Episode 8: Pizza Preacher

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

A McDonaldized Landscape

The original pic can be found with blog post by Stephen Von Whorley here: http://is.gd/3BG4K

What 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

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

Episode 7: Pizza Preacher

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

A Five Year Old Learns the Alphabet

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 http://thesociologyblog.blogspot.com

Global Military Spending

Found at the Visual Economics website: http://is.gd/28cdS






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

Episode 6: Pizza Preacher

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

Cumberland Presbyterian Church: really..really?

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

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

Episode 4: Pizza Preacher

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

Community College focus? Finally!?

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

Data piece: 50% of those entering college for a degree don't make it.

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

Teen Technologies July15 2009

Teen Technologies presentation, July 15, 2009

Teen Technologies July15 2009

View more presentations from Chad Gesser.

Education gap: not much change

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?"

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

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?contentguid=7RE8H4pw

Smartphones, Social Media, and Sociological Research

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 out with the LG Vu and then upgraded to the iPhone 3G. What I will discuss below can largely be applied to current smart phones on the market (obviously combined with the appropriate data plan) that allow the following:

* the function to take photos
* the ability to text message (SMS)
* the ability to record audio and/or video

The sharing of such information/or research depends on the user's capacity to upload that information to be shared with others. A smart phone along with a the proper data plan can unleash the sociological imagination in anyone's world.

I particularly have used images and texts across a number of platforms, and have integrated nearly all of these platforms to be accessible at any one point. For example, I currently actively use The Sociology Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Del.icio.us, and YouTube. At the same time, I have each of these linked to the other through a Netvibes website.

The real beauty of using the smart phone for exploratory sociological research and the cross platform of sharing information is the role the smart phone can play in the daily living of the researcher, student, or simply out of freelance interest.

There have been several examples where I have been able to bring a current, real time experience to bear via the social networking/media sites mentioned above. These in turn have been brought into the classroom and have given students a very real connection of applying the sociological imagination in real life, providing an example of using mobile technology for research, sharing that information across many channels and amongst many potential audiences, and reflecting with others (in and outside the classroom) regarding individual/group behavior and it's particular role in the social setting.

How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck

How The Average U.S. Consumer Spends Their Paycheck

Talk about timely! This better highlights the exercise we did in class regarding a basic needs budget.

Shared via AddThis

Social Networking and Connection

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