You've probably heard the term private equity, but you might not know what it does. This episode looks at how private equity is embedded in our everyday lives, funded by the institutions that surround us, and what kind of impact that has on us. It also explores how sociologists can study that impact. To learn more, I'm joined by economist Eileen Appelbaum, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, and Dylan Nelson, a PhD Sociology student at the University of Michigan.
Show notes:
Private Equity at Work: When Wall Street Manages Main Street by Eileen Appelbaum and Rosemary Batt 

https://www.russellsage.org/publications/private-equity-work
Center for Economic and Policy Research:

https://cepr.net
Dylan Nelson:

https://www.dylanknelson.com/



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Sociology Ruins Private Equity

The sociological imagination is great, but really, it ruins all your favorite things. This podcast, hosted by Matt Sedlar, takes a topic each month and explores it from a sociological perspective.  Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sociology-ruins-evrything/support

Social Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Collective action is the most effective way to bring about social change because it allows people to pool their resources and efforts to achieve a common goal. Strikes are one of the most useful forms of collective action because they can disrupt business operations and pressure employers to make concessions. With the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America in the middle of a historic strike, this episode asks how did things get to this point and how does sociology fit into the conversation? In the episode, I'm joined by Kurt Scott, a WGA member, and Courtney Bell, a former SAG-AFTRA member and sociologist at George Mason University.
Show notes:
Entertainment Community Fund, https://entertainmentcommunity.org/

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Sociology Goes on Strike

What if I told you reality TV says a lot about the world around us? I'm sure you're skeptical, but hopefully, this episode will convince you that reality TV is worth paying attention to, especially for social scientists. Joining me are Danielle Lindemann, Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University, and Maddy Rubin as we talk about viewing reality TV while using the sociological imagination. 
Show notes
Lindemann, Danielle J. . 2022. True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Papacharissi, Zizi, and Andrew L. Mendelson. 2007. “An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality TV Shows.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51(2):355–70. doi: 10.1080/08838150701307152.

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Sociology Ruins Reality TV

Not many people realize institutions and society regulate silence. The noise in our lives, both external and internal, is actually controlled by laws and norms, and that noise affects our physical and mental health. So what role do the social sciences play in this phenomenon? I'm joined by Leigh Marz and Justin Talbot-Zorn to talk about silence as a human right. 
Show Notes
Chepesiuk, Ron. 2005. “Decibel Hell: The Effects of Living in a Noisy World.” Environmental Health Perspectives 113(1):A34–41. doi: 10.1289/ehp.113-a34.
Dillon, Liam, and Ben Poston. 2021. “Freeways Force out Residents in Communities of Color — Again.” Los Angeles Times.
‎Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast. 2021. "How Freeways Bulldoze California Communities of Color on Apple Podcasts.” Apple Podcasts. (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-freeways-bulldoze-california-communities-of-color/id1280087136?i=1000542013424).
Hermes, Will. 2000. "The Story Of '4'33".' NPR, May 8.
Zorn, Justin, and Leigh Marz. 2022. Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. New York, NY: Harper Wave, An Imprint pf HarperCollins Publishers.

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Sociology Ruins Silence

There are some wild theories about the Denver International Airport. But is it really the headquarters of the Illuminati, guarded by the demonic statue of a blue horse? Believe it or not, conspiracy theories like these can be useful to sociologists and other social scientists. They can teach us about a given society’s beliefs and general concerns and help us counter false beliefs. In this episode, I talk to Jesse Walker, book editor at Reason magazine and author of The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory (HarperCollins, 2013), as well as Stephanie Figueroa, public information officer at Denver International Airport. 
Notes
DEN Files 

https://www.flydenver.com/great_hall/denfiles
Rubino, J. (2020, March 3). Denver International Airport at 25: From Boondoggle to Boon. The Denver Post. Retrieved September 14, 2022, from https://www.denverpost.com/2020/03/01/denver-airport-25-years-boondoggle-anniversary/
Walker. (2013). The United States of paranoia : a conspiracy theory (First edition.). Harper.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062135562/reasonmagazineA/






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Sociology Ruins Conspiracy Theories

In the final episode of season one, I enlist the help of Ruth Yamamoto, PhD and certified improv instructor, to explore the role improv can play in improving science communication. Over the course of two one-and-a-half hour sessions, Ruth worked with me and other sociology graduate students on improv fundamentals. Did we improv(e) our confidence in public speaking? You'll have to listen to find out.
Show notes
Cohen, G. D., & The Center on Aging, Health & Humanities, The George Washington University (GW) (2006). The Creativity and Aging Study: The Impact of Professionally Conducted Cultural Programs on Older Adults. , (). Retrieved from https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/son_ncafacpubs/2 
Yamamoto, R. H. (2021). Improv as creative aging: the perceived influences of theatrical improvisation on older adults. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 45(3), 217-233. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01924788.2020.1763075
The Applied Improvisation Network

https://www.appliedimprovisationnetwork.org/



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Sociology Ruins Private Equity

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