In this episode we discuss the social science of political humor with Heather LaMarre. This conversation is part of our latest Roundtable.
media
This week we thought we’d dig back into the Office Hours archives a bit and revisit an interview we did with Theda Skocpol from 2009 on media, the Internet, and civic participation in the 2008 election. A few years later, we’reright in the middle of another election cycle and questions about the impact of traditional media and online social media are as pertinent as ever, so we thought it’d be a good time to think back to a time when a younger Barack Obama was striding into office with the promise of a new post-partisan era of American political engagement…
If you’re interested in what Skocpol has been up to in the time since this interview, check out her new book, The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism.
We sit down with Hans Rosling for a discussion about how visual graphics can unveil the underlying beauty of data. Highlights include a discussion of the history behind Rosling’s gapminder, who is leading the pack on adopting a “fact-based worldview,” the work that goes into Rosling’s famous TED Talks, and the historical relationship between Sweden and the US (and Minnesota, in particular).
A special thanks goes to the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. Rosling spoke at Minnesota as part of their Momentum 2011 series and they were kind enough to allow us to interview him as well.
This week we talk about meth, Iowa and the dystopia of modern young adulthood, with Maria Kefalas from St. Joseph’s University.
Our discussion is centered on Dr. Kefala’s recent book review in Contexts on Nick Redding’s Methland: the Life and Death of an America Small Town. Because the content of Redding’s book pairs well with Kefala’s own fieldwork in Iowa, we discuss the premise that social problems like the use of meth in rural America are really the “symptoms” of the gradual decline these communities have been experiencing in the wake of de-industrialization. Moreover, while issues of crime and drugs tend to be understood as urban issues, Kefalas argues that rural America is experiencing its own decline in term of the opportunities it can offer young people. We conclude with Kefala’s suggestion that we “re-imagine” young adulthood and the types of educational and training opportunities made available to young people in the new global economy.
We also discuss our latest podcast, New Books in Sociology, a joint venture between us here at The Society Pages and the New Books Network.
This episode we talk with humorist Dylan Brody about the power of humor and storytelling to transform the way people look at the world around them. Brody discusses the effects of television on political comedy, the sad state of heroes in our storytelling today, and how he incorporates his political knowledge and ideals into the personal stories he tells before audiences.
After you listen, be sure to check out Brody’s albums:
This episode is kind of an experiment. The Office Hours podcasters are working with Contexts magazine to try something new: an audio reading of the free feature article in the new issue of Contexts, Heroes, Presidents, and Politics by Jeffrey Alexander.
If you like what you hear, let us know! This may just be a one time experiment…or not.
Elizabeth Wissinger, author of the Spring 2010 Contexts Culture Review, The Top Model Life, tells us how the modeling world fits into the sociological world through marxism, beauty, technology and the commodification of culture.
Also, the Society Page of the Week: Text Messaging Trends on Graphic Sociology.
Linda J. Waite, author of Sexuality Has No Expiration Date from the Summer 2010 issue of Contexts, separates the facts from the myths and stereotypes about sexuality and aging.
Also: Jesse picks the first Society Page of the Week: A Tale of Two Simulacra: Market Meets Jersey Shore by Brooke Harrington on Economic Sociology.
Hilary Levey talks to Jesse and Arturo about her Spring 2010 Contexts feature, Balloon Boy Plus Ei8ht? Children and Reality Television.
Also: check out Levey’s editorial in USA Today on the topic of Reality TV kids.
And if you don’t watch as much television as you know you should (it’s ok—we don’t judge), here are a few clips referenced in the interview:
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Cute Kids. (TLC disabled embedding).
The Breakup:
Kid Nation
NYC Prep
This episode, Jon talks with fellow U of M sociology grad students Arturo, Shannon and Wes about the Contexts Bestsellers Project. Topics include the challenges of measuring book sales, the public perception of sociology, and how books compare with other media.
This week we thought we’d dig back into the Office Hours archives a bit and revisit an interview we did with Theda Skocpol from 2009 on media, the Internet, and civic participation in the 2008 election. A few years later, we’reright in the middle of another election cycle and questions about the impact of traditional media and online social media are as pertinent as ever, so we thought it’d be a good time to think back to a time when a younger Barack Obama was striding into office with the promise of a new post-partisan era of American political engagement…
If you’re interested in what Skocpol has been up to in the time since this interview, check out her new book, The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism.
We sit down with Hans Rosling for a discussion about how visual graphics can unveil the underlying beauty of data. Highlights include a discussion of the history behind Rosling’s gapminder, who is leading the pack on adopting a “fact-based worldview,” the work that goes into Rosling’s famous TED Talks, and the historical relationship between Sweden and the US (and Minnesota, in particular).
A special thanks goes to the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment. Rosling spoke at Minnesota as part of their Momentum 2011 series and they were kind enough to allow us to interview him as well.
This week we talk about meth, Iowa and the dystopia of modern young adulthood, with Maria Kefalas from St. Joseph’s University.
Our discussion is centered on Dr. Kefala’s recent book review in Contexts on Nick Redding’s Methland: the Life and Death of an America Small Town. Because the content of Redding’s book pairs well with Kefala’s own fieldwork in Iowa, we discuss the premise that social problems like the use of meth in rural America are really the “symptoms” of the gradual decline these communities have been experiencing in the wake of de-industrialization. Moreover, while issues of crime and drugs tend to be understood as urban issues, Kefalas argues that rural America is experiencing its own decline in term of the opportunities it can offer young people. We conclude with Kefala’s suggestion that we “re-imagine” young adulthood and the types of educational and training opportunities made available to young people in the new global economy.
We also discuss our latest podcast, New Books in Sociology, a joint venture between us here at The Society Pages and the New Books Network.
This episode we talk with humorist Dylan Brody about the power of humor and storytelling to transform the way people look at the world around them. Brody discusses the effects of television on political comedy, the sad state of heroes in our storytelling today, and how he incorporates his political knowledge and ideals into the personal stories he tells before audiences.
After you listen, be sure to check out Brody’s albums:
This episode is kind of an experiment. The Office Hours podcasters are working with Contexts magazine to try something new: an audio reading of the free feature article in the new issue of Contexts, Heroes, Presidents, and Politics by Jeffrey Alexander.
If you like what you hear, let us know! This may just be a one time experiment…or not.
Elizabeth Wissinger, author of the Spring 2010 Contexts Culture Review, The Top Model Life, tells us how the modeling world fits into the sociological world through marxism, beauty, technology and the commodification of culture.
Also, the Society Page of the Week: Text Messaging Trends on Graphic Sociology.
Linda J. Waite, author of Sexuality Has No Expiration Date from the Summer 2010 issue of Contexts, separates the facts from the myths and stereotypes about sexuality and aging.
Also: Jesse picks the first Society Page of the Week: A Tale of Two Simulacra: Market Meets Jersey Shore by Brooke Harrington on Economic Sociology.
Hilary Levey talks to Jesse and Arturo about her Spring 2010 Contexts feature, Balloon Boy Plus Ei8ht? Children and Reality Television.
Also: check out Levey’s editorial in USA Today on the topic of Reality TV kids.
And if you don’t watch as much television as you know you should (it’s ok—we don’t judge), here are a few clips referenced in the interview:
Jon & Kate Plus 8
Cute Kids. (TLC disabled embedding).
The Breakup:
Kid Nation
NYC Prep
This episode, Jon talks with fellow U of M sociology grad students Arturo, Shannon and Wes about the Contexts Bestsellers Project. Topics include the challenges of measuring book sales, the public perception of sociology, and how books compare with other media.