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In the United States, immigrant Latino men who have sex with men (ILMSM) are, compared to white MSM, disproportionately burdened by HIV and lack access to highly effective HIV prevention strategies, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Qualitative research centered on exploring barriers that ILMSM experience in accessing PrEP and other sexual services is extremely limited, despite a high prevalence of HIV in this population. In this study, a purposive sample of ILMSM (n = 25) was recruited to participate in a semi-structured in-depth interview to identify the distinct barriers and facilitators ILMSM experience in accessing sexual health services given their complex intersectional identities of being an immigrant, Latino, and a sexual minority man. Using a thematic analysis approach, nine themes were generated from the data representing barriers and facilitators. Barriers included: (1) cost and a lack of health insurance, (2) complexity of PrEP assistance programs; (3) challenges related to the immigrant experience; (4) impact of gay stigma; and (5) communication challenges. Facilitators included: (1) improving affordability and accessibility of PrEP services; (2) receiving services from LGBT- or Latine LGBT-centered clinics; (3) receiving services from medical providers who are gay and/or Latino; and (4) providing targeted community outreach, education, and promotion of PrEP to ILMSM. While many of the barriers illuminated in the study were structural (e.g., cost and lack of health insurance), and not easy to overcome, the findings highlight a range of facilitators that can support access to PrEP and other sexual health services for ILMSM. Considering these findings, we suggest strategies that may enhance access to needed sexual health services among ILMSM.

This thesis is an exploration of how the literary public sphere generates sexual discourse and an effort to understand the link between sexology and imaginative literatures of the nineteenth century. Using Louisa May Alcott’s work as a case study, I consider the ramifications of authorial deception, arguing that deception was necessary in order to create sexual discourse in the periodical sphere. I also consider an American origin of sexology, rather than the typically invoked European medical origins, and with that intervention argue that imaginative literature and the queer possibilities it creates should be given more importance in the study of sexology and the history of sexuality more broadly.

What does feminist theory have to offer sociology? Defining feminist theory as work that problematizes the gender binary and the relations of domination that constitute and emerge from it, we explore four key aspects of feminist scholarship. We begin with work that explores gender as a structuring trope. We then turn to how gender is coconstituted with other structures of power and domination. Next, we survey how feminists have theorized the relationship between nature and the social through the body. Finally, we examine feminist epistemological claims. We conclude by demonstrating the inextricability of feminist conceptual work and feminist politics. As we move across these bodies of work, we show how they are linked with one another and suggest some of the ways in which thinking like a feminist would help sociologists better grasp the dynamics of the social worlds we study.

Abstract: The twenty-first century has seen the proliferation of new sexual identity subcultures rooted in creative role-play dynamics, expanding our cultural and scientific understanding of diversity in sexuality and intimacy. In an international sample of 568 people who identified with the kink subculture of pup play, we analyzed responses to open-ended questions about the discovery of pup play and communities, definitions of pup play, and motivations for engagement. Four themes were identified: (1) social technologies as central to discovery of the subculture; (2) constructionist accounts of pup identity development emerging from relationships and exposure to other kink communities; (3) individual psychological benefits of subculture participation, including stress relief, relaxation, and pleasure; and (4) social psychological benefits in identity and community building. We situate these findings in relation to the expansion of diversity in sexual identity and intimacy in the twenty-first century, facilitated by the heightened visibility and opportunities for social and intimate creativity which have accompanied the growth of social media and exposure to new sexual stories.

