Kathleen Rodgers & Willow Scobie on criminalizing legitimate political dissent

Excellent letter to the Toronto Star by Kathleen Rodgers and Willow Scobie, on the Conservative government's backing for a bill aimed at masked protesters:
http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/1176566--bill-masks-vindictive-intentions

and an Op-ed in the Ottawa Citizen:
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/op-ed/Intentions%20of%20anti-mask%20bill%20must%20be%20revealed/6630804/story.html

Howard Ramos on temporary foreign worker program

He's too modest to mention it, so I will: Howard Ramos was quoted in today's Globe and Mail article “Does temporary foreign workers program create second class of labourers?”:

Howard Ramos, who studies social justice and equity at Dalhousie University, says he is “really worried that Canada as a country is beginning to move away from immigration.”
If the commitment to bringing in people who are not bound to a particular job and have more rights really is being eroded, he says, the change in direction is unprecedented and will have an impact that is “bad for the long-term future of Canadian nation-building.”  

Good work, Howard!

Cuts to Canadian Civil Society

Howard Ramos and James Ron

“The 2012 federal budget has put Canada’s social justice groups on notice: the era of government-supported good deeds is over. Over the short term, many state-funded groups will shrink or disappear, while those that survive will lose their autonomy. If you care about critical thinking and social justice, this is bad news. Over the long term, however, the Conservatives may have done Canada a favour.”

Short version (“Funding cuts could unshackle Canadian civil society,”Toronto Star, April 14 2012) 

Long version (“Revolutionizing the Canadian social justice sector,” Open Democracy, April 15, 2012)

New book: Seeing Politics Differently by Karen Stanbridge and Howard Ramos

Seeing Politics Differently
A Brief Introduction to Political Sociology
Karen Stanbridge and Howard Ramos
Oxford University Press
Series : Themes in Canadian Sociology

Seeing Politics Differently introduces students to political sociology - the study of how power is distributed within society. Arguing that politics is about much more than the debates and decisions of government, this concise text reveals how political struggles are inextricably tied to everyday life. Through thoughtful discussions of key perspectives and approaches, the authors demonstrate the importance of questioning who holds power in our society, where that power comes from, and how individuals and groups can bring about change. Publisher's web page

New book: Making Meaning Out of Mountains by Mark Stoddart

Making Meaning Out of Mountains
The Political Ecology of Skiing
Mark Stoddart
UBC Press

In Making Meaning out of Mountains, Mark Stoddart draws on interviews, field observations, and media analysis to explore how the ski industry in British Columbia has helped transform mountain environments and, in turn, how skiing has come to be inscribed with multiple, often conflicted meanings informed by power struggles rooted in race, class, and gender. Corporate leaders promote the skiing industry as sustainable development, while environmentalists and some First Nations argue that skiing sacrifices wildlife habitats and traditional lands to tourism and corporate gain.  Read more

Call for Papers - McGill Sociological Review

The McGill Sociological Review, a peer reviewed journal managed by graduate and postdoctoral students, is publishing a volume on Nationalism, Nations, and States. You can read the call for papers here. Submissions are due by March 30th.