SOC 214 – Reproductive Politics: The Body as a Site of Political Struggle

Abstract:

In this episode, the team tackles one of the most sensitive topics within current social discussions – reproductive politics. Using Rickie Solinger’s seminal book Reproductive Politics, we discuss how the women’s bodies have become a site of public political struggle, thereby, determining the level of personal autonomy and privacy available to women. We highlight an aspect of Solinger’s work on fetal personhood, and how the rights of the fetus have been constructed, in some ways, in conflict with the mother’s rights.

*NOTE: This episode was recorded last year in 2018 (hence, the breakdowns are old), but we did not want to release it until we had covered the umbrella topics around reproductive politics. For a primer on episodes to listen to before this episode, check out the following:

  1. SOC109 – Illness & Morality: A Look at Medical Sociology
  2. SOC126-Medicalizing Behavior: Common or “Abnormal”?
  3. SOC204 – The Spectrum: An Introduction to Sex and Gender
  4. SOC205 – The Matrices of Oppression: An Introduction to Intersectionality
  5. SOC 213 – Doulas and Midwives and Women’s Health, Oh My!
Keywords:

Reproductive politics, fetal personhood, autonomy, sex, gender

Sources:

  1. Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know by Rickie Solinger (2013)
  2. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity by Judith Butler (2015)
  3. The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity by Michael Marmot (2005)
  4. Breastfeeding in public is finally legal in all 50 US states
  5. Roe v. Wade: The Constitutional Right to Access Safe, Legal Abortion
  6. Does the GOP tax bill introduce anti-abortion ‘fetal personhood’ legislation?
  7. Abortion after the first trimester
  8. Induced Abortion in the United States
  9. Trump just basically said he’s anti-childbirth
  10. The Criminalization of Bad Mothers (New York Times)
  11. State Laws on Fetal Homicide and Penalty-Enhancement for Crimes Against Pregnant Women
  12. Unborn Victims of Violence Act
  13. Woman whose rapist was granted joint custody of child speaks out
  14. How can US rapist win joint custody of victim’s child?
  15. Ronald Reagan, The Silent Scream and the Slow Rise of Fetal Pain
  16. Abortion in the US: Five Key Facts
  17. Characteristics of U.S. Abortion Patients in 2014 and Changes Since 2008
  18. Waiting Periods and the Rising Price of Abortion

SOC 213 – Doulas and Midwives and Women’s Health, Oh My!

Abstract

The Social Breakdown Team is at it again with another really important topic–Women’s Health! On this week’s show Omar and Ellen will be having a discussion with Alexandra, a current University of Hawai’i at Manoa PhD Student, medical sociologist, and a practicing doula! What is a doula? What is midwifery? Join us for the conversation as Alex gives us a brief but important tour of women’s health, mythbusting the differences between being a doula and a midwife, and much more.

Keywords

Women’s health, feminism, intersectionality, gender, childbirth, medical sociology

Sources

  1. Other episodes we’ve released that relate to the sociology of women’s health:
    1. SOC204 – The Spectrum: An Introduction to Sex and Gender
    2. SOC205 – The Matrices of Oppression: An Introduction to Intersectionality
    3. SOC126 – Medicalizing Behavior: Common or “Abnormal”?
  2. Doula: A person who supports a birthing mom, like a childbirth coach. They are not medically trained or experienced in prenatal, birth, and postpartum health care, like midwives are.
  3. Reproductive Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know (2013) by Rickie Solinger.
  4. Brief look at midwifery.
  5. Before judging ‘late-term abortion,’ understand what it means, doctors say (CNN)
  6. FACT CHECK: Dr. J Marion Sims, not Richard Sims, was considered the “Father of Gynecology”, until more of his corrupt racist history and medical experimentation on slaves began to resurface.
  7. For more on colonialism and medical experimentation, see Harriet Washington’s Medical Apartheid (2008).
  8. Recent Hawaii State House and Senate bill governing midwifery on the Hawaiian islands. It is an example of the institutionalization of the birthing process. It was passed in the House and Senate with amendments on Feb 15, 2019.
  9. For theories surrounding how the female body is the site of political project and struggle, be sure to tap into Judith Butler, Simone De Beauvoir, Michel Foucault.
  10. For scholars on childbirth, Robbie David-Floyd, Ann Oakley.
  11. English and Ehrenreich’s Witches Midwives and Nurses: A History of Women Healers,
  12. Oparah and Bonaparte’s Birthing Justice, which looks at indigenous and women of color’s experience of childbirth, capitalism in childbirth, racism and obstetric violence from mother’s, doulas, and midwives point of views.
  13. Guttmacher Institute.

