A 6 month study of attitudes held by hearing students toward deafness on an integrated deaf-hearing campus examined changes in attitudes that are theoretically to be expected when ideal cultural norms confront real norms of daily life. (Author)

Notes that the lesbian creates her social identity in a matrix of secrecy and disclosure. The lesbian must take into account the factors of stigma and the risks attendant to the revelation of her gay identity in most social settings apart from the community of her own. (Author/AM)

This study investigated the impact of shifts in age identification by older people (N=323) from "middle-aged" to "elderly" within the context of the labeling theory of deviance. Age identification was unrelated to attitudes toward old people and the label "elderly" did not affect self-esteem through any "gate-keeping" process. (Author)

Tested the hypothesis that training in statistical reasoning inhibits erroneous group stereotypes. In study one, 60 students were assigned to a control or one of two training conditions focused on training in the logic of analysis of covariance. Study two (N=82) replicated study one. Study three (N=44) tested an alternative explanation, providing…

Discusses how the binary categories of heterosexual and homosexual limit thinking about sexual orientation and how that epistemological framework affects decisions made in society and school that lead to discrimination. Focuses on human sexual preferences, meanings of sexual socialization, diversity and context (schooling), understanding labels,…

In this chapter, critical race and expectancy violation theories are used to deconstruct students' resistance to a female faculty member of color, a Muslim Arab American who wears the traditional Islamic cover. The author provides a narrative of her teaching experience and some techniques she has used to face such resistance.

This book provides a sociological and historical analysis of the evolution and demise of a state college's educational opportunity program, the goal of which was to compensate for unequal pre-college education and provide equal opportunities for economically and educationally disadvantaged students. The program was an example of a special…

Although social gerontologists recognize the heterogeneous nature of elderly populations, they have relied on the use of aggregate data and chronological age rather than sociological variables in their research. The notion of stigma, as developed by Goffman (1963), applied to the elderly focuses on social relationships rather than individual…

Studied employment discrimination against criminal offenders. College students (N=106) reviewed job applications of 16 hypothetical applicants. Results showed a clear and systematic bias against offenders in general, regardless of relative qualifications, and regardless of whether the person was only arrested or actually convicted of charges. (WAS)

The meaning of the label "mentally retarded" is discussed with two adults who have been labeled mentally retarded and have spent a significant portion of their lives in residential facilities, and their stories are contrasted with R. Edgerton's classic study, "The Cloak of Competence." (PHR)

Stereotypes of social isolation and early burnout in gifted students were studied through ratings by 66 male/61 female and 60 male/59 female college students, respectively, in two studies. Perception of the gifted, especially women, as having social problems is still prevalent, but the illusion of burnout is not. (SLD)

Teachers of gifted children read a descriptive vignette of a hypothetical gifted student and rated their willingness to refer the student for gifted program placement. Results showed that the 197 teachers were influenced by the presence of the educational label "learning disabled" and by the social class of the student. (Author/JDD)

Analysis of 100 AIDS death obituaries indicates imageries reflect much about American society, such as attitudes toward homosexuality, attitudes toward AIDS, and understanding of linkages between sexual practices and AIDS. Analysis suggests construction of AIDS obituaries may be manifestations of sociopolitical structure and a consequence of bias…

The author describes how the language of labels and her own cultural biases affect how she approaches teaching her students with disabilities. The author examines how the mythopoetic narratives of our past force us to examine the underlying assumptions of our culture that are expressed within our language and how understanding our own linguistic…