Office Hours

This episode we return to our ongoing series on genetic research and sociology inspired by our Summer 2009 feature article [1] on the topic (take a listen to our interview with Thomas Bouchard [2] to hear our first discussion). This time we engage with a slightly different “socio-cultural” perspective and invited sociologist Allan Horwitz [3] to give us his take on how this new science of the gene may medicalize new syndromes. Horwitz also talks about his new controversial book The Loss of Sadness [4], an examination of the medicalization of depression. Also in this episode, Jeremy Minyard [5] shares a discovery on corporate deviance and legitimacy [6]. Download episode #26 now! [7] [1] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/sociology-and-the-gene/ [2] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/2009/11/17/genes-behavior-and-science/ [3] http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~avhorw/ [4] http://www.amazon.com/Loss-Sadness-Psychiatry-Transformed-Depressive/dp/0195313046 [5] http://www.soc.umn.edu/people/gradprofile.php?UID=minya003 [6] http://www.johnson.cornell.edu/publications/ASQ/abs062009.html [7] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=43847.mp3

Jesse and Jon give Peter Dreier [1] a call to discuss his study, Manipulating the Public Agenda: Why ACORN Was in the News, and What the News Got Wrong [2]. Dreier discusses ACORN, the study's findings, and why ACORN has proven to be such an irresistable target for the Right. Jesse even convinces him to spill the beans about where he gets his amazing sociology powers. The study has recieved tons of media attention, but two good places to start if you want to learn more are Dreier's article in Editor and Publisher [3] and his appearance on the Rachel Maddow show [4]. First, Jesse shares an article that asks, Why do we remember Rosa Parks? [5] Download episode #25 now! [6] [1] http://employees.oxy.edu/dreier/ [2] http://departments.oxy.edu/uepi/acornstudy/ [3] http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004047850 [4] http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/vp/33013202#33013202 [5] http://openurl.ingenta.com/content?genre=article&issn=0190-2725&volume=72&issue=2&spage=123&epage=142 [6] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=43232.mp3

This episode, Julie Artis [1] discusses her Fall 2009 Contexts article, Breastfeed at your own Risk [2] — which you can read online at thesocietypages.org [3] for free, by the way! Artis discusses the history of breastfeeding, and what breastfeeding can tell us about motherhood, gender and culture. She also addresses the reaction to her article and it's title. But first, Jeremy Minyard [4] shares a discovery about socioeconomic differences in college transfer [5]. Download episode #24 now! [6] [1] http://las.depaul.edu/sociology/People/Faculty/ArtisJulie_.asp [2] http://contexts.org/articles/fall-2009/breastfeed-at-your-own-risk/ [3] http://contexts.org/articles/fall-2009/breastfeed-at-your-own-risk/ [4] http://www.soc.umn.edu/people/gradprofile.php?UID=minya003 [5] http://openurl.ingenta.com/content?genre=article&issn=0038-0407&volume=82&issue=2&spage=101&epage=125 [6] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=41552.mp3

This week, Jeffrey Dixon talks Turkey, Islam and the EU [1]. What can the debate about Turkey joining the EU tell us about religion, democracy and globalization? Listen in and find out! But first, Hollie Nyseth [2] shares a discovery about how mothers' community participation affects their child's health [3]. If you haven't taken the survey yet, please do! You can find it at thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey [4]! Download episode #23 now! [5] [1] http://contexts.org/articles/fall-2009/turkey-islam-and-the-eu/ [2] http://www.soc.umn.edu/people/gradprofile.php?UID=nyset005 [3] http://openurl.ingenta.com/content?genre=article&issn=0022-1465&volume=50&issue=1&spage=16&epage=30 [4] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey/ [5] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=39914.mp3

This episode we take a break from talking to all of these sociologists and talk to a psychologist instead: Thomas Bouchard [1], Director of the Minnesota Center for Twin and Adoption Research. Bouchard is a strong advocate of bridging the biological and social sciences (ahem, behavioral sciences), and is a strong critic of sociology's traditional failure to participate in this effort. Given the recent AJS Special Issue [2] on genetics and social structure, as well as our Summer 2009 feature [3] on the topic, we thought it'd be fun to share some of this work with Bouchard and sit down to hear his thoughts on genetics, science and the relationship between psychology and sociology. Also, Shannon Golden [4] shares a discovery on the religiosity of American professors [5]. If you haven't taken the survey yet, please do! You can find it at thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey [6]! Download episode #22 now! [7] [1] http://www.psych.umn.edu/people/faculty/bouchard.htm [2] http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/ajs/114/s1 [3] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/sociology-and-the-gene/ [4] http://www.soc.umn.edu/grad/directory/golden.php [5] http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/socrel/srp026 [6] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey/ [7] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=38919.mp3

