Editorial Board:
Editor:
George H. Conklin,
 North Carolina
 Central University

Board:
Rebecca Adams,
 UNC-Greensboro

Bob Davis,
 North Carolina
 Agricultural and
 Technical State
 University

Catherine Harris,
 Wake Forest
 University

Ella Keller,
 Fayetteville
 State University

Ken Land,
 Duke University

Miles Simpson,
 North Carolina
 Central University

Ron Wimberley,
 N.C. State University

Robert Wortham,
 North Carolina
 Central University

Editorial Assistants

John W.M. Russell,
 Technical
 Consultant

Austin W. Ashe,
 Duke University

®
Volume 9, Number 1

Spring/Summer 2011

Special Issue Editor:
Earl Smith
Wake Forest University
Special Focus:
Human Capital

Outline of Articles

1. Can Social Capital Networks Assist Re-entry Felons to Overcome Barriers to Re-entry and Reduce Recidivism?  
   by Earl Smith and Angela Hattery
   Based on interviews with 25 reentry felons, this article examines the impact that social capital plays in successful reentry; specifically with securing stable housing and employment.  We found that access to social capital allowed those with the lowest probability for success—African American men with felony convictions—to secure both stable employment and housing and thus avoid engaging in illegitimate behavior that leads to recidivism. The findings suggest that even for those individuals reentering society with the most strikes against them (as noted by researchers such as Pager and Travis), access to the resource rich social capital networks provided by reentry programs can allow these individuals to overcome the barriers to reentry and find stable jobs and secure housing. Our findings suggest that more research be done on the impact of social capital embedded in reentry programs and that referrals be made to these types of programs and funding be provided for those that demonstrate the ability to significantly reduce recidivism. As Putman has noted, "Just as a screwdriver (physical capital) or a college education (human capital) can increase productivity (both individual and collective), so do social contacts affect the productivity of individuals and groups."
2. The Labor Market Context of Social Capital: Race and Social Networks in the Occupational Internal Labor Market of College Football Coaches  
   by Jacob C. Day
   To understand the labor market context of social capital, the extent to which an occupational internal labor market makes social capital particularly important to coaches’ career outcomes is examined.   Using archival data on 118 coaches from a major conference at the NCAA Division IA level, I describe the network structure, network composition, and differences in career experience between black and white coaches at different status levels within the profession.
3. The Role of Social Capital for Black Students at Predominantly White Institutions 
   by Kendra D. Stewart
   Past research studies have pointed to how such adverse social conditions have led to the existence of lower rates of social satisfaction and identification with campus for Black college students at predominantly White student colleges.  Research shows that access to Black student associations provide social networks that a) encouraged greater interaction with staff and faculty outside of the classroom; b) validated their on-campus experiences; c) promoted strong racial/ethnic attitudes; d) allowed for more access to student support services; e) strengthened identity development and their pursuit of a social justice agenda. 

   
   Contributed Articles

    
4. A Qualitative Study of Socioeconomic Status, Post-secondary Education Plans, and Educational Aspirations of Students from a Michigan Public School 
   by Brian J. Thomas
   Post-secondary education is often seen as an important factor for individual success and is positively correlated with factors ranging from income to happiness.  Unfortunately, access to higher-education varies greatly in the United States.  In this paper, I examine the relationship between socioeconomic status and the post-secondary plans of current high-school students and recent high-school graduates.  Through in-depth interviews, I explore the relationship between students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and their educational aspirations of students from Bay City School District in Michigan, USA.  I conclude that both cultural and economic factors combine to influence the range of decisions that students make, not simply about whether or not to pursue post-secondary education, but also about how and where to pursue that education. 
5. The 2011 Presidental Address: Realizing the Promise of Sociology: Going Public and Enriching Community 
   by Kimberly J. Cook
   A program implementing  the American Sociological Association's guidelines on public sociology is described.  For example,  a partnership with the local public housing authority was established.  The Community Campus at Hillcrest was the launch site for the public sociology program. Public sociology classes meet at Hillcrest, the students work closely with the residents on their projects and the outcomes of class projects remain in the Hillcrest community. 
6. Health Status and Cancer Screening in Hispanic Women: A Sample from Cumberland County, North Carolina 
   by Heather Griffiths and Sharmila Udyavar
   This exploratory study examines self-reported breast and cervical cancer screening history among women aged 18 years and above in Cumberland County, NC.  Cumberland County is a multi-ethnic, semi-urban, racially diverse community with a large Hispanic population. Cross-sectional, mixed methodology data collection took place in local Tiendas.  The sample consists of women belonging to a variety of ethnic groups generally classified as “Hispanic.”  The questionnaire and interview guide used in the study developed from the Center for Disease Control’s National Health Interview Survey, and measured breast examination, mammogram, Pap Smear, family cancer, and health insurance history, as well as self reported health status, socio-demographic, and cultural features of the respondents.  We found that despite demographics from the 2010 Census showing a high incidence of breast and cervical cancers in the North Carolina Hispanic population, fewer Hispanic women in Cumberland County screened themselves for the presence of this cancer as compared to women at the national level. Education positively impacted both self rated health status as well as cancer screening behavior.  Interview data suggested the lack of screening behavior in this population was due to a perceived lack of cultural sensitivity and a dearth of translators.
7. The Effects of Religiosity on Perceptions about Premarital Sex 
   by Shyamal Das, Lisa A. Eargle and Renita Butts
   Opinions about premarital sex have been attributed to several social factors.   Religiosity is thought to be one influence on peoples’ sexual behavior. Many studies confirm that religiosity reduces the number of sexual acts outside of marriage, but there is a scarcity of studies that examine the social ideology surrounding sexual acts. In an effort to fill the gap in explaining beliefs about premarital sex, the main objective of the current research is to investigate the extent to which religiosity affects views about premarital sex. Using the General Social Survey datasets for 1988, 1998, and 2008, the present paper examines the effects of religiosity and other selected control factors on the opinions of ordinary Americans about premarital sex. The results of the regression analysis indicate that religiosity is the single most important factor that determines one’s beliefs about premarital sex. The effects of control variables, such as age, sex, race, social class, marital status, and education were found to be inconsistent over time, and did not seem to mediate the effects of religiosity on the beliefs about premarital sex
8. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Educators in the United States?  Making the Case Using South African Educators as an Example 
   by Tanetha J. Grosland
   The author describes how teachers in South Africa use a truth and reconciliation commission to overcome a history of racial hostility and inequality.  It is argued that the process is successful and can and possibly ought to be exported to the United States. 
9. Book Review of "The Climate of Fear:  The Quest for Dignity in a Dehumaized World" by Wole Soyinka 
   by Maximiliano E. Korstanje 
   The Climate of Fear contains the five Reith Lectures given by the Nobel Prize in literature laureate, Wole Soyinka in 2004 in the UK.  9/11 may have happened in the United States, but the event has been used all over the world to use fear to reduce freedom and to increase the power of governments in the name of protecting the public from terrorism.
10. Book Review of "Morals and Manners Among Negro Americans. A Reprint of the 1914 Edition by Du Bois, W.E.B. and Augustus Granville Dill, Editors ([1914] 2011 with an Introduction and Additional Editing by Robert A. Wortham."  
    by Dan Green
    What makes this reprint of original research by a pioneer American sociologist unique is that Wortham has carefully and systematically codified the survey findings in tabular form, and draws empirically-based conclusions from the data.  Also, he relates aspects of the original report to commentary by modern sociologists showing how Du Bois had anticipated comparable modern phenomena. 
     
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