Positive Sociology

Here is a link to a special guest blog that I've written for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Human Capital Blog.  The post is called "Home Mental Health Care for Gunshot Victims," and is inspired by my fieldwork in Philadelphia with surviving gunshot victims.  I'd be curious to hear what you all think. Hope you enjoy. Jooyoung

Although I'm always reading, writing, and thinking about gun violence, these past few weeks have provided me with an overwhelming amount of stuff to think about.     Mainly, I've been following news coverage of the mass shooting at the Dark Knight Rises premier in Aurora, CO.  I've listened to numerous firsthand accounts of the shooting and seen virtual reenactments of how everything went down.   My thoughts and prayers go out to all families who have been affected by this shooting.  This was a terrible tragedy and quickly remind me of just how fleeting and precious life can be.   But, in thinking about the news coverage, I'm struck by how the Aurora tragedy has sparked national interests in victimization.  I usually feel that victims of violent shootings don't get enough news coverage.  I often feel like we as a society do not pay enough attention to the many lives that are shattered after a fatal shooting.   Jessica Ghawi and a litt...

Most Hip Hop heads I know have had this conversation at some point: Who are your top 5 favorite artists of all time?  And why? I'll leave that list for another day, but I wanted to write a post on a similar question: What are your top 5 favorite Hip Hop songs of all-time?  For some reason, I find it easier for me to think about particular songs instead of artists (who occasionally have crappy albums or albums that include a couple of heaters and a bunch of filler)... I started thinking about this post a few weeks ago while riding the subway in Toronto.  When I first started thinking about my list, I had to initially fight the urge to make a list that would "sound good" or that would make me look like a seasoned Hip Hop head.  5 years ago, my list might have looked a lot different.  It might have included certain artists/songs that I knew were well respected amongst underground and mainstream cats alike. Maybe it's a sign that I've exited early adulthood...

Last night I was at home reading 50 Cent's autobiography, From Pieces to Weight: Once Upon a time in Southside Queens .   While reading about 50 Cent's past as a street hustler, I became intensely interested in a story on 48 Hours Mystery.  I usually don't watch 48 Hours Mystery, but found myself immediately drawn to the story that they were covering. Photos of victims who were found in the Texas Killing Fields Last night's episode was about an area that locals have nicknamed the " Texas Killing Fields ," or the "Highway of Hell."  The area earned this nickname because of its grisly past.  Since 1970, law enforcement have recovered 30 dead bodies (mostly of whom are young girls) in this vast, desolate stretch of bayou.  On a sidenote:  This story inspired a recent film called  The Texas Killing Fields .  I'd be curious to know if anyone out there thinks that the film is worth seeing.  Anyways, at one point in the show, a detective ref...