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Large "big box" retail firms, including general merchandisers (e.g., Walmart and Target) as well as "category killers" (e.g., Home Depot and Toys "R" Us), have spread rapidly across the United States over the past 4 decades. These firms have been lauded for their presumed consumer benefits linked to expansive product selections and discount prices. They have also been criticized for their perceived negative effects on locally owned businesses, jobs, and wages. We provide an overview of the existing literature and point to promising directions for the development of theory and research on this topic.We, in this article, highlight the importance of this shift in economic organization and encourage sociologists to critically examine the stratification consequences of the rise and spread of these firms.

During times of crisis, individuals may activate members of their social networks to fulfill critical support functions. However, factors that may facilitate or inhibit successful network activation are not fully understood, particularly for structurally marginalized populations. This study examines predictors of network activation among recent and established Hispanic immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, using unique, longitudinal data from the VidaSana study and its supplemental survey, the COVID-19 Rapid Response study ( N = 400), we ask: How are COVID-related stressors associated with goal-oriented network activation (e.g., health-focused activation) among Hispanic immigrants? How might structural and compositional characteristics of social networks facilitate or inhibit successful network activation during COVID-19? Results align with theories of network activation (i.e., functional specificity) that imply that individuals engage in selective and deliberate activation of networks. That is, we observe a congruency between COVID-related stressors and social network characteristics, and distinct types of network activation. Moreover, we find that respondents experiencing pandemic-induced economic difficulties engage in activation for financial assistance only if they are embedded in a higher-educated network. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide recommendations for future research.

The relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and mental health and its underlying mechanisms remain an area of interest in the social sciences. Using data from the Midlife in the United States 2 (MIDUS 2), we examine how individual differences in valuing achievement and autonomy moderate the relationship between SSS and symptoms of depression. We find evidence of a moderation effect; there is a weaker relationship between SSS and depression for individuals who strongly hold the values of achievement or autonomy. In addition, at low levels of SSS, there are significant differences in the number of depression symptoms depending on personal values which are not seen at higher rungs of the SSS ladder, indicating a difference in this relationship dependent on how strongly one holds values of achievement and autonomy. We conclude by speculating on the mechanisms by which values shape the link between SSS and mental well-being and suggest future directions in studying values.

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