Today, the sociology of religion’s prominence within the field has dimmed to the point that it has been described as “sociology’s ghetto.” But the role that religion has played in the field’s history is quite extensive, with Emile Durkheim’s work standing as the most famous example. Randall Collins uses Durkheim’s distinction between the sacred and […]
In keeping with its long history of printing articles that get people riled up, Slate has recently run a piece by Erik Vance entitled “Cocaine is Evil.” Vance’s central argument is that American cocaine users – “At our hip little parties, our New Year’s Eve celebrations, our secret back rooms, and on the counters of […]
In the days before the Fifth Floor, I had a little blog of my own, and last year, in the run-up to the election, I posted this commentary on sociology’s links to the White House. It remains a favorite of mine. —- The current election season sparked me to reflect on the access (or lack […]
Last night I finally got around to watching No End in Sight, the 2007 film that is widely regarded as the definitive documentary on the Iraq War. I had always thought that the title of that film was rather ironic. It was released at a moment when the Iraq War had been the dominant issue […]
Far be it from me to deny that Jon Stewart, host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central, is capable of witty insights. But one of his most famous gestures has always rubbed me the wrong way. In 2004, he appeared on CNN’s “Crossfire” to complain in a faux-wounded tone that the combative political talk […]
My uncle, like most fathers, is proud of his oldest daughter. She recently graduated from Virginia Tech with an engineering degree and is starting her career as a commissioned officer in the Navy. My cousin’s service starts at a time when the military is under increased scrutiny because of their failure to prevent and prosecute […]
As one of only two states holding a gubernatorial election in 2013 (New Jersey is the other), Virginia stands to receive a lot of attention from political commentators starved for something to occupy themselves with after the conclusion of last year’s presidential election. The major party candidates are all but decided. The Republicans stand to […]
There are two issues in the political world right now that I find incredibly concerning: the sequester and the intention to allow drones over U.S. soil. Both of these are extremely troubling. Due to a priority of party politics over actually leading the country, the congress and senate have allowed the sequester to take effect: […]
Despite having an amazing mustache, Mississippi State House Representative Jeff Smith is an embarrassment to democracy and the law school that gave him a J.D. Rep. Smith and his colleague Rep. Chism have introduced House Bill 490 also known as the Mississippi Balance of Powers Act. This piece of legislation is meant “to clarify the compact entered into between […]
As a regular viewer of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” I’ve become quite familiar with former George W. Bush advisor Mark McKinnon. In the years since Bush left the White House, McKinnon, in addition to being a frequent Morning Joe panelist, has turned his attention to a new political forum called “No Labels” (not to be confused […]
Human Rights and the Social Sciences (EISSN 1872-1915)
conversations for the academically minded
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Thoughts on the experience of graduate school that never really fit into a class paper
