THE BULLETIN

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Arseniy Gutnik confers with Charles Kurzman (at computer).

Marginal Role of Islam in Conflicts in Russia’s Muslim Republics
 1991-1994

by Arseniy Gutnik
UNC Chapel Hill

The following summary of the session on Islamic Movements was submitted by one of its presenters, Arseniy Gutnik, a graduate stduent at UNC-CH.

Possible Conditions for Conflict (or Lack Thereof):

Ø      Role of Islam: Differences in levels of religiosity and type of Islam.  (Giuliano 2005; Lehmann 1993; Yemelianova 2002)

Ø      Socioeconomic conditions (Derluguian 2005; Stepanov 2000) 

Ø      Territorial/ethnic tensions (Derluguian 2005; Stepanov 2000)

Ø      Moscow’s historical and more recent policies (Derluguian 2005; Stepanov 2000; Yemelianova 2002)

Conclusions:Why different levels of violence across republics?

4          Large-scale violence, during 1991-1994, only in two republics: Chechnya and Ingushetia.

4          Chechnya - violence due to Yeltsin’s shift in national policy and Russian invasion of 1994; also due to President Dudayev promoting a nationalist agenda, based on socioeconomic rhetoric as well as reminiscence of Stalinist deportations.

4          Ingushetia - ethnic violence to reclaim land in N. Ossetia, allegedly owned prior to Stalin’s 1944 deportation; spurred by separation from Chechnya to avoid minority status and the Act on “Rehabilitation of Repressed Peoples.”

4          Other republics in the Caucasus experienced internal and intra-federal tensions that did not lead to widespread conflict.   

4          Leadership of Muslim republics focused on socioeconomic and nationalist, not religious rhetoric for mobilization.

4          Tatarstan and Bashkortostan lacked militant Muslim tradition; religiosity played little role in national interests.  1994 treaty with Moscow defused nationalist agenda.

Consequently, Islam did not play a significant role in differentiating the levels of violence in the Muslim Republics of Russia during 1991-1994.

She's a Winner!

Brianne Racer, representative for Kendall/Hunt Publishing, presents a garden chocolate basket to Latoya Moore of Fayetteville State University. Moore won the drawing for the basket filled with chocolates, tea, and coffee.

NCSA Meets in Durham

Sociologists and students from across the state gathered in Durham to explore ways of "Expanding Sociology." A few of them are show in these pictures.

     What should sociologists be doing? How can they collaborate with other disciplines? How can they use their knowledge and expertise to solve social problems? Members of the NCSA explored these and other questions as they discussed "Expanding Sociology" at their annual meeting in Durham this February. Program chair Miles Simpson challenged participants to venture into new territory and to conquer the figurative "dragons and demons" they may find. Citing classic studies by DuBois and Lloyd Warner, Simpson called for teamwork and long-term projects.

Miles Simpson served as program chair; Rebecca Bach served as NCSA president. Bach passes the gavel to Simpson at the conclusion of the business meeting.

   Treasurer Cathy Zimmer reported that 136 people attended the meeting. At the business meeting, members approved a dues increase for professional and student members. Professional dues are now $15 per year; students will pay $5.

   Participants found many different sessions to engage their concerns and expand their interests. Ronald Wimberley, president-elect of the Southern Sociological Society, passed around a mirror and challenged his audience to examine "Sociology with a Southern Face." George Conklin brought together a panel comprised of a retired member of the Durham Planning Board (Robert Jentsch) and a community activitst (Denise Hester) for a spirited exchange on "smart growth" and racism. Ella Keller conducted a session on "The Role of Sociology Clubs in Sociology Programs." Panelists included Samuel Adu-Mireku of Fayetteville State University, Lori Heiger of Alamance Community College, as well as students from Appalachian State University (Jennifer Johnson and Laura Westmoreland), and East Carolina University (Angela Decuzzi).

George Conklin and Bob Jentsch discussed "smart growth."

   Ken Spenner presented a session on "Using Sociology as a Basis for Business Education." He discussed the markets and management studies program at Duke University. Charles Kurzman and three graduate students from UNC-CH discussed "Islamic Movements."  Jammie Price and Leslie Hossfeld, both of ASU, presented examplesof North Carolina public sociology research. Hossfeld dealt with "Displaced Workers" while Price discussed "Children's Health Insurance." Earl Smith and Angela Hattery of Wake Forest University explored the results of privatization and racialization in American prisons in a session titled "The Prison Industrial Complex."

Al Dunkleman performed "Social Problems in Song."

   There was also something for students at the annual meeting. Graduate students from NCSU conducted a "boot camp" where they talked to undergraduates about taking the next step in their sociological educations. Donnie Charleston, Angella BEllota, and Jonathan Brauer shared their experiences and wisdom with a very interested and engaged crowd. Al Dunkleman of Cleveland Community College returned to perform "Social Problems in Song."  Using images from photo archives as well as original photography in a Powerpoint slide show, Dunkleman sang and performed live versions of "Blowing in the Wind" and original compositions about war, economic opportunity, and plant closings.

NCSA Elects New Officers

   Stephen McNamee of UNC Wilmington was elected to serve as next year's program chair and president-elect. Al Dunkleman (Cleveland Community College), Earl Smith (Wake Forest University), and Ken Spenner (Duke University) were elected to serve three-year terms on the NCSA Executive Council.

Stephen McNamee (left) and Al Dunkleman discuss prospective ideas for the NCSA in the coming year.

