Sociology News & Events

Public School Districts Should Close Their ‘Alternative’ and ‘Continuation’ High Schools

Sean J. Drake

“Alternative” high schools are meant to help struggling students catch up on credits, but they often function as dumping grounds that perpetuate inequality. 

November 5, 2025

See related: United States

The Achievement Narrative and Alienation in School: A Typology of Academic Disconnection

Sean J. Drake, Jeffrey Guhi

The study, co-authored by Assistant Professor of Sociology Sean Drake, was published in Sociology of Education.

October 30, 2025

See related: Children, Adolescents, U.S. Education, United States

How Does County Industry Mix Matter for Working-Age Mortality?

Xue Zhang, Iliya Gutin, Shannon M. Monnat, and Jennifer Karas Montez
This brief summarizes findings of a study that examined how five major employment sectors—agriculture, manufacturing, mining and construction, services, and professional services—are associated with working-age mortality rates across U.S. counties from 2000 to 2022. The authors find that the effects of local industries vary across time and cause of death. 
October 28, 2025

See related: United States

Adult ADHD is Linked to Higher Illicit Drug Use and Prescription Drug Misuse

Andrew S. London, Kevin M. Antshel, Joshua Grove, Iliya Gutin, and Shannon M. Monnat
This brief summarizes findings from a study that describes differences in lifetime and past-year use of 7 illicit drugs (marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, fentanyl, and hallucinogens) and misuse of 4 categories of prescription medications (opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants) between U.S. adults ages 18-64 with and without ADHD in 2023. The authors find that adults with ADHD are 1.6 to 3.3 times more likely to report past-year illicit drug use or prescription drug misuse than those without ADHD.
October 14, 2025

See related: United States

Community-Based Food Program Limits in Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity

Madonna Harrington Meyer and Colleen M. Heflin
Older adults who are grappling with food insecurity may enhance their food supply through community-based programs that provide free and subsidized food. But these programs can be complex, expensive, and may be difficult for older adults to use. This final brief in our older adult food insecurity series describes the limits of community-based food programs for older adults, including access, food quality, and transportation barriers. 
October 7, 2025

See related: United States

The Limits of SNAP in Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity

Colleen M. Heflin and Madonna Harrington Meyer
This brief describes how SNAP is currently not well designed for older adults in three respects: (1) the high levels of administrative burden associated with eligibility, certification, and benefit-determination processes, (2) the low value of SNAP benefits compared with the high costs associated with redeeming them, and (3) the high levels of state variation in SNAP policies that produce substantially different conditions for SNAP depending on where one lives.
September 30, 2025

See related: Aging, Food Security, Nutrition, U.S. Health Policy, United States

Nonfinancial Factors Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults

Madonna Harrington Meyer and Colleen M. Heflin
Nonfinancial factors such as poor physical and mental health, lack of access to healthy food, and transportation challenges make it more difficult for older adults to obtain, prepare, and consume healthy food. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes how nonfinancial factors function as both causes and consequences of food insecurity in old age. 
September 23, 2025

Harrington Meyer Talks to HuffPost About Grandparenting Styles

“It almost doesn’t matter what kind of grandparent you are, as long as you and the parents agree. The trick is for the parents and the grandparents to agree on the roles and the rules,” says University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer. Once that happens, “then there could be a really harmonious relationship.”

September 19, 2025

See related: Child & Elder Care, United States

Saving the “Lungs of the City”: Emerging Civic Action in Urban Environmental Policy

Markus Lainea, Selina Gallo-Cruz, Helena Leino

Co-authored by Associate Professor of Sociology Selina Gallo-Cruz, the article was published in Local Environment.

September 16, 2025

See related: Environment, Europe, Government, Infrastructure, United States, Urban Issues

Budget Tradeoffs Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults

Madonna Harrington Meyer and Colleen M. Heflin
For low-income older adults, it may be difficult to meet basic needs on a fixed monthly income.  This brief summarizes how budget tradeoffs between food and other essential expenses—housing, utilities, medical care, transportation, and personal and cleaning supplies—shape food insecurity among older adults. 
September 16, 2025

See related: United States

Policy Recommendations to Reduce Old Age Food Insecurity in the United States

Colleen M. Heflin and Madonna Harrington Meyer

The current policy responses to old age food insecurity are complex, costly, and not nearly effective enough. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes five policy recommendations to improve food insecurity among U.S. older adults. 

September 10, 2025

See related: United States

Jennifer Karas Montez Honored With University Professor Reappointment

The honor recognizes exceptional scholarship and innovative academic and professional activity and is the University's most senior and selective academic status.

September 5, 2025

See related: Promotions & Appointments

Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adult Food Insecurity

Colleen Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Written by Colleen Heflin, professor of public administration and international affairs, and University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer, the book examines the issue of food insecurity among older adults in the United States. 

September 4, 2025

See related: Aging, Food Security, Nutrition, U.S. Health Policy, United States

Differences in Religious Attendance Among Disabled and Nondisabled Early and Early Midlife Adults

Scott D. Landes, Katie Mueller

The article, co-authored by Professor of Sociology Scott Landes, was published in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

September 2, 2025

See related: Disability, Religion, United States

Self-Reported ADHD Diagnosis and Illicit Drug Use and Prescription Medication Misuse Among US Adults

Andrew S. London, Kevin M. Antshel, Joshua Grove, Iliya Gutin, Shannon M. Monnat

The study, co-authored by Maxwell sociologists Andrew London and Shannon Monnat along with Ph.D. student Joshua Grove and Research Assistant Professor Iliya Gutin, was published in the Journal of Attention Disorders.

September 2, 2025

See related: Mental Health, Substance Use and Addiction, United States

Maxwell School Announces Faculty Promotions for 2025-26

Eight faculty members have received tenure in their promotion to associate professor.
August 22, 2025

See related: Promotions & Appointments

Why Are Food System Workers Excluded from Local Food Policy Councils?

Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern and Jonnell A Robinson
This brief summarizes findings from a study that examined the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. The authors find that internal tensions, limited capacity, and weak ties to labor groups hinder FPC engagement in food labor advocacy.
August 20, 2025

See related: United States

Is Health Insurance Related to Breastfeeding Duration?

Anna De La Paz
This data slice describes differences in breastfeeding duration by insurance type among females ages 15-49 in the U.S. from 2022-2023. Findings show that mothers with private insurance breastfeed longer than mothers with public insurance, such as Medicaid. 
August 19, 2025

See related: United States

Harrington Meyer Talks to The Wall Street Journal About Today's Working Grandmothers

University Professor Madonna Harrington Meyer interviewed 48 working grandmothers; all but four “said they were doing much more care for the grandchildren than they expected—and much more than their own parents did for them,” she says.

August 4, 2025

See related: Aging, Child & Elder Care, Labor, United States

Shannon Monnat Selected to Lead Rural Sociological Society

The Maxwell sociologist was also awarded the organization’s Frederick H. Buttel Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award for her recent co-authored book.

July 31, 2025

See related: Awards & Honors, Promotions & Appointments, Rural Issues, United States

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