Sociology Ruins Everything

The season finale of Sociology Ruins Everything explores the intersection of robotics and reproductive labor, highlighting the potential risks of deploying technology without considering societal implications. This...

You pay your taxes, you vote, and you follow the laws. Does that make you a good citizen? If you said yes, according to a 2019 Pew Center Research survey, most Americans agree with you. However, do these things make you...

What can a sociology podcast say about fire? This episode delves into the social and cultural dimensions of fire and the institutions that have changed our relationship with it. While it touches on climate change, this...

This month, I want to tell you a story about Concord Park, a suburb of Philadelphia. Concord Park was intentionally designed to combat the systemic forces that fostered segregation and inequality in postwar American...

Sociologist Stephanie Canizales joins the podcast to discuss the complex realities unaccompanied migrant youth face, the factors that lead them to embark on such journeys, the risks they encounter, and the challenges...

Places are unique to us. We become attached to them. And when you ask people to name a place that means a lot to them, there’s a good chance they’ll talk about home. Our homes are full of stuff, from practical items...

Ever wondered how sociology impacts everything you know? Get ready to have your mind blown as I, Matt Sedlar, explore the hidden sociological forces that shape our world. From furniture poverty to legend tripping, this...

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...

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...

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...

There are some wild theories about the Denver International Airport. But is it really the headquarters of the Illuminati, guarded by the demonic statue of a blue horse? Believe it or not, conspiracy theories like these...

In the final episode of season one, I enlist the help of Ruth Yamamoto, PhD and certified improv instructor, to explore the role improv can play in improving science communication. Over the course of two one-and-a-half...

How do we identify bullying and how do sociologists in particular study this phenomenon? This episode looks at the infamous Slap to examine whether bullying goes unrecognized among adults or whether we are applying the...

The world is a mess, so let's talk about trauma. In this episode, I examine trauma in its many different forms and the ways social structures can create as well as mitigate its effects. I also ask if trauma claims can...

What does Adam McKay's 2021 disaster film Don't Look Up say about the current discourse over climate change? In this episode, I talk with Nik Janos, Associate Professor of Sociology at California State University...

What is marriage? What are the origins of marriage? What does it mean today? For this episode, I'm joined by Shannon Davis, associate dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at George Mason University, Korea, and PhD...

In this episode, I head to California to explore why there isn't enough housing and what the state and activists are doing about it. Joining me are New York Times reporter Conor Dougherty and YIMBY Law Executive...

You've probably heard the term private equity, but you might not know what it does. This episode looks at how private equity is embedded in our everyday lives, funded by the institutions that surround us, and what kind...

This episode looks at what we think of witches and witchcraft and how historically these concepts have been used for political and social repression. But there's also another definition of "witch." I'm joined by...

We're hearing a lot about the return to "normal" after the COVID-19 pandemic, but what is "normal"? And should we return to "normal" when that's what got us in trouble in the first place? This episode is a deep dive...

In this episode, I explore roller skating -- its history and the role of the rink as a cultural institution. To explore this topic, I am joined by Alan Bacon, a trustee at the National Museum of Roller Skating and rink...

How are action movies shaped by our national identity and do they, in turn, reshape our personal identity? I'm joined by pop culture critic Chris Klimek as we talk about muscles and masculinity. In this episode...

Is the media part of civil society? Have political actors weaponized objectivity? Does anyone actually get Soylent Green references these days? All this and more when I'm joined by Liz Bent at the University of Missouri...