Far-right extremist groups have been laying the groundwork for post-election violence in America by exploiting local grievances and sowing division to swell their ranks, experts are warning.

Paul Becker, a professor of sociology at the University of Dayton, Ohio, said his state — where there is a significant population of white working-class men alienated by the collapse of manufacturing and increased migration — was fertile recruiting ground.

“When they see individuals that might feel like they’re being left behind economically or socially, they are always potential targets for recruitment,” said Becker.

Read the full piece here: https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/far-right-has-gone-quiet-but-is-ready-for-post-election-violence-3mlwnmhsf

I’m trying to remember if there is a word that describes the concept of people assuming/reducing terms like “gender” to only include women’s issues (ignoring men and other forms of gender identity ) and “race” to mean issues for non-white people (ignoring that white people also have race). People view themselves basically as invisible within the scenario. It’s like a word or phrase perhaps to describe this concept.

I study sociology and math and am wondering if there are any sociologists here who do both.

I know statistics are a big part of research, but do sociologists out source this to statisticians or do you take calculus courses/ computational stats classes for a doctorate?

In my sociology classes, we do no math and most students seems to want to avoid it all costs, but I really love both subjects.

What is a path toward combining these?

After this semester i have two more semester until graduation, I’m going straight into a masters program after my bachelors . Is Social work a good masters program? or should i do something else?

I had come across a Wikipedia page describing the meaning of a term which corresponded to what is stated in the title. My research to find this term again has been unsuccessful because every single keywords lead to other phenomenons such as internet-era multiculturalism and so on.

The term specifically described a way by which people of a same/connected social circles hold identical ideologies informed by the shared consumption of the same staple social media content; without particularly discussing those ideologies, and without those ideologies being inter-influenced by IRL exchanges much.

I did A level sociology but at the time I was going through a pretty rough patch and didn’t really learn as much as I could’ve. Recently I have become really interested in sociology again and I want to start teaching myself and learning about it again but I’m not really sure where to start. At the minute I’ve been focusing on Emile Durkheim, Max Weber and Karl Marx - is this a good place to start?

I've recently come across the distinction between specialist and generalist. From my experience of bachelor's degree of Sociology, it seems to me that we are taught to be generalist because studying one aspect of social world in isolation would be myopic. What are your thoughts on this subject? Can a sociologist be a specialist, or at best have a focus on a certain topic?

I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out how to navigate identifying the right program for graduate school! I graduated with my bachelor's in sociology a few years ago and recently hit my breaking point with direct care social work. I'm very interested in exploring paths of inquiry related to social movement organization and participatory media, how ideology and political values are communicated through participatory media, and the general political economy of social movements. I would especially love to cut out a niche in analyzing the political economics of video games and the culture surrounding them, and politics within this space. This, of course, puts me in a very weird multi-disciplinary space in which I feel like I don't know what I'm looking for. I could see this fitting a sociology graduate program, a media studies program, etc. Are there any stand-out places that would be a good fit for this?

Hey, i have to write an essay on aging and changing nature of kinship for my kinship class. Looking for literature on the same. If you have any suggestions let me know!

hi! im making a presentation/essay for my class on Jacques Derrida. i was wondering if anyone could advice good sources on his life/work and perhaps give a general digest of his most important ideas that i should write about? huge thanks in advance!

I'll be teaching Sociology 101 for the first time for students who are incarcerated (I'm trained as a quantitative criminologist with a focus in sociological perspectives on crime and state response to crime) and would love some more ideas for readings for a SOC 101 course.

Specifically looking for readings that are accessible for first year students and provide a good overview of theory, research methods, and culture. But I'm open to considering any recommendations that have sparked interesting conversations with students.

*I will be submitting the reading list to be approved, so I would prefer to have more readings than necessary in case some get rejected - so any and all recommendations are welcome!*

*Edited to add: I'm also trying to be mindful that incarceration is just part of their current experience and the classroom might be a place where they want to connect their many experiences to other topics.

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Hi everyone, first of all, sorry if there's already a thread on this somewhere - I have had a look and couldn't find what I was looking for, but I may have missed something!

I'm a classicist working on the formation of 'Greek' identity in antiquity. I feel that the way this issue has been dealt with in my field previously hasn't paid enough attention to the issue of how group identities actually form, and the role that 'otherness' or alterity plays in this. A lot of classicists seems to assume that, for group identity to form, one single inimical 'other' is required (e.g. the Persians). But I'm pretty sure that group identity doesn't need a single other in order to come into being, nor for that other to be always/entirely negatively characterised.

