Alle afleveringen van Give Theory A Chance

katie gaddini on the christian women of the american right

15 juli 2026 · 49 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Katie Gaddini, who is currently a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and an Associate Professor of Sociology at University College London (UCL). Katie is also a great example of public sociology. She is the co-host of Blessed & Stressed: Religion & Politics Across the Pond podcast, which […] Lees meer

Sociological Life Lessons featuring Christopher Conner

3 februari 2026 · 44 min

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In this episode we are joined by Chris Conner, Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Missouri-Columbia. Chris discusses his research on the electronic music scene and gay dating apps and life lessons that can be taken from the respective projects. *This conversation is part of the Spring 2026 Sociological Life Lessons class led by […] Lees meer

Christopher R. Matthews on methods, theory, Simone Weil, and more

21 november 2025 · 1 uur 19 min

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In this episode we are joined once again by Dr. Christopher R. Matthews from the School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University. In this wide-ranging conversation Christopher discusses the co-production of knowledge, radical honesty in the methods section, finding inspiration in the work of Simone Weil , and conceiving of research as sacred. Lees meer

Alicia Walker and Arielle Kuperberg on Lessons from BDSM

10 oktober 2025 · 42 min

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In this episode we are joined by Alicia M. Walker, Associate Professor of Sociology at Missouri State and Arielle Kuperberg, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Alicia and Arielle discuss their co-authored book Bound by BDSM: Unexpected Lessons in Building a Happier Life, reflect on some of the methodological and […] Lees meer

Stefano Bloch on thinking about crime

15 september 2025 · 43 min

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In this episode we are joined by Stefano Bloch, Associate Professor in the School of Geography & Development at the University of Arizona and author of Going All City: Struggle and Survival in LA’s Graffiti Subculture. Stefano discusses and shares some lessons from his recently published article “Crime as Relational Concept in Political Geography”. Lees meer

Daniel Chambliss shares lessons from the Mundanity of Excellence

23 juli 2025 · 30 min

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Daniel Chambliss joins us to discuss The Mundanity of Excellence: An Ethnographic Report on the Stratification of Swimmers, first published in Sociological Theory in 1989. This episode is the debut of a new format in which guests share life lessons that can be taken from their favorite social theory, or in this case, their own […] Lees meer

Seth Abrutyn reads Daniel Chambliss

20 juni 2025 · 53 min

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In this episode, Dr. Seth Abrutyn, Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia, co-author of Life under Pressure: The Social Roots of Youth Suicide and What to Do About Them, and 2024 winner of the Lewis A. Coser Award for Theoretical Agenda Setting returns to the podcast to discuss Daniel Chambliss’s “The Mundanity of […] Lees meer

Rahsaan Mahadeo on Denise Ferreira da Silva

18 juni 2025 · 1 uur 9 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Rahsaan Mahadeo, Assistant Professor in African American and African Studies at the University of Minnesota and author of Funk the Clock: Transgressing Time While Young, Perceptive, and Black. In our conversation, Rahsaan introduces us to the ideas of Denise Ferreira da Silva and helps us understand the […] Lees meer

Jon Wynn on writing fiction

10 mei 2025 · 40 min

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In this episode we are joined by Jonathan Wynn, Professor of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Jon joins us to discuss The Set Up, his debut work of fiction that both thrills and educates. Jon shares his experience writing a work of fiction, reflects on how theorists including W.E.B. Du Bois and Erving Goffman […] Lees meer

Daniel Silver on Talcott Parsons

21 maart 2025 · 1 uur 30 min

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In this episode, Dr. Daniel Silver, Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and author of Scenescapes: how qualities of place shape social life (2020), joins us to discuss and read from Talcott Parsons’ On Institutions and Social Evolution, edited by Leon H. Mayhew. In our conversation, Dan helps me understand the logic […] Lees meer

Neil McLaughlin on Erich Fromm

16 januari 2025 · 46 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Neil McLaughlin, Professor of Sociology at McMaster University and author of Erich Fromm and the Global Public Sociology (2023). In our conversation, Neil discusses the rise, fall, and potential resurgence of the writings of Erich Fromm. Neil reflects on the value of Fromm’s work in this current political […] Lees meer

Daniel Silver reads Georg Simmel

17 november 2024 · 1 uur 19 min

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In this episode, Dr. Daniel Silver, Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and author of Scenescapes: how qualities of place shape social life (2020), joins us to discuss and read from Georg Simmel’s Sociology: Inquiries into the Construction of Social Forms (first published in 1908). Be sure to check out Dan’s co-authored […] Lees meer

