Sociology Improv

[1]This week we talk about the sociology and economics of academic journal publishing, the Elsevier boycott [2], and whether the journal system as we know it is necessary anymore. Our decision: everybody can just podcast everything from now on. Starting with…. Episode Number 37 [3] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/06/album-art-ep37.jpg [2] http://thecostofknowledge.com/ [3] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov37.mp3

[1]This episode we start with a discussion of violent protests prompted by a question from a listener (Which is great! Send more!). We then talk about Twitter, hashtags, Gmail, and passwords before moving on to a discussion about education and universal preschool. Links from this episode: Hacked! [2] xkcd: Password Strength [3] How passwords are cracked [4] MySpace passwords [5] Universal Preschool [6] Douglas Downey on Office Hours [7] Huffduffer [8] Mike and Tom Eat Snacks [9] Jeremiah [10] Regular Show [11] Adventure Time [12] Download Improv #36 [13]! [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/05/album-art-ep36.jpg [2] http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/hacked/8673/ [3] http://xkcd.com/936/ [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Password_cracking [5] http://www.the-interweb.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/94-A-brief-analysis-of-40,000-leaked-MySpace-passwords.html [6] http://m.good.is/post/big-idea-universal-pre-k-to-teach-children-and-create-jobs [7] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2010/06/02/education-and-equality/ [8] http://huffduffer.com [9] http://soundcloud.com/matescast [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_(TV_series) [11] http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/regularshow/index.html [12] http://www.cartoonnetwork.com/tv_shows/adventuretime/index.html [13] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov36.mp3

[1]We have three segments this episode: We talk with Shannon Golden about Kony 2012. Shannon provides some insight into the situation in Uganda while Chris cynically revels in the implosion of Invisible Children. We talk about the Mike Daisey/This American Life fiasco. Arturo defends liars, as usual, while I, er, Jon, stands strong as a defender of truth. The whacky world of Young Adult literature. Links from the discussion: Amy Finnegan and Shannon Golden on Office Hours [2] Visible Children [3] This American Life: Retraction [4] FLA Foxconn report [5] Racist Hunger Games Fans [6] OpenBook [7] The Implicit Racism test [8] Get Improv #35. [9] (35 Improvs. Are we improving yet?) [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/04/album-art-ep35.jpg [2] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2012/03/19/amy-finnegan-on-uganda-and-kony-2012/ [3] http://visiblechildren.tumblr.com/ [4] http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/460/retraction [5] http://www.fairlabor.org/report/foxconn-investigation-report [6] http://jezebel.com/5896408/racist-hunger-games-fans-dont-care-how-much-money-the-movie-made [7] http://youropenbook.org/ [8] https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/ [9] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov35.mp3

[1]Autonomous Cars [2], more on stadiums and Mayor KJ [3], and Arturo’s participation in the NorCal AIDS Challenge: Donate here! [4] Other links: Elite Squad [5] Politics and Money [6] Office Hours Drop In #1 [7] This American Life: What Kind of Country [8] The Superego Podcast [9] Rhymesayers [10] (for the Brother Ali and I Self Devine mixes) Download Ahprov Improv #34 [11] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/03/album-art-ep34.jpg [2] http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/ff_autonomouscars/all/1 [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Johnson [4] http://bit.ly/arturobikes [5] http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/02/08/NS321N3H94.DTL [6] http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2012/mar/22/our-corrupt-politics-its-not-all-money/?pagination=false [7] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2012/03/06/drop-in-matt-snodgrass-on-prison-and-reoffenders/ [8] http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/459/what-kind-of-country [9] http://www.gosuperego.com/ [10] http://rhymesayers.com [11] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov34.mp3

