Everyday Sociology Blog

No Exit: Sociology Meets Air Travel

By Karen Sternheimer When I was in high school I was really into existentialism. Not a surprise, considering that teens are often trying to figure out the meaning of their lives (even though existentialists consider life to be without in

The Lone Star State: Symbols, Place, and Identity

By Janis Prince Inniss Do you know where this picture of the Christmas tree was snapped? Hint: look at its ornaments; they’re all stars. And look at the building in the background…no, this is not Washington, D.C. The correct answer is Au

Thinking Sociologically on Vacation

By Sally Raskoff Don’t forget to keep using your sociological imagination and skills when you are on vacation! When you travel, using a sociological perspective can help enrich the experience and deepen your understanding of the places in

Restrooms in Cultural Context

By Karen Sternheimer Several years ago, I visited the Mauna Kea Observatory on the Big Island of Hawai’i. I was surprised and amused by a sign I saw in the visitor’s bathroom, instructing users how to, um, use the facilities. I had previou

Applying the Sociological Imagination to COVID-19

By Karen Sternheimer By now you have likely heard of the Novel Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Maybe your school or workplace has shifted online for the time being, or you have noticed a shortage of cold and flu related items at your local store

The Social Construction of Race, Ethnicity, Sex, and Gender

By Sally Raskoff Is it easier to conceive of race/ethnicity or sex/gender as socially constructed categories? A recent assessment of students’ learning on our campus suggest that it’s easier to consider race and ethnicity as socially c

Culture, Structure, and Public Transportation

By Karen Sternheimer Traveling by train from Chamonix, France to Grindelwald, Switzerland was a breeze, despite having to change trains five (!) times. It wouldn’t have been so easy in most other countries. Certainly not where we live, in

The American Identity: Should We Allow Non-Citizens To Vote?

By C.N. LeIn my first post, I would like to discuss an issue in which I have both an academic and a personal interest: the question of who qualifies to be an "American." The question is of particular interest to me because I am a Vietnam

Doggie's BFF

By Sally Raskoff Do you think that dogs are a human’s best friend? Are they really our best friend forever? Many feel that their pets are a member of the family, but how important are they compared to your other family members? Today