Category: Newsletter

Interview, Newsletter

Four Questions for Matthew Clair

Manning Zhang (Brandeis University) interviews Matthew Clair (Stanford University) on not only his new prize-winning book Privilege and Punishment: How Race and Class Matter in Criminal Court, but also his opinions about cultural sociology. Beyond the classical four questions, Manning also added questions about Professor Clair’s academic path. Manning Zhang: Could you tell us about your personal history? How did you become interested in sociology, … Continue reading Four Questions for Matthew Clair

Culture Section Editors
Letter from Chair, Newsletter

Letter From the Chair, Summer 2021

While this year may not have gone quite as I expected, it has been a real privilege serving as chair of the Sociology of Culture section. We’ve had to be creative to find different ways to connect with each other and accomplish the work of the section, but we’ve had great success serving members this year. Thanks to the efforts of the membership committee, the … Continue reading Letter From the Chair, Summer 2021

Culture Section Editors
Newsletter, report

Reports: “Vaccination in the Age of COVID”

by Emma Brown (New York University) On March 11, 2021, the Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series hosted “Vaccinations in the Age of COVID,” a panel which discussed what cultural sociology uniquely reveals concerning the development and distribution of vaccines as well as the public reception of vaccines. Panelists Claire Laurier Decoteau (University of Illinois Chicago), Jennifer Reich (University of Colorado Denver), and Laura Mamo … Continue reading Reports: “Vaccination in the Age of COVID”

Culture Section Editors
Newsletter, report

Reports: “The Culture of Poverty Myth and Anti-Blackness in the 21st Century”

by Emma Brown (New York University) On February 17, 2021, the Sociology of Culture Section of the American Sociological Association held the second virtual event of the Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series, which explores the pressing social issues of our time through a cultural lens. The topic of the event was “The Culture of Poverty Myth and Anti-Blackness in the 21st Century.” The panelists … Continue reading Reports: “The Culture of Poverty Myth and Anti-Blackness in the 21st Century”

Culture Section Editors
Newsletter

The Power of Speculative Fiction in Politics: Foucault’s Prophetic Truth

Chandra Mukerji (UC San Diego) Donald Trump’s lies galvanize his base. His followers cheer the loudest for outrageous claims. The crowds are energized by his hubris, treating his fantasies as exciting rather than misinterpretations of facts. Asking epistemological questions about his statements may be important to politics and journalism, but it is bad sociology. It does not explain how clear fictions could be so politically … Continue reading The Power of Speculative Fiction in Politics: Foucault’s Prophetic Truth

Culture Section Editors
ASA 2021, Newsletter

Podcasting for Sociologists: lessons learned from making an international teaching podcast on culture and inequality in pandemic times

By Luuc Brans and Giselinde Kuipers – Center for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, Belgium  As COVID-19 lockdowns swept across university campuses in early 2020, academics around the world shifted their teaching to virtual platforms. As students and their tutors soon found out, online teaching was challenging. Students found online lectures boring, academics found the lectures exhausting to deliver, class discussions were difficult to stimulate, and … Continue reading Podcasting for Sociologists: lessons learned from making an international teaching podcast on culture and inequality in pandemic times

Culture Section Editors