Julie Harms Cannon

College Students, Tattooing, And The Health Belief Model: Extending Social Psychological Perspectives On Youth Culture And Deviance

ABSTRACT This research extends social psychological models which have previously been used to explain tattooing behavior. We apply the Health Belief Model to the decision-making process by which young adults express interest in or obtain a tattoo. We examine the five components of the Health Belief Model with regard to the likelihood of being tattooed, being interested in tattoos, or obtaining a (or another) tattoo. Survey data were gathered from 520 undergraduate students at a large, public university in the southwest. Their responses show the Health Belief Model to be a significant predictor of this behavior among the students in our sample.

“They're still in control enough to be in control”: Paradox of power in dementia caregiving

Based on an interview study of 26 employed women dementia caregivers, we have found that caregiving involves a complex relationship that is characterized as a paradox in which the exercise of power creates an experience of powerlessness on the part of the caregiver; that the care recipients are not powerless, but encourage as well as resist attempts at providing care; and this relationship occurs in the context of a culture that influences and controls the family through the production of knowledge that is used to shape the caregiving relationship and give direction to the caregivers actions. The control achieved by the use of knowledge of medicine and gender is incomplete and is thus embraced yet resisted by caregivers who see the inadequacy of the knowledge for achieving the goal of loving, dignified care.

Amateur Stripping: Sexualized Entertainment and Gendered Fun

Abstract Research on stripping has changed in emphasis from the initial focus on female dancers performing primarily for men to research on the all-male strip shows conducted primarily for women. However, a further stage in this progression, the amateur stripping contest for both men and women, has gone seemingly unnoticed. This observational investigation, using data from an amateur stripping contest, finds that despite contemporary rhetoric of egalitarianism, women who participate in amateur stripping still experience unequal status. This descriptive case study demonstrates that traditional gender roles are actually reenforced despite the clubs proclamations of egalitarianism.

Amateur stripping and gaming encounters: Fun in games or gaming as fun?

This observational study examined the utility of Goffmans (1961) concepts games and gaming encounters as they relate to the study of amateur stripping. The findings suggest that the concept of gaming encounters is particularly useful in studying the amateur stripping competition. As Goffman suggests, many games can be considered gaming encounters in that many of the explicit rules do not capture the subtleties and nuances of the interaction ritual. Rather, it is the implicit rules that dictate interaction strategies and styles. Unlike professional stripping literature, this study highlights the importance of incorporating the meanings that both the audience and the staff members contribute to this encounter.

Representing the Other in Sociology of the Family Texts.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of otherness as it applies to the content of sociology of the family texts. We conducted a study of the content of the indexes and the body of texts on sociology of the family, examining the way in which the experiences of whites were addressed relative to families of color. We found that whites were more often presented as a comparison group to families of color rather than as groups with histories and experiences of their own. We recommend that textbooks avoid separate sections for families of color, examine whites with the same scrutiny as families of color, examine white privilege as well as minority disadvantage, and focus on the positive experiences of families of color.

The Social Construction of Knowledge: An Evaluation of the Works of Dorothy E. Smith and Patricia Hill Collins

As a white, middle-class woman studying the experiences of African American women in academia, I believe that I must examine the ways in which my standpoint and experiences influence my research. To facilitate my understanding of the everyday lived experiences of African American women and other oppressed groups I began to study the Black feminist thought of Patricia Hill Collins. Under the direction of Mary Jo Deegan, I was also encouraged to examine the works of Dorothy E. Smith. Both theorists have inspired me to examine my role as a social theorist, researcher, and activist. In comparing the works of these two scholars, I found striking similarities as well as differences in their theoretical perspectives on the social construction of knowledge in general, and standpoint theory in particular. Because of the commonalities in their standpoint perspectives and the impact their theories have had on my own work, I felt compelled to further my knowledge of their perspectives and in some way connect these two bodies of social thought to my own work as a feminist sociologist.