. Mueller, Jennifer C. 2020. “Racial ideology or racial ignorance? An alternative theory of racial cognition.” Sociological Theory 38(2):142-169. Ormsbee, J. Todd. 2020. “‘Like a Cord Snapping’: Toward a Grounded Theory of How Devout Mormons Leave the LDS Church.” Critical Research on Religion. doi: 2050303220924096. Reyes, Victoria. 2020. “Ethnographic toolkit: Strategic positionality and researchers’ visible and invisible tools in field research.” Ethnography 21(2):220-240. Wherry, Frederick F. 2020. “SSHA Presidential Address: The Pathways to Disadvantage.” Social Science History 44(1):1-18. doi: ssh.2019.47 (open access) Wang, Peng, Paul Joosse, and Lok Lee Cho. 2020. “The Evolution of Protest Policing in a Hybrid Regime.”The British Journal of Criminology 60(6)1523-1546 SOCIAL PROBLEMS THEORY BOOKSHELF 1. Measuring Culture John W. Mohr, Christopher A. Bail, Margaret Frye, Jennifer C. Lena, Omar Lizardo, Terence E. McDonnell, Ann Mische, Iddo Tavory, and Frederick F. Wherry Columbia University Press AVAILABLE AT: http://cup.columbia.edu/book/measuring-culture/9780231180283 Social scientists seek to develop systematic ways to understand how people make meaning and how the meanings they make shape them and the world in which they live. But how do we measure such processes? Measuring Culture is an essential point of entry for both those new to the field and those who are deeply immersed in the measurement of meaning. Written collectively by a team of leading qualitative and quantitative sociologists of culture, the book considers three common subjects of measurement—people, objects, and relationships—and then discusses how to pivot effectively between subjects and methods. Measuring Culture takes the reader on a tour of the state of the art in measuring meaning, from discussions of neuroscience to computational social science. It provides both the definitive introduction to the sociological literature on culture as well as a critical set of case studies for methods courses across the social sciences. ABOUT THE AUTHORS * John W. Mohr (1956–2019) was professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. * Christopher A. Bail is professor of sociology, public policy, and data science at Duke University. * Margaret Frye is assistant professor of sociology at the University of Michigan. * Jennifer C. Lena is associate professor of arts administration at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she also has a courtesy appointment in the Department of Sociology. * Omar Lizardo is professor and LeRoy Neiman Term Chair of sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. * Terence E. McDonnell is associate professor of sociology at the University of Notre Dame. * Ann Mische is associate professor of sociology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame. * Iddo Tavory is associate professor of sociology at New York University. * Frederick F. Wherry is the Townsend Martin Class of 1917 professor of sociology at Princeton University. 2. The Other End of the Needle David C. Lane Rutgers University Press. AVAILABLE AT: https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/the-other-end-of-the-needle/9781978807471 The Other End of the Needle demonstrates that tattooing is more complex than simply the tattoos that people wear. Using qualitative data and an accessible writing style, sociologist Dave Lane explains the complexity of tattoo work as a type of social activity. His central argument is that tattooing is a social world, where people must be socialized, manage a system of stratification, create spaces conducive for labor, develop sets of beliefs and values, struggle to retain control over their tools, and contend with changes that in turn affect their labor. Earlier research has examined tattoos and their meanings. Yet, Lane notes, prior research has focused almost exclusively on the tattoos—the outcome of an intricate social process—and have ignored the significance of tattoo workers themselves. “Tattooists,” as Lane dubs them, make decisions, but they work within a social world that constrains and shapes the outcome of their labor—the tattoo. The goal of this book is to help readers understand the world of tattoo work as an intricate and nuanced form of work. Lane ultimately asks new questions about the social processes occurring prior to the tattoo’s existence.  Praise: “A compelling, in-depth look at tattoo artists and their social world as they pursue fulfilling, enchanting work in the midst of a dehumanizing capitalist system. Lane provokes fascinating questions about how artists organize spaces, navigate laws, and construct authenticity as tattoos become increasingly popular. Reading made me want to get more tattoos – and ask my artist all sorts of questions!”  --Ross Haenfler, author of Straight Edge Hardcore Punk, Clean Living Youth, and Social Change “It takes two to tattoo–someone being tattooed and the tattooist. Their encounter has to be face-to-face, and this fact shapes how tattooists work, regardless of whether they approach their work as a craft or as high art. In this fascinating book, David Lane takes us into the many corners of the tattooists’ world, revealing how the occupation retains its traditions in the face of dramatic changes.” --Joel Best, University of Delaware “Looking at the nature, habits, and cultural codes of professional tattooing, Lane reveals the complexity of tattooing as an art form, work world, and social process. The tattooists appear as resilient agents who resist capitalist alienation, unionization, and state-level regulations. We also see the artists as gatekeepers who maintain the class, race, and gender order of professional tattooing. A truly interesting read.” --Katherine Irwin, University of Hawai’i at Manoa “In The Other Side of the Needle, David C. Lane provides an absorbing and accessibly written view of the tattoo world from the perspective of tattoo workers. Drawing on an art-world perspective and packed with insights from tattooists, the book explores the working lives of tattooists. It provides a much-needed and thorough treatment of this understudied area and will be of interest to scholars in the production of culture as well as to anyone interested in tattoos and tattooing. --Victoria D. Alexander, Goldsmiths, University of London * David C. Lane is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences at Illinois State University 3. Social Problems (4th edition) Joel Best Norton & Company AVAILABLE AT: https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393533040/about-the-book/description An engaging, unconventional guide for how to think about social problems An important alternative to traditional texts in its field, Social Problems explains how and why particular conditions come to be constructed as social problems. By evaluating the construction process, Joel Best, author of the best-selling Damned Lies and Statistics, equips students with the tools they need to analyze any social problem they encounter in the media. The Fourth Edition has been updated with new examples and case studies on timely topics such as campus sexual assault, the opioid epidemic, and fake news, helping students connect sociological theory to everyday life. Highlights: Highly relevant examples and case studies bring the constructionist approach to life. Joel Best connects social constructionist theory to the real world with highly relevant and timely end-of-chapter case studies and boxed examples. The boxes give students bite-sized examples of key concepts as they work through the chapter. All new end-of-chapter case studies then pull all the chapter’s concepts together and apply them to one extended example.    An engaging introduction to the constructionist approach to social problems. Unlike traditional books for this course, Best’s Social Problems focuses on how and why certain conditions become cause for concern. Each chapter builds on the one that precedes it, and collectively they reveal the path by which an issue transforms from a “claim” to a “social problem.”     An emphasis on the important role of resources and rhetoric in the social problems process. In every chapter, Joel Best highlights how resources affect which claims get heard and ultimately succeed. He also shows the evolving interaction between claims and the rhetoric used to frame them.    Social Problems provides an intellectual toolkit for analyzing any social problem.  Social Problems sharpens critical thinking skills by providing the tools students need to identify and evaluate social problem claims posited by the media, experts, politicians, and activists. Best’s framework helps students consider how a problem is framed by its advocates and opponents, the logical strength of each group’s claims, the rhetoric of claimsmaking, and how access to resources influences a group’s power to attract attention.    * Joel Best is professor of sociology and criminal justice at the University of Delaware