[1]Topics include the sociology of weather in an M Word state, the Super Bowl, stadiums, and guilt over the state of professional sports. Chris tries to get into a screaming match about Occupy Oakland, but Jesse just politely disagrees. Jesse also reveals how many tracks of hardcore punk you can get through in 24 hours. Recommendations: Extreme Metal by Keith Kahn-Harris [2] Heavy Metal by Deena Weinstein [3] Metal: A Headbangers Journey [4] 24 Hours of Hardcore Punk [5] Planet Money on The Future of American Manufacturing [6] Download Improv #33 [7]. [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/02/album-art-ep33.jpg [2] http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Metal-Music-Culture-Edge/dp/1845203992 [3] http://www.amazon.com/Heavy-Metal-Music-Culture-Revised/dp/0306809702 [4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal:_A_Headbanger's_Journey [5] http://americanhardcorebook.com/punk24 [6] http://www.npr.org/2012/02/02/146297224/the-future-of-americas-manufacturing-jobs [7] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov33.mp3

[1]After a lengthy break, we’re back! Racism in hockey [2], Work It [3], and The Trap [4] are among our topics this episode. Enjoy! Download Improv #32 [5] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2012/01/album-art-ep32.jpg [2] http://deadspin.com/5873437/a-confusing-nhl-racial-controversy-gets-muddier-as-banana-reference-nets-a-one+game-suspension [3] http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/05/can-rupaul-stage-a-protest-the-most-scathing-critiques-of-work-it/ [4] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZt2HhFXB3M [5] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov32.mp3

[1]This week we talk about Occupy Wall Street and other Occupations. Links mentioned in the show: Occupy Wall Street [2] Occupy Minnesota [3] Planet Money on OWS [4] Ballad of a Thin Man [5] The 99 Percent The 53 Percent [6] (About [7] THe 1 Percent [8] Sidney Tarrow on OWS [9] SlutWalk [10] Dean Zimmerman [11] Elijah Anderson on Office Hours [12] Kieran Healy on Steve Jobs [13] Feminist Ryan Gosling [14] Download Improv #31 [15] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/10/album-art-ep31.jpg [2] http://occupywallst.org/ [3] http://occupymn.org/ [4] http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/10/07/141158199/the-friday-podcast-what-is-occupy-wall-street [5] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjVXlPxkhMc [6] http://the53.tumblr.com/ [7] http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/conservatives-launch-we-are-the-53-percent-to-criticize-99-percenters/2011/10/10/gIQA70omaL_blog.html [8] http://wearethe1pctbitches.tumblr.com/ [9] http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136401/sidney-tarrow/why-occupy-wall-street-is-not-the-tea-party-of-the-left?cid=soc-twitter-snapshots-why-occupy-wall-street-is-not-the-tea-party-of-the-left-101011 [10] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlutWalk [11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dean_Zimmermann [12] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2011/10/05/elijah-anderson-on-cosmopolitan-canopies/ [13] http://kieranhealy.org/blog/archives/2011/10/10/a-sociology-of-steve-jobs/ [14] http://feministryangosling.tumblr.com/ [15] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov31.mp3

[1]This episode, we fail to talk about Robocop, then we have a discussion about Getting Wasted [2], and then chat a bit about current political events. Download the Big 3-0 [3] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/09/album-art-ep30.png [2] http://www.salon.com/life/feature/2011/08/28/college_drinking_interview [3] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov30.mp3

[1]After a quick ASA recap from Jesse and Arturo, we talk about the challenges of writing—and academic writing in particular—and whether diversity on television can make a difference. Download Episode #29 [2] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/08/album-art-ep29.png [2] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov29.mp3

[1]Long time, no see. Hope you’re having a nice summer. We’re back with two topics. First, we spend most of the hour talking about barefoot running, the Born to Run [2] crowd, and naturalist (no, not naturist [3]) social movements. Second, we briefly try to make sense of the London riots, but ultimately Chris wins out by convincing Arturo and Jon they know nothing and should just stop talking. Download episode 28 [4] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/08/album-art-ep28.png [2] http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303 [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturism [4] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov28.mp3

