Constructing sociological knowledge:: 25 years of Sociological Spectrum (2004 presidential address)

This address is a retrospective of the past 25 years of Sociological Spectrum, journal of the Mid South Sociological Association (MSSA). It is divided into three sections: some descriptive notes, a brief examination of challenges presented by previous MSSA presidents, and my recommendations for considerations of gender and globalization that I hope will appear in future research published in the journal. The descriptive notes contain a discussion of who publishes in Spectrum, what topical themes are found in the publications, and a brief consideration of how these themes reflect sociology as a whole, and particularly the MSSA. In the section on challenges, I discuss recommendations and concerns from past presidential addresses and whether or not subsequent research has "listened" to the presidents. The final section is a brief consideration of how gender is being defined within much of current sociological research and some recommendations for moving beyond these definitions, including integration with concepts of race and globalization.