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

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.

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

How do we identify bullying and how do sociologists in particular study this phenomenon? This episode looks at the infamous Slap to examine whether bullying goes unrecognized among adults or whether we are applying the term too broadly. Sociologist Chris Donoghue, editor of the upcoming book The Sociology of Bullying, joins me to talk about definitions and how experiences in adolescents are guided by social structures.

Show notes

The Sociology of Bullying

Black Girl Nerds Podcast - The 2022 Oscars

The world is a mess, so let's talk about trauma. In this episode, I examine trauma in its many different forms and the ways social structures can create as well as mitigate its effects. I also ask if trauma claims can actually be good. You'll have to listen for the answer.

Show Notes

The Jane Addams Collective, "Mutual Aid, Trauma and Resiliency"

Jeffrey C. Alexander, Trauma: A Social Theory

Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence - From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror

What does Adam McKay's 2021 disaster film Don't Look Up say about the current discourse over climate change? In this episode, I talk with Nik Janos, Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University, Chico, whose research focuses on the intersection of urbanization and ecological crisis. In our discussion we cover the sociology of disaster, failures of science communication and actions people can take from the local to the global. Just a fair warning: If you enjoyed Don't Look Up, this episode might change your mind about some things. 

Show notes

Janos, N. and C. McKendry. (fall 2021). Urban Cascadia and the Pursuit of Environmental Justice. University of Washington Press.

Green Space Notes

Sutton, Barbara and Kari Marie Norgaard. 2013 “Cultures of Denial: Avoiding Knowledge of State Violations of Human Rights Violations in Argentina and the United States.”Sociological Forum 28(3): 495-524

Emma Marris

What is marriage? What are the origins of marriage? What does it mean today? For this episode, I'm joined by Shannon Davis, associate dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at George Mason University, Korea, and PhD student Courtney Bell in the podcast's first ever roundtable discussion. 

Show notes

Davis, Shannon N. and Theodore N. Greenstein. 2020. Why Who Cleans Counts: What Housework Tells Us About American Family Life. Bristol, United Kingdom: Policy Press. https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/why-who-cleans-counts

Stephanie Coontz

Nock, S. L. 1998. Marriage in men's lives. New York: Oxford University Press.

In this episode, I head to California to explore why there isn't enough housing and what the state and activists are doing about it. Joining me are New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty and YIMBY Law Executive Director Sonja Trauss. There might be some meditation and revelations along the way. 

Show notes

Golden Gates: The Housing Crisis and a Reckoning for the American Dream

YIMBY Law

The Hidden History of Culver City Racism

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

Center for Economic and Policy Research:

Dylan Nelson:

This episode looks at what we think of witches and witchcraft and how historically these concepts have been used for political and social repression. But there's also another definition of "witch." I'm joined by cultural anthropologist Ashley Scrivner as we talk about cultural practices and forms of knowledge that challenge Western thinking.

Show notes:

Arthur Miller, "Why I Wrote The Crucible": https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1996/10/21/why-i-wrote-the-crucible

Exploring scientifically proven herbal aphrodisiacs: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3731873/

Matt Cummins on Bandcamp: https://mattcummins.bandcamp.com/ 

We're hearing a lot about the return to "normal" after the COVID-19 pandemic, but what is "normal"? And should we return to "normal" when that's what got us in trouble in the first place? This episode is a deep dive into the idea of normality and the origins of sociology, itself -- with only a little bit of (censored) swearing thrown in. I also talk with Joseph Scimecca, professor of sociology at George Mason University, about how sociology has changed over time as normality has shifted. All of that in less than 18 minutes!