Diversity and Inclusion Committee Report

In Winter 2022, the Diversity and Inclusion Committee conducted a survey of section membership regarding demographics and diversity-related issues. The 2021-2022 D&I committee consisted of Barbara Combs, Mikki Liu, Daniel Karell, Elisabeth Becker Topkara, Elena Ayala-Hurtado, and myself as committee chair. We conducted this survey in order to get a “temperature check” on diversity and inclusion issues as they relate to our section. Thanks to … Continue reading Diversity and Inclusion Committee Report

Reports: “The Cultural Politics of Naming and Commemoration”

by Manning Zhang (Brandeis University) On May 27th, the Culture Section of American Sociological Association held the fifth, also the last event of the Culture and Contemporary Life Series. Robin Wagner-Pacifici (The New School) moderated the discussion. Fiona Greenland (University of Virginia), Angela Gonzales (Arizona State University), and Christina Simko (Williams College) served as panelists. The event took a theme “The Cultural Politics of Naming … Continue reading Reports: “The Cultural Politics of Naming and Commemoration”

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”

Report: “The 2020 Election: A Cultural Post-Mortem”

By Bo Yun Park (Harvard University) The Culture and Contemporary Life Talk Series is a new initiative launched by the Sociology of Culture Section of American Sociological Association. It provides an opportunity to discuss the pressing issues of our time and analyze them through a cultural lens. The members of the Culture and Contemporary Life Series Committee—Hannah Wohl, Lisa McCormick, Meltem Odabas, Matt Rafalow, and Shai … Continue reading Report: “The 2020 Election: A Cultural Post-Mortem”