This paper analyzes the methods of resistance enacted by women-identifying people in Mississippi against the institutions seeking to police how they understand their own sexuality and bodily autonomy. This analysis draws upon a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted in the summer of 2020 focused on construction of community, intersectional identity, relationship with the body, and what inputs frame how women in Mississippi understand sex. This project puts these interviews in conversation with literature from a variety of subfields, including resistance studies, the Sociology of the South, and the Sociology of sexuality, all of which help bring the argument behind these data to light. Resistance looks different in different eras, and generally scholars like to analyze resistance as collective action, collective voice, collective struggle. These data instead argue that strategic, individualized resistance is just as vital to marginalized bodies, particularly when explosive action is not possible. Studying strategies of resistance that lurk beneath the surface not only expands what we now see as “radical,” but it also lends insight into where lasting change can come from.
Honors Projects
HONORS: General Guidelines:
(Please note: the Sociology Department has recently made some changes to the Honors process, so please read carefully).
Completing an honors thesis under the guidance of a faculty member in the department offers a unique opportunity to explore a topic of special interests and hone research and writing skills. Successful projects develop out of students’ intellectual passions, self-directed research efforts and determination, willingness to seek out the particular expertise of faculty members, ability to listen to advice and revise and rework ideas within the framework of these standards and deadlines.
To earn Honors in Sociology, a student is required to complete a written project of roughly 30 pages that is based on independent research and demonstrates the ability to clearly articulate a research question, critically synthesize and evaluate various theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches, sustain an argument with appropriate evidence, and situate findings into key sociological debates. Research projects may be based solely on an analysis and synthesis of secondary sources or may integrate secondary and primary data collection and analysis. Honors work requires students to work creatively and independently. Students considering honors work are strongly encouraged to apply for a summer research fellowship before their senior year.
An Honors Project usually involves two semesters of independent study under the direction of a faculty advisor. Interested students must submit a proposal in the spring of their junior year. Proposals are due at noon Friday, April 18th, 2025. Students interested in Honors work should consult a Department faculty member to express their interest and get advice on their project and proposal well ahead of this deadline. For full Honors Guidelines, click here.
Recent Honors Research Topics
- Social interactions and behavior at a local skate park and teen center
- The changing potato industry in Northern Maine
- Educational experiences of 1.5 generation Somali immigrants
- Migrant strategies for navigating the US/Mexico border