Eastern Sociological Society’s Annual Meeting

Six Bloomsburg University sociology students and two sociology faculty — Megumi Omori Heather Feldhaus —presented research this spring at the Eastern Sociological Society’s Annual Meeting in Boston.

“Attending this conference enabled me to apply the research methodology from my classes to complete and present my own research project, both adding to my research experience and strengthening my resume,” said Hosanna Mullen, a psychology major. “While we were in Boston, I also got to listen to a few east coast sociologists talk about their research. Not only were these sessions interesting and informative, but they were also an opportunity for me to see more examples of what can be done with a graduate degree in sociology and get a glimpse into research topics that were new to me.”

Eastern Sociological Society is a non-profit organization with a mission of “promoting excellence in sociological scholarship and instruction.” It publishes a peer-reviewed journal and holds a yearly academic conference.

“While sitting in on some of the other sessions at the conference, I heard about some research related to my own project as well as research on topics I did not know much about,” Mullen said. “I even got to see an author whose work I was looking at while working on my project, as well as an author in my reading list, which was amazing. I attended a discussion about Jessica Calarco’s recent book, Negotiating Opportunities: How the Middle Class Secures Advantages in School, which both answered some of my questions and inspired new ones.”

Mullen added, “I’m glad to see that research like this guiding decisions to make higher education a more equitable experience. In another session, Jennifer Silva did a brief presentation of some of her work on ‘Pain and Politics in American Working-Class Life.’ It was intriguing to hear about how personal trauma can sometimes lead individuals to vote against their interests.”

Student Research Presentations

• Religious Affiliations Effects on Marriages in the United States and Childhood Delinquency — Casey Lawson Glunt
• Gender Roles and Their Lasting Effects — Michaela Maw
• The Humanity of Executed Offenders — Megan Wissert
• Risk Adolescents Regarding Race and Citizenship Status — Sheira Sosa
• Childhood Cultural Experiences and Young Adult Voting Behavior — Hosanna Mullen
• Parental Marital Status and the effect on life chances in adulthood — Nicholas McCormack