I'm looking for bibliography from sociology, anthropology, psychology to delve into this issue further, to help me build a framework for a more nuanced treatment of identity-formation in Greek antiquity. I was wondering whether anyone here had any recommendations to add to my ever-growing list? Anything that deals specifically with this issue of how otherness works in relation to collective/group identity-formation would be so helpful!

Thank you in advance x

A lot of arguments about patriarchy as a structure of relations involving male precedence often mention how it must've been functional during bygone times, in traditional societies before modernity took over, thus explaining why patriarchal relations continue to persist in today's age (ex. wives assuming full responsibility for housework, childcare, and emotional labor towards her husband). However, is this even true? Did patriarchy ever necessarily have a "beneficial function" (i.e. towards men, women and children alike) or did it always exist to allocate arbitrary power to husbands and men? What are your thoughts on this?

Hey everyone! I’m thinking about making a career change at 31/32. I’ve spent a lot of time in accounting, but I recently discovered a passion for sociology that really resonates with me. My concern is that many sociology majors struggle to find jobs, and I worry about making a pivot at this age.

Do you think it’s a good idea to switch careers now? What paths would you suggest for someone with a background in economics & accoutning and an interest in sociology?

Im reading George Huppert's "After the Black Death: A Social History of Early Modern Europe" and am struck by how little the deep economic structures of western culture have changed.

Its like the surface has improved in terms of standard or quality of life but just beneath those 8 inches of glamour is the actual oppressive face of it all.

Tax farming, class privilege, peasant classes, religious rulership, economic exploitation its all still very much intact.

How can anyone free themselves from any of this when they think its new, and they think its new because they arent taught the history and dont have a historical unserstanding or perspective of how "capitalism" came to be.

Most people think capitalism is inevitable, the best economic system, a sign of progress or the only way progress is possible when its the opposite.

Capitalists have worked hard to keep the masses ignorant and indoctrinated because, like parasites, they need expoitable hosts to exist.

They, with the church, have worked to keep the masses in a homeostasis of compliancy, conformity, and controllability intentionally limiting their access to education and the full fruits of their own labor.

How the hell is anyone in a place tomclaim they are free when they dont even understand who they are historically?

This movement seems to be so successful and I want to understand : How and Why !!!

Thank you

Hello,

I am writing this to see if anyone can offer some helpful advice for my undergraduate research project as my supervisor is offering very little in the way of help at the moment. I am planning on researching the impact of businesses using cashless payment technologies on spatial exclusivity.

For my sample I am selecting cafes as they are large part of the group of businesses up taking this in the last couple of years.

I am having some slight difficulty arranging the practicalities. I would like to conduct this as non-participant observation. In practice would it be required to email the venues to let them know what I would like to do and let them agree or not to it happening? Once in the venue, how would I navigate consent? I don’t believe it is entirely practicable to ask consent from every person who comes in for consent.

I’m struggling to consider how I would do this overtly as I intend not to have any prior relationship with the venue or observed.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

I'm not a sociology major, but right now I'm taking a social science class based on time, space, and change in the human environment. During the class we were discussing Taylorism as a concept in the automobile industry and several other industries in the United States. I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they think about the technological field, where people who are looking for jobs are expected to constantly grow, learn, and evolve, or get left behind by the changing market. It seems like the opposite of Taylorism in a way. How do these companies stay afloat in the market with such skilled workers everywhere? Are they using the current oversaturation of technological jobs as a floaty in a sense? I asked my professor this and he couldn't answer, so I thought the next best place would be here. :)

I did a bachelor in environmental science, but I knew that other subjects could inspire me more. I remember seeing a sociology lesson once at university and I was on fire. It made me so passionate. I always think about social problems, I always wonder where people come from, how they want to represent themselves in society and why.

I chose the natural science thinking to find solutions for climate change, but I really don't know if I should continue.

Also, all of this is actually a plan B for me because my first dream was to be an artist, so yeah I don't know what to do.

Hi everyone

I’m quite lost on this so hopefully someone can point me to the right direction. I’m in my last year uni studying international relations in Vancouver Canada. Over the past two years I have become more and more interested in social theory. 

But the sociology department in my school offer very few courses in social theory. I have taken one but that was during my exchange in NUS (which offer more theory courses). So I read into the subject on my own time and I started to write down my own analysis. Over the past couple of months, those ideas actually came together and became a pretty coherent essay that establishes a coherent framework, though it is quite long (33000 words). 