SOC 212 – Our Imagined Communities: Intro to Migration Studies (Guest Edition)”

Abstract

This week, we have a guest speaker on to give an introduction to migration studies. This topic has a lot to do with current events such as DACA, The Wall, and various other immigration policies. Tune in to learn more about how Sociology approaches these issues, and how we are all living in an imagined community – a concept put forth by Benedict Anderson to highlight the ideological project of ‘culture.’

Transcript

You can find the transcript for this episode here. Big mahalo to Dr. Michaela Benson for transcribing this episode!

Sources

SOC211 – “It Ain’t a Rug!”: Edward Said’s Orientalism

Abstract
We’re getting theoretical this week and tackling Orientalism, a concept and book by the fantastic Dr. Edward Said. If you’re taking a higher-level sociology, anthropology, history, or poli sci class, chances are you’re gonna hear “orientalism” thrown around! What is heck is it? (Hint: It ain’t a rug, a fast-food take out place, or the way to describe how someone looks!) What is its connection to imperialism and colonialism? And how has it influenced scholarship and research in the past and present? Tune in to learn more and be sure to give us a rating!


Sources
  1. Edward Said’s book Orientalism (1978)
  2. Biography of Edward Said
  3. Biography of Nandita Sharma
  4. Contrapuntal reading (Oxford Reference)
  5. An article by Roger Owen (2012) titled, “Edward Said and the Two Critiques of Orientalism” from the Middle East Institute that outlines criticisms that have been levied against Said’s theories
  6. Interview with Edward Said where he discusses his background, orientalism, the Palestinian conflict and more.
  7. Edward Said on Charlie Rose (circa 1994)

SOC210 – PhD’s Guide to Research Ethics

Abstract

This week, we’re bringing the PhD’s Guide series back to cover research ethics! Nowadays, researchers must carefully balance the potential knowledge a study can collect with the potential harm they may cause to the people participating in studies. But that definitely hasn’t always been the case! The treatment of Henrietta Lacks and studies like The Tearoom Trade are perfect examples of research ethics gone wrong. Tune in to learn more, and check out our website (thesocialbreakdown.com) to read about the various studies we discussed in the episode.

Transcript

Find the transcript for this episode here! Thank you so so much to Melinda Lloyd for transcribing and supporting us!

Sources

  1. What do we mean by research ethics?
    • Ethics is concerned with issues of right and wrong, the choices that people make, and how they justify them. Research ethics is a balance of potential knowledge – the goal is to increase knowledge – and potential harm – the goal is to minimize or eliminate harm. (Paraphrased from George Ritzer’s textbook, Introduction to Sociology)
  2. The American Sociological Association’s blurb about ethics in sociology
  3. A relevant earlier episode that has to do with ethics is our PhD’s Guide to Research Methodology, which you can listen to here!
  4. We discussed how living in poverty can change a person’s brain, which is discussed really well in this article by Tara Garcia Mathewson in The Atlantic titled, “How Poverty Changes the Brain”
  5. We talk about the Stanford Prison Experiment (SPE) on our “Obedience, Whaddup?” episode, which you can find here:
  6. Some informative sources on the Tuskeegee Syphilis Experiment
  7. “On the Run” by Alice Goffman-which Ellen and Omar are fans of regardless of da haters!
  8. Critiques of Goffman’s book, which are worth a read:
  9. We also mentioned lack of privacy and consent in the Laud Humphrey’s study The Tearoom Trade
  10. “Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot
  11. Trump serving Clemson athletes fast food at the White House
  12. “Massive Fornite Security Breach Allowed Hackers to Take Over Accounts” from WTHR published Jan 17, 2019.

SOC209 – Winter Mini-Ep: Gifts for Grad Students

Abstract

It is about that time of year! Time to wind down, take a break, and enjoy the holidays. It is also time for the Social Breakdown Team to collect our thoughts so we can get ready for our return in January! We all hope you enjoyed the first half of Year 2. Join us for our mini episode where we discuss some good holiday gifts for all you grad students. (Parents and friends you should listen too!) Have a wonderful end to 2018 everybody. See you next year!

