does it pay to go to law school?

Business Insider published this video describing how meaningful employment, as well as income returns, vary greatly among recent law school graduates. The chances of actually working as a lawyer soon after graduation are directly related to the ranking of the law school attended, e.g., while virtually all graduates from the highest rated schools are working as lawyers, only 50 percent of those from non-rated schools are doing so. High incomes also appear to be largely limited to only those graduating from a handful of elite schools. Mean income for lawyers is around $80,000 per year, but most lawyers actually make far less than that, clustering in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. Those making big money--$150,000 and up--generally are limited to those employed in prestigious law firms and corporations. However, as this earlier BI article by Erin Fuchs suggests, graduating from an elite school doesn't necessarily ensure a decent job.

racial profiling: stop and frisk

See the full infographic at http://www.vera.org/stop-and-frisk-study-infographic

The Vera Institute has recently published a study on stop and frisk practices in New York City based on survey interviews with about 500 young adults. The full report can be downloaded at 

http://www.vera.org/pubs/special/stop-and-frisk-reports

An excellent companion to any treatment of racial profiling is the short video, Stigma, produced in 2011 by the Yale Law School Visual Law Project. 

intersectionality

What about those of us who belong to more than one subordinate group? For example, are you perhaps, black, poor, and female? This relates to the concept of "intersectionality." Check-out this great information graphic by Miriam Dobson that appeared several months ago in The Sociological Imagination: 
http://sociologicalimagination.org/archives/12975.

PhDs as indentured servants

Source: Online-PhD-Programs.org

PhDs in many fields face significant obstacles to gainful employment in academia. This information graphic defines the problematic nature and scope of the current exploitation of adjunct professors.

food stamp nation

Visualize the magnitude of food-stamp program (SNAP) participation and expense through this series of information graphics. See this and other government-policy relevant graphics at http://demonocracy.info/.

the price of inequality

Visualize a cross-national comparison of economic inequality and various social problems (e.g., teen pregnancy, murder, infant mortality) with this information graphic. For discussion about why rich nations with the greatest inequality (such as U.S.) generally fare worse in terms of the general well-being of their citizens, view this interview with Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett as they discuss their book, The Spirit Level.

evolution of equality

This useful infographic places a variety of events relevant to inequalities of race, sex, and sexual orientation on a historical timeline.

(possible) future of social activism

According to Visual News, a recent survey conducted by TBWA/Worldwide found that most American young adults (20-28 yrs old) define themselves as "social activists." Specifically, the study found that: 

7 in 10 American young adults are social activists.

1 in 2 donate time to support the causes he or she cares about.

1 in 3 boycotts or supports a business based on the causes he or she cares about.

1 in 5 participates in a rally or meeting, or contacts their local representative.

3 in 5 are female, and 3 of 5 of all activists are educated and working.

Unfortunately, the TBWA/Worldwide provided no details about the survey in terms of such basic facts as who was surveyed, how the sample was selected, nor size of sample. 
To launch the full infographic shown above, click here.

TBWA/Worldwide is a major advertising firm presumably dedicated to activism that has created numerous ad campaigns. One of their most popular ads had various celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Justin Timberlake, and Usher, declaring themselves dead (at least in a digital sense, and at that, temporarily). 

social exclusion infographic

The above infographic, available at visual.ly describes the ways in which people may be marginalized and excluded from participating in social institutions. The UNDP has developed an accompanying PDF report, Beyond Transition, Towards Inclusive Societies, on conceptualizing and measuring social exclusion in six eastern European nations.

America's pawn empire

Frugal Dad has created a detailed infographic on the pawnshop industry, the alternative bank for the cash-strapped and poor.