Since then, I started thinking about pursuing graduate school, but I don’t actually know whether I’m actually suitable for academia or whether my essay can be of any academic value for me. I tried reaching out to professors in my schools sociology department, but understandably I don’t actually know them and not much has come from that.

I have to graduate soon and it is unlikely that I can take more courses in sociology (they don’t interest me that much anyways) to build relationships with professors. 

I have a strong interest in social theory, but so far I’ve been “working” alone. I want to be part of an academic program where I can continue to develop my interest in social theory.

I guess what I’m really asking is, I’ve done some writing on this, but how do I ask for feedback so that I know I actually have academic potential?

Thanks everyone. 

Though the question might seem to be rooted more in cognitive psychology than sociological psychology, I’m asking more in terms of what external factor most directly affects us in shaping our personality and awareness of our virtues and qualities.

I beleive it is our parents and upbringing more so than anything else, but how exactly does it do that?

What are your thoughts?

Hi! There might not be a name for it, but I don’t want to mislabel a theory/ concept either.

Is there a perspective, theory, or concept for someone who just unknowingly accepts hegemony and ignores structural philosophy? It’s the people that just look at everything as a zero sum, no power in either direction except the government.

They can be caught saying “This is just reality” or “systemic issues don’t exist ANYONE can be (racist, sexist, persecuted)”, or “women are just as sexist as men”, or when presented sociological data they’re just like “yeah there’s data on both sides” etc you get.

I’m not looking for political ideology, specifically sociological. At first I was thinking pluralism but I feel that’s wrong.

Thank you!

Edit: much appreciated to everyone who suggested things. I read the sociological imagination after I made this and I feel what I’m looking for is just a lack of analysis. Mills mentions it in the book. Free on Spotify btw

First of all, I am sorry because this might be a dumb question, but I think it is worth asking anyway (and as we say in my language, asking doesn't hurt).

So I am finishing a degree in Sociology, and I am planning to go to grad school. I have been doing research on social theory/thought, just began writing my thesis on the same subject/area, and I have been feeling rather anxious about my reading ability.

Again, I know this sounds dumb, but I can't help but feel like an impostor whenever my advisor or another professor compliments me or my work; for example, this week, I must have spent twelve hours (or four days) reading (and annotating) a 220 pages book on the author I am studying, on his theory of history and literary criticism. I feel like this is painfully slow, and in general, my anxieties about my reading speed/abilities have made me ask if I should reconsider my career path.

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Hiii! I was wondering if any of you would like to swap book recs! I’m looking for books about juvenile justice relating to building restorative justice programs. I recently got a job building a Youth Violence Prevention Program so any recommendations would be helpful!

Some of my favorite books on this topic, or similar topics have been:

Last Chance in Texas by John Huber We Keep Us Safe by Zach Norris Until We Reckon by Danielle Sered We Do This Til We Free Us by Mariame Kaba Are Prisons Obsolete by Angela Davis

Hello! I was wondering if anyone knew of any interesting articles about celebrities and their relationship to the impoverished people of America. I’m trying to research celebrity feminism and activism and how their immense wealth puts a wedge between their experience and the average American, if that makes sense.

I’ve tried searching neoliberal activism, celebrities and neoliberalism, which has found me some stuff, but I’m specifically looking for things on class, wealth, and poverty, which is coming up short.

Thanks in advance!

edit: someone called me an idiot piece of shit for posting this😔 i promise im very capable at researching but like i said im specifically looking for things on wealthy celebrities and poverty and i feel like this is a relatively modern idea and im limited to my college’s database. so if anyone has recommendations on articles they like pls send my way. im specifically looking at taylor swift and how she relates to her audience if that helps.

Basically title

Mostly looking for channels that explain sociology theories to beginners

I recently graduated undergrad with a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences. I took a mix of sociology, anthro, and psych, but sociology is what resonated with me the most.

I am interested in pursuing grad school (PhD) but am not sure how to get there. During my undergrad years, I did not get the opportunity to be a research assistant so I don't have any research experience other than my capstone. I'm curious if there are ways for me to get this experience now that I am out of school...

While I am interested, I feel I can't say this with complete certainty because I do not have very much research experience 🥲 In terms of my long term career goals, I don't exactly know what I want to do but I am open to the idea of staying in academia post-doc.