Social Changes to Portrait Photograhy
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
Work to live or live to work? Social science shows what employees want
Studies show that most employees are unhappy with the way they’re under-utilised at work and with the break down of trust in their organisations. Many workers feel their employers lack integrity. With an ageing workforce on the rise, people feel increasingly pressured to delay their retirement.
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Impact of Aged Care and Social Policy on Families
CNN reports that in response to the neglect of elderly family members, the Chinese government amended The “Law of Protection of Rights and Interests of the Aged” in December. The new legislation addressed cases of neglect of elderly parents, such as one reported case where an elderly family member was kept in a pigsty. This is an interesting case that I will explore in comparison to the management of aged care in various societies, including China, Sweden, Japan, the UK and Australia.
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Sociology of Culture
Sociology defines culture as something we do (social practices). It involves using things such as dress and food to communicate our social belonging to particular groups, as well as using other physical resources (materials).
Continue reading “Sociology of Culture”Kinship in Chinese Families
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
Sociology of a Crowd
Tides of people follow social norms of respectful admiration after La Sylphide ballet performance at the Arts Centre Melbourne Australia. There are certain times during a ballet when you’re supposed to clap and not necessarily after a long pause in … Continue reading Sociology of a Crowd
Film Censorship in China
Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke speaks about film censorship in China at the Melbourne International Film Festival. Speaking in his native Chinese language here Zhang-ke says his thought-provoking film, A Touch of Sin, made its debut in Cannes in May and … Continue reading Film Censorship in China
NSW Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages vs Norrie
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.
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Critique of ‘The Happiness Industry’
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’”Sociology of technology
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.”
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Social Science Insights 