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) people are at greater risk for substance use than heterosexual and cisgender people, but most prior work is limited by cross-sectional analyses or the examination of single substance use. This study examined substance use over time among SGM people to identify patterns of polysubstance use at the intersection of sex and gender. Methods: Data were collected annually over 4 years from SGM respondents (n = 11,822) in The Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality (PRIDE) Study. Differences in substance use patterns (any prior 30-day use of 15 substances) by gender subgroup were examined with latent class analysis, and multinomial regression models tested relationships between gender subgroup and substance use. Results: Eight classes of substance use were observed. The three most common patterns were low substance use (49%), heavy episodic alcohol use (≥5 alcoholic drinks on one occasion) with some cannabis and tobacco use (14%), and cannabis use with some tobacco and declining heavy episodic alcohol use (13%). Differences observed included lower odds of patterns defined by heavy episodic alcohol use with some cannabis and tobacco use in all gender subgroups relative to cisgender men and persons with low substance use (odds ratios [ORs] 0.26-0.60). Gender expansive people assigned female at birth, gender expansive people assigned male at birth, and transgender men had greater odds of reporting cannabis use with small percentages of heavy episodic alcohol and tobacco use (ORs: 1.41-1.60). Conclusion: This study suggests that there are unique patterns of polysubstance use over time among gender subgroups of SGM people.

Background: Trans women in Vietnam are among the most vulnerable groups with high HIV risk and limited access to care. TransAction is an evidence-based intervention to reduce trans women's HIV risks and increase social support and access to care.Aims: The aim of this study was to adapt TransAction to the specific needs of trans women in Vietnam. Methods: This study was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City from November 2020 through June 2021 Using the ADAPT-ITT framework, interviews, focus groups, and community advisory board meetings were conducted with trans women, service providers, and community members to better understand Vietnamese contexts of gender transition, HIV risks, and service gaps. Feedback was solicited on TransAction content and format adaptation. Results: Trans women in Vietnam faced unique challenges related to family norms, policy and regulatory constraints, and limited transgender-specific or gender-inclusive services. TransAction was modified to accommodate identified challenges and needs, and intervention components to enhance family support were added. Strategies to cope with stigma and seek support and services were adapted to Vietnamese culture and policies. Discussion: Post-adaptation interviews and focus groups demonstrated strong feasibility and acceptability for the adapted intervention, which can potentially be used to reduce Vietnamese trans women's HIV risks and increase their social support.

Abstract: This paper presents an invitation to feminist and queer sociology to engage more frequently, enthusiastically, and deeply with animals. Feminist and queer sociology that attend to animals and animality stand to develop better knowledge for animals and animal studies and for women, queers, and feminist and queer sociology. Sociologists working from feminist and queer perspectives are also particularly well‐positioned within the discipline of sociology to contribute to and take advantage of the insights of the field of feminist animal studies. After a brief review of what feminist animal studies is, I proceed through three steps to elaborate the imperative for feminist and queer sociology to consider animals. First, I show how feminist animal studies as a theoretical perspective engages with issues that are core to feminist and queer sociology. Second, I center intersectional feminism and lay out how incorporating species can and does enhance our understanding of intersectional processes. Third, I present an ethical call, grounded in the traditions of feminist ethics and ecofeminism, to attend to species in feminist and queer sociology.

Abstract: Ambivalent sexism (hostile and benevolent sexism) maintains gender inequalities and has been applied to investigate violence against women (VAW). We conducted a comprehensive three-level meta-analytic review testing ambivalent sexism as predictors of VAW-supportive attitudes and behaviors regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, and intimate partner violence. Relevant articles published between 1996 and April 2022 were retrieved from the PsycINFO, Pro Quest Dissertations and Theses, Cochrane Database Reviews, ERIC, and Web of Science online databases. A total of 141 reports (with 912 unique effect sizes) met our inclusion criteria (e.g., assessed Glick and Fiske’s 1996 ASI and at least one self-reported measure of VAW-supportive attitudes or men's VAW perpetration and/or proclivity; VAW was limited to violence against women perpetrated by men). Our review revealed hostile and benevolent sexism, respectively, were associated with greater VAW-supportive attitudes across genders (r = .47, 95% CI [.43–.50]; r = .26, 95% CI [.23–.29]) and to greater VAW behaviors among men (r = .23, 95% CI [.19–.27]; r = .08, 95% CI [.04–.12]). Our review also highlighted participant gender, VAW type, and domain of VAW as important moderators. Notably, benevolent sexism was more strongly tied to VAW-supportive attitudes among women (r = .31, 95% CI [.27–.35]) than men (r = .22, 95% CI [.18–.26]). Overall, the results underscore the importance of addressing hostile and benevolent sexism in future research and interventions on VAW.

