Ellen and Penn got the awesome opportunity to talk with Alan Sytsma at Grub Street about their article on the normalization of violence in kitchens through food media. Their interview is titled, “How Celebrity Chefs Warped Our View of Real-World Restaurant Abuse.” Check it out here!
SOC419 – A Better Life: Higher Education and Anti-Black Racism (Guest Edition)
Abstract
The pursuit of a college education is often seen as a surefire path to a better life and social mobility. Yet for black families the story is not so straightforward. When selecting a college, black families utilize a number of strategies such as self-censorship while contending with how minority scholarships or enrollment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are perceived. We sit with Dr. Deborwah Faulk, a race scholar, to learn more about the impact of anti-black racism on college selection for black families.
Keywords
College selection, Black culture, Racism and Anti-Racism, Higher Education
Follow Deborwah!
- Black Privilege: Modern Middle-Class Blacks with Credentials and Cash to Spend (Cassi Pittman Claytor)
- Mothering While Black: Boundaries and Burdens of Middle-Class Parenthood (Dawn Marie Dow)
- The Souls of Black Folk (W.E.B. Du Bois)
- Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (Patricia Hill Collins)
- Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism and other works by Derrick Bell
- Racism without Racists: Color-Blind Racism and the Persistence of Racial Inequality in America (Eduardo Bonilla-Silva)
- The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students (Anthony Abraham Jack)
- A Black couple’s home value skyrocketed after a white woman pretended to be the homeowner during an appraisal
SOC 418 – We Watch the Watchmen: Are We Superheroed Out?
Abstract
‘Watchmen,’ the 1980s comic, has been adapted into a television series on HBO and a film. Which one is better? Brian Brutlag, from the Sociologist’s Dojo, joins our debate and explains how the comic has shaped the imagery and storylines of those that followed. We also discuss how capitalism recycles profitable plotlines and characters and how that cycle influences audiences’ interest. Tune in here and be sure to follow the Sociologist’s Dojo!
Keywords
Pop culture, Watchmen, Capitalism, Superheroes, Anti-Heroes
Sources
Follow Brian and check out his podcast!
- The Sociologist’s Dojo: Self Defense for the Absurdity of our Social World
- Twitter: @ThesociologistS
- The Sociologist’s Dojo Podcast
- Watchmen the Comic Book
- Watchmen movie official trailer
- Watchmen TV Show (HBO) official tease
- Ready Player One (novel)
- Before Watchmen comic book series
- Doomsday Clock the comic book limited series
- The History Of Silver Age Comic Books
- What’s The Deal With Comic Book Age Ratings?
- Kick-Ass, the comic book series
- The Boys season 1 trailer
- HBO’s “Watchmen” is great. Its comic creator Alan Moore wants nothing to do with it
- Biden White House Sandbags Staffers, Sidelines Dozens for Pot Use
- Joe Biden trips three times while boarding Air Force One
SOC 417 Sports, Violence Against Women, and Celebrity (Guest Edition)
Abstract
Violence against women in sports is a common topic in the news nowadays, with allegations of abuse and misconduct coming to light. Criminal and deviant behaviors in sports, from basketball to the NFL, happens more often than you think but what are the consequences of such behaviors? How do the institutions and actors involved respond to allegations? Do allegations of violence against women impact the career trajectory of professional athletes at all? (spoiler: nope). Join us and our guest, Daniel Sailofsky, as we discuss sports and violence, and you can fill your Social Breakdown bingo card slot marked “Capitalism”!
Keywords
Sports, violence, capitalism, masculinity, celebrity status
Check out Daniel’s work!
- Follow Daniel on twitter!
- Daniel’s co-authored article: “It Will Ruin His Career”: Does Violence Against Women Really Damage the Careers of NBA Players?
Sources
- Everything You Need To Know About the Ray Rice Case
- Moneyball trailer
- MLB pitcher Sam Dyson suspended entire 2021 season for domestic violence
- MLB, MLBPA reveal domestic violence policy
- National Football League player conduct policy
- Joint NBA/NBPA policy on domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse
- Visuals sealed Adrian Peterson’s fate
- Revisiting Ben Roethlisberger’s Sexual Assault Allegations in the #MeToo Era
- The Last Dance | Netflix
- Friday Night Lights trailer
- Pause, rewind, play: The most epic outbursts of ‘Superbrat’ John McEnroe’s career
- O.J. Simpson trial
- Public Heroes, Private Felons: Athletes and Crimes Against Women by Benedict
- Michael Messner’s articles related to sociology of sports and masculinity
- The Rites of Men: Manhood, Politics, and the Culture of Sport by Burstyn
- Kristy McCray’s profile and publications
- Nicole Bedera’s twitter
- Free With Your Covid Shot: Beer, Arcade Tokens and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts
SOC416 – Venice and The Venetian: A Sociology of Tourism (Guest Edition)
Abstract
Is the COVID-19 pandemic the death of tourism? Is the Venetian in Vegas authentic? We have a guest episode for you today with Marta Soligo, who will take us on a tour of the sociology of tourism, the creation of culture, celebrity deaths, dark tourism, and much more. Even though tourism may be for leisure and relaxation, it remains one of the largest money making industry for many economies and cultures that have had to turn to commercialization to survive. COVID-19 brings interesting implications with the sudden immobilization of people, but what does the future hold? Join us to learn more!
