The Global Sociology Blog

This story is a good illustration of C. Wright Mills’s formulation of personal troubles and public issues, with a reminiscently Durkheimian case of suicides: Why are so many France Telecom workers dying? – Europe, World – The Independent via kwout So, most of the FT workers started their careers when promises were made to them [...]

I look forward to reading this (is there anyone of more important stature than Luc Boltanski in French sociology, these days?): Center on Organizational Innovation via kwout And this is what sociologist Roland Pfefferkorn thinks of the book: La sociologie, entre savoir et critique – l’Humanite via kwout

ROTTEN TOMATOES: Worst of the Worst 2009 via kwout

Well done, Madame Secretary!

H/T Pierre Maura: Camille Peugny: Camille Peugny via kwout

In three easy steps. First, acknowledge what scholars of globalization have known for a while now, that the global era is marked by multi-polar power structures, marked by the declining star of the American economy and currency: US dollar set to be eclipsed, World Bank president predicts | Business | guardian.co.uk via kwout Again, Zoellick [...]

Look, no one should be surprised to find the same vile stuff on the various social media platforms as we do in real life and on the Internet. racismreview.com via kwout And the big utopian discourse over social media should already be sources of mockery, in a manner comparable to pronouncements like “the end of [...]

One consequence of California park cutbacks: soaring crime | McClatchy via kwout Maybe that’s the whole point: let the parks deteriorate so badly and be major crime sites that the public will hate them and then the State can sell them to some developer in the name of budgetary constraints and public safety.

Via Sociological Images, this great interactive graph tells us which company contributed what to which party. Democratic Republican GoodGuide.com political contribution data for over 100 companies View data for other companies at GoodGuide.com

Via Susie, Ten Dollars an Hour from Ben Guest on Vimeo. This is a great video to use if you teach introduction to sociology. The class, racial and gender dynamics are unmistakable (“she’s eager to please!”… well duh, if you make attitude a condition to continued employment, yes, the lowest paid employees are the ones [...]

Everyone and their brother has already posted this, but just in case some of you missed it: Where The Buffalo Roamed « Weather Sealed via kwout Click on the link for a bigger image. I wish they had a world map of that too.

Kenya’s slums attract poverty tourism | World news | The Guardian via kwout When I was in Kenya last Spring, my guide took me to Kibera, at my request, but I did not take photos. I did take photos of Lusaka Kanyama Area when I was visiting with an NGO through which I sponsor kids. [...]

It’s today! World Contraception Day via kwout For a world where every pregnancy is wanted. As this Nouvel Observateur article notes, many new options have been introduced this year: 3rd generation pill, estrogen-based pills, new emergency oral contraception. 3e Journée mondiale de la contraception, Société – Information NouvelObs.com via kwout So, there is more research [...]

H/T Pierre Maura, Le Monde has a very interesting article regarding the trajectory of diffusion of baseball around the world and the national social contexts that made baseball attractive (or unattractive) outside of the United States. The article is based on an interview with Peter Marquis who just completed a thesis on the subject. Jouer [...]

Usually, when HIV-related stuff comes out, I always wait for Elizabeth Pisani to weigh in and usually rain on everyone’s parade! She did not fail me this time either. There is an important point there though: HIV vaccines: the ecstasy and the agony | HIV / AIDS, science, sex, drugs via kwout These different sub-types [...]