Wonderful discussion of the social changes to portrait photography. The artists discuss how portraits were once only done of wealthy and distinguished people, implying that it began as a class exercise. It has more recently developed into an art form … Continue reading Social Changes to Portrait Photograhy
Comical look at the classificatory kinship system in Chinese families (from a young Chinese American perspective). A nice illustration of how culture influences the social organisation of the family. Continue reading Kinship in Chinese Families
Quick visual sociology of crowds, class, and cultural capital. Continue reading Sociology of a Crowd
Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke speaks about film censorship in China at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Continue reading Film Censorship in China
The New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled that people do not have to be officially registered as male or female, after Sydney activist ‘Norrie’ (below) contested this law. The judges panel ruled “as a matter of construction … the word sex does not bear a binary meaning of ‘male’ or ‘female.’” This means that transgender, intersex and other queer-identified Australians are no longer forced to fit themselves into a narrow gender binary.
Continue reading “NSW Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages vs Norrie”
Australian social psychologist Hugh Mackay‘s new book The Good Life critiques the “outbreak” of positivity as a consumer industry. I share with you Mackay’s interview with Radio National as an example of public social science.
Continue reading “Critique of ‘The Happiness Industry’”
Here is a good article on the historical and social influences on technology adoption. Science Professor Bernard Carlson, (University of Virginia, USA) tells engineering students: “they are going to produce sociotechnical systems,“ meaning they need to understand how people “interact with technology.”
Continue reading “Sociology of Technology”
“My mother’s feminism was the truest form of feminism for me; a belief in the potential upward mobility of all women.” Continue reading Gender Politics
Our brains try to save effort by drawing quick conclusions. These associations are sometimes useful, but often wrong. Learn more about system 1 thinking (quick or seemingly automatic mental effort) and system 2 thinking (slow and analytical thinking). Continue reading Fast and Slow Thinking
Social psychologist Efrat Tseëlon is interested in feminist readings of fashion and culture. Tseëlon argues that while the English dictionary might define the practice of wearing masks and disguise as an attempt to conceal and misrepresent, masquerade is something different. Masquerade is not about portraying something false, but rather it is a way to understand the intricacies of identity. Masquerade draws its meaning through historical context, as the way in which we present our ideal selves in public changes over time.
Continue reading “Social Science of Masquerade”
Social Science Insights 