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 Mentorship Program

The Culture Section is launching its annual Mentoring Program for 2021. Faculty, graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and other sociology scholars and practitioners are invited to participate. This program is designed to support connections and community within the section, broaden our intellectual networks, and provide support for the professional development of graduate students and early-career sociologists.   Graduate students and early-career sociologists will be matched in Mentoring … Continue reading Culture Section Mentorship Program

The 15th Annual Junior Theorists Symposium

August 5th and 6th, 2021Panels held via Zoom, open to all, closed captioning available Please register via the link provided for each day you plan to attend Donate to next year’s JTS! Venmo: @JTS-2021 Thursday, August 5th, Register to Attend10am-11:30am PT/ 1pm to 2:30pm ETPanel 1: Identities, Diasporas, and MemorializationsDiscussant: Jean Beaman (University of California, Santa Barbara) Presenters: Rui Jie Peng (University of Texas at … Continue reading The 15th Annual Junior Theorists Symposium

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”

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”

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