Thursday, July 11, 2013

Fast Food, Wendy's Style

So...been driving past this sign at a nearby Wendy's.















According to Wendy's website, the Pretzel Bacon Cheeseburger is 680 calories. The sodium content is 1110 mg, almost as much as recommended daily levels.

I politely decline the invitation to try this cheeseburger.


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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Green’s Predicament

By day he was director of the Buffalo Institute of History, composed, cool, and capable in his position. By night he fell to pieces, sleepless, ashamed, and angry. 
Considered by some to be a hero for implementing his plan to turn the former Central Terminal into an education site--in just four years the Terminal transformed from a cold and dusty architectural wonder into a place where both local residents and tourists learned about Buffalo's place in history--Green was coming apart quickly, seemingly unable to hide his skeletons much longer. Always engaging in the daytime hours, always able to impress a group of visitors with his knowledge of grain elevators and steel production, Green would rush home at 5:01 each afternoon, lock the doors, screen his calls, and cower in his one-bedroom apartment. Desperate to participate in the nightlife that was going on around him, Green instead hid from people once his work day was done and nervously counted the hours and minutes until he had to return to his place of work the next day. All that kept him going was thoughts of the weekend, which meant two full days to work on his escape plan. He needed as much time as possible to discover a way out of this mess. Confined by convention from Monday to Friday, the weeks and months went on without him as he continued to pray for a better day. He wished for a day without worry, a day without anxiety. He tried to conceal his state of mind by working pleasant phrases into his daily interactions--“no worries” he would tell the co-worker who made a mistake on the job, “never better” he would tell his neighbor when asked how he was doing. 
At 9:30 a.m. on a Thursday a group of college students visited the Institute for a one-day crash course about Buffalo architecture. Green offered glowing remarks about Wright, Olmstead, Richardson, and Sullivan. He beamed when he spoke about the Richardson Towers and the Guaranty Building. He stole phrases from The Fountainhead as he talked about the nobility of architects. He charmed the group with his well-rehearsed spiel: “The Buffalo Central Terminal opened on June 22, 1929. That means we have a little more than twenty years to plan the 100th anniversary party of its opening!’’  The crowd laughed.  “Oh you laugh now,” he teased, “but 2029 will be here before you know it!  In 2029 we’re going to have an amazing party. We’ll celebrate with a “Roaring 20s” theme. It’s going to be a party unlike Buffalo has ever seen!” The group was fooled by Green’s schtick. They were unable to see through him. 
Relieved when his work day was done, Green quickly headed home and followed his usual routine: lock the doors, dim the lights, and spend the evening in the room with no windows. Hours of dark thoughts passed. He tried to turn in early--at 10:00 p.m.--but at 11:45 he was still awake and afraid. Couch to bed, bed to couch, and couch to bed once more. It didn’t matter. It seemed like yet another sleepless night. Somehow Green managed to drift off to sleep by 2:00 a.m., and he was surprised to awake to the sight of his alarm clock, which read 4:12. Two hours felt like a lifetime of sleep, and with pleasure in his mind and body he fell back to sleep. His good feeling was short-lived. He encountered a nightmare sometime during the five o’clock hour. The nightmare ended with a television news clip: The circumstances surrounding Thomas Browning’s death remain mysterious. The philanthropist, well known as a central figure in the genesis of the Buffalo Institute of History, was last seen on a train leaving Buffalo that was destined for New York City. There is no official cause of death, but we are led to believe that Browning committed suicide. Images of Browning falling from the train startled Green out of his slumber. He went to the entrance of his apartment and peered outside his door.  He was relieved to see that no one was there. He was sure that someone was coming to get him. 
On Friday, back to work, Green did his best to conceal his misery. He continued to receive accolades and positive press. Friday’s edition of The Buffalo Times heralded him as a savior of the old Central Terminal. He was characterized as someone who had fought the good fight, a man who refused to believe that the Terminal was a dinosaur and one who was determined to breathe life into a building that he loved. In some ways Green’s life had become a test, an experiment: how long could he function without coming unglued? Was it a matter of months, weeks, or days before his secret caught up with him? 
After work on Friday Green packed his bags. He figured he’d get lost in Toronto for the weekend. He’d wait in Toronto until he made the exchange with Gottlieb. He wished he could trust Gottlieb, wished he could confide in him. But Gottlieb wasn’t a friend. They were forced into an association because each had something the other needed. Gottlieb didn’t know Green’s secret, he just knew Green had something to hide. Gottlieb took pleasure in seeing Green squirm. That was his way.
            When Green arrived in Toronto he checked into a hotel. He sat by himself at the hotel bar drinking the day away, wishing he could turn back the calendar four years. This mess was four years in the making. One bad decision had led to another. Lies turned into bigger lies. Deceit became his everyday. He continued drinking, wondering if his secret would die with him. 

His secret? He knew well the person who pushed Browning off the train.

THE END

Author’s note: I wrote this story in 2005. I submitted it that year to Artvoice for a short story contest. The story was selected for second or third place (I can’t remember which one).