Academic medical institutions seek to recruit and retain a diverse workforce to foster equitable, supportive environments in which early-stage investigators, especially those who are underrepresented in medicine, can thrive. Intersectionality is a critical theoretical framework rooted in Black feminist activism and scholarship that elucidates how power and privilege are differentially structured for groups at different intersectional sociodemographic positions. As a dynamic method of analyzing multiple axes of power and inequality, intersectionality has the potential to offer a critical lens through which to view the mentor-mentee relationship. In this article, we seek to elaborate upon and extend the concept of intersectional mentoring, elucidate its essential components, and explore its application in the context of mentoring early-stage investigators in academic medicine. We propose that intersectional mentorship requires an orientation toward deep cultural humility, lifetime learning about the impact of systemic oppressions on present-day opportunities and experiences of mentees, and changing systems that perpetuate inequities by centering praxis-the application of principles of intersectionality through action to transform power dynamics in academic culture and institutions. Intersectional mentorship can help build a more equitable and representative workforce to advance intersectionally relevant and innovative approaches to achieving health equity.

This article examines how Catholics form their consciences together in parishes particularly on topics of gender and sexuality. The data for this project stems from ethnographic observations and forty interviews from a 2010 to 2012 study of two Catholic parishes in Chicago. The first is a progressive parish promoting inclusion of gay and lesbians as well as women’s ordination. The second had a small but active Respect Life group attempting to change their parish culture to be more committed to Respect Life issues. The paper suggests that cultural inertia (or lack there of) is one mechanism that drives or halts conscience formation. These collective consciences lead to differing understandings of what it means to be Church and to be a person, and they may motivate actions to change the Catholic Church hierarchy or local parish. Forming consciences together has implications for understanding the role of culture and structure in the Catholic Church. Specifically, these formed consciences, parish cultures, and actions produce different boundaries and partnerships with the Archdiocese which determines what actions are legitimate by setting the conditions for parish actions and constraining parish actions with threats of sanction.

This paper explores how queer Asian American women negotiate their racial and political identities through racial dating preferences. I investigate a pattern of desire that has been consistently found in previous studies: Why are queer Asian American women more likely to prefer Asian women over white women? The analysis draws from 192 US-based online surveys and 22 interviews with queer Asian women ages 18–30. The participants were asked about their various preferences for female and (if applicable) male partners. I contribute to the racial dating preferences literature empirically by (1) extending the scope of analysis to queer Asian American women and (2) analyzing bisexuals’ preferences for both male and female partners. I contribute theoretically by (1) testing sexual fields theory against the gender white advantage hypothesis and (2) finding evidence to suggest that homonormativity, as a logic of desirability, is less operative in queer Asian American women’s sexual field. Rather, their sexual fields are defined by an alternative logic of desirability, “sticky rice” politics, that prioritizes dating Asian partners and avoiding white partners to resist and distance oneself from white supremacy. This was clear in Asian American respondents’ overwhelming preference for Asian American partners, even Asian American men, over white partners.

Abstract: Scientific research on the mechanisms to address global warming and its consequences continues to proliferate in the context of an accelerating climate emergency. The concept of climate action includes multiple meanings, and several types of actors employ its use to manage the crisis. The term has evolved to incorporate many of the suggested strategies to combat global warming offered by international bodies, states, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and social movements. The present work offers a classification scheme to build a shared understanding of climate action through a lens of environmental justice and just transitions developed by sociologists and others. The classification system includes major institutional and noninstitutional forms of climate action. By identifying the primary forms of climate action, analysts, scholars, policymakers, and activists can better determine levels of success and how different forms of climate action may or may not complement one another in the search for equitable solutions in turning back the rapid heating of the planet.

