| Gender, Religion, and Nationalism in Global Perspective February 11, 2025 By Rachel Rinaldo The February episode of the Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series, hosted by the Culture Section of the American Sociological Association, kicked off the 2025 series by bringing together renowned scholars to discuss the intersections of gender, religion, and nationalism. Australian sociologist Raewyn Connell, along with political scientist Nandini Deo (Lehigh University) and Saskia Schaefer (Humboldt University) discussed how these issues have become increasingly pressing in an era of resurgent nationalism and backlash against feminism. Fauzia Husein of Queen’s University (Canada) moderated this very stimulating discussion. The speakers discussed the role of gender in religious nationalisms and global right wing movements, especially with reference to how the Hindu nationalist movement in India, and Christian nationalists in the US and Europe, and Muslim nationalists in Turkey and Indonesia have mobilized women and how issues such as sexuality, family, and reproduction have been central to such movements and their national imaginaries. The panelists also explored the historical context of colonialism and decolonial perspectives, observing how colonizers sought to discipline gender and sexual practices, as well as how populist governments have often coopted decolonial language to promote conservative cultural agendas. Overall, the panel highlighted how gender and sexuality are key focuses of religious nationalisms around the world, and yet there is much empirical and theoretical work to be done to explore the complicated and sometimes unexpected contours of their intersections. In particular, the panelists urged sociologists to engage with the insights on gender, religion, and nationalism that have emerged from studies of South/Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. In an era of globally connected authoritarian social movements and governments, it is imperative for sociologists to explore how gender/sexuality are often central to their visions, and much can be learned from historical and regional comparisons. Reframing Behavior, Space, and Identity March 21, 2025 By Michael O. Johnston The latest episode of the Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series, hosted by the Culture Section of the American Sociological Association, brought together scholars and students to examine the shifting relationships between behavior, space, and identity in everyday life. We were honored to be joined by Jack Thornton and Ole B. Jensen who provided deep insights that were anchored by a rich and timely discussion. Together, they explored how the spaces we inhabit—from college campuses to city streets—are not merely passive backdrops but active participants in shaping social life, cultural belonging, and power relations. This wide-ranging discussion unpacked the social choreography of space in contemporary life—from the stratified spatial trajectories of college students in the U.S. to the urban politics of campus expansion and gentrification. Thornton offered a grounded analysis of how elite university students learn to navigate spatial and social hierarchies and examined how decisions about college location activate a heightened spatial awareness among students. Drawing from his research on higher education and urban development, he discussed how institutional prestige, geography, and student agency intersect to shape identities and trajectories, and he invited attendees to think critically about the often-invisible spatial dimensions of inequality. Thornton also offered a nuanced reflection on digital surveillance and the blurring of public and private space. He noted how both realms are increasingly subjected to monitoring—from public transit to home-based smart devices—and how everyday technologies like phones and virtual platforms become tools of governance and control. His attention to the uneven awareness and responses to surveillance highlighted not only class differences, but also divergent cultural orientations toward privacy and authority. Jensen deepened the conversation by introducing the concept of affordances—how the design of built environments enables or restricts particular human actions and identities. Drawing on his work in mobility studies and hostile architecture, Jensen examined how space “acts back” on users, shaping behavior and belonging in both subtle and overt ways. He also discussed Denmark’s COVID-19 lockdown measures, emphasizing how social distancing made visible the elastic, relational nature of bodies in public space and offered a moment for rethinking the ethics of spatial design. Both scholars talked about the difficult question of who controls public space—and how exclusion is often subtly enforced through design and regulation. Whether discussing business improvement districts in New York or the digital surveillance of remote work and home life, they highlighted how power circulates through spatial and technological infrastructures. A central theme that emerged was the co-agency between human actors and spatial forms, and how everyday spaces—from benches and bike paths to classrooms and bars—mediate experiences of inclusion, exclusion, surveillance, and expression. As we closed the session, it was clear that our understanding of space is inseparable from our understanding of identity. As scholars of culture, we are tasked not only with interpreting these processes but with participating in their reshaping. The Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series continues to offer a generative space for cultural sociologists to reflect on pressing social changes through interdisciplinary lenses. We extend our thanks to Professors Ole B. Jensen and Jack Thornton for their thoughtful engagement and look forward to the next chapter of these conversations. |
section CULTURE 