Contexts Magazine

@contexts.org

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Contexts is a quarterly magazine that makes cutting-edge sociology research accessible to journalists, policymakers, sociologists, and general readers. Edited by David Grazian with managed editor Elena van Stee. contexts.org

A screenshot reads: Dear Readers, Let’s start by saying that we owe you an apology. Recently, we received an email from Laurel Davis-Delano, Professor of Sociology at Springfield College. In it, Dr. Davis-Delano explains that she studies White Americans’ beliefs, representations, and practices that they associate with Native Americans and that, while she is happy to see that our Summer 2025 issue features two articles on Indigenous issues, she is concerned about our cover image choice. By raising a series of questions about the image—from its content to its creator—Prof. Davis-Delano takes a thoughtful approach, full of curiosity it is clear our team did not explore when it came to our pick for a cover image. We are immensely grateful. We are grateful, too, to our editorial board member Kimberly Huyser (Navajo), Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia, who spoke with us further about our cover, helping us to understand it as a controlling image that stands as an example of racial ignorance of the sort written about in Stephanie Bohon and Shaylee Hodges’ feature article in this issue, “Digging Into Indigenous History.” Among the additional problems Drs. Davis-Delano and Huyser raised with our Summer 2025 cover was that a tipi is not representative of the ancestral or current dwellings of a number of the Native American peoples featured in the issue’s content. Additionally, the photo, sourced through online stock image service iStockPhoto, was taken by a non-Indigenous photographer who, when contacted by Dr. Davis-Delano (who worked with a reference librarian to provide initial context), explained that the structure was not created by Native Americans but was, instead, an imitation tipi made in Canada by members of a marginalized, though not Indigenous, ethnic group. With each new facet of this image reinforcing its poor fit for the Summer 2025 issue, it’s clear that this picture is worth far more than 1,000 words. To that end, we thank Dr.…
A screenshot of the website contexts.org shows a photo of a person in a graduation gown holding up a hand-written sign that reads "Now What?" The caption is "Young, mostly liberal law students in this study navigated the ethical conflicts of their career paths through a series of moral justifications." The article below is titled "Good Lawyer, Bad Lawyer," and it is written by Elena G. Van Stee.
A screenshot from contexts.org shows a photo of a man with both hands over his heart as he addresses several other seated people. The caption reads: Many of those in the burgeoning field of recovery coaching find that their own past drug use can become an asset in helping others overcome addiction. iStockPhoto // Jacob Wackerhausen. Below the caption is the article's headling, "Listing Addiction on Your Resume," and byline, "By Elena G. Van Stee."
A screenshot of Contexts.org shows an "In Brief" article. The photo shows two people with their arms around each other surveying fire damage. The caption reads, "Affected areas can see out-migration for over a year following rare, highly destructive wildfires. iStockPhoto // VladTeodor. The article below is titled "Fire Flight" and is authored by Parker Muzzerall.
A screenshot shows a sample of a Spotify playlist with the songs: "Island in the Sun," by Weezer "Just Me & My Plants," by Rocco Elliot "This Is America," by Childish Gambino "Just Got Paid," by ZZ Top "Elbows Up Canada," by King of the Cipher "You Can't Hurry Love," by The Supremes "Runnin'," by Pharrell Williams "What's Love Got to Do with It," by Tina Turner "Octopus's Garden," by The Beatles
A screenshot of the homepage of Contexts.org shows a new blog post titled "A Closer Look at Ideology *and* Truth on Campus: A Response to Eppard and Mackey." The image shows a lecturer in a campus lecture hall.
A screenshot of contexts.org shows an image of a sullen looking student working with a robot teacher. The article is titled "Working for AI." A pullquote below reads, "As someone who teaches and writes about AI in a sociological context, I have mixed opinions about the technology."
A screenshot of the homepage of Contexts.org: Sociology for the Public shows an image of a child wearing sunglasses and headphones. The photo is captioned, "Is that just a kid having fun, or a kidfluencer subtly selling glasses and headphones?" Below the photo, the article begins: In Brief: Parental Profiteering, by Colter J. Uscola. September 18, 2025. Spring 2025.
A screenshot of the homepage of contexts.org shows a blog post titled "How the Rich Turn Sludge Into Money," by Doron Shiffer-Sebba, illustrated by a photo of enormous stacks of paper.
A photograph shows a small child holding a handwritten sign reading "NO Forced Vaccinations" at an "Open Our Ohio" rally held on April 20, 2020.
A screenshot of the social science website contexts.org shows a photo of a person highlighting the word "racism" in pink in a dictionary and includes the title of the article, "Defining Discrimination Changes Policy Preferences." The byline reads, "By Parker Muzzerall."