In 1998, when Kevin Warwick, researcher and Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, England, implanted a silicon chip transponder into his left arm and connected it to his nervous system, he became the world’s first cyborg: a man-machine… Read More ›
Archive for June 2011
Is a Post-Neoliberal politics possible?
Nick Couldry is Professor of Media and Communications at Goldsmiths College. In this podcast Mark Carrigan talks to him about his recent work on neoliberalism and the possibility of a post-neoliberal politics. The conversation encompasses his last book, After Voice, as well as the… Read More ›
LONDON OLYMPICS: WHAT’S IN IT FOR WOMEN?
Wednesday 6th July, Arts Lecture Theatre, QMUL, , followed by a reception The London Women and Planning Forum wishes to explore how much and in what ways gender has been taken into account in planning 2012. * Has the Olympic… Read More ›
Of Methods and Methodologies in Literary Studies and Humanities
One of the most important decisions in a research life is the choice of methodology. While this may be a straightforward choice in most other disciplines, to declare a fixed ‘methodology’ in the field of humanities is an exercise in… Read More ›
Comics and Censorship: Is It Really about You?
News broke this past Friday of an American citizen arrested by a Canadian Customs officer at the US-Canada border after manga deemed to be child pornography was discovered on his laptop. Although no real children were harmed in the creation… Read More ›
Call for Papers: what does the Sociological Imagination mean today?
It has been over 50 years since C. Wright Mills wrote the Sociological Imagination. In that time the world has changed beyond recognition: the Cold War ended, the Keynesian consensus broke down, a globalizing neoliberalism rose to the ascendancy and… Read More ›
Add SI on Facebook and Twitter!
This is a reminder that the Sociological Imagination has a presence on facebook. Please do add us as a friend and feel free to get in contact. We’re always open to ideas and suggestions so please don’t hesitate if there’s… Read More ›
Do we live in a post democratic age?
In this podcast Colin Crouch talks about his thesis of post-democracy. He argues that western liberal democracies are moving into a stage of post-democracy where the formal institutions of democracy continue to exist but the pervasive culture of participation and engagement… Read More ›
When Sociology Was Cool
I got my doctorate in sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the exact same place C. Wright Mills got his doctorate in sociology. I know this because we shared some of the same professors there and, even more importantly, because… Read More ›
The Impact Agenda in the Arts and Humanities
In this podcast Mark Carrigan talks to Dr Nadine Lewycky, Arts Impact Officer at the University of Warwick about what her work involves and broader issues relating to the impact agenda for the arts and humanities. For more information about… Read More ›
Oral History Network at Warwick University
Last week we wrote about a new event that took place at Warwick. Here is a bit more info on this exciting new project: ‘The Warwick Oral History Network aims at developing a network of researchers from a variety of… Read More ›
Sociology@Warwick
A quick flag up to any interested readers that the Sociology Department at the University of Warwick now has a blog and twitter feed. Although Sociological Imagination has no formal connection to the department, a number of people involved in… Read More ›
TOMORROW: Sociology of Sport Seminar!
SI Seminars: the Sociology of Sport WHEN: 20 June · 16:00 – 18:00 WHERE: R1.13, Ramphal Building, University of Warwick As part of the Sociology of Sport Week on SI, we have organized our first ever seminar! Taking place the… Read More ›
Add SI on Facebook and Twitter!
This is a reminder that the Sociological Imagination has a presence on facebook. Please do add us as a friend and feel free to get in contact. We’re always open to ideas and suggestions so please don’t hesitate if there’s… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #6: Sport, history and humour.
As an Eastern European researcher who researches Eastern Europe… you guessed it. The Idle Ethnographer could not stop herself from contributing a tongue-in-cheek (or, rather, ball-in-net) post to the SI Sport Week. This is yet another photo from the long… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #5-1: Rock Climbing and Gendered Identity (Victoria Robinson)
Today we present a selection of sociological resources on rock climbing and introduce the work of Victoria Robinson on climbing identities.
