Everyday Sociology Blog

Extra! Extra! Read All About It: What's in the News?

By Sally Raskoff

How do you find out what’s happening in the world? In your country? In your town or neighborhood? Our society has moved from town criers to newspapers and radio on to apps and the internet in order to get information from one person to another.

To develop a working sociological imagination and to be an engaged citizen in a democracy, it is imperative to know what’s going on around you. The sources you use to get this news is crucial!

Heads up! Seven up! Learning about Culture

By Janis Prince Inniss

Have you ever heard of a game called Heads up! Seven up!? I had not—until yesterday, that is. I'm still not sure how the game is actually played but my new favorite class activity is derived from this childhood game. (Click here to find directions for two versions of the game which make the origin of the name clear.)

The Bystander Effect: A Case Study

By Karen Sternheimer

You might have seen video of bystanders rushing to lift a burning car off of a motorcyclist who was trapped underneath. Commentators praised the bystanders as good Samaritans for risking their own lives to help. As you can see in the video below, the rescuers clearly needed help to tip the car, and one by one the bystanders saw that there was a role for them to play in the rescue.

Notes from a Field Worker/Tourist in Las Vegas

By Colby King

Ph.D. Candidate, University of South Carolina

www.colbyking.com

The American Sociological Association’s 2011 annual meeting to Las Vegas, Nevada stirred a tremendous amount of conversation about several issues among those in attendance. It caused some sociologists to declare they “hate Las Vegas.” Meanwhile, others spent much of the conference tweeting about the unique things our conference brought to the city, like women wearing “sensible” shoes and students preparing for presentations on the floor between slot machines, or noting the unique sights of Las Vegas, like drunken partiers puking at 7am in front of the conference hotel. Such conversation about the city inspired sociologist Todd Krohn to remind us on his blog that “It is indeed ‘privilege’ to sit in judgment of the ‘riff raff’ that both visits Vegas and lives there, but it ain't sociology.”

At the Party

By Todd Schoepflin

The neighborhood was nicer than mine, so I was a little class conscious upon arriving to the housewarming party my friend at work had invited me to. I'm still getting used to housewarming parties. Am I supposed to bring a gift to congratulate his movement up the ladder? What's an appropriate gift? A welcome mat? A vase? A decent bottle of wine?

City, Country, or Exurb?

By Sally Raskoff

In sociology, we have many ways of depicting different types of societies, mostly using rural-urban criteria. We may describe the physical culture of big cities and small towns or the social bonds that tie people together in these very different types of communities.

I have just returned from a sojourn to the countryside, visiting the American Southwest to visit friends and spend time in their beautiful community. This trip made me wonder if many of these societal typologies are now too dated to be as useful as they had been in the past.

What Explains Social Inequality?

By Janis Prince Inniss

Surely you’ve seen someone holding a sign with something similar to the following:

Hungry. No job. Please help.

What is the purpose of that person or that class of persons? Yes, purpose. Are you surprised by that question? Do you think it odd to consider that the poor may have a role with regard to the rest of us?

Becoming a College Student: A Study in Socialization

By Karen Sternheimer

Did you recently start college? If so, you are experiencing a major lesson in the process of socialization.

Socialization entails learning to be a member of a group. True, we are all individuals who bring our unique selves into any social interaction, but part of entering a new group involves learning its norms, rituals, routines, and rules.

Doing Sociology

By Peter Kaufman

When students begin studying sociology one of the first questions they always ask (or have someone ask them) is: “What do you do with sociology?”

What’s really being asked here is: What jobs can you get with a sociology degree? How will you be able to make a living as a sociologist? These questions are certainly important and most sociology departments and career resource centers can offer guidance about what professions sociology majors pursue. Another great source for information is the American Sociological Association which has numerous on-line and print documents to help you map out a sociological career path. And some of you have probably read past Everyday Sociology blogs that address this issue.