Andrea S. Boyles reads Patricia Hill Collins

13 september 2024 · 1 uur 15 min

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In this episode, guest hosted by Jabez Turner, Dr. Andrea S. Boyles, Associate Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies at Tulane University joins us to read from Patricia Hill Collins’ Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment (1990). In addition, Dr. Boyles also reflects on the impact the work has had on […] Lees meer

William Turner on W.E.B. Du Bois

18 augustus 2024 · 52 min

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In this episode, Jabez Turner interviews Dr. William Turner, Assistant Professor of African & African-American Studies at SUNY Brockport, about W.E.B. Du Bois. Dr. Turner reflects on the importance of Du Bois in his own intellectual development, discusses the marginalization of Du Bois within sociology, and explains how the rigor and depth of Du Bois’s […] Lees meer

Christine Goding-Doty reads Aimé Césaire

15 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 31 min

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Dr. Christine Goding-Doty, Assistant Professor in Digital Media in the department of Culture and Media at the New School, introduces us to Aimé Césaire and reads from his foundational essay “Discourse on Colonialism” (1950). Follow along HERE. -Kyle-

Amanda McMillan Lequieu on Yi-Fu Tuan

14 augustus 2024 · 44 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amanda McMillan Lequieu, Associate Professor of Sociology at Drexel University and author of Who We Are Is Where We Are: Making home in the American Rust Belt (2024). Amanda returns to the podcast to discuss foundational humanistic geographer Yi-Fu Tuan and his influence on her own research and […] Lees meer

Daniel Silver reads Adam Smith

10 augustus 2024 · 56 min

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In this episode, Dr. Daniel Silver, Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Scarborough and author of Scenescapes: how qualities of place shape social life (2020), joins us to discuss Adam Smith’s An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). Lees meer

Mary Peterson reads Iris Marion Young

8 augustus 2024 · 1 uur 18 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Mary Peterson, PhD student in philosophy at the University of Hamburg. Mary joins us for a guided reading of Iris Marion Young’s 1980 essay “Throwing like a Girl: A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment Motility and Spatiality.” Mary helps us understand Young’s contribution to understanding the embodied experience […] Lees meer

Jacqui Frost on Max Weber

21 mei 2024 · 32 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jacqui Frost, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Purdue University and Faculty Research Fellow in the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University and a Center Affiliate in the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at University of Notre Dame. In our conversation, Jacqui discusses […] Lees meer

Hannah McCann on Judith Butler

25 maart 2024 · 49 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Hannah McCann, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne, author of Queering Femininity: Sexuality, Feminism and the Politics of Presentation, and co-author of Queer Theory Now (which we discussed on an earlier episode of the podcast). In our conversation, Hannah introduces us to the […] Lees meer

Ugo Corte on Gary Alan Fine

13 maart 2024

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In this episode we are joined by Ugo Corte, Professor of Sociology at the University of Stavanger, author of Dangerous Fun: The Social Lives of Big Wave Surfers (2022 University of Chicago Press), and winner of the 2023 Charles Horton Cooley Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction.Ugo introduces us to the […] Lees meer

Kelly Underman reads Lauren Berlant

15 juni 2023

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In this episode, Dr. Kelly Underman, Associate Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of Feeling Medicine: How the Pelvic Exam Shapes Medical Training (2020), joins us to read from the first chapter of Lauren Berlant’s Cruel Optimism (2011). Follow along HERE. -Kyle- Lees meer

Kelly Underman on Lauren Berlant

15 juni 2023

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kelly Underman, Associate Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of Feeling Medicine: How the Pelvic Exam Shapes Medical Training (2020). In our conversation, Kelly introduces us to the work of Lauren Berlant, reflects on her experience finding their work as a graduate […] Lees meer

Amanda McMillan Lequieu reads Kai Erikson

25 augustus 2022 · 55 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amanda McMillan Lequieu, Assistant Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming book Who we are is where we are: Making home in the American Rust Belt. Amanda joins us to discuss Kai Erikson’s Everything in its Path: Destruction of Community […] Lees meer

Andrew McCumber reads Raymond Williams

25 augustus 2022 · 30 min

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In this episode, Dr. Andrew McCumber joins us to discuss Raymond Williams’s ‘Ideas of Nature’ from Problems in Materialism and Culture (1980). Andy introduces us to Willams’s overview of our changing understanding of nature and the natural and why it matters. Andy also discusses the influence of the essay on his dissertation research and current book […] Lees meer