[1]This episode we talk about a recent paper about happiness [2] (via Graphic Sociology [3]) and whether or not happiness studies actually tell us anything about happiness. After that, we follow-up on an argument Chris made last episode about “being cool” as a cause of human social behavior. The sound is a little rough this week as three out of the four of us were actually in the same room for a change, which is actually harder to record than four people in four different cities using Skype. Download Improv 27 [4]! [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/06/album-art-ep27.png [2] http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1728-4457.2011.00389.x/pdf [3] http://thesocietypages.org/graphicsociology/2011/05/17/are-people-who-have-kids-happier-not-really/ [4] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov27.mp3

[1]Two topics this week: First, Arturo jumps off from a recent New Books in Sociology episode [2] to ask whether or not sociology is too set in making repetitive and uncreative arguments. Second, Chris takes us on a tour through the Billboard Hot 100 [3] and the Top 200 [4], with a stop at the Grammy Album of the Year [5], partially in response to this article on Hysteria and pop music [6]. Note: Jon accidentally posted the link to last episode when initially creating this post. If you got the wrong file, please redownload now. Sorry! Download The Hot 26 [7]! [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/05/album-art-ep26.png [2] http://newbooksinsociology.com/2011/05/16/peter-baehr-hannah-arendt-totalitarianism-and-the-social-sciences-stanford-up-2010/ [3] http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/hot-100 [4] http://www.billboard.com/#/charts/billboard-200 [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammy_Award_for_Album_of_the_Year [6] http://www.avclub.com/articles/def-leppards-hysteria,55421/?mobile=false [7] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov26.mp3

[1]Two segments this week: First, Chris gives a shout out to Sociological Images for their post on Push Up Bikini Tops at Abercrombie Kids [2], which inspires a discussion about gender and childhood culture. Second, a discussion about Ebooks, Amazon, DRM, and the fate of public knowledge. Links: J Crew Pink Toenails [3] Push Up Bikini Tops at Abecrombie Kids [4] Disney Princess Grapes [5] Peggy Orenstein [6] Amazon Library Lending [7] HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations [8] Siva Vaidhyanathan on Media Matters [9] Download Improv 25 [10]. [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/04/album-art-ep25.png [2] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/03/19/push-up-bikini-tops-at-abercrombie-kids/ [3] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/04/18/35347/ [4] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/03/19/push-up-bikini-tops-at-abercrombie-kids/ [5] http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/04/11/disney-princess-grapes/ [6] http://peggyorenstein.com/ [7] http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1552678&highlight [8] http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp [9] http://idiograffiti.com/post/4315874049/siva-vaidhyanathan-on-media-matters [10] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov25.mp3

[1]Because Arturo is obsessed with Glenn Beck, conversation begins there, but quickly moves to government shutdowns, the way economists approach social problems, and we return to last episode’s discussion about education. Links from this episode: Freakonomics, the movie [2] (Netflix) Planet Money [3] Office Hours: with Doug Downey [4], with Maria Kefalas [5] Leon Botstein [6] on education Download Episode Twenty Four [7]. [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/04/album-art-ep24.png [2] http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Freakonomics/70095133 [3] http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_detail.php?siteId=94411890 [4] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2010/06/02/education-and-equality/ [5] http://thesocietypages.org/officehours/2011/04/07/maria-kefalas-on-meth-and-young-adulthood/ [6] http://wunc.org/tsot/archive/Bard_College_President_Leon_Botstein.mp3/view [7] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov24.mp3

[1]Podcasting and procrastination, nuclear power and scientific knowledge, the problem with high schools, and the situation in Libya. Links: New Books Network [2] New Books in Sociology [3] Tom on global warming [4] George Monbiot on nuclear power [5] Glenn Greenwald on Libya [6] Benjamin Barber on Saif al-Qaddafi [7] 23! Jump! [8] [1] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/files/2011/03/album-art-ep23.png [2] http://newbooksnetwork.com [3] http://newbooksinsociology.com [4] http://thesocietypages.org/improv/2011/03/13/the-weak-board-of-weakness/#comment-134 [5] http://www.monbiot.com/2011/03/21/going-critical/ [6] http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2011/03/22/libya/index.html [7] http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/03/07/understanding_libyas_michael_corleone?page=full [8] http://files.thesocietypages.org/downloads/socimprov23.mp3