Keywords
Tourism, death tourism, celebrity deaths, culture
Sources
- How Bad Was 2020 for Tourism? Look at the Numbers.
- International tourist numbers could fall 60-80% in 2020, UNWTO reports.
- UNWTO Tourism Data Dashboard
- 2020: Worst Year in Tourism History with 1 Billion Fewer International Arrivals
- Some of Marta’s publications
- Max Weber’s Types of Rationality: Cornerstones for the Analysis of Rationalization Processes in History
- The McDonaldization of Society: Into the Digital Age (Ritzer 2018)
- Will Hawaii Finally Be Able To Break Its Dependence On Tourism?
- Staged Authenticity: Arrangement of Social Space in Tourist Settings (MacCannel 1973)
- Paradise Laborers: Hotel Work in the Global Economy (Adler 2004)
- How to be a better tourist (BBC)
- Occupy Venice: ‘We are the alternative to the death of the city’
- Cemetery tourism: an ethical traveller’s guide to graveyards
- The Beatles – Strawberry Fields Forever
- Dark tourism: why murder sites and disaster zones are proving popular
- Is ‘Dark Tourism’ OK?
- Dark tourism, explained
- Michael Jackson’s Thriller jacket sells for $1.8m at auction
- Dark Tourist on Netflix
- Chernobyl and the dangerous ground of ‘dark tourism’
- The popularity of the “Joker Stairs” highlights the problem with movie tourism
- The Sociology of Tourism: Approaches, Issues, and Findings (Cohen 1984)
- Hosts and Guests: The Anthropology of Tourism (Smith 1989)
- The Tourist Gaze: Leisure and Travel in Contemporary Societies (Urry 1990)
- Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights (Sorin 2020)
- Driving While Black (PBS Documentary)
- Black Skiing, Everyday Racism, and the Racial Spatiality of Whiteness (Harrison 2013)
- Does Tourism Reduce Poverty in Sub-Saharan African Countries? (Folarin & Adeniyi 2019)
- Tourism, Racism and the UK Afro-Caribbean Diaspora (Stephenson 2003)
- The unspeakable whiteness of volunteer tourism (Henry 2018)
- Coronavirus: Wild animals enjoy freedom of a quieter world
- The water in Venice, Italy’s canals is running clear amid the COVID-19 lockdown — take a look
- Find Marta online!
Breakaway Episode 10 – Girl Power and the Vampire Slayer
Abstract
We’re back with a fun breakaway episode talking about monster artists and girl power! In light of recent revelations about Joss Whedon, we breakdown classic feminist girl power TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Is it really about female empowerment? Or is it just a masculinized vision of femininity? Join us to learn more as we rethink our favorite girl power heroines.
Keywords
Girl power, feminism, popular culture, monster artists
Sources
SOC415 – 2020 LookBackStage
Abstract
We’re flashbacking to everyone’s favorite year – 2020! The three of us get together to reflect on 2020 and the pandemic, how that affected us, and discuss how we think that’ll affect society moving forward. The pandemic that froze the world is one to remember, but how will it actually impact socialization, restaurant-going, movie-watching, and all that social stuff? We take a personal dive into 2020, so join us for the ride!
Keywords
2020, COVID-19 pandemic
Sources
SOC414 – “I just see blue’: What is art? (Guest episode)
Abstract
What is art? What is the value of fine art? What is art? What is the value of fine art? In this week’s episode, Anina Englehardt joins us to explore how sociology understands the world of contemporary fine art, from its hierarchical and exclusive nature to the meaning-making process of art. When judging and valuing art, what is more important – the intention of the artist, the story behind the art, or the whimsical, and sometimes random and irrelevant, interpretations of the everyday audience? We tour the world of fine art, its view of digital art, political art, and much more!
Keywords
Contemporary art, fine art, political art
Resources
- Check out Anina’s work here!
- Follow Anina here on Twitter!
- Who is Rothko and why doesn’t Ellen know anything about him?
- Wanna see some Rothko’s? Check this out!
- This Banana Was Duct-Taped to a Wall. It Sold for $120,000.
- Someone ate a $120,000 banana that an artist had taped to a wall
- The ‘discursive arena’ is also known as the ‘public sphere’
- Do you have “Vitamin B” (aka Beziehung)?
- Seesaw installation at US-Mexico border wins Design of the Year award
- We talked a lot about Banksy. And his self-shredding piece, Girl With Balloon.
