In a world with rapid changes to technology from the advent of photography to camera phones to social media and the Mark Zuckerberg’s “metaverse,” there has also been an emergence of other ways of revealing aspects of our world. One is Visual...
We’re continuing our trek through religion this week with the help of Carly, a trained theologist with a keen sociological imagination. Carly helps us understand how religion can be applied in our everyday lives, particularly within the realm of...
The gang finally tackles a topic we've been nervous about - religion! We rely on Emile Durkheim's seminal book The Elementary Forms of Religious Life to guide us through this complex but fundamental aspect of human society. We discuss concepts related...
Hooked on shows like TLC’s “90 Day Fiance” or “90 Days the Other Way”? Well, this episode is for you! Dr. Julia Meszaros from Texas A&M; Commerce joins us to discuss her research on the romance tourism business, more commonly known as the...
We’re back with our (Don’t) Ask a Sociologist series, where we try to answer seemingly simple questions from listeners! This week’s question is: What is “agency,” and how is it different from “structures”? These are two words we tend to...
On today’s episode, Ellen and Omar speak with G.J. Hodson M.A. (he/they/she) on LGBTQ caregiving. Those who identify as LGBTQ are a growing segment within the caregiving population, and unsurprisingly little research has been done on them. As GJ...
Aloha mai kākou, we take a local perspective today with special guests, Brandon from Kamehameha Schools and Lisa from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, who walk us through a new radical study aiming to change the traditionally deficits-based narrative...
Are you a Disney fan? Have you ever seen a princess in the flesh? Well, this week we are joined by Kristen Newvine of the Social Science Princess Project, who talks with us about this world of character performance. We use Goffman to understand how...
We go deep into higher level theory with Black Feminist Thought (BFT as we like to call it) as presented by the one and only Dr. Patricia Hill Collins. We discuss the history of the Frankfurt school of thought and the genesis of Dr. Collins' own...
The Indian caste system is regularly brought up in sociology courses as an example of a social structure that prevents mobility. But what if that’s not always the case? We are joined by the soon-to-be-Dr. Navjotpal Kaur to discuss how class, land...
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, the time when everything turns pink! We here at The Social Breakdown wanted to remind everyone with breasts (pssst-- we ALL have ‘em!) to do all the needed check ups: self-exams, ultrasounds, and mammograms!...
Did you know that contemporary and modern art aren't the same thing? Come learn with us about the contemporary art world, how artists judge and value their own art and creative journey, and how artists represent or negotiate their creative vision. We...
The gang is back! We tackle a foundational topic in sociology: social problems! Social problems relate to numerous other concepts that we've discussed - inequality, stratification, the social construction of reality, and all the "-isms." Social...
Our first guest of the season is one we’re all fans of: Dr. Tanya Golash- Boza!! Tanya joins us to talk about a new project that explores the gentrification of her hometown located in the outskirts of Washington D.C. How do we measure gentrification?...
Food media is relatively new, but you can’t deny its popularity. Hit food shows such as Hell's Kitchen have propelled chefs to fame, but at what cost? In this episode, Ellen and Penn discuss their recent viral (can we use that word?!) article on how...
The pursuit of a college education is often seen as a surefire path to a better life and social mobility. Yet for black families the story is not so straightforward. When selecting a college, black families utilize a number of strategies such as...
We've got a throwback for you from our second season! Dr. Nicholas Chagnon joins us to get into the nitty gritty of critical feminism and feminist criminology. We untangle the many aspects of feminism, and learn how these perspectives analyze...
With the #StopAsianHate movement, we wanted to bring back an episode from our first season about the Model Minority Myth. It’s important to break down this myth, because we live in a world of identity politics where we fight over who gets to speak...
‘Watchmen,’ the 1980s comic, has been adapted into a television series on HBO and a film. Which one is better? Brian Brutlag, from the Sociologist’s Dojo, joins our debate and explains how the comic has shaped the imagery and storylines of those...
We’re getting light-hearted in these crazy times and introducing you to the sociology of pop culture! In this episode, we use Dr. David Grazian’s work to explore what popular culture is and how it’s different from high culture. Then we make...