Abstract: This study systematically reviewed the literature on ethnic‐racial socialization (ERS) in mono‐racial Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) families in the United States. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we examined what is known about (1) ERS strategies used, (2) child and parent factors related to ERS, and (3) the relation of ERS to child outcomes in mono‐racial AAPI families. We included peer‐reviewed, original studies published between January 2002 and August 2023, abstracted in Sociological Abstracts, PubMed, and/or PsychINFO, and focused on ERS in AAPI families. Fifty‐eight studies met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed studies show that mono‐racial AAPI families engage in ERS, but parents' messages tend to focus on positive aspects of ethnicity‐race (e.g., ethnic pride) and avoid negative aspects (e.g., discrimination). However, due to the COVID‐19 pandemic and Black Lives Matter, parents are increasingly willing to address the negative aspects of ethnicity‐race, including racism and anti‐racism, to prepare their children for a racialized society. ERS is related to AAPI child identity, psycho‐social outcomes, ethnic‐racial attitudes and experiences, and other outcomes but in a variety of contingent ways. We identify gaps in the literature and recommend future research on ERS in AAPI families.

Homoprejudiced violence is a type of aggression against an individual or a community based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation. It may be linked to risks of acquiring HIV/STI via psychosocial variables. This study explored the association between homoprejudiced violence experiences and high-risk sexual behaviors, and potential psychosocial mediators. Using cross-sectional survey data collected in China through Blued among men who have sex with men (MSM) in January 2021, this study conducted multiple mediation analyses. Standard instruments were used to collect data on depressive symptoms in the last two weeks (PHQ-9), recreational drug usage in the last three months, and ever experiencing homoprejudiced violence (12-item survey instrument). Dependent variables were having condomless anal sex and having three or more sexual partners in the last three months. Among 1828 MSM, nearly half (847, 46%) had experienced homoprejudiced violence. Twenty-three percent (427) reached a score that suggested moderate or severe depression and 35% (644) had used recreational drugs. In the last three months, 40% (731) had condomless anal sex and 34% (626) had three or more sexual partners. The indirect mediational coefficients through depression on condomless anal sex and multiple sexual partners were 0.04 (95% CI: [0.02, 0.07]) and 0.02 (95% CI: [0.001, 0.05]), respectively. The indirect mediational coefficient of homoprejudiced violence experience on multiple sexual partners through recreational drug use was 0.05 (95% CI: [0.03, 0.08]). These findings suggest that more comprehensive interventions are needed to address the syndemic of homoprejudiced violence, mental health issues, and HIV/STI-related risks.

In this article, I explore Karl Marx’s evolving understanding of the temporal dimensions within capitalism, particularly focusing on his reflections during the 1850s and 1860s. This period marks a significant shift in Marx’s theoretical framework, prompted by his in-depth analysis of the world market and diverse modes of exploitation. The article highlights coexisting forms of exploitation and their entanglement in terms of temporalities. From this perspective, capitalism and its history can be investigated as a complex interplay of temporal layers rather than a linear progression. Marx’s 1858 letter serves as a starting point, emphasizing the importance of accumulation as a long-term process and the challenges of a revolutionary project in a globalized capitalist context. Finally, the paper emphasizes Marx’s mature writings, where he envisions the potential for combining historical layers to challenge capitalism. This nuanced understanding has contemporary implications for globalized capitalism and social change discussions.

This essay theorizes a problem for feminism posed by a particular form of trauma discourse. Feminists have played an important role in developing cultural and clinical conceptions of trauma, but one result of the destigmatization of trauma has been that trauma discourse is sometimes used as a form of cultural capital to reinforce existing hierarchies. In a novel application of Pierre Bourdieu's theory of distinction, we show how, when instrumentalized as cultural capital, trauma discourse can be used to reinforce patriarchy and other systems of oppression. We trace a critical feminist history of the struggle to understand and treat trauma. Using examples from contemporary US popular culture, we illustrate the appropriation of trauma discourse to entrench existing structures of gender, class, and racial oppression. First, the misuse of trauma discourse as cultural capital can encourage the instrumental use of trauma claims for cultural power, ultimately reinforcing patriarchy. Second, it might erode the legitimacy of trauma, a conceptual tool pioneered by feminists and still essential to their political claims. This discussion has important implications for not only mental health practitioners and trauma survivors but also feminist theorists, trauma studies scholars, and those interested in deconstructing structural injustice and relations of inequality.

ObjectiveTransgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience higher levels of stigma, discrimination, and interpersonal violence due to their gender identity and/or expression, particularly TGD people with a migration background. This study aimed to conduct and evaluate group psychotherapy for TGD migrants to provide opportunities for exploring and developing interpersonal skills and relationships.MethodThe group therapy included five individuals who identified as TGD and originated from the Middle East. The TGD group therapy consisted of 12 weekly sessions of 90 minutes each and was facilitated by a psychiatrist. All sessions were conducted online and in Turkish. The sessions were guided by the group process and discussions.ResultsAfter completing 12 group therapy sessions, members of the group reported benefiting from observing and emulating others who shared their problem constellation. Through the interpersonal skills that they built up throughout the sessions, they became more open to share their feelings experiencing fewer social barriers, and reduced anxiety.ConclusionThis observational study indicates the significance of offering group-based psychotherapy to enhance affirmation and social connection within gender minority groups and emphasizes the need to empirically evaluate the effectiveness of group psychotherapy with TGD individuals, with special attention to the unique needs of TGD migrants.

Prior research finds that relative to women, men are less receptive to scientific evidence of gender bias against women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, whereas the researcher’s gender does not influence evaluations of gender research. Do these effects hold for research documenting workplace gender inequalities more generally? In a preregistered survey experiment fielded on Prolific, survey participants were shown tweets from a fictitious researcher—a woman or a man—that summarized recent research about workplace gender inequality, and then they were asked to rate the research. Consistent with prior work, men viewed research findings about workplace gender inequality less positively than women; researcher gender did not significantly influence evaluations. Men’s higher endorsement of gender system justification beliefs and hostile sexism appear to partially explain their less positive views, suggesting that men view gender research less positively in part because it challenges the idea that men’s relative advantages in the workplace are natural and earned.

Evidence suggests that entertainment media may influence knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to health topics. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it is critical to examine how these media may be associated with people’s knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions related to abortion. Using a non-experimental ex post facto design, we examined whether exposure to any of three abortion plotlines was correlated with (a) greater knowledge about abortion, (b) lower stigmatizing attitudes about abortion, and (c) higher likelihood of supporting someone seeking an abortion among a sample of television audience members (N = 1,016), administered via a survey on Qualtrics. We selected three scripted, fictional abortion plotlines on the U.S. television shows Station 19, Better Things, and A Million Little Things, based on medical accuracy and airdates near each other in March 2022. Exposure to a plotline was defined as accurately answering at least two recall questions about a given plotline. We found that compared to those who were not exposed to any of the plotlines, exposure to any of the three plot lines was associated with greater knowledge about abortion and higher willingness to support a friend seeking an abortion, but not with lower stigmatizing attitudes. Exposure to medically accurate depictions of abortion on television may be one way to improve knowledge about abortion and community support for people seeking abortion.

Abstract: One oft-cited reason for women's political underrepresentation is that women express less political ambition than men. We reframe the puzzle of women's ambition deficit, asking why men have an ambition surplus. Drawing on the concept of symbolic representation, we theorize that political symbols convey to men their capacity for exceptional political leadership. We test our expectations with a US-based survey experiment in which respondents watch one of three ‘two-minute civics lessons’. Men who watched a video featuring the accomplishments of the Founding Fathers reported significantly more political ambition than men assigned to the control group. Additional studies indicate that the effects are specific to the Founding Fathers (as compared to early American statesmen). Men are also more likely than women to identify the Founding Fathers as inspiring figures and to feel pride when considering them. Our findings suggest how history is told contributes to men's persistent political overrepresentation.