Collective action is the most effective way to bring about social change because it allows people to pool their resources and efforts to achieve a common goal. Strikes are one of the most useful forms of collective action because they can disrupt business operations and pressure employers to make concessions. With the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Writers Guild of America in the middle of a historic strike, this episode asks how did things get to this point and how does sociology fit into the conversation? In the episode, I'm joined by Kurt Scott, a WGA member, and Courtney Bell, a former SAG-AFTRA member and sociologist at George Mason University.

Show notes:

Entertainment Community Fund, https://entertainmentcommunity.org/

What if I told you reality TV says a lot about the world around us? I'm sure you're skeptical, but hopefully, this episode will convince you that reality TV is worth paying attention to, especially for social scientists. Joining me are Danielle Lindemann, Associate Professor of Sociology at Lehigh University, and Maddy Rubin as we talk about viewing reality TV while using the sociological imagination. 

Show notes

Lindemann, Danielle J. . 2022. True Story: What Reality TV Says About Us. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Papacharissi, Zizi, and Andrew L. Mendelson. 2007. “An Exploratory Study of Reality Appeal: Uses and Gratifications of Reality TV Shows.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 51(2):355–70. doi: 10.1080/08838150701307152.

Not many people realize institutions and society regulate silence. The noise in our lives, both external and internal, is actually controlled by laws and norms, and that noise affects our physical and mental health. So what role do the social sciences play in this phenomenon? I'm joined by Leigh Marz and Justin Talbot-Zorn to talk about silence as a human right. 

Show Notes

Chepesiuk, Ron. 2005. “Decibel Hell: The Effects of Living in a Noisy World.” Environmental Health Perspectives 113(1):A34–41. doi: 10.1289/ehp.113-a34.

Dillon, Liam, and Ben Poston. 2021. “Freeways Force out Residents in Communities of Color — Again.” Los Angeles Times.

‎Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast. 2021. "How Freeways Bulldoze California Communities of Color on Apple Podcasts.” Apple Podcasts. (https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/how-freeways-bulldoze-california-communities-of-color/id1280087136?i=1000542013424).

Hermes, Will. 2000. "The Story Of '4'33".' NPR, May 8.

Zorn, Justin, and Leigh Marz. 2022. Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. New York, NY: Harper Wave, An Imprint pf HarperCollins Publishers.