Steven A. Mejia

Check out my latest open access article on international trade and the environment out now at Social Science Quarterly!

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

UC Irvine Sociology in the top 20 🥳🎉🎊

Turkey lurches toward outright autocracy as Erdoğan’s main rival is jailed Popular opposition leader Ekrem İmamoğlu calls for mass protests as he is thrown in jail and booted out as Istanbul mayor.

Turkey took a sharp turn toward full autocracy when President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main political rival, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, was jailed amid a major crackdown on the opposition.

Russia is gearing up to build 100,000 drones a year on NATO's doorstep Belarus said on Thursday that it's open to hosting the Russian factory, which would help expand Moscow's production outside its borders.

Belarus said on Thursday that it's open to hosting the Russian factory, which would help expand Moscow's production outside its borders.

Hegseth Orders Pentagon to Stop Offensive Cyberoperations Against Russia The defense secretary’s instructions, which were given before President Trump’s blowup with the Ukrainian president, are apparently part of an effort to draw Russia into talks on the war.

Breaking News: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to halt offensive cyberoperations against Russia, officials said.

Pro-Russian Candidate Declared Winner in Abkhazia’s Presidential Race - The Moscow Times Pro-Russian politician Badra Gunba was declared the winner of the runoff presidential election in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia, officials said Sunday.

Badra Gunba, the former vice president and acting leader of Abkhazia, took home 54.73% of the votes in the second round on Saturday.

EU needs ‘hundreds of billions’ in defense spending as US pivots away, Macron says French president’s urging comes ahead of Thursday’s special EU summit focused on defense, as Trump signals a friendlier approach to Moscow and disengagement from Europe.

French President Emmanuel Macron today urged EU member states to agree on "massive, common funding" to unlock investments of hundreds of billions of euros for European defense and security.

Russia Says Trump’s Foreign Policy ‘Largely Aligns With Our Vision’ After Zelenskyy Argument Trump’s “political will” could quickly improve the U.S.’ relationship with Russia, the Kremlin suggested.

The Kremlin’s top spokesperson hailed the Trump administration’s foreign policy as being “align[ed]” with Russia on Sunday, after President Trump’s clash with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office strained the U.S.’ longstanding alliance with Ukraine in its war against Russia.

A Russian state media reporter gained entry to the Oval Office for Trump-Zelensky sit-down | CNN Business A member of Russia’s state-owned news agency gained access to the Oval Office on Friday to cover President Trump’s sit-down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – even as the AP and Reuters wer...

A member of Russia’s state-owned news agency gained access to the Oval Office for President Trump’s sit-down with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky – even as the AP and Reuters were barred from the high-level meeting.

‘Free world needs a new leader’: Europe defends Zelenskyy after Trump attack France, Germany and Poland all make prompt declarations of support, as Europe fears Trump’s alignment with Putin.

🚨 BREAKING: European leaders rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office.

Full story:

US intel shows Russia and China are attempting to recruit disgruntled federal employees, sources say | CNN Politics Foreign adversaries including Russia and China have recently directed their intelligence services to ramp up recruiting of US federal employees working in national security, targeting those who have b...

US intelligence indicates that Russia and China are attempting to recruit federal employees fired by the Trump administration, sources say

The room where it might happen Presented by SSE By ANDREW MCDONALD and DAN BLOOM with BETHANY DAWSON PRESENTED BY Send tips here | Subscribe for free | Listen to Playbook and view in your browser Good Thursday morning. This is A…

In Washington today, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has the task of persuading a reluctant, unpredictable US president to properly back up the security of post-war Ukraine.

It will test every ounce of the PM’s diplomacy and personality.

London Playbook has more.

US pressures Ukraine to nix its UN resolution demanding Russian forces withdraw The U.S. has pressured Ukraine to withdraw its European-backed U.N. resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine in favor of an American proposal that doesn't mention Mo...

The U.S. pressured Ukraine to withdraw its European-backed U.N. resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.

But Ukraine refused to pull its draft resolution.

So the US voted... with Russia, Iran, Israel & North Korea... against Ukraine.

Now read that again.

U.S. votes against U.N. resolution condemning Russia for Ukraine war Washington’s shift on the Ukraine war marks a major break with European allies and comes as the Trump administration aims to repair relations with Russia.

Breaking news: U.S. sides with Russia to vote against a U.N. resolution condemning Moscow for the Ukraine war.

Washington’s dramatic shift on the conflict marks a major break with its European allies and coincides with the Trump administration’s bid to repair relations with the Kremlin.

Ukraine's Zelenskyy has a very bad week thanks to Trump and Putin. Here's why. As top U.S. officials arrive at the Munich Security Conference, the realities of Russia's momentum, coupled with Washington’s U-turn, have led to a clear mood shift in Kyiv.

A core concern for Europeans and likeminded Americans is what Putin might do next if he is given a win in Ukraine — and Trump continues to undermine NATO.

Trump Shockingly Purges U.S. Attorneys With Unprecedented Move Donald Trump continues to get rid of potential opponents.

Several U.S. attorneys in federal court districts were fired Wednesday night “at the direction of the President of the United States.”

If you've ever used the Polity data, read this from Monty Marshall.

tl;dr Polity is coding recent US events as an executive self-coup and an adverse regime change.

The USAID shutdown could make China more powerful. Beijing is already pouring billions into countries around the world. The end of USAID could mean more space for China to expand globally. BI analyzed where China invests the most and how it compares to US aid.

The end of USAID could mean more space for China to expand globally. BI analyzed where China invests the most and how it compares to US aid.

Elon Musk Has Broken the Constitutional Order The tech oligarch has unleashed his slow-rolling coup d’état across the federal government, and it’s not clear anything can prevent a total takeover.

There is no precedent for anything like this. Musk is a private citizen who has not been elected to anything. He is not a federal employee; he has not been confirmed by the Senate to any office or post.

😅😅😅

YouTube video by KCAL News Live Coverage: Latest on Southern California fires as region braces for more powerful winds

WATCH LIVE: New wildfire burning in Ventura, California.

It has been dubbed the #AutoFire by officials
www.youtube.com/watch?v=aogY...

The effects of economic globalization on fertility in developing countries, 1990–2018 - Steven A. Mejia, 2024 Social scientists have long queried the socio-structural determinants of fertility rates. Drawing on the insights of dependency theory, this research investigat...

This paper on economic globalization and fertility may be of interest:

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Thanks for creating this, @dnpetti.bsky.social!

Can you add me to this? @cfbalcazar.bsky.social

Excited to be joining the Early-Career Review Board at Social Science Research! Considering submitting your work 🙂

Congrats, Steven! This is amazing news! 🎈🎉🎊👏🏽🥳

Assistant Professor of Sociology, with an emphasis in Criminology (29438) - Dekalb, Illinois, United States job with Northern Illinois University | 37729997 Position Summary The Assistant Professor will be a specialist in punishment and corrections, with an ability to teach undergraduate courses...

JOB: Northern Illinois University Sociology is hiring!

We're seeking a sociologist to contribute to our soon-to-be new major in Criminology.

Teaching load is reasonable (2 courses per semester as asst prof), and NIU is a doable commute from Chicago.

Apply here: jobs.chronicle.com/job/37729997...

Can you add me to this? @parrasaiani.bsky.social

Great article @tvanheuvelen.bsky.social! Thanks to you and co-authors for this important work.

Finding a Home during the Affordable Housing Crisis: How Social Ties Shape Renters’ Housing-Search Outcomes - Steven Schmidt, 2024 Housing searches play a central role in the reproduction of racial inequality in U.S. cities. Past research finds that movers’ social ties influence residential...

Hi all! 👋 I'm so happy to see more sociologists here these days. I study rental housing markets and family inequality. In a recent piece published in ASR, I show how network resource inequalities shape renters' housing search outcomes in LA. Check it out here!

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...