On gaming, athletes, and individual glory . . . oh, Mercy!

CHRISTOPHER A. PAULAssociate Professor, Seattle University The core argument in my book is that video games are an actualized meritocracy, a realm in which the values of hard work and skill have been pushed to their extremes and the result is a toxic community that focuses more on the celebration of individual glory than on … More On gaming, athletes, and individual glory . . . oh, Mercy!

Understanding inequality—across ecosystems, species, and human populations.

BY DAVID NAGUIB PELLOWAuthor of Total Liberation and professor and Don A. Martindale Endowed Chair of Sociology at the University of Minnesota The concept of total liberation stems from a determination to understand and combat all forms of inequality and oppression. It is comprised of four pillars: an ethic of justice and anti-oppression inclusive of … More Understanding inequality—across ecosystems, species, and human populations.

Listening to students—especially the most marginalized.

BY GILDA L. OCHOAProfessor of sociology and Chicana/o–Latina/o studies, Pomona College Twenty years after I graduated from high school, I returned to a Southern California school as a researcher. On campus, the brick buildings, school bells, lunches, and overall rhythm of the day were familiar. So was the clustering of different students across campus, and … More Listening to students—especially the most marginalized.

New Orleans’s "Uncle Lionel" Batiste: Feted in death, evicted after Katrina.

BY JOHN (JAY) ARENAAssistant professor of sociology at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island Uncle Lionel with the Treme Brass Band. “Uncle Lionel” Batiste, the legendary bass drummer and iconic figure of New Orleans music and culture, died on July 8th at the age of 80. Uncle Lionel — whose image … More New Orleans’s "Uncle Lionel" Batiste: Feted in death, evicted after Katrina.

Fertile Hysteria: "Desert birthers," "maternity tourism," and the regenerative properties of racialized citizenship

The most recent birth-certificate debate means it’s once again time to evaluate properties of citizenship and the racialized value of American life. Image source. BY RUBY C. TAPIAAssociate professor of comparative studies and women’s studies at The Ohio State University and author of American Pietàs Challenging the rights to U.S. citizenship and the U.S. presidency … More Fertile Hysteria: "Desert birthers," "maternity tourism," and the regenerative properties of racialized citizenship

Author Q&A: On Gilles Deleuze, philosophical tools, and "Political Affect"

John Protevi, a professor of French studies at Louisiana State University, is author of Political Affect: Connecting the Social and the Somatic, which is the 7th installment in the University of Minnesota Press’s Posthumanities series. In this book, Protevi applies his concept of political affect to show how unconscious emotional valuing shaped three events: the … More Author Q&A: On Gilles Deleuze, philosophical tools, and "Political Affect"