Sociology Ruins Everything

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!

In this episode, I explore roller skating -- its history and the role of the rink as a cultural institution. To explore this topic, I am joined by Alan Bacon, a trustee at the National Museum of Roller Skating and rink owner, and Jocelyn Marie Goode, founding director of the African-American Roller-Skate Museum. If you enjoyed this episode, below are some links worth checking out.

National Museum of Roller Skating

How are action movies shaped by our national identity and do they, in turn, reshape our personal identity? I'm joined by pop culture critic Chris Klimek as we talk about muscles and masculinity. In this episode, sociology ruins your favorite action blockbusters. Sorry.

Is the media part of civil society? Have political actors weaponized objectivity? Does anyone actually get Soylent Green references these days? All this and more when I'm joined by Liz Bent at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. There's also music by me and Lobo Loco.