Our last-minute holiday gift list for the grad student in your life
  • In honor of Penn, a nice planner to help the grad student in your life remember due dates, readings, and to stay on track.
  • Helpful software that will make your student’s life easier, like Evernote, or help them with analysis like STATA, NVivo, Microsoft Access and SPSS. Do check with your student’s university IT dept, because there is usually a cheaper student rate available for these programs!
  • A gift card to a fancy restaurant or tickets to a concert/musical/play/comedy show. Giving the grad student in your life an opportunity to go out and enjoy themselves for a night at a place or show that’s normally out of financial reach is a guaranteed A+ gift.
  • A business casual outfit for conferences, or just parts of one (i.e. slacks, blouses, shirts, jackets, whatevs.) Help them impress future employers. Doesn’t gotta be pricey, doesn’t gotta be name brand, it just needs to be fly and biz casual!
  • The ever faithful Amazon gift card to help cover the cost of books for classes and other everyday items that they may be in need of.
  • Gifts for their fur babies: Treats, toys, or a beautiful holiday outfit for the loving pet in their life. (Sorry, not sorry for loving to dress up our pets.)

SOC208 – Left Handed Devils: The Social Construction of Deviance

Abstract

We’re using our understanding of the three schools of sociological theory to breakdown deviance and crime this week. What is deviance? What is crime? How are they different? How does society create the definitions of what is a deviant behavior and what is a criminal act? We discuss power and inequality, as well as look at deviance and crime through the lens of the three schools of sociological thought – structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Check out our previous episode on the three schools of thought, SOC207, if you haven’t already so you understand our discussion today! Thanks for listening and please give us a rating, too!

Keywords

Deviance, Crime, Criminology, Social Construction

Sources

Breakaway Episode 5 – Black Friday and Holiday Shopping

Abstract

Are you Black Friday shopper, like Penn? Or are you ambivalent, like Ellen? This week, the ladies of the Social Breakdown get together for a breakaway episode on the history of Black Friday and the many sociological purposes of holiday shopping. What does seasonal overconsumption do to our emotions, pocketbooks, and the environment? How are sales used to shame shoppers and bury environmental reports cough cough Trump administration cough? Tune in here to learn more!

Keywords

Black Friday, shopping, holidays, consumption, consumer culture, materialism, overconsumption

Sources

  1. Here’s a good (and free) place to start on the work of Thorstein Veblen, an American economist and sociologist who theorized the concept of ‘conspicuous consumption.’ This is his most notable work, “The Theory of the Leisure Class.”
  2. “A Brief History of Black Friday” (Mental Floss)
  3. “What’s the Real History of Black Friday” (History)
  4. “Black Friday Brawl Videos are How Rich People Shame the Poor” (Washington Post)
  5. “Stop Shaming Black Friday Shoppers” (Racked)
  6. “The Energy 202: Trump Administration’s Release of a Climate Report on Black Friday didn’t bury the news” (Washington Post)
  7. “Death of Small Businesses in Big Cities, Explained” (Vox)
  8. “Banning Straws and Bags Won’t Solve our Plastic Problem” (World Resources Institute)

SOC207 – Three Schools of Thought: Conflict Theory, Structural Functionalism, and Symbolic Interactionism

Abstract

This week we go back to the basics by introducing the three schools of sociological thought – conflict theory, structural functionalism, and symbolic interactionism. Knowing these three schools is a must for any aspiring sociologist. Join us as we discuss how Marx theorized the process of social change through conflict, why Durkheim believed society needed religion in order to function, and why people interpret the symbolic significance of guns differently. Which school of thought do you subscribe to?

Transcription

Find a transcription for this episode here. Mahalo nui loa to Toni Atwell for transcribing this episode! You rock!

Keywords

Sociology, theory, social theory, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, structural functionalism

Sources

  1. Definition of social theory 
  2. Understanding Social Problems, 5th ed by Mooney, Knox, and Schacht, 2007.
  3. A fun and short video from Crash Course titled, “Major Sociological Paradigms” that may help better understand the three theories
  4. Conflict – Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto 
  5. Conflict – Arlie Hochschild’s The Managed Heart
  6. Structural Functionalism – Talcott Parson’s The Social System
  7. Structural Functionalism – Emile Durkheim’s The Division of Labour in Society 
  8. Symbolic Interactionism – Herbert Blumer’s Symbolic Interactionism 
  9. Symbolic Interactionism – George Herbert Mead’s Mind, Self, and Society
  10. Symbolic Interactionism – An excerpt from Charles Cooley about the Looking Glass Self