The Measure: An Undergraduate Research Journal
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A Sociological Analysis of a Nation Divided: What Would Marx and Durkheim Say?
Full text linkThe Black Lives Matter movement, Blue Lives Matter movement, and the siege at the Capitol are reflective of a society in flux. While these movements involve distinctly different actors, they are representative of two antagonistic poles of a riven population. Each movement offers an opportunity to interpret the motivations that are propelling the actions. Dahrendorf’s (1959) Social Structure, Group Interests, and Conflict Groups will ground the explanation. Unlike many social theorists who divide into distinct sociological camps, Dahrendorf\u27s work bridges this divide
Hold Your Horses: Addressing the Complex Issue of Wild Horses in America
Full text linkWild horses have existed in the United States since its inception, but their existence and welfare have long been overlooked. The following paper examines the current state of wild horses in the western United States and finds that overpopulation of wild horses is leading to poor conditions for wild horses, environmental damage, and conflict with the interests of nearby humans. The paper examines the biocentric, anthropocentric, and ecocentric approaches to resolving this conflict between wild horses, humans, and local ecosystems, seeking a consequentialism-based solution that bridges the three approaches and maximizes overall welfar
Restorative Justice in Practice: Does it Have a Future in Criminology?
Full text linkA lack of a clear definition of restorative justice shared between criminologists and criminal justice practitioners creates unique issues for policy creation and implementation. Existing papers on the benefits of restorative justice usage were also included to showcase how beneficial restorative justice is as an alternative justice approach. Studies included concluded that allowing “restorative justice” as a concept to exist without a clear meaning creates major problems: it complicates efforts to enact it into legislation; allows practitioners’ biases to implement restorative program implementation, especially in relation to racism; and allows practitioners to restructure programs to fit their goals, even if the goals align with the current conventional system instead
Letter From the Editor
Full text linkLetter From the Editor, Meagan Edwards, introducing Volume 6 of The Measure
The First Tree of Light
Full text linkThe story of the First Tree of Light at Sam Houston State University.
Race in the Prison House of Langauge: Frantz Fannon, Ian F. Haney Lopez and Jordan Peele\u27s Get Out
No full textThis essay is an analysis of Jordan Peele’s 2017 film, Get Out, through the lenses of theorists Frantz Fanon and Ian F. Haney Lopez. The movie explores the concept of \u27race\u27 as an ideological construct that is in essence arbitrary, but, when accepted as ‘natural’ or ‘a given,’ becomes a justification for inequality, domination, and brutal violence. The movie presents a variety of scenes in which the main character, who is Black, struggles to ‘get out’ from the type-casting and labeling imposed upon him by a White community that aims for domination
Chronicling the Journey from Slavery to Civil Rights: African American Public History in the US South
Full text linkThe ways the public commemorates the past fundamentally shapes how Americans live in the present. In recent decades, the traditional narrative written by generations of white Americans has been challenged by a diverse group of scholars and researchers seeking to present American history in a more nuanced manner. Rather than a rosy march to American progress, this more complex narrative highlights the voices of marginalized groups and emphasizes how systemic inequality and violence aided in the nation’s development. The following research paper examines how historical sites and museums in Mississippi and Alabama portray African American history and the ways those interpretations intersect with the ongoing battles over which narrative should predominate in classrooms and civic spaces across the country