WIXLIB

Fall 2014CoursesOfferedRESEARCH &CONFERENCE NEWSUndergraduate: Intro to Sociology Social Problems Race/Class/Gender/ EthnicityIntro to Race/EthnicityMarriage & FamilyHealth & IllnessSociological TheoryQuantitative DataCollectionQuantitative DataAnalysisSocial StratificationSociology of DisastersGender & SocietyRacial & Ethnic MinoritiesSociology of AgingImmigration & RaceWorld PopulationsSociology CapstoneGraduate: Classical Social Theory Research Methods & DesignIntro to Social StatisticsHealth & AgingUrbanizationThe Information SocietyDoctoral Student, Cassie Hudson Castillo, WinsSecond Place at the UNT Graduate ExhibitionPlease join the department in congratulating Cassie Hudson Castillo for hersecond place win in the Social and Behavioral Sciences poster competition atthe Toulouse Graduate School Graduate Exhibition. Cassie's presentation wastitled, "Support for Border Security among Latinos: Does Immigration Statusand Time Spent in the U.S. Matter?" The event was hosted on March 1, 2014,and it is co-sponsored by the Toulouse Graduate School and the GraduateStudent Council. The Graduate Exhibition places special emphasis on communicating research and creative endeavors to a general audience and offersan unusual opportunity for professional development by challenging graduatestudents to present their work in clear, comprehensible terms to people outside their fields. Other graduate students who participated in the event, aspresenters or judges, were: Alex Bush-Vaselka, Shae Jefferies, JacobHuang, Ozgur Solakoglu, & Dr. Michael Thompson. To learn moreabout the Graduate Research Exhibition, click here.Sociology Undergraduate Students PresentOriginal Research at UNT Scholars Day!The Sociology Department had a resounding presence this year at the UNTUniversity Scholars Day where 22 undergraduate students presented at theresearch competition. Sponsored by the UNT Honors College, but open to allUNT students who are earning bachelor's degrees, Scholars Day gives studentsa chance to present their research in the same way that faculty members andother professionals present their research at conferences, either through display of research posters or by giving oral research paper presentations.This year's Scholars Day took place from on April 17. Students were judged fortheir paper and poster presentations, and first-, second- and third-place cashprizes were awarded for both papers and posters. (Continued on followingpage).7

RESEARCH &CONFERENCE NEWSTo read moreabout our facultyand students,please visit ourwebsite:UNT Scholars Day Continued.The Sociology students were led by the mentorship of Sociology facultymember, Dr. Michael Thompson and doctoral students, Michael Niño &Ozgur l Family Structures and Sexual Offending: Evidence from theNew Family Structures Study Katie Beach & Madison JacksonEducated but not Insured? Assessing Government Programs for CollegeHealth Amanda Conner, Precious Femi-Ogunyemi , & Zachery OlenEveryday Low Prices Jonathan Miles, Derek Bell, & Charles NeagleLove or Separation at First Sight? The Effects of Location on Happiness withinRelationship Quality Maria NguyenLimitations of Assessment-Driven Learning: Instructor Agency and Constraints Dylan Oliver & Jonathan MachinaDo You Really Believe in That? The Effect Religion has on Personal SexualBehaviors Shelby Beasley & Briana CroweA Dying Crisis: Examining the Relationship Between STDs, Sexual Abuse,and Suicide. Nohemi PonceParenting Styles vs. Mass Media: What Has a Bigger Impact on a Childs Behavior? Taylor Hayes, Shelby Davis, & Alyssa PalmerThe Aftermath of Coming Out: Coping with a Homosexual Identity DesireeForsythe & Jessica JohnsonHow Divorce Correlates to Students’ Decision Making Jackie Miller, BrandonJohnson, & Isabel MendozaTo learn more about UNT Scholars Day, click here.8Click below todonate to theUNT SociologyDepartment!