- Anina mentioned Bourdieu’s concept of “doxa” which you can read about here. Doxa is one of the main concepts of his book, “Distinction.”
- Read more about the autonomy principle, an ethics concept.
- The world’s most expensive work of art: A swirling new installation in Grand Central is made of 2,600 real college diplomas
- What Is A Corporate Art Collection?
- If you want to see Ellen’s friend’s exhibit of clothes.
- Anina’s book recommendations:
- Inside the Critics’ Circle: Book Reviewing in Uncertain Times by Phillipa K. Chong
- Entitled: Discriminating Tastes and the Expansion of the Arts by Jennifer C. Lena
- Culture is bad for you: Inequality in the cultural and creative industries by Brook et al.
- Still Life: Ecologies of the Modern Imagination at the Art Museum by Fernando Domínguez Rubio
- Art Worlds by Howard S. Becker
SOC413 – Firearms in America (Guest episode)
Abstract
Guns are a hot button topic. They are imbued with politics, religion, masculinity, danger, safety, emotions, and more. Ellen was lucky enough to sit down with Dr. Benjamin Dowd-Arrow, Visiting Assistant Professor of Public Health at Florida State University, and talk about the role firearms play in American society today. A trained medical sociologist, Dr. Dowd-Arrow helps us break down why guns are seen as a public health concern, and explains how the values we attach to firearms have evolved over the past 50 years. Tune in here to learn more!
Keywords
Firearms, guns, culture, America, public health
Sources
- Find Dr. Dowd-Arrow on Twitter here.
- Here is his Google Scholar listing.
- Wanna fall down the Wikipedia hole of NRA leader Wayne LaPierre?
- What effect did the Sandy Hook massacre have on the politics of guns? Check out this article from The Hill.
- Here’s an article from NPR about the current investigation by the Attorney General of New York into the operations of the NRA
- And here’s a Wikipedia hole for Florida NRA queen bee Marion Hammer.
- Ellen and Ben talked on Nov. 14, 2020, as the MAGA Millions March was occurring.
- An interesting article about the anti-vax movement in the U.S. from the New York Times.
- Here are Ben’s articles:
- Gun Ownership and Fear (open access!)
- Happiness is a Warm Gun? Gun ownership and happiness in the United States (also open access!)
- Ellen mentioned “No Compromise,” a podcast from NPR about the new wing of “no compromise” gun rights activists.
- Ben mentioned that the Duke Center for Firearms Law is a good source for gun legislation.
- Ben recommended the following sources for those interested in learning more:
- Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry’s article about the Christian right and guns.
- Jennifer Carlson’s book “Citizen-Protectors”
- Here’s one of Frederick Rivara’s articles about public health and guns
- David Yamae’s “The Sociology of US Gun Culture”
- Get a private jet membership from Costco!
SOC412 – Student Loans (Guest Edition)
Abstract
Ahh, student loans… who doesn’t have ‘em nowadays? Today, we’re diving into the complex world of education-based debt with the help of our guest, Sam. How does student loan debt influence major life decisions, like starting a family or buying a house? What role does financial literacy play in all of this? And will president-elect Joe Biden really cancel student debt?! (Pretty please, Joe– we could all use a little help right now.) Sam is here to break it down for us using findings from her own qualitative research. Tune in here!
Keywords
Student loans, academia, higher education, debt, financial literacy
Sources
- Follow Sam here on Twitter!
- Ellen mentioned the book Diploma Mills by AJ Angulo
- Wanna learn more about calls to cancel student loan debt? Check out this article from Inside Higher Education
- Here are some opinions about student loan forgiveness published in the New York Times.
- Sam recommended the following books and articles:
- Lower Ed: The Troubling Rise of For-Profit Colleges in the New Economy by Tressie McMillan Cottom
- Indebted: How Families Make College Work at Any Cost by Caitlin Zaloom
- “Sick of our loans: Student borrowing and the mental health of young adults in the United States” by Katrina M. Walsemann, Gilbert C. Gee and Danielle Gentile. Social Science & Medicine (2015).
- “Student debt spans generations: Characteristics of parents who borrow to pay for their children’s college education.” by Katrina M. Walsemann and Jennifer A. Ailshire. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Social Sciences. (2017).
- “Neither a Borrower Nor a Lender Be: The Relative Importance of Debt and SES for Mental Health Among Older Adults” by Patricia Drentea and John R. Reynolds. Journal of Aging and Health (2012).
- “Where Does Debt Fit in the Stress Process Model?” by Patricia Drentea and John R. Reynolds. Society and Mental Health. (2014).
- Sam also mentioned scholar Rachel Dwyer who has some great things to say about student loans. Here is one such article!
- “Predatory Inclusion and Education Debt: Rethinking the Racial Wealth Gap.” by Louise Seamster and Raphaël Charron-Chénier. Social Currents. (2017).