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Man of Distinction (A Sociological Poem)

Can you tell us your secret?
How did you get such great taste?
So cool how you wear something new
You always find the perfect restaurant
You even know who to read
You stay one step ahead of us
And when we catch up you’ve already moved…..on

It’s all so perfect because you present the everyday man façade
Everybody (and I mean everybody) can relate to you.
You’re an amazing balancing act
You distinguish yourself from the rest of us
But never act like you’re better than us
And that’s why it works so well.

Year in, year out, you find it before we do
You know exactly how to work the display
It’s an intangible thing
A skill we can’t compute
If asked about it, you wouldn’t even field the question
Or you’d say something clever (“I like what I like”)
But can it be so simple?

You’re a class act
You make it look so easy
Today it’s vodka
Tomorrow a cigar
Then an obscure ingredient (“Ooh, I never heard of that one before!” we say with delight)
Top it all off with a philosophy you found around the corner.

It’s incredible, all these tricks up your sleeve
We’re dazzled by the impressions you leave
You don’t have more than us
But you’re a man of distinction
And that’s enough.


Author's note: I wrote this poem to convey sociological ideas that captured my attention at a time I was reading a lot about social class--notably, the book Facing Social Class (edited by Susan T. Fiske and Hazel Rose Markus) and the blog post "High Heels And Distinction Among Women" by Lisa Wade. My poem appears in the blog post "Poetic Sociology," written by Peter Kaufman. Check out his post for great ideas about using poetry to teach sociology.

On a related note, I'm in the middle of reading a work with great insights about social class--Shamus Rahman Khan's Privilege: The Making of an Adolescent Elite at St. Paul's School. I recommend this book and think it's a good fit for an undergraduate course on social class/social stratification. I'm thinking of teaching Social Stratification next year (would be first time teaching course) and will likely assign Khan's book along with Fiske and Markus' book, plus a few short readings (including the one mentioned above by Wade). 
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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Sociology in Stories - Sample Contents

Here are two stories from my intro-level book Sociology in Stories: A Creative Introduction to a Fascinating Perspective.

"America the Beautiful" is a fictional story about the future of society. The topics are immigration, social class, physical appearance, media, education, and inequality. Click here for a less than perfect PDF file that I made.

And this is "Iron Cage Tattoo," a story designed to creatively introduce students to Max Weber's ideas about bureaucracy. Click here for another imperfect PDF.

I encourage your comments about these stories, so don't hesitate to e-mail (tas@niagara.edu) or tweet me (@CreateSociology).

Finally, click here for my description of the book and what motivated me to write it.


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Thursday, June 20, 2013

Paula Deen

Click here if you don't know why Paula Deen is taking heat on Twitter. Here are some tweets that caught my eye as I followed the commentary on Twitter:










This Los Angeles Times article wondered if the Food Network will cut ties with Deen. The article references a statement from the Food Network which reads: "Food Network does not tolerate any form of discrimination and is a strong proponent of diversity and inclusion. We will continue to monitor the situation."

As it quickly turned out, the Food Network moved fast and fired Deen.

This led sociologist Crystal Fleming to make the following observation:
And for those who are wondering why all of this matters, this article is a good place to start.

As Rashawn Ray tweets, this story is not just about the use of a vicious racial slur. It is also about workplace discrimination.
To read about how Deen's employees have accused her of discrimination, and to think about the importance of fair labor practices, see this article at Crunk Feminist Collective.


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Friday, May 24, 2013

My Report Card as a Father and Man

Am I a good father? What kind of man am I? I imagined how someone might grade me on a variety of categories as a way of reflecting about the meanings of "man" and "father."

OUTDOOR WORK
Schoepflin is pretty much a circus when it comes to doing work outside. He's not totally terrible at mowing the lawn, but it's evident that he dislikes almost every minute of it. He's clumsy and ineffective at weed-wacking. The guy doesn't even own a snowblower. He lives in Buffalo, for Christ's sake. How does this guy not have a snowblower? He half-heartedly brushes snow off his car in the winter months, and clears about 70% of the snow from his wife's car. What a prince. In the spring he doesn't plant flowers. He once considered planting vegetables, but never followed through. Overall, he demonstrates an appalling lack of interest in the outdoor area of his home. Grade: D

GRILLING
Schoepflin appears terrified of his grill. He can't turn on a gas grill on a consistent basis. He doesn't ruin hot dogs, but overcooks hamburgers, wrecks steaks, and produces uninspiring chicken. At least he's smart enough to avoid trying to grill kabobs. He complains about how hot it is to stand over a grill. When asked if he wanted a new grill for Father's Day, he was so dumbfounded by the question that he couldn't muster a response. Let me be blunt: when it comes to grilling, he's an embarrassment. Grade: F

GROCERY SHOPPING
This guy is right at home at grocery stores. He likes grocery stores. He glides through the aisles with a smile, hums to whatever song is playing on the store soundtrack (he has a noticeable pep in his step when Stevie Wonder is playing), chats with workers, small talks with fellow customers, and patiently waits in line. He wisely races through the middle aisles of the store in order to limit his purchase of processed foods. He knows how to pick produce, knows a good meat bargain when he sees it, and is excellent at reading labels. I swear I've seen him counting the number of ingredients when he grabs canned goods or an item from the frozen foods section. This guy is a triple threat: he can meal plan, stay within the budget, and is a health-conscious shopper. Grade: A