Department ofSociology1155 Union Circle#311157Denton, TX 76203PHONE:(940) 565-2296FAX:(940) 369-7035E-MAIL:Dan Rodeheaver, ChairRodeheaver@unt.eduFonda Gaynier, Administrative .unt.edu/soci/NEWSLETTER EDITOR:Nichola DriverNichola.Williams@unt.eduConference PresentationsDan Rodeheaver participated in two presentations at the The Academy ofCriminal Justice Sciences, which took place in February in Philadelphia, PA.“Intimate Partner Homicide in Texas: A Modified Strain Theory Approach” (coauthored with Dr. Jim Williams, TWU) and “Intimate Partner Homicide Rates inChicago, 1988 to 1992: A Modified General Strain Theory Approach” (coauthored with Natalie Johnson, Dalton State College, and Dr. Jim Williams,TWU)Ami Moore presented at the Population Association of America Annual Meetingin Boston in May. She presented “Sexual Risk Behavior and Sexual IdentityAmong Men Who Have Sex With Men in Ghana and Togo” (co-authored withdoctoral student, Nichola Driver)Corinne Ong participated in the annual meeting of the Southern Anthropological Association during March in Cherokee, North Carolina. Along with other colleagues, she presented “Patterns of Political Economy in Cultures Post-disaster. “Corinne also presented a paper at the Southern Sociological Association AnnualMeeting in April in Charlotte, NC. The paper was titled “Economic Globalizationand Child Mortality.”Recent Faculty & Student PublicationsJesmin, Syeda Sarah and Cynthia M. Cready. 2014. “Can a Woman RefuseSex if Her Husband Has a Sexually Transmitted Infection? Attitudes towards Safer Sex Negotiation among Married Women in Bangladesh,” Culture, Health andSexuality: An International Journal for Research, Intervention and Care.Apr 16: 1-17.“LIKE” us on Facebook:UNT SociologyJohnson, Lindsey A. 2014. “Can Short-Term Mission Trips Reduce Prejudice?”Journal for the Sociological Integration of Religion and Society, 4(1).Wang, H., Liddell, C., Coates, M.,., Moore, Ami R.,. 2014. “Global, regional,and national levels of neonatal, infant, and under-5 mortality 1990-2013: A systematic analysis.” The Lancet. May 2014 Early Online Publication.Kassebaum, N., Bertozzi-Villa, A., Coggeshall, M., , Moore, Ami R, 2014.“Global, regional and national levels and causes of maternal mortality, 19902013: A systematic analysis.” The Lancet. May 2014 Early Online Publication.Rodeheaver, Daniel G. (with J.L. Williams). 2014. “Hactivism.” In: Craig J.Forsyth and Heith Copes (eds.). Encyclopedia of Social Deviance. Vol.8, Pp.318321. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.Seward, R. R. & Stanley-Stevens, L. 2014. “Men as fathers, fathering, andfatherhood across & within cultures.” In H. Selin (Ed.), Parenting across cultures: Childrearing, motherhood and fatherhood in non-Western cultures (pp.459-474). New York: Springer.9

VOLUME3ISSUEUNT SOCIOLOGYNEWSLETTER2The Eagle’s ARCHFACULTYSTUDENTSALUMNIDONATEIs Height Important in Matters of the Heart?Yancey’s Study on Height & Romantic CouplingIs height important in matters ofthe heart? According to GeorgeYancey and co-author, MichaelEmerson, the height of a potentialpartner matters more to womenthan men, and mostly for femininity and protection. Thestudy, "Does Height Matter? AnExamination of Height Preferencesin Romantic Coupling," was conducted in two parts. Part one,which used data from the Yahoo!personal dating advertisements of455 males (average height of 5feet 8 inches and average age of36 years) and 470 females(average height of 5 feet 4 inchesand average age of 35 years) fromthroughout the U.S., found that13.5 percent of the men wanted todate only women shorter thanthey are. In contrast, nearly half ofthe women – 48.9 percent – wanted to date only men taller thanUniversity of North Texasthey are. "Evolutionary psychologytheory argues that 'similarity is overwhelmingly the rule in human mating,'" said Michael Emerson, the Allynand Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology, co-director of Rice's Kinder Institute for Urban Research and thestudy's co-author. "However, ourstudy suggests that for physical features such as height, similarity is notthe dominant rule, especially with females." The second part of the studyincluded 54 male (average height of 5feet 9 inches) and 131 female volunteers (average height of 5 feet 4 inches) recruited from a U.S. university.The participants answered openended questions in an online survey.The findings were similar to the firstpart of the study: 37 percent of malerespondents wanted to date onlywomen shorter than they are, while55 percent of female respondentswanted to date only (Continued)1155 Union Circle #31115710Denton, TX 76203