This week's guest is Jessie Daniels [1], author of Cyber Racism [2] and blogger at Racism Review [3] and Contech [4]. Cyber Racism is about white supremacist groups online, and Daniels tells us how white supremacy online is important for how we think about education, free spech and multiculturalism. Also, Kia Heise [5] discusses Karin Martin's Normalizing Heterosexuality: Mothers' Assumptions, Talk, and Strategies with Young Children [6]. If you haven't taken the survey yet, please do! You can find it at thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey [7]! Download episode #20 now! [8] [1] http://www.jessiedanielsphd.com/index.html [2] http://www.cyberracism.com/ [3] http://www.racismreview.com/ [4] http://thesocietypages.org/contech/ [5] http://www.soc.umn.edu/people/gradprofile.php?UID=heis0081 [6] http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/asoca/asr/2009/00000074/00000002/art00002 [7] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey/ [8] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=33409.mp3

This episode's guest is Lane Kenworthy [1], author of our Summer 2009 cover story, Tax Myths [2]. In the article, Kenworthy address four myths about taxes and we go through each one and then some. You can read Kenworthy's article for free [3] on thesocietypages.org. Go check it out and if you like it as much as we think you will, share it with your friends over email or on Facebook, Twitter, or on whatever social networking site all you cool kids are using this month. Also, Kristin Haltinner [4] stops by to discuss Jill McCorkel and Jason Rodriquez' "Are You an African?" The Politics of Self-Construction in Status-Based Social Movements [5], from May 2009's Social Forces. Also: let us know what you think of the podcast so far by taking our survey [6]! Download episode #19 now! [7] [1] http://www.u.arizona.edu/~lkenwor/ [2] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/tax-myths/ [3] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/tax-myths/ [4] http://www.soc.umn.edu/grad/directory/haltinner.php [5] http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/sp.2009.56.2.357 [6] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey/ [7] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=32634.mp3

Our guest this week is Theda Skocpol [1], who joins us in the Contexts Podcast studio to discuss the state of American civic and political participation today. Topics include the impact of the internet on politics, loudmouths in the news media, John Stewart and the prospects for social science research today. Wes Longhofer also joins us again to discuss a discovery that explains why we're not all free riders [2]. Also: let us know what you think of the podcast so far by taking our survey [3]! Download episode #18 now! [4] [1] http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/soc/faculty/skocpol/ [2] http://openurl.ingenta.com/content?genre=article&issn=0003-1224&volume=74&issue=1&spage=23&epage=43 [3] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey/ [4] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=30827.mp3

This episode, we speak with Barbara Risman [1] about her call for a Council of Social Science Advisors featured in her Spring 2009 One Thing I Know [2] column for Contexts. We talk about how policy might be different if social scientists played a greater role and also about sociology and socialism [3]. If you're interested in the idea of a Council for Social Science Advisors, and you're heading to San Francisco for the ASA's this weekend, be sure to attend Open Forum: Does the Obama Administration Need a Social Science Scholars Council? A Public Forum [4], Saturday August 8 at 2:30 pm. This episode also includes a discussion of a discovery on health & unemployment [5]. Also: let us know what you think of the podcast so far by taking our survey [6]! It's very short & your feedback will help us figure out what's working, what's not working & how we can best steer the Contexts Podcast Juggernaut into the Future! Download episode #17 now! [7] [1] http://www2.las.uic.edu/depts/soc/barbara-risman-3.html [2] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/bringing-social-science-to-the-white-house/ [3] http://contexts.org/articles/summer-2009/from-the-editors/ [4] http://www.asanet.org/cs/root/leftnav/meetings/the_sociological_significance_of_president_barack_obama [5] http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech.2008.077354 [6] http://thesocietypages.org/podcast/survey [7] http://mediamill.cla.umn.edu/mediamill/download.php.mp3?orig=28966.mp3