SI SPORT WEEK #5-2: Confetti of Empire: The Conquest of Everest in Nepal, India, Britain, and New Zealand (by Usha Iyer)
Usha Iyer discusses the conquest of the Everest. Is the story of Everest purely a victory of humans’ pursuit for excellence and physical endurance, or also about British imperialism and decline of empire, nationalism and fluid nationality? Visit Usha’s webpage… Read More ›
Event announcement: Sport and Leisure History Seminar
Sport and Leisure History Seminar Summer Symposium: ‘Sport and Leisure in Suburbs and New Towns: Communities, Identities and Interactions’ will take place on Thursday 21 – Friday 22 July at the Institute of Historical Research in London You can find… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #4-2: Homophobia and Team Sports
Team sports are often seen a traditionally homophobia arena within society. In a second interview with Dr Eric Anderson, he argues that this widespread assumption is increasingly inaccurate. Through analysing the relationship between sport and wider society he offers an… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #4-1: Researcher’s profile: Deborah Butler discusses Careers in the Racing Industry
Most people may have heard about Arkle, Red Rum, even Desert Orchid. How many people will have given a thought about the individuals who made sure these equine athletes made it the racetrack, fit and ready to race? It is… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #3-3: Gender in sport magazines
Brilliant short analysis of the differences in representation of sportsmen and sportswomen in magazines. Read here Sportsman (Source: Mirror.co.uk) P.S. The same seems to apply to google image searches for “sports men” and “sports women”… those people writing the magazines are… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #3-2: Gender in sport. Beware surfing stereotypes!
For all sociologists of sport out there: a new article which discusses the pervasiveness of caricatured gender stereotypes in surfing. Click here to read the article by Cori Schumacher of the Guardian .
SI SPORT WEEK #3-1: Gender Segregation in Sports
Gender segregation in sports is usually seen as entirely natural and a fact of life. Yet in this challenging interview Dr Eric Anderson explores the social and economic roots of gender segregation in sport before questioning whether we have any real… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #2-3: Black Power Salute 1968
During their medal presentation in the Mexico 1968 Summer Olympics, the two 200-metre gold and bronze winners, Tommy Smith and John Carlos respectively (both were American and black) gave what became known as the Black Power Salute . It became an… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #2-2: Sport, beauty, and politics
Should the epithet of ‘the beautiful game’ go from football to tennis? Why is this even an important question? And what is the politics that hides behind the notion of ‘beauty’? As our contributor, Usha Iyer, pointed out to me… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #2-1: The Political Economy of Football
The commercialisation of football is a widely remarked upon phenomena and yet the causes driving this process remain too little understood. In this podcast Professor Wyn Grant tackles the political economy of football. In doing so he explores a variety… Read More ›
Oral History Network launches at Warwick
Just a quick post to let you know of a new project: Warwick Oral History Network which launches at Warwick tomorrow, 14 June 2011. The network is funded by the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) at Warwick. Read the programme… Read More ›
SI Seminar announcement: Sociology of Sport at Warwick University, 20 June
SI Seminars: the Sociology of Sport WHEN: 20 June · 16:00 – 18:00 WHERE: R1.13, Ramphal Building, University of Warwick As part of the Sociology of Sport Week on SI, we have organized our first ever seminar! Taking place the… Read More ›
SI SPORT WEEK #1-1: Sport and Social Identities (edited by Andrew Parker and John Harris)
Welcome to the first post from this week! We begin by introducing an important collection on the sociology of sport. Sport and Social Identities (edited by John Harris and Andrew Parker) Sport and Social Identities, by A. Parker and J.Harris… Read More ›
Sociology of Sport week on the Sociological Imagination
This week is dedicated to sport – from a sociological point of view. We hope this topic unlocks your sociological imaginations and that you enjoy the posts and let us know what you think, or send us short articles to… Read More ›