Fall 2014CoursesOfferedFACULTYNEWSUndergraduate: Intro to Sociology Social Problems Race/Class/Gender/ EthnicityIntro to Race/EthnicityMarriage & FamilyHealth & IllnessSociological TheoryQuantitative DataCollectionQuantitative DataAnalysisSocial StratificationSociology of DisastersGender & SocietyRacial & Ethnic MinoritiesSociology of AgingImmigration & RaceWorld PopulationsSociology CapstoneGraduate: Classical Social Theory Research Methods & DesignIntro Social StatisticsHealth & AgingUrbanizationThe Information SocietyHeight & Romance Continued.men taller than they are. According tothe study data, the dominant reasonsfemales cited for preferring a tall partner are matters of protection and femininity." As the girl, I like to feel delicate and secure at the same time,"said a woman in the study who is 5feet 3 inches tall. "Something justfeels weird in thinking about looking'down' into my man's eyes. There isalso something to be said about beingable to wear shoes with high heelsand still being shorter. I also want tobe able to hug him with my armsreaching up and around his neck."Men were much less likely to say thatheight mattered, and for those thatdid, they preferred shorter women,but not so short that it would causeproblems with physical intimacy." Ilike it when the body of your partnerfits yours," said another study participant, a male who is 5 feet 11 inchestall. "It also makes it easier to kiss,hold hands and do other activities withyour partner." George Yancey, a professor of sociology at the University ofNorth Texas and the study's lead author, believes that the height preferences of men and women can be ex-11plained by traditional societal expectations and gender stereotypes. He noted that it is a widespread perceptionthat tall height is a personal asset formen and a personal liability for women. He said that the study's findingthat height matters more to womensupports the social system of patriarchy, in which males are the primaryauthority figures." The masculine ability to offer physical protection is clearlyconnected to the gender stereotype ofmen as protectors," he said. "And in asociety that encourages men to bedominant and women to be submissive, having the image of tall men hovering over short women reinforces thisvalue." The study was published in theJournal of Family Issues andis available online. The study wasfunded by Rice University.Related Materials: George Yanceybio Michael Emerson bio Michael Emerson is the Allyn and Gladys ClineProfessor of Sociology in the School ofSocial Sciences at Rice University. Healso serves as co-director for the Kinder Institute for Urban Research.

FACULTYNEWSSociology Department Hires New FacultyMember, Gul SeckinThe Department is pleased to welcome its newest faculty member, GulSeckin, who will begin in Fall 2014. She received a B.A. in CounselingPsychology from Bosphorus University (Istanbul, Turkey). She also received her Master’s in Gerontology from the University of Southern California and Ph.D. in Medical Sociology from the Case Western ReserveUniversity in 2006.Gabe Ignatow Delivers Keynote Address inNYCTo read moreabout our facultyand students,please visit ourwebsite:SociologyDepartmentWebsiteClick below todonate to the UNTIn April, Gabe Ignatow delivered the keynote address at The New SchoolSociologyfor Social Research Sociology Conference in New York City. The theme ofDepartment!the conference was “Being There: Phenomenology and Social Structures.”He addressed the topic of Hermeneutics and realism in the digital era.Dale Yeatts Studies the Diffusion of Energy Efficient TechnologiesDale Yeatts is currently working with a network of researchers, includingengineers, chemists, and physics professors, to study energy efficientbuildings. His part of the study is to investigate the factors/conditions affecting the adoption of these new technologies by residents and builders.For this project, he will be involved in writing a grant along with Dr. YongTao (UNT Mechanical Engineering) and Dr. Stan Ignman (UNT Gerontology). He will present his paper titled “Diffusion of Energy Efficient Technologies: Factors Enhancing and Inhibiting the Adoption of New Innovationsin Buildings” on May 28 at UNC-Charlotte. Students that are involved inthe project include two Sociology doctoral students, Christy Cookseyand Reza Amini, and two recently graduated Sociology BA students,Precious Femi-Oqunyemi and Aaron Majek.12

VOLUME3ISSUEUNT SOCIOLOGYNEWSLETTER2The Eagle’s ARCHFACULTYSTUDENTSALUMNIDONATETwo Sociology Doctoral Students Awarded thePrestigious Thesis and Dissertation FellowshipThe Thesis and Dissertation Fellowship (TDF) from the UNT Toulouse Graduate School is a highly competitive award that supports outstanding masters ordoctoral students who have achieved candidacy and are in the last year oftheir thesis or dissertation. The fellowship is awarded for a one-year periodand includes a stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, as well as health benefits for the recipient. This year, two Sociology doctoral students received thefellowship, Konstantinos Zougris and Reza Amini.Konstantinos Zougris is a fourth year doctoral student from Greece withMasters degrees in Sociology and Economics and a Bachelors degrees in Business Administration, Management, and Economics. During his time in the Sociology program at UNT, his research has focused on global/comparative sociology and social stratification with an emphasis on global inequality, economic sociology, and the EU systemic crisis.His dissertation’s fundamental objective is to develop a mixed method designthat combines and simultaneously implements data mining, textual data analysis, and advanced quantitative techniques. Two independent sociologicalcase studies will be conducted in the process of validating the proposedmixed method. The first case study examines the role of media in opinionpolarization between groups of different ideological orientations. The secondcase study, considering institutional theory as a priori, will compare differentschools of sociological thought attempting to identify topic patterns, topicconvergent/divergent tendencies and develop a network of associated topicsin cross sectional settings.Konstantinos works under the direction of Drs. Gabe Ignatow, Dan Rodeheaver, and Nick Evangelopoulis (College of Business).University of North Texas1155 Union Circle #31115713Denton, TX 76203

