The Social Breakdown

Itʻs strange to say that workplace violence has any place in society. It doesnʻt. But workplace violence does exist, and so today we are going to take a functionalist approach to talk about the functions of workplace violence, particularly in academia. Workplace violence can serve as a tool for those in power to reinforce hierarchies in the workplace, advance their own careers, increase work productivity, and more. Donʻt listen to this episode if it will be triggering or uncomfortable for you!

Exploring the history and psychology of Black Friday, societal pressures of holiday shopping, and the environmental impact of seasonal overconsumption. Delving into the irony of a climate change report release on Black Friday and advocating for systemic changes to address environmental concerns. Discussing the influence of major corporations on consumer choices and the potential future of consumerism and streaming services.

Dr. Colleen Rost-Banick, a lecturer in sociology and women and gender studies who researches service-learning and Malama ʻĀina, joins to discuss the peaks and pitfalls of community-based learning. Conversations cover why experiential learning matters. They examine how projects can burden communities, reinforce deficit narratives, and how to build reciprocal, community-led partnerships instead.

Drugs. Alotta us do them and alotta us are scared of them! There are a ton of topics to cover within the world of sociology, and we have yet to talk about how the discipline discusses drugs, as well as the pivotal event, the War on Drugs. So, tune in to listen to our conversation with Dr. Kevin Revier, where we chat about his research on the social impact of the War on Drugs, perceptions of drugs, drug addiction, and more!

Do you want to be a better Public Scientist? Do you want to enhance your skills in sociological analysis within and outside the academy? Do you want a place to discuss, vent, study, and analyze "graduate school stress" and what to do about it? Do you want high level research engagement and turning your wonderful ideas into digestible content for the public? Do you need professional development skills or just someone/group of people to just help you THINK?! Join the Social Breakdowns first ever SOCIOLOGY MASTER CLASS hosted by Omar Bird. Please see the Google Form link below to sign up! First 10 people to sign up will be included in the first round! More information about scheduling will follow! https://forms.gle/PLtRF59HmDrWWbsA6

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, the time when everything turns pink! We here at The Social Breakdown wanted to remind everyone with breasts (pssst– we ALL have 'em!) to do all the needed check ups: self-exams, ultrasounds, and mammograms! So, here is a re-released episode from last year (2021), where we discussed how our team was especially hit hard by breast cancer. (Ellen is still in remission! Yay!) So, for us and for you, please get yourself checked out and remind your loved ones to do so, too!

What makes you, "you"? Well, sociologists love to answer this question by saying that you are a social object– a combination of the environments, people, cultures, social experiences, and structures around you. And no one is more prolific than theorist Charles Cooley in establishing this! So, this week, we're exploring the work of Cooley and his concept of The Looking Glass Self. Tune in to learn more about how you are who you think others think you are.

What is socialization? And why do we sociologists *love* using the term? This week we're diving into both of these questions, and then exploring how families, educational institutions, peers, and the media act as key agents of socialization. We're guilty of taking this term for granted, so join us as we give socialization the attention it deserves!

We're baaaaacck! Welcome to the start of our 5th school year together. (Yep, you read that right: *fifth* year!) We're getting things going with a quick talk story session between Omar and Ellen about the symbolic meanings of life in 2022. Vaccines, Manti Te'o, masks, Liz Cheney, Britney Spears, Joe Biden– each of these things and people hold a plethora of meanings to each of us, and shape how we interact with them. Tune in to catch up with us, and see if you share the same meanings as us!

This week, we're exploring how sociology makes sense of our material culture. What is the relationship people hold with the tangible objects we collect? What meaning do we attach to these items? And why is it that Penn cares so much about her Washi Tape collection and Omar licks his shoes?! Tune in here to learn more about stuffs and where the state of stuffs is going as the world becomes digitalized and we begin to interact with virtual objects more and more.