The Sociology Blog

Spring 2012 is here!

2012-01-31T21:45:00.001-06:00

It's funny. I looked at my last post here at The Sociology Blog (see directly below). It mentioned my intent to grow the blog. The fact of the matter is that the Fall 2011 was nothing short of beastly for me. What I've also realized is that not everything I do or like to do has to flow only through this blog space. I have many services I maintain, and most all of that can be accessed now

2011-08-31T19:36:00.003-05:00

Well, hello everyone. I sat looking at the front page of The Sociology Blog, again considering what should be the next steps. The good news is that I've never been more inclined to approach the idea of long form writing with this much energy. It's funny though, because this Fall 2011 semester I have more on my plate than ever before. However, there is also much more to offer in the form of

We the People, Social Media, and Qualitative Research

2010-10-23T22:07:00.008-05:00

Today a small group of folks pulled together our existing resources and took on the innovative task of tweeting and blogging a local civic engagement event. Using our laptops and cellphones, we live tweeted/blogged a local civic engagement event sponsored by AmericaSpeaks and the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro. The event brought together nearly 300 locals to discuss local issues centered

New Groups function on Facebook

2010-10-07T12:20:00.005-05:00

Purpose of Groups I'd recommend using groups for a close network of friends, family, or for a trusted network of colleagues or those with similar interests. There needs to be a dimension of trust and dependability of members to get use out of this function. When Group participation starts to become active it does become apparent that information needs to be better aggregated for easier access.

Hurricane Katrina: 5 years later

2010-08-29T10:37:00.000-05:00

Thanks to @jmmeij for sharing! Bicycling into the heart of the flood: A Hurricane Katrina remembrance

Facebook VP cites lots of sociology

2010-08-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Pizza Preacher Returns

2010-08-25T08:31:00.001-05:00

on the heels of Dr. Laura's racist rant:--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

mLearning: Mobile Devices as Research and Teaching Tools

2010-05-25T12:59:00.002-05:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: mLearning: Mobile Devices as Research and Teaching Tools This entire presentation with links (no audio) can be viewed and is available for download as a Google Presentation here: http://bit.ly/bwnbn9 View more from Chad Gesser.

Good Morning New Horizons

2010-05-25T06:15:00.001-05:00

Facebook is everywhere

2010-05-12T08:09:00.001-05:00

Facebook is everywhere--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks | Video on TED.com

2010-05-10T18:42:00.002-05:00

Nicholas Christakis: The hidden influence of social networks | Video on TED.com

Ole Miss flash mob

2010-05-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

another reason why flash mobs are so cool--and--why college is so cool

Hans Rosling's new insights on poverty (from TED 2007)

2010-04-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Perceptions of discrimination

2010-03-10T10:48:00.001-06:00

Some interesting polling data on perceptions of discrimination.http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=943

Durkheim and Anomie � The Social Lens

2010-03-04T09:53:00.003-06:00

Durkheim and Anomie � The Social Lens

Be Afraid…Be VERRYY Afraid…(not) � The Social Lens

2010-03-04T09:53:00.001-06:00

Be Afraid…Be VERRYY Afraid…(not) � The Social Lens

Issues of Health and Health Care Reform � The Social Lens

2010-03-04T09:52:00.001-06:00

Issues of Health and Health Care Reform � The Social Lens

Homosexuality: more than just preference � The Social Lens

2010-03-04T09:51:00.001-06:00

Homosexuality: more than just preference � The Social Lens

McDonaldization and Starbuckization

2010-02-19T10:59:00.000-06:00

Posted McDonaldization and Starbuckization over at the Social Lens.

Who Are You?

2010-02-17T14:08:00.002-06:00

Posted over at the Social Lens blog.

For the Love of...Consumerism

2010-02-17T14:07:00.001-06:00

Posted over at the Social Lens blog.

Facebook and Connection

2010-02-10T15:01:00.000-06:00

Posted Facebook and Connection over at the Social Lens blog.

A Girl Like Me

2010-02-04T16:22:00.000-06:00

Posted A Girl Like Me post over at The Social Lens.

Social Interaction and Technology

2010-02-04T14:44:00.001-06:00

Just made this post over at The Social Lens: Social Interaction and Technology.

State of the Internet Explained In One Giant Infographic [PIC]

2010-02-02T18:30:00.001-06:00

Came across this graph via Twitter today. A good breakout of the demographics of Internet use. State of the Internet Explained In One Giant Infographic [PIC]

Sport and Society

2010-01-29T14:41:00.002-06:00

Just posted over at The Social Lens Sport and Society

Allow me to introduce..the Turtleman

2010-01-26T14:50:00.002-06:00

Just posted this over at the Social Lens.