ard G. BensonScholarshipElizabeth EsterchildScholarshipLynne KillgoreScholarshipRudy and Jean Graduate:Alvin C. DorseScholarshipElizabeth EsterchildScholarshipHiram J. FriedsamScholarshipLynne KillgoreScholarshipDavid MaloneScholarshipReturned Peace CorpsVolunteer ScholarshipRudy and Jean SewardScholarshipThesis & Dissertation Fellowship Continued.Reza Amini was also awarded the prestigious Toulouse Graduate School Thesis & Dissertation Fellowship. Reza is a third year doctoral student from Iranwho holds a Medical Degree (MD) as well as a Master of Public Health (MPH).He has previously worked as a general practitioner as well as Director of Research Division at the Medical and Engineering Research Center in Iran. While inthe Sociology Department at UNT, his research has largely focused on gerontology, social medicine, health-related quality of life, and health care service andmanagement.For his dissertation, Reza will work to clarify the factors that impact successfulaging among residents of Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs). He feels that byproviding adjusted services to prevent social disengagement for residents,health-related quality of life of senior adults can be stabilized. Though all factors of successful aging are important, Reza argues that social engagement isperhaps the most pivotal and intermediate factor because while various healthproblems can result in social dysfunction to some extent for seniors, conversely,every variation in social interaction and connection can also influence individualhealth status. Therefore, he hypothesizes that that social engagement in manydifferent forms in these settings will lead to successful aging. His results will allow providers, with the tradition of “culture change” in long-term care, to improve the quality of life of seniors in their facilities.Reza works under the direction of Drs. Stan Ingman, James Swan, & KeithTurner.Support the UNT Sociology DepartmentThe Department of Sociology appreciates your financial support. Every dollarcontributed to the department has a direct impact on our students. For moreinformation about how to make a contribution, contact the Sociology Department at 940-565-2296.Mary Rose HolleyScholarship14

Fall 2014CoursesOfferedSTUDENTNEWSUndergraduate: Intro to Sociology Social Problems Race/Class/Gender/ EthnicityIntro to Race/EthnicityMarriage & FamilyHealth & IllnessSociological TheoryQuantitative DataCollectionQuantitative DataAnalysisSocial StratificationSociology of DisastersGender & SocietyRacial & Ethnic MinoritiesSociology of AgingImmigration & RaceWorld PopulationsSociology CapstoneDistinguished Sociology Students Recognizedat UNT Honors DayRecent graduates, Corinne Ong, and Jamie Aguilar (picture shown),and undergraduate student, Jonathan Cole Miles were recognized onFriday, April 4th at UNT Honors Day. Ong was presented with the HiramJ. Friedsam Outstanding Doctoral Student in Sociology award, Aguilar received the Rudy Ray Seward Outstanding Master's Student in Sociologyaward, and Miles was awarded the Leonard G. Benson Outstanding Sociology Undergraduate Student Award. These awards are given annuallyby the Sociology Department to students who have made exceptional progress in their respective degree programs. Dr. Dan Rodeheaver wasalso recognized at the event.Sociology Students Awarded DepartmentalScholarshipsGraduate: Classical Social Theory Research Methods & DesignIntro Social StatisticsHealth & AgingUrbanizationThe Information SocietyEach year, the Sociology Department awards monetary scholarships to exemplary graduate students. This year, the recipients were:Alvin C. Dorse ScholarshipReza AminiSusan HughesElizabeth Esterchild ScholarshipNichola DriverSociology ScholarshipNikolitsa GrigoropoulouShanae JefferiesMyrna Papadouka15Rudy & Jean Seward ScholarshipAlexandra BushHiram Friedsam ScholarshipJacquelyn CheunCassie HudsonDavid Malone ScholarshipEthan WellsDimitrios Zaras

STUDENTNEWSFWOP received the Earth Week Award forOutstanding Student OrganizationThe Sociology-affiliated student organization Future Without Povertyhas been named a sustainability "champion" on UNT campus. Thegroup's mission is to eliminate poverty in a sustainable way by creatingopportunities, providing resources, and empowering people. It's members have a passion for creating sustainable

Click on the links below to explore recent news from UNT's . Sociology Department . UNT SOCIOLOGY . NEWSLETTER . The Eagle's Eye. WELCOME TO THE UNT SOCIOLOGY NEWSLETTER! Spring 2014 . Departmental News Find out more about the 95 students who completed a Sociology degree in Spring 2014. We are very proud of their hard work and dedication .