What did headmistresses who greeted their students on a chilly Monday morning a century ago look like? What sort of people were they? What did they think about? Why did they do their job? What did they care about? Have… Read More ›
Archive for April 2012
Add SI on Twitter and Facebook
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 ›
Michael Burawoy on Third Wave Marketization
Read more about Burawoy’s notion of third wave marketization and its significance for sociology here.
An introduction to multi-author blogging
An introduction to multi-author blogging on Prezi
Black and ethnic minority university staff continue to face disadvantage
Measures to promote race equality in higher education have had very “little impact”. Speaking at the British Sociological Association’s annual conference in April, Andrew Pilkington, professor of sociology at University of Northampton, said the impact of race equality initiatives in… Read More ›
Our top 10 posts in April
No Jokes Please Social media training resources produced by researchers at the University of Warwick Charles Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination and why we fail to match it today Now this is how you do public engagement online… First there was… Read More ›
Social Class and Life Chances as seen through Survivor Rates on the Titanic
We have just eclipsed the 100 year anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic – an incredibly horrific tragedy that resulted in the deaths approximately 1,500 individuals. Astonishingly, this accounted for over two-thirds of the individuals onboard. This from the… Read More ›
Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
In this podcast Les Back discusses the enduring significance of C. Wright Mills to sociology. He mentions a (fantastic) book during his talk which we’ve embedded below. Les Back on Sociology’s Promise
Seven Days of social science research
Part of a new ESRC series. Check out the site for information about future videos.
New NCRM funded network of methodological innovation – New social media, new social science?
NatCen Social Research, Sage and the Oxford Internet Institute will be launching our new network for methodological innovation at the end of May. The network will explore whether social science researchers should embrace social media and, if we do, what… Read More ›
Sarah Burton, a postgraduate student at Cambridge University, reflects on her first BSA conference
Having spent nearly a decade with English literature as the prevailing academic thrust of my studies I’ve recently been exploring other avenues of research. During my Master’s I got very interested in social history, psychology and various aspects of the… Read More ›
The question of who ought to count as a peer is THE question surrounding open access
Britt Holbrook in response to Steve Fuller’s post here Actually, I think that the question of who ought to count as a peer is THE question surrounding open access, as well as the introduction of impact criteria into the peer review of… Read More ›
Open access is no more than academic consumerism. It neither democratises knowledge production nor communication
The Open Access movement should be seen for what it is – nothing more but nothing less than a consumerist revolt, academic style. No one in this revolt is calling for what is sometimes called ‘extended peer review’ (whereby relevant… Read More ›
Paola Tubaro, Senior Lecturer in Economic Sociology at the Business School of the University of Greenwich, reflects on #BritSoc12
I have just come back home from the annual conference of the British Sociological Association in Leeds. Lots of participants, excellent organisation, and a surprisingly nice (though rainy and chilly!) town with a modern, functional, well-equipped campus. Overall, however, a sense of unease prevailed…. Read More ›
Yesterday… (an ode to essay marking)
Yesterday* Yesterday, all the students seemed so far away. Now a bunch of essays block my way, My desk is now in disarray. Suddenly, I avoid the university, There’s a shadow hanging over me. The end of term came suddenly…. Read More ›
Some resources for academic podcasting
listen to ‘Why podcast?’ on Audioboo The BSA PG Forum podcasting handbook An introduction to academic podcasting Audacity – free audio editor Call recorder for Skype (probably free ones out there but this is great) Tool to convert to or from… Read More ›
BSA Teaching Group – Call for micro-lectures To all Postgraduates in Universities local to Birmingham
BSA TEACHING GROUP Call for micro-lectures To all Postgraduates in Universities local to Birmingham At the BSA TEACHING GROUP ANNUAL CONFERENCE BIRMINGHAM, 29th SEPTEMBER 2012 Do you want to: Enhance your profile? Keep sociology teachers up-to… Read More ›
The Importance of Being Ernest #4
A week in hospital has been like placing Ernest in a sociological sweet shop with a months worth of pocket money. The mentally unwell, the fights, the nurses, the elderly – it’s all there, like a box of quality street… Read More ›
Teaching Through Rocky: Stratification and the American Dream, Race, and Gender
Rocky. An American classic. The epitome of the American Dream through a rags-to-riches story (in a documentary on the making of Rocky, Sylvester Stallone describes the writing and making of the film as its own real-life American Dream as well)…. Read More ›
Terry Wassall, Principal Teaching Fellow in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, reflects on #britsoc12
I enjoyed the BSA 2012 conference in Leeds that finished yesterday and came away re-enthused about sociology as a vocation and as a political project and mildly optimistic about its future. I have come away with my head buzzing with half formed… Read More ›
I disabled my facebook profile (call the police!)
Last week I did something radical… I DISABLED MY FACEBOOK PROFILE!!!!!! And so far – it’s been interesting. Facebook has experienced huge growth since its launch in 2004 with a reported 845 million active users in February 2012. The social… Read More ›
Mark Hawker, a first-year MPhil/PhD Sociology student at the University of Sheffield, reflects on his first BSA conference…
I have just got back from attending my very first conference hosted by the British Sociological Society. I have to say, the title didn’t really appeal to me that much (“Sociology in an Age of Austerity”) but I went for the… Read More ›