Articles – Sociological Science

Léa Pessin, Kevin Munger Sociological Science June 16, 2026 10.15195/v13.a26 Abstract Despite substantial gender convergence in education and employment, women continue to perform a disproportionate share of housework. We employ a novel visual conjoint experiment to isolate the normative mechanisms underlying this persistent inequality. Using AI-generated photorealistic images, we systematically …

Manuel Schechtl, Florencia Torche Sociological Science June 15, 2026 10.15195/v13.a25 Abstract Recent research documents widening class gaps in intergenerational income mobility in the United States. Children from low-income families in more recent cohorts attain lower incomes than their counterparts in earlier cohorts, while no comparable decline is observed among children from high-income famil…

Soohyun Roh, Nathan Wilmers Sociological Science June 10, 2026 10.15195/v13.a24 Abstract Prior research finds that rising labor market inequality in the United States was abetted by structural changes in the economy: a consolidation of occupation and organizational bases of advantage; rising within-job inequality; and declining pay and employment in middle-earning jobs. In this article, we revisi…

Nicolás Soler, Tom Emery, Agnieszka Kanas Sociological Science June 2, 2026 10.15195/v13.a23 Abstract How first-time parents arrange childcare has critical implications for their careers and the child’s development. Previous research shows that childcare choices are shaped by family care availability, understood as an additive function of a small set of parental and grandparental characteristics.…

Anna Keuchenius, Petter Törnberg, Justus Uitermark Sociological Science May 11, 2026 10.15195/v13.a22 Abstract The influential “echo chamber” hypothesis suggests that social media drive polarization through a mutual reinforcement between isolation and radicalization. The existence of such echo chambers has been a central focus of academic debate, with competing studies finding ostensibly contradi…

Peter K. Enns Sociological Science May 4, 2026 10.15195/v13.a21 Abstract The finding that government policy is, “virtually unrelated to the desires of the low- and middle-income citizens” (Gilens 2005:789), is one of the most influential social science results of the last two decades. This article offers a new perspective on this finding. I show that the seemingly innocuous decision to restrict a…

Mikkel Haderup Larsen, Mads Meier Jæger Sociological Science April 30, 2026 10.15195/v13.a20 Abstract A rich literature in sociology argues that familiarity with legitimate culture creates favorable perceptions of individuals’ status and qualities, which in turn yield privilege. Yet, it remains unclear which tastes affect what perceptions by how much. To address these important questions, we desi…

Carrie L. Shandra Sociological Science April 23, 2026 10.15195/v13.a19 Abstract Internships play a key role in the production of inequality in the U.S. labor market, yet are often unobserved in analyses of youth employment. This study makes two empirical contributions to the study of internships. First, I use nationwide data from the 1994–2017 College Senior Survey to evaluate the association bet…

Paula Fomby, Patricia van Hissenhoven Flórez Sociological Science April 20, 2026 10.15195/v13.a18 Abstract Men’s early adult experiences shape the life chances of their future children. For Black men in the United States, systemic exclusion from educational and labor market opportunity has long constrained intergenerational mobility. We examine whether military service alters this trajectory, dra…

Tony Cheng, Johann Koehler Sociological Science April 16, 2026 0.15195/v13.a17 Abstract Claims to have made progress are a mainstay of organizational reputation management. However, confusing and contradictory performance expectations can make progress difficult to locate among a police department’s priorities. A case study of the Chicago Police Department’s front-facing pronouncements over more …

Marie Labussière, Thijs Bol Sociological Science April 13, 2026 0.15195/v13.a16 Abstract Skills are considered a key determinant of workers’ labor market opportunities, especially in times of rapid technological change. However, existing research rarely conceptualizes and measures skills in their own right, instead relying on occupations as a proxy. How does this limit our understanding of the la…