Language: from coke to Coke

2010-01-22T14:56:00.002-06:00

Just published this blog post over at the Social Lens. http://thesociallens.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/language-from-coke-to-coke/

Symbols: Meaning and Interpretation

2010-01-22T14:09:00.000-06:00

Just completed a blog post over at the Social Lens. http://thesociallens.wordpress.com/2010/01/22/1062/

A Call for Immediate Disaster Response

2010-01-16T09:11:00.002-06:00

The events of the past week in Haiti have been unbelievable. The complete destruction wrought by the earthquake has made an underdeveloped nation rely on far less than nothing. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I watched in agony the incredibly slow response of national and international assistance to a human population in need. Many of us throughout the world are witnessing and reliving the

The Sociology of Avatar

2010-01-15T14:13:00.000-06:00

Just completed a blog post over at the Social Lens. http://thesociallens.wordpress.com/2010/01/15/the-sociology-of-avatar/

Haiti: poverty and disaster

2010-01-14T14:40:00.000-06:00

Just completed a blog post over at the Social Lens.Haiti: poverty and disaster � The Social Lens

A Nation of Hunkered-Down Homebodies - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-01-11T13:40:00.001-06:00

Good take on recent population shifts (or lack thereof) in the US. A Nation of Hunkered-Down Homebodies - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com

Planet Slum

2010-01-03T11:42:00.001-06:00

I came across this very intriguing photo essay entitled "Planet Slum" today via Sociological Images on Twitter, found on the Foreign Policy website. This is reminisicent of the work of Jacob Riis. http://is.gd/5KOFv

New Year, new opportunities

2010-01-02T10:57:00.000-06:00

Greetings with a New Year to colleagues, friends, students, and followers! I was really pleased to look back on 2009 and see that I had indeed increased the amount of blogging for the year. There is no doubt that my Twitter use greatly influenced that change, along with the purchase and robust use of my iPhone. This year, particularly over the course of the next six months, my blogging will

Corporate, retail driven society

2010-01-01T19:09:00.000-06:00

Today is New Year's Day. Christmas was just a week ago.By the way, Happy Valentine's Day!!!--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

How the Internet Enables Intimacy

2009-12-12T19:56:00.000-06:00

An introductory presentation regarding the sociology of social networking and relationships. Just more reason to embrace the possibilities and to not shut it away.

Networked Learners-from the Pew Internet Project

2009-12-12T19:32:00.002-06:00

A look at the demographic profile of digital natives in the U.S. Networked Learners (MVU Keynote)View more presentations from Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Research Center.

Whitening the Resume

2009-12-11T19:39:00.001-06:00

Quite a thought provoking NYT's article about race, identity, and opportunity.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/weekinreview/06Luo.html?_r=1

How do we feed a City?

2009-12-06T10:20:00.001-06:00

Fantastic presentation, illustrating social significance of food, commodity systems, colonialism, growth of cities, and urban development. Might give a little perspective on the role of food in your community. Watch all the way to the end...

Gaming: Fake achievement

2009-11-28T11:34:00.000-06:00

Below is an interesting self analysis of sorts regarding the psychology of achievement in videogaming.This is also interesting as an illustration of Mead's work on the social significance of play and games.http://www.pixelpoppers.com/2009/11/awesome-by-proxy-addicted-to-fake.html--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Free Food inspires

2009-11-18T14:51:00.001-06:00

so Chik Fil A is offering a free meal deal for a year, or something...people are camping out for this?? --at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Interactive Map Showing Immigration Data Since 1880

2009-11-13T22:57:00.002-06:00

Very interesting analysis of changes in immigration over timehttp://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/03/10/us/20090310-immigration-explorer.html

From the New York Times, "Who's Hurting the Most?"

2009-11-11T12:59:00.003-06:00

Fantastic look at the current unemployment rate by demographic category. Some telling numbers.http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/whos-hurting-the-most/

Episode 10: The Pizza Preacher

2009-11-06T16:11:00.002-06:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Social Isolation and New Technology

2009-11-04T18:27:00.002-06:00

The following report contains a reassessment of the role of technology in fostering connections and social networks.Appears the use of technology has exceeded normalization, and is becoming an important aspect of communication and ongoing connection?http://pewresearch.org/pubs/1398/internet-mobile-phones-impact-american-social-networks

Industrial production: Great Depression vs. Great Recession

2009-11-04T17:58:00.002-06:00

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/the-story-so-far-in-one-picture/

False Advertising

2009-10-23T20:02:00.001-05:00

Since when did vehicles "Improve the Environment"? Do they repair the ozone, clean up the rivers, reduce pollution?--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

...another ethnic faux paux?