Sociology with a Southern Face

   Which census region in the United States has the most people? If you answered, "The South," you're right. The 2000 census counted 100 million people living in the 16 states of the southern region. Sociologist Ron Wimberley passed around a mirror and challenged his audience to see sociology with a Southern face.

   Not all the news is good for the South. In addition to being the largest region, the South also has the largest number of people in poverty, the most people who have not completed high school, the highest incidence of low-birth weight babies, and the highest percentage of mobile homes. The South, said Wimberley, has a unique history of race and regionality and faces special problems relating to employment and globalization as well as in human resource development, education, and health care.  The South faces large-scale environmental issues such as hurricanes, climate change, natural resource production and consumption, livable and productive space.  It is growing faster than the other regions of the country in both numbers and percentages.

   "Southern sociologists have the opportunities for studying things that can make a difference in our area," noted Wimberley. " Southern sociology has some real challenges."

   Wimberley asked his audience to consider these questions. Why are we sociologists? What are we doing about it? What are we doing about it in the South? He added, "If we are not going to address these issues, who else can do so more efficiently? What are we doing about being sociologists...in the South?"

Ron Wimberley asks, "What are we doing about being sociologists in the South?"

Check Out the Complete NCSA Website

NCSA members and the general public can access the association’s web site at www.ncsociology.org. Information to be included in THE BULLETIN should be sent to its editor at dodsonl@rockinghamcc.edu or mailed to him at RCC, P.O. Box 38, Wentworth, NC 27375. General information for the NCSA web site should be sent to its webmaster, George Conklin (gconklin@nccu.edu, 919-560-6222).

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Graham Spann (center with beard) brought his students from Lees McRae College to the annual meeting. One of them wrote the review below.

The Role of Activism in Sociology:The Development of Research in Relation to Social Need

by Rebecca C. Conklin,
Lees McRae College

The theme of the 2006 North Carolina Sociological Association’s General Meeting, Expanding Sociology, allowed for a wide variety of sessions. One way to expand sociology is to make it public: to extend research findings to those struggling to find work and provide for their family. This is the realm of public sociology and has become the current debate concerning the role of activism in sociology. The session presented by Beth Davidson, Jamie Price, and Leslie Hossfeld entitled, North Carolina Public Sociology Research, explored the debate. By presenting their own research in the field of public sociology, Hossfeld and Price showed the audience how they too could take their career in sociology out from behind the desk and between the stacks in the library into the public field.

Leslie Hossfeld began her presentation with a definition of public sociology from a controversial player in the American Sociological Association, Michael Burawoy. According to his definition, public sociology is, “A sociology that seeks to bring sociology to publics beyond the academy, promoting dialog about issues that affect the fate of society…” (Burawoy 2004: 104). Hossfeld is currently working on the American Sociological Association Task Force on Institutionalizing Public Sociologies and her current research, Jobs for the Future Project, helps find jobs for displaced workers in rural North Carolina counties. This project has used both qualitative and quantitative data and rested on the research cornerstones of a research paper directed to the Congressional Rural Caucus, informed recommendations for the National Rural Project as well as a community based participatory research project. The vast representation of 150 community members and displaced workers from Robeson County, NC at the Congressional Rural Caucus lead to the development of policy recommendations which resulted in the Worker’s Advocate Council as well as the Womens’ Economic Equity Project. These projects have been and still are matching employers with employees and functioning to find employment for those still affected by the rapid job loss and displacement. Hossfeld has been able to use the fundamentals of public sociology not only to maintain an active research status but also to help the lives of hundreds living in economic disparity due to rapid job loss in rural North Carolina.
   Jamie Price’s research has much in common with that of Hossfeld. However, Price is in the beginning stages of her research concerning children’s health insurance issues. In her public sociology research, Price is attempting to promote the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in child care centers. According to her findings, there are currently two million children in North Carolina without health insurance. This is because health insurance premiums are too high for children and only grow with the number of children in the family. The goal of Price’s research is to inform parents of their eligibility, increase enrollment and end the under utilization and funding of the program. With the help of her research methods class at Appalachian State University, Price was able to define a sample frame (all day care centers in North Carolina) and was able to distribute the constructed questionnaire and pre-test. A pilot study has recently been conducted in Rowan Country, and the full study is still awaiting funding. Price and her assistants are currently taking action steps such as making reports and presentations at the North Carolina Pediatric Society, at various levels of North Carolina Legislature, and to Child Care Professional Associations. Finally, Price is attempting to integrate children’s heath institutions by identifying needs and assessing interest at child care centers and by defining available resources through health care providers that cater to children. Ultimately, Price would like to see a “Children’s Health Care Summit” organized in order to better inform the public and those involved in the child care and child health professions about the SCHIP.
   Hossfeld and Price have constructed research projects that correlate with their passion: to apply their knowledge of sociology to help those in need. By using disciplined research methods, they have been able to aptly define social problems and develop constructive ways to deal with such problems. However, not everyone holds the same passion Hossfeld and Price have for field of public sociology, and maybe this should be the case. Although it is necessary to for some to go out and do the “dirty work” of sociology (a la Robert Park), it is equally important to have others defining new problems and constructing new theories that will in turn inspire the work of many public sociologists to come.

Contact Information:

The editor of THE BULLETIN is Lee Dodson, Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences at Rockingham Community College, P.O. Box 38, Wentworth, NC 27375-0038
336-342-4261, ext. 2155

dodsonl@rockinghamcc.edu

Let Us Know!

Members of the NCSA are encouraged to contact any member of the NCSA Executive Council to suggest state sociological issues they would like the organization to address. Contact Miles Simpson,  NCSA president.