How far does your (sociological) imagination stretch? Let’s find out by considering the following question: Imagine that things could speak – what would they say? This question was put to 42 persons between the ages of 18-50 years old in… Read More ›
Archive for May 2012
“Technology will not advance democracy and human rights for (and instead of) you”. Zygmunt Bauman on the use and mis-use of new media.
In a recent article published by the Social Europe Journal, Zygmunt Bauman reflects on the use we make of new media and social networks and how this can be exploited to control us, rather than increasing our freedom of expression…. Read More ›
An Open Letter to English-Canadians, who might be feeling that Quebeckers have taken leave of their senses.
An open letter to my English-Canadian friends. Please circulate in your networks as you see fit. You may have heard that there has been some turmoil in Quebec in recent weeks. There have been demonstrations in the streets of Montreal… Read More ›
Time Management Tips for Academics
Inspired by this Guardian article, we asked followers on Twitter and Facebook what time management tips they had for other academics. These are some of the responses we received: https://www.rescuetime.com/ use this. its very good. (@OutstandingSEM) Zotero, pomodoro’s, task lists, coffee… Read More ›
Unfinished London
This is the story of a town-planning cock-up known as the Northern Heights Plan which, if completed, would have meant miles of extra houses and tube stations to the North West of London. Produced by Jay Foreman and Paul Kendler.
Call for Contributions: 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 ›
The Arrogance of Publishers vs. Academic Culture – Why the Outcome Is Virtually Certain
“Technologists also believe that publishing is transportable — anyone can be a publisher. All you need are some basic skills, access to a blogging platform, and some determination. While for certain forms of expression this can be true — this… Read More ›
Using visual metaphor to explain how stuff works: what theorists can learn from beatboxing?
In this video Beardyman, UK beat boxer renowned for his use of live looping, collaborates with the visual artist mr_hopkinson to visually describe the practice. As someone who is fascinated by this kind of music but had never understood how… Read More ›
One Story High
One Story High is a collection of very short sociological biographies I curated and edited for the on-line journal Fast Capitalism late in 2009, featuring the work of novelist and literary critic Amitava Kumar, anthropologist Katie Stewart and filmmaker John Cohen… Read More ›
Hyper-Mobility and the End of the Road
via Free Foto If there is anything you remember from school Physics lessons, there’s a good chance it’s the maxim speed = distance ÷ time. For most of us, this equation is no more useful in daily life than the… Read More ›
New visa rules could cost British universities dearly
Britain is gaining a reputation abroad for being a “no-go” zone to international students – potentially losing billions of pounds to the economy and to universities. In an article by the Independent, the restrictions on visas, the well-documented rise in… Read More ›
Does eugenics have contemporary relevance?
by Chi Chi Shi — — — Do the ideas associated with eugenics have contemporary relevance? Eugenics is often regarded as a purely historical phenomenon, popular for a brief period at the beginning of the twentieth century, but not regarded… Read More ›
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 ›
The uncertainty of contemporary Higher Education
I wanted to draw attention to a great chapter that I came across on Twitter recently that puts into words really well some of my more troubled feelings about my work life post PhD. Predominantly I try and remain positive… Read More ›
Window on Research: Dave O’Brien on Cultural Consumption in Contemporary Society
This podcast discusses cultural consumption in contemporary British society, exploring who does what and why, against the backdrop of the ethos of creative workers. The cultural ‘omnivore’ thesis is outlined and critiqued, suggesting the importance of expertise, social status and… Read More ›
Mike O’Donnell on “Charles Wright Mills and the (Continuing) Problem of Radical Agency”
This podcast is a recording of Mike O’Donnell’s talk at the C. Wright Mills session from the BSA conference in April 2012. Mike has written for SI on similar themes in the past: Charles Wright Mills’ Sociological Imagination and why we fail to… Read More ›
John Holmwood on “Sociology’s ‘moments’: C. Wright Mills and the critique of professionalism
This podcast is a recording of John Holmwood’s talk at the C. Wright Mills session from the BSA conference in April 2012. The snippet below is from the subsequent q&a session. (main podcast) (snippet)
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 ›
The Transformation of Academic Practice – Interview with Martin Weller, author of the Digital Scholar
In this podcast I talk to Martin Weller, author of the Digital Scholar, about the changes which digital technology is bringing about within academia and where they might ultimately lead.
Government Still failing to address racism in Northern Ireland
A decade and a half ago, racial equality and anti-racism were non-existent in Northern Ireland and important attempts have been made to address racism. But multifaceted and deep-rooted racism is manifest at the individual, institutional and state levels of Northern… Read More ›
How much do you have to lose? Les Back on the riots
In this interview recorded at the BSA conference in April 2012, Les Back reflects upon the significance of last summer’s riots in the UK and what, if anything, has been learnt from them.
Was Aditya Chakrabortty right about Sociology? A work sociologist responds…
In a recent article Aditya Chakrabortty argued that economics has failed us but sociology has been unable to offer any alternatives. In this podcast I talk to Melanie Simms of Warwick Business School, who signed this group letter to the Guardian, about work sociology and its… Read More ›
Loneliness in Japan
Japan is facing a decline in community spirit. Recent studies have shown that for the first time in history, the average number of people in a Tokyo home has dropped below two. While this is nothing new if we look… Read More ›
“Members of the ‘Golden Dawn’ passing in the street”: The emergence of far right extremism and the elections of the 6th of May in Greece
The Greek MYPLACE team at Panteion University Of Social And Political Sciences on the forthcoming Greek elections and the emergence of the extreme right “Golden Dawn.” This was originally posted on the MYPLACE blog. Follow MYPLACE on Twitter here. For more information on the MYPLACE project, visit… Read More ›
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 ›