The Social Breakdown

The Indian caste system is regularly brought up in sociology courses as an example of a social structure that prevents mobility. But what if that's not always the case? We are joined by the soon-to-be-Dr. Navjotpal Kaur to discuss how class, land ownership, and masculinity influence which castes are dominant, specifically in the northern State of Punjab. Tune in to learn about how men in the Jatt caste perform their social identities, and how these performances impact communities in Punjab and Canada!

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! Our team has been especially hit hard by breast cancer. So, for us and for you, please get yourself checked out and remind your loved ones to do so, too!

Did you know that contemporary and modern art aren't the same thing? Come learn with us about the contemporary art world, how artists judge and value their own art and creative journey, and how artists represent or negotiate their creative vision. We invited Dr. Hannah Wohl, who recently published Bound by Creativity: How Contemporary Art is Created and Judged with University of Chicago Press to talk about her ethnographic work with contemporary artists. Dive with us into the art world and maybe spark that creativity to become an artist yourself!

The gang is back! We tackle a foundational topic in sociology: social problems! Social problems relate to numerous other concepts that we've discussed - inequality, stratification, the social construction of reality, and all the "-isms." Social problems are social in their causes, consequences, and solutions and though, social problems are often discussed at the macro societal level, its symptoms often manifest in everyday micro life. Join us as we talk through some big hit social problems - COVID-19, unemployment, crime and deviance, education, racism, ageism, and more!

Our first guest of the season is one we're all fans of: Dr. Tanya Golash-Boza!! Tanya joins us to talk about a new project that explores the gentrification of her hometown located in the outskirts of Washington D.C. How do we measure gentrification? And what markers do local residents perceive as signs of gentrification? (Expensive ramen shops, we're looking at you!) Join us as we make sense of how structures promote "killing a neighborhood [to] make a profit."

Food media is relatively new, but you can't deny its popularity. Hit food shows such as Hell's Kitchen have propelled chefs to fame, but at what cost? In this episode, Ellen and Penn discuss their recent viral (can we use that word?!) article on how food media normalizes violent behavior in commercial kitchens. Food media that glorifies violence-- from psychological to sexual-- influences on how violence is perceived in the workspace of the cooks, ultimately making it seem 'normal' and at times, and even a necessary tool to manage stress and ensuring productivity. Tune in to learn more!

The pursuit of a college education is often seen as a surefire path to a better life and social mobility. Yet for black families the story is not so straightforward. When selecting a college, black families utilize a number of strategies such as self-censorship while contending with how minority scholarships or enrollment to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are perceived. We sit with Dr. Deborwah Faulk, a race scholar, to learn more about the impact of anti-black racism on college selection for black families.

We've got a throwback for you from our second season! Dr. Nicholas Chagnon joins us to get into the nitty gritty of critical feminism and feminist criminology. We untangle the many aspects of feminism, and learn how these perspectives analyze women's reproductive rights, as well as how they approach criminology from a female-centered perspective. This episode continues to be one of our most downloaded, so take a listen if you haven't already!

With the #StopAsianHate movement, we wanted to bring back an episode from our first season about the Model Minority Myth. It's important to break down this myth, because we live in a world of identity politics where we fight over who gets to speak for whom and how we represent ourselves within institutions. Who is the model minority, and how did this term come to be? What social pressures defy or reproduce stereotypes? And what problems does this myth create for other people of color? Join us in our conversation on the model minority and the taken-for-granted notions of this myth.

'Watchmen,' the 1980s comic, has been adapted into a television series on HBO and a film. Which one is better? Brian Brutlag, from the Sociologist's Dojo, joins our debate and explains how the comic has shaped the imagery and storylines of those that followed. We also discuss how capitalism recycles profitable plotlines and characters and how that cycle influences audiences' interest. Tune in here and be sure to follow the Sociologist's Dojo!