Professor Michaela DeSoucey drops in to chat about consumer culture and the many political projects that shape our tastes for cuisine ranging from foie gras to craft beer. She discusses some of the challenges facing ethnographers who study taste, and we also consider how the industrial scale of modern food production may have leveled cultural practices once reserved for the wealthy.
Dr DeSoucey’s forthcoming book is called Contested Tastes: The Politics of Foie Gras in the U.S. and France.
Professor Susan Terrio of Georgetown University discusses her new book, Whose Child Am I? Unaccompanied, Undocumented Children in U.S. Immigration Custody. In it, Dr Terrio considers the fraught relationship between the American government and the thousands of child detainees placed under both its care and prosecution. Her work reveals how the immigration system shapes the boundaries of childhood, culpability, and the American Dream.
In this episode, professor Joyce Bell explains the legacy of activists in community organizations that emerged as a result of the Black Power movement in the 1960s and 70s. Her work demonstrates both the resources and tensions that radical social movements bring to institutions in civil society. Her new book is called The Black Power Movement and American Social Work.
In this episode, Wellesley College professor Hahrie Han discusses some of the findings from her book, How Organizations Develop Activists: Civic Associations and Leadership in the 21st Century. In it, Dr Han explores how modern political organizations employ new strategies to inspire action and enthusiasm in the digital age.
In this episode, award winning journalist Leta Hong Fincher drops by to discuss her new book, Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China. The Society Pages’ Anne Kaduk asks her to explain the reasons behind increasing marginalization of women in China, both in state policy and public discourse.
Famed sociologist Michael Burawoy visits to share his thoughts on the common character of social movements happening throughout the world today. Michael is the former president of both the American and International Sociological Associations, and he is widely credited as a master of placing everyday life in the context of global and historical forces. Our own Erik Kojola asks Michael about his vision for the future of social movement research, as well as the mounting problems that face public universities today.
In today’s episode, Furman University professor Ken Kolb joins us to discuss his new book Moral Wages: The Emotional Dilemmas of Victim Advocacy and Counseling. Ken explains a rich case study, in which he finds workers motivated by emotional rewards rather than money or status. We discuss the strengths and drawbacks of a public service sector that relies heavily on moral reinforcement.
In this episode, political scientist Chad Lavin discusses his new book, Eating Anxiety: The Perils of Food Politics. Chad’s work explores how our experiences with food shape popular ideas about identity, authenticity, and responsibility. He speaks with us about the political meanings of diet in a globalized society, and some limitations of the local food movement. Chad is a professor at Virginia Tech, where he teaches in the political science department and at ASPECT – the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought.