Christopher Matthews on Nick Crossley

2 november 2021 · 58 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Christopher R. Matthews; a social scientist and epistemologist who specializes in the use of immersive research to understand ideas, people and society. Chris is the author of Doing Immersive Research Vol.1: Using Social Science to Understand the Human World and runs an impressive website with hours of […] Lees meer

Christopher Matthews reads Nick Crossley

1 november 2021 · 58 min

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In this companion episode, Dr. Christopher R. Matthews walks us through a series of excerpts from Nick Crossley’s Intersubjectivity: The Fabric of Social Becoming (1996). Chris also provides us with screenshots of his own copy of the book so we can follow along with the text and see Chris’s approach to reading theory. Lees meer

Matthew Clair on W. E. B. Du Bois

7 oktober 2021 · 42 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Matthew Clair, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Law at Stanford University. In our conversation, Matt introduces us to the work of W. E. B. Du Bois, discusses how Du Bois is one of the rare scholars who transcends sociology and the academy, and helps us understand how […] Lees meer

Michael DeLand reads Herbert Blumer

18 september 2021 · 30 min

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In this episode, Dr. Michael DeLand, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Gonzaga University, joins us to read from Herbert Blumer’s article ‘Sociological Implications of the Thought of George Herbert Mead’ (1966). Mike walks us through Blumer’s reading of Mead and discusses how the article offers a starting point to understand social construction […] Lees meer

Michael DeLand on Herbert Blumer

18 september 2021 · 30 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Michael DeLand, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Gonzaga University. In our conversation, Mike introduces us to the work of Herbert Blumer and discusses how Blumer’s process-oriented theorizing of interaction and sense-making provide methodological inspiration and how Blumer’s critiques of more distant and structural ways of studying social […] Lees meer

Jennifer McClearen on Herman Gray

11 juni 2021 · 26 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Jennifer McClearen, Assistant Professor of Sports, Media, and Culture in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the recently published Fighting Visibility: Sports Media and Female Athletes in the UFC. Jennifer introduces us to the work of Herman Gray and […] Lees meer

Elizaveta Lepikhova on Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann

11 juni 2021 · 43 min

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In this episode Elizaveta Lepikhova, a second year MA student, teaching assistant, and supplemental instructor of sociology at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, discusses the work of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. Elizaveta discusses their contributions to the sociology of everyday life, introduces her schema of explaining their ideas (see here), and reflects on first reading the […] Lees meer

Jonathan Wynn on Erving Goffman

19 februari 2021 · 34 min

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In this episode we are joined by Jonathan Wynn, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of Music/City: American Festivals and Placemaking in Austin, Nashville, and Amherst. Jon introduces us to Erving Goffman, reflects on Goffman’s intellectual location and influence within the discipline, and discusses how his […] Lees meer

Fabio Rojas on Theory for the Working Sociologist

6 februari 2021 · 52 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Fabio Rojas, professor of sociology at Indiana University Bloomington and author of Theory for the Working Sociologist (2017). Fabio introduces his approach to teaching sociological theory, discusses the four theoretical moves made within the discipline, and argues against the common practice of having students engage in lengthy readings of […] Lees meer

Alex Channon on Stephen Lyng and Edgework

21 januari 2021 · 41 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr Alex Channon, Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport and Service Management at the University of Brighton. Alex introduces us to Stephen Lyng and his theorization of edgework. Alex illustrates the value of the concept through discussing his research on sport, violence, and interactions in the martial arts […] Lees meer

Jocelyn Viterna on Teaching Our Ugly Roots

18 januari 2021 · 30 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jocelyn Viterna, Professor of Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard University. Jocelyn introduces her approach to teaching sociological theory in a way that is honest about our intellectual roots and engages with the centrality of social evolutionary thought and racist ideology in early disciplinary writings. […] Lees meer

Anna Goulding on Elinor Ostrom

7 januari 2021 · 19 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr Anna Goulding, Senior Research Associate at Newcastle University, UK, and a scholar of art, identity, aging, and community. Anna introduces us to Elinor Ostrom, her theorization of co-production, and potential of the term to be weakened through popularization and misapplication. Anna illustrates the methodological value and challenges of […] Lees meer

Shai Dromi reads Luc Boltanski

6 januari 2021 · 33 min

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In this episode, Dr. Shai Dromi, a lecturer of Sociology at Harvard University and author of Above the Fray: The Red Cross and the Making of the Humanitarian NGO Sector (2020), joins us to read from Luc Boltanski’s co-authored article ‘The Sociology of Critical Capacity‘ (1999). Shai introduces us to Boltanski and Thévenot’s analysis of […] Lees meer

