In my classical theory class we just finished reading excerpts from three of Karl Marx’s most (in)famous works: the Paris Manuscripts, Capital, and the Communist Manifesto. Marx confidently predicted that the contradictions inherent in the capitalist system would lead to its downfall, as economic crises would get progressively worse over time, making clear to workersContinueContinue reading “Chris Rock’s Neo-Marxist View of Minimum Wage”
Author Archives: David Yamane
Gun Rights versus Gun Control: On the Need to Understand Sampling Error in Reporting Statistics
Based on a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, we can be 95% confident that the actual gap in American’s attitudes toward protecting gun rights versus controlling gun ownership is as small as 0% and as large as 12%. Depending on where you stand on the issue, things might not be as bad asContinueContinue reading “Gun Rights versus Gun Control: On the Need to Understand Sampling Error in Reporting Statistics”
Robert N. Bellah (1927-2013)
This is not an obituary or remembrance of Robert Bellah. I don’t have the emotional energy to spare for that, even though it has been over a year since he passed. There are many such tributes, though, some collected on the website maintained in his name. This is simply the text of an entry IContinueContinue reading “Robert N. Bellah (1927-2013)”
I Am a Professor
There, I said it. I am a professor. The description does not exactly roll off my tongue. I am a professor. It somehow sounds pompous to me. So I generally avoid saying it. When I am traveling and a cab driver asks me what I do for a living, or at holiday parties when IContinueContinue reading “I Am a Professor”
Live Tweeting PBS Frontline Episode “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA”
Thanks to a recommendation from my fellow sociologist of guns, Jennifer Carlson, I was asked by the digital content manager for PBS’s FRONTLINE to participate in live Tweeting before, during, and after the premier of their upcoming episode, “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA.” The episode airs at 10:00am Eastern Time on Tuesday, JanuaryContinueContinue reading “Live Tweeting PBS Frontline Episode “Gunned Down: The Power of the NRA””
Putting Grading and Grades in Perspective
The quickening of life due to technology is a blessing I depend on daily. But it is also a curse at times, especially at the end of the semester when it comes to grades. I submitted my fall grades today at 11:45am (they were due at noon!). By 4pm the first grade complaint had arrivedContinueContinue reading “Putting Grading and Grades in Perspective”
Religion on the PGA Tour
Although I am not a sociologist of sport, I have enjoyed those times when my work in the sociology of religion comes into dialogue with the world of sport. Here is some material I am working up for the 6th edition of my sociology of religion textbook: When Webb Simpson won the 2012 U.S. OpenContinueContinue reading “Religion on the PGA Tour”
Microsociology of Death of Eric Garner: Choking for 27 Seconds by Jooyoung Lee
University of Toronto sociology professor Jooyoung Lee has written a very interesting blog post analyzing the video of the choking death of Eric Garner in Staten Island. It is a miscrosociology of the event that is also informed by Lee’s practice of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He blogs on Blogspot rather than WordPress platform so IContinueContinue reading “Microsociology of Death of Eric Garner: Choking for 27 Seconds by Jooyoung Lee”
What We Talk About When We Talk About Racism, Post-Ferguson Reflections on the Need for Basic Distinctions
Discussions of race, more often than not in my experience, generate more heat than light. I learned this early on in my own education when I was doing the research for my book, Student Movements for Multiculturalism: Challenging the Curricular Color Line in Higher Education. Anger, frustration, hurt, misunderstanding, and other emotions were abundant onContinueContinue reading “What We Talk About When We Talk About Racism, Post-Ferguson Reflections on the Need for Basic Distinctions”
Reflections on Ferguson (and America)
In the wake of the announcement that a grand jury in St. Louis would not indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson for shooting Michael Brown I have seen a huge outpouring of appalling commentary on social media. Ignorance of the law, insensitivity toward law enforcement, blatant racism, subtle racism, and on and on. I guessContinueContinue reading “Reflections on Ferguson (and America)”