Scholars Strategy Network's No Jargon

As the U.S. birth rate continues to decline, some politicians are calling for policies that encourage Americans to have more children, otherwise known as pronatalism—even as abortion access, contraception, and maternal health care face growing challenges. Professor Carolette Norwood explains what pronatalism is, why debates over population growth are often intertwined with race and immigration, and how these conversations intersect with reproductive justice and policy.
 
For more on this topic:
Read an interview with Norwood in The Hilltop, Pronatalism and the Politics of Childbirth

Check out her article, More than Abortion: Why Reproductive Justice Matters in Cincinnati Post-Roe, co-written with Thembi Carr and published in the Journal of Women, Politics & Policy

Read her paper, Forced to Birth: A Case Study of Ohio's Six-Week Abortion Ban, Its Impact on Black Women in Cincinnati and Its Relevance for Reproductive Justice in Ohio and Beyond, published in Health Matrix: The Journal of Law-Medicine

College closures are becoming an increasingly common part of higher education, largely driven by declining enrollment, shifting federal funding, and rising operating costs. As more campuses face financial strain, what happens when a college can't survive on its own? Professor Mary Churchill shares the story of Wheelock College's merger with Boston University, widely viewed as one of the most successful mergers in higher education. She explains how leaders can protect a school's mission, support students and faculty through major change, and make difficult decisions before a crisis leaves them with no good options. 
For more on this topic:
Check out Churchill's book, When Colleges Close: Leading in a Time of Crisis, co-written with David Chard

Birthright citizenship has been part of the U.S. Constitution for more than 150 years, but why has it become the focus of such intense political debate in recent years? Professor Anna Law breaks down the Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Barbara, explains what birthright citizenship actually means, and traces the long history of who gets to be an American. Drawing from her new book, she separates fact from fiction on immigration, citizenship, and the Constitution, and explains why understanding that history matters today.
For more on this topic:
Check out Law's new book, Migration and the Origins of American Citizenship

Read her blog post, I Read Trump v Barbara So You Don't Have To

Read her Made by History essay in TIME Magazine, History Shows Why Birthright Citizenship is so Important

Conservative Christian women are often portrayed as followers in American politics, but sociologist Katie Gaddini says that stereotype misses the bigger picture. Drawing on the research from her new book, she explains how these women have become a powerful force on the American right, what motivates their political engagement, and how faith, motherhood, and social media shape their growing influence. 
For more on this topic:
Read Gaddini's new book, Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right

Check out her commentary in TIME Magazine, The woman whose crusade gave today's book-banning moms a blueprint

For many Americans, contact with the criminal legal system comes with a hidden price tag. Without their knowledge, incarcerated people can often rack up large bills owed to the government to pay for the cost of their own incarceration. Sociologist Brittany Friedman explains how these "pay-to-stay" laws work, how civil lawsuits are used to collect that money after release, and why the push to reform these criminal legal fines and fees has drawn bipartisan support.
 
For more on this topic:
Read the article mentioned in the episode, Civil Lawfare, co-authored by Friedman and published in the journal Social Problems 

Listen to her podcast, Exploitation Nation

Check out her book, Carceral Apartheid: How Lies and White Supremacists Run Our Prisons

Read her SSN key findings brief, Ending Modern-Day Slavery in California