2009-10-20T21:51:00.004-05:00

I'm proud to announce the debut sociological insight from my brother Nick Gesser, who snapped this pic recently in nearby Jeffersonville, IN. Take a look at the wording at the top of the sign on the left. He told me he did a double take when he saw the sign, and practiced a little bit of mobile documentation himself!http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Episode 9: Pizza Preacher

2009-10-19T21:02:00.002-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Google Wave Review 5

2009-10-14T20:32:00.008-05:00

Making Information via Waves UsefulFirst off, if you are not using Wave or are not familiar with how it works, this post might be difficult to understand.Something I have been wrestling with for several days is making the use and product of Waves useful (see Google Wave Review 4). The labeling and/or tagging what are called blips is important to prevent duplication; and more importantly, to allow

Google Wave Review 4

2009-10-14T20:32:00.005-05:00

Collaborative Tool?I currently use Google Docs, Twitter, Facebook, FriendFeed, Blackboard, and a blog (and other things, believe it or not), and while Wave at this point is very interesting, I could not in this form use it productively with my Sociology students.At current there is just not added value as a collaborative tool beyond what the aforementioned tools provide for me. It is sooooo

Google Wave 3

2009-10-10T10:00:00.003-05:00

FunctionalityA popular theme, as expected, on Google Wave that I've noticed amongst a group of educators is the functionality of Wave.Beyond the fact that it has bugs (slow, locking up), much discussion in the educator section (some found here) is how could Wave be used in the organizational setting.Amongst the ideas: wikis, customer service, advising, and discussion boards.A standard that is

Google Wave Review 2

2009-10-09T20:05:00.001-05:00

Why Collaboration is a sticking pointIt will be very interesting to see what informal and formal situations will guide the use of Google Wave. Given the heightened nature of interaction, how often, and how deep will participants Wave?There's no question that social networking sites as Facebook and Twitter have filled a gap of connection for nearly every cohort, at least in US society. But what

Google Wave Review 1

2009-10-09T19:13:00.005-05:00

Well, I was fortunate enough to get a Google Wave invite last night, and I spent about 4 hours playing around with it.Here are some initial thoughts. After "waving" with three people, what struck me the most was the sense of melding of communication. When in a "wave", you can see what the other person(s) is typing in real time, you can be typing at the same time, and you can enter into another

mLearning: Mobile Devices As Research, Communication, and Teaching Tools

2009-10-08T13:17:00.001-05:00

\mLearning: Mobile Devices As Research, Communication, and Teaching ToolsView more presentations from Chad Gesser.

Episode 8: Pizza Preacher

2009-09-30T17:54:00.001-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

A McDonaldized Landscape

2009-09-23T14:29:00.001-05:00

The original pic can be found with blog post by Stephen Von Whorley here: http://is.gd/3BG4KWhat you are looking at are all McDonald's restaurants plotted in the U.S. The greatest distance between 2 McDonald's is 107 miles in South Dakota. --at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Strangers, Presentation of Self, Private and Public Spaces

2009-09-17T19:54:00.002-05:00

This week in Intro to Soc we have been discussing Georg Simmel's work on Strangers the Sociology of Space.We've also been discussing the tenets of Erving Goffman's Dramaturgical Analysis.I was pleasantly surprised....wait, THRILLED when Ricky Lax sent me an article from the Las Vegas Weekly about a little "experiment" he conducted at the Town Square.Too funny!http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Did You Know 4.0

2009-09-16T14:46:00.002-05:00

Episode 7: Pizza Preacher

2009-09-11T23:51:00.001-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

A Five Year Old Learns the Alphabet

2009-08-24T20:50:00.003-05:00

Discussion in our Introduction to Sociology class today centered around symbols and the social construction of language.What you see below is the effort of a five year old kindergartener concentrating diligently on constructing her letters. Not too far to follow is linking these symbols to construct words. Understanding their meaning will begin to occur over the next few months as well.--at

Global Military Spending

2009-08-08T13:57:00.000-05:00

Found at the Visual Economics website: http://is.gd/28cdS --at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Episode 6: Pizza Preacher

2009-08-07T09:42:00.001-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Cumberland Presbyterian Church: really..really?

2009-07-22T17:28:00.002-05:00

In my hometown, religious sayings and "inspirational quotes" are quite the norm. But this? Does this overstep the boundaries of acceptable denominational messages?--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Episode 5: Pizza Preacher

2009-07-21T07:44:00.002-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Episode 4: Pizza Preacher

2009-07-21T07:43:00.003-05:00

--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Community College focus? Finally!?

2009-07-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

Obama's community college proposal frankly is good public policy. #DavidBrooks outlines why and it's potential. http://is.gd/1Dleh--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

College achievement

2009-07-18T10:20:00.001-05:00

Data piece: 50% of those entering college for a degree don't make it.--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Teen Technologies July15 2009

2009-07-15T13:39:00.001-05:00

Teen Technologies presentation, July 15, 2009Teen Technologies July15 2009View more presentations from Chad Gesser.

Education gap: not much change

2009-07-15T08:52:00.001-05:00

Education achievement gap narrowing in South, growing in North.Implications of group identity? Instiutional effects? http://is.gd/1zIsJ--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

"2009 or 1909?"

2009-07-15T08:49:00.001-05:00

A good look with some sociological examination of discrimination at the private pool in Philly http://is.gd/1zJ6V--at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Some success with ocal greening efforts

2009-07-11T08:28:00.001-05:00

In the article below, local officials highlight successful efforts at cost savings and reduction in the use of energy.City government signed on to a "Cool Cities" initiative, already meeting the Kyoto Protocol standards.While recycling efforts continue to be stonewalled and minimal, it is encouraging to see these efforts and progress.http://m.apnews.com/ap/db_15980/contentdetail.htm?

Smartphones, Social Media, and Sociological Research

2009-07-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

Social media is obviously changing the landscape of the production of information in our world.What has not been discussed much in the sociology is the role that information technology, particularly mobile technology, can and will play in sociological research.I have experimented with the use of smart phones in my personal and professional life substantially over the past six months. I started

How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck

2009-07-10T19:46:00.002-05:00

How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their PaycheckTalk about timely! This better highlights the exercise we did in class regarding a basic needs budget.Shared via AddThis

Social Networking and Connection

2009-07-10T13:51:00.002-05:00

Came across this article today, and was quite intrigued by the suggestion of division of social networking tool use based on social class and possibly race.Does Social Networking Breed Social Division? - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com

Facebook Aging

2009-07-07T08:04:00.002-05:00

Facebook Users Are Getting Older. Much Older. - http://bit.ly/X7RYq --at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Episode 3: Pizza Preacher

2009-07-06T20:58:00.002-05:00

at http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Krugman on Malthus

2009-07-06T08:41:00.002-05:00

#Krugman on Malthus: goes wayyyyy ol' school with reflections on population growth, technology, and subsistence http://is.gd/1oNR5

Race, politics, and pop culture

2009-07-05T07:39:00.000-05:00

Data presented from a CNN Opinion Research poll highlights the connection between race, politics, and popular culture. What other factors can account for the marked differences?

Jobless Rate at historical high

2009-07-02T08:56:00.002-05:00

Bad news about this data is that we are near historical jobless rates. The trend from previous downturns suggests that we are near the bottom, and perhaps a turnaround is not too far off....pulled from The Daily Dish, Chart of the Day, Andrew Sullivan: July 2, 2009--Via mobile bloggin'

Episode 2: Pizza Preacher

2009-07-01T21:49:00.002-05:00

Episode 2 of the Pizza Preacher --Via mobile bloggin'

The Wal-Mart Virus

2009-06-30T21:12:00.002-05:00

This video was brought to my attention by a current soc student.These are always interesting, but keep in mind we always have to question the reliability and validity of the information.How would we verify the accuracy of the video?Thanks WL!!

Gay Rights vigil

2009-06-28T22:01:00.002-05:00

This evening I saw the Voices for Equality group (gay rights) holding a peaceful candlelight vigil in front of KWC.--Via mobile bloggin'

Sociology of Twitter

2009-06-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

The Sociology of Twitter, Video Interview with Liz Pullen from ReadWriteWeb on Vimeo.

Sociology of collective behavior: Iran crisis

2009-06-22T10:41:00.001-05:00

The following link provides an excellent early assesment into the sociology of group formationsIran Election Crisis: A Social Media Timeline http://bit.ly/NXSPI"

Do Facebook Friends Provide the Same Support As Those In Real Life?

2009-06-15T14:59:00.002-05:00

This article recently appeared in Newsweek. This speaks to the impact of virtual community and personal well being."Do Facebook Friends Provide the Same Support As Those In Real Life?"http://bit.ly/1ag4Dg - More info: http://bit.ly/1ag4Dg+

Sociological Images » “Rules and Regulations for Public Dance Halls”

2009-06-14T11:39:00.002-05:00

Found this on one of the Contexts' blogs.Stay tuned for a related upcoming assignment!!http://contexts.org/socimages/2009/06/11/rules-and-regulations-for-public-dance-halls/Sent from my iPhone

Twitter use better defined

2009-06-10T08:12:00.002-05:00

The analysis of Twitter gets better defined as the media and general public seeks to better understand the depth and impact of the "Twitter phenomena".On the news, talkshows, and all across the media, defining the use and purpose of Twitter continues to be inaccurate and largely misunderstood.What is Twitter for?http://mashable.com/2009/06/10/twitter-users-inactive/Sent from my iPhone

Near naked yard work

2009-06-09T23:48:00.002-05:00

...so I'm pretty aware of my surroundings, and not a lot surprises me...But seeing this guy a few blocks from my house today, mowing his grass in briefs (underwear), was something of a surprise. --Via mobile bloggin'

McWordsmiths

2009-06-07T11:45:00.002-05:00

I just wonder how long it took to derive this elegant phrase found on the box of a Big Mac; AND how much the creator got paid?See any other elegant food phrases that provide the aesthetics to make the food go down easier and to take your thoughts from the potential for heart disease? Snap a shot with a caption and send it to me to post: chad.gesser@gmail.com

Champagne Glass Distribution of Wealth

2009-05-27T18:38:00.004-05:00

...found from the Graphic Sociology Blog at Contexts.orgAnother good visual of global distribution of incomeConley, D. (2008) You may ask yourself: An introduction to thinking like a sociologist. New York: W.W. Norton and Company. p.392.

Social connection and the formation of virtual identity

2009-05-26T07:36:00.001-05:00

The New Socialism: Global Collectivist Society Is Coming Onlinehttp://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/17-06/nep_newsocialismReading: interesting article on the emergence of social order online.

To reprieve or not to reprieve? To Reprieve!!!

2009-05-25T17:29:00.001-05:00

Greetings bloggees, students, friends, and fellow humans.Been taking a much need break, and am feeling so much better for it.Got several items on the agenda in the coming weeks. Looking to try some new things with two summer classes which begin Jume 10th.Also been staying in tune with national and international news and trends. Stay tuned for more posts, likely to pick up in a couple of weeks.-

This Blog tag/word cloud

2009-05-07T09:00:00.002-05:00

This is a word cloud created from all the words appearing in this blog. This was created at Wordle. Very cool.

Obesity and the Fastness of Food

2009-05-06T19:18:00.002-05:00

Obesity and the Fastness of Food - Economix Blog - NYTimes.comAn interesting graph of time spent eating per day vs. the national obesity rate.What factors might explain the vast discrepancy in time and obesity rate between the U.S. and say, France?

Hans Rosling on Global Development

2009-04-28T16:01:00.000-05:00

Came across this video presentation today, and totally geeked out! This is another look at the issues of global development, population, and health that most classes have been examining at the end of this semester. Very interesting look!

Centraal Station Antwerpen gaat uit zijn dak!

2009-04-23T14:44:00.001-05:00

This video was sent to me by student John Dixon. This highlights items similar to contagion theory and collective behavior.A similar phenomenon to this video here is called "flash mobs". Read a bit from wikipedia here.A highly popular flash mob can be seen here, and here.Interesting stuff!

Happy Earth Day?

2009-04-22T14:25:00.001-05:00

Shopping Our Way to Safety: Sociology professor Andrew Szasz says 'buying green' may be lulling consumers into a false sense of securityA good article citing Sociologist Andrew Szasz regarding 'buying green' and false sense of security.Bottom line: if we are to sincerely address environmental issues, we have got to focus on large scale infrastructure change. Recycling cans and going green is not

When Did Your County's Jobs Disappear?

2009-04-22T11:08:00.001-05:00

An interactive map of vanishing employment across the country. - By Chris Wilson - Slate MagazineThis is an awesome interactive map. There is so much information to be discerned regarding job gain/loss over time, by county across the United States.