CHILD CARE
OMG, have you seen Schoepflin change a diaper? It's a thing of beauty. This guy should enter a diaper-changing contest. Methodical yet efficient. Smooth understates the matter. Graceful gets close to it. This fella knows what's he doing with diapers. My only criticism is that he needs 6-8 wipes for a poopy diaper. This guy is killing the environment and that fact must be taken into account in terms of a grade. Ok, so he's great at changing diapers on his 2-year-old, but what about the rest of it? Well, he sings to him, tickles him, totes him around when needed, and loves him up. This guy is pretty steady with the kids. I like what he has to offer his 5-year-old: he makes his lunches for school, teaches him to play baseball, encourages reading, and is very affectionate with him. He does get frustrated easily and has trouble living in the moment, but overall I like what I see. It does seem like he'd often rather be blogging or tweeting, but nobody's perfect. He puts his kids in front of the TV too much. To be fair, he sometimes uses TV to buy time to empty the dishwasher, do laundry, or cook dinner. Also, in an interview with his wife, she noted that he did his fair share of overnight feedings when the kids were babies. He also created original songs to sing to the boys at bedtime. Grade: B+

FIXING THINGS AROUND THE HOUSE
He can change a light bulb. What can I say, I'm trying to be nice. I don't want to sound like a hater, but this guy is useless around the house. If something needs fixing, you better look elsewhere. He's is powerless with power tools. To him, everything looks like a screw, only he can't use a screw gun. I'd say he has two left hands, but that's an insult to people with two left hands. I'd say he tries, but that's only slightly true. I guess I'd say fixing things doesn't come naturally to him, and he clearly shows a lack of interest in improving his skills. It's like, dare I say, fixing things isn't important to him. This isn't to say he doesn't appreciate people who are good at fixing things. In fact, he's impressed by people who are handy. He admires people who can get jobs done. It's just not a personal ambition or something he values for himself. It appears as though he'd prefer to spend time doing things that are important to him, like reading and writing. Because he can do a little bit of painting without falling off a ladder, he avoids an F. Grade: D

SUMMARY
In the big picture of parenting, I judge him as above average. He gives his kids room to grow but is happy to nurture and comfort them. He works hard to be very involved in all phases of his kids' lives. He volunteers as an assistant coach for his 5-year-old's t-ball team. He puts a lot of emphasis on making his kids laugh, having fun with them, playing with them, meeting their immediate needs, and coordinates everything with his wife. This is a report card of him, but for context it must be said that all major decisions are shared with his wife. They are a team. They are good at many of the same things, and bad at many of the same things. As I write this summary, it occurs to me that "above average" is a strange way to rate a person as a father or man. Who gets to decide what constitutes a good parent or good person? Who sets the baseline? What is below average and what would it look like? What's with all the rhetorical questions? Maybe it's time to pull back on our assumptions about concepts like "father" and "man." Truth be told, I don't think there is one set of things a man should do and a different set of things that a woman should do. Honestly, I don't see it that way. I guess I want to say that people do the best they can in this life. We should pay more attention to the things people do well. The best gift we can give people is to cast aside our stereotypical expectations.







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Thursday, May 16, 2013

Tweets About Various Topics (Mother's Day Shooting in New Orleans; Jason Richwine; Abercrombie & Fitch)

The information train speeds by us. It's challenging to keep track of what others are saying, tweeting, and blogging. It's easy to miss an interesting tweet or forget about a good one that you stored in your favorites list. Occasionally I'll pull together a variety of tweets that stand out to me and post them on my blog. Here are some tweets from the week...
Rashawn nailed it with that tweet. Why didn't the national media converge on New Orleans to heavily cover this violent tragedy? David Leonard blogs about this very topic (link included in his tweet):
Do you know who Jason Richwine is? If not, read Diego von Vacano's op-ed. For more on Richwine, go to Hector Cordero-Guzman's Twitter (@HCorderoGuzman) and scroll through his tweets from the past eight days or so.
Onto a different topic. There's plenty of reasons to dislike Abercrombie and Fitch. The list is growing. Click on link in the following tweet to see what I mean.
Moving on...if you like social theory, check out the Stick Figures in Social Theory Tumblr. Something to keep an eye on...
There's also a new sociological blog by Tanya Golash-Boza to follow...
Great photographs in the next one...
Let's finish with a few observations. I strongly agree with this one...
Overall, I had a positive experience in graduate school. I had an excellent academic experience. My professors treated me well. I made some good friends. But when I hear "graduate school" I think of insomnia and a pullout couch. I spent much of graduate school sleep-deprived and money-deprived. I lived in a tiny studio apartment and had a tiny checking account. I accumulated super-sized student loan debt. I grew tired of writing papers. All things considered, I really do recall graduate school in mostly positive ways. But I agree with Crystal: you couldn't pay me to do it over again. And we finish with a statement about memes:
Indeed! Thanks for reading.
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