Shai Dromi on Luc Boltanski

29 december 2020 · 27 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Shai Dromi, a lecturer of Sociology at Harvard University and author of the recently published Above the Fray: The Red Cross and the Making of the Humanitarian NGO Sector (2020). In our conversation, Shai introduces us to the work of Luc Boltanski and discusses how he found […] Lees meer

Jeff Guhin on Charles Taylor

12 december 2020 · 34 min

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In this episode we are joined by Jeff Guhin, an assistant professor of sociology at UCLA, and author of the recently published Agents of God: Boundaries and Authority in Muslim and Christian Schools. Jeff discusses the inspiration he finds in the works of Charles Taylor, reflects on the value and challenges of reading philosophy as […] Lees meer

Tina Sikka reads Helen Longino

11 december 2020 · 37 min

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In this episode, Dr. Tina Sikka, a Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Newcastle University and author of Climate Technology, Gender, and Justice, joins us to read from Helen Longino‘s ‘Can There Be A Feminist Science’ (1987). Tina introduces us to Longino’s central question about what makes a science feminist, guides us through Longino’s rejection of […] Lees meer

Neil Gong on Norbert Elias

8 december 2020 · 32 min

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In this episode we are joined by Neil Gong. Neil is an assistant professor of sociology at UC San Diego, a member of the Michigan Society of Fellows, and winner of the 2020 American Sociological Association’s Junior Theorist of the Year award. In our conversation, Neil introduces the work of Norbert Elias, reflects on both […] Lees meer

Hannah McCann reads Sara Ahmed

14 augustus 2020 · 39 min

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In this episode, Dr. Hannah McCann, a Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne and author of Queer Theory Now, joins us to read from Sara Ahmed‘s ‘Killing Joy: Feminism and the History of Happiness’ (2010). Hannah introduces us to Ahmed’s re-reading and re-conceptualization of happiness, guides us through Ahmed’s use of etymology […] Lees meer

Anas Karzai on Friedrich Nietzsche

7 augustus 2020 · 30 min

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In this episode we are joined by Anas Karzai, lecturer in the Department of Sociology and coordinator of the criminology program at Laurentian University. Anas joins us to speak about the subject of his book Nietzsche and Sociology: Prophet of Affirmation. We discuss why Friedrich Nietzsche has not received the attention he deserves within sociology, […] Lees meer

Shamus Khan reads Thomas Hobbes

6 augustus 2020 · 36 min

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In this episode, Dr. Shamus Khan joins us to read from Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiasticall and Civil, the 1651 Thomas Hobbes classic work of social theory. Shamus shares his advice on reading theory fast, helps us understand how Hobbes conceptualized social contract theory and the relationship between violence and […] Lees meer

Shamus Khan on Teaching the Canon

16 juli 2020 · 24 min

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In this episode, we are joined by Shamus Khan, professor in and chair of the sociology department at Columbia University. Shamus discusses his approach to teaching the sociological canon, the importance of focusing on moments of racist and colonial discourse as central to, rather than in spite of, the core theories, and the value of […] Lees meer

Saida Grundy on W.E.B. Du Bois

14 juli 2020 · 1 uur 4 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Saida Grundy, Assistant Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming book Manhood Within the Margins: Promise, Peril and Paradox at the Historically Black College for Men. In our wide-ranging conversation, Saida discusses how the 1899 Du Bois classic, The Philadelphia Negro, […] Lees meer

Hannah McCann and Whitney Monaghan on Queer Theory

9 juli 2020 · 28 min

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Our guests today are Hannah McCann, a Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne and Whitney Monaghan, an Assistant Lecturer in Film and Screen Studies at Monash University. Hannah and Whitney are co-authors of the recently published textbook Queer Theory Now. In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the challenge of defining queer theory, […] Lees meer

Angela Jones reads W.E.B. Du Bois

20 juni 2020 · 25 min

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In this episode, Dr. Angela Jones joins us to read from The Souls of Black Folk, the 1903 W.E.B Du Bois classic work of social theory. This is the first of a new type of Give Theory a Chance podcast where contemporary social theorists introduce us to the specific passages that inspired them and help […] Lees meer

Angela Jones on W.E.B. Du Bois

20 juni 2020 · 20 min

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In this episode we are joined by Dr. Angela Jones, Associate Professor of Sociology at Farmingdale State College, State University of New York and author of the recently published book Camming: Money, Power, and Pleasure in the Sex Work Industry. Angela discusses the importance of recognizing W.E.B. Du Bois as a founder of the discipline, […] Lees meer