I must admit that the idea of being a professional blogger has always intrigued me to no end. I am an avid fan of researching a wide variety of topics, and I love to share that information with as many people as possible. Throughout my writing journey, I have failed spectacularly on more occasions than I would care to admit. Out of well over 300 articles, I have had three that I would consider to be moderately successful. Why do I fail so regularly? Is it SEO? Is it me?
Category: Sociology
Culture as Both Product and Practice
CULTURE AS A PRODUCT Hall and Neitz (1993) provide an inclusive definition of culture that describes it as 1) ideas, knowledge (correct, wrong, or unverifiable belief), and recipes for doing things; 2) humanly fabricated tools (shovels, sewing machines, and computers); and 3) products of social action that can be drawn upon in the conduct of… Continue reading Culture as Both Product and Practice
The Case for the Cultural Study of Religion
RELIGION AND CULTURE Rituals, symbols, and myths have been at the forefront of the Sociology of Religion since Durkheim (1915) wrote of the prominence of beliefs, rights, and rituals in the worship of social life. Naturism, animism, and totemic beliefs are mostly bygone religions – relics of a pre-industrialized world, but Durkheim predicted that religion… Continue reading The Case for the Cultural Study of Religion
American Secularization and Media Depictions of End Times
INTRODUCTION Media Influence Art has always had an influence on society, even if that influence is more indirect than the artist intended. In the “age of mechanical reproduction” (Benjamin 1969[1936]), the aura of art may not be as strong as the medium of film and television has eclipsed the close distance of the stage. The… Continue reading American Secularization and Media Depictions of End Times
Visual Sociology
What is ‘Visual’? Visual, especially with reference to visual methods, may not necessarily equate with the images directly viewed with the eye at a given moment. When a person closes their eyes and images emerge from consciousness, do they remain “unseen”? If a person can visualize the invisible, it may not be a stretch to… Continue reading Visual Sociology
Altering the Availability Heuristic
A heuristic is “a mental shortcut that allows an individual to make a decision, pass judgment, or solve a problem quickly and with minimal mental effort.” We use heuristics all the time. In any given situation, we are armed with data about the situation — usually sensory — and use heuristics to fill in the… Continue reading Altering the Availability Heuristic
Through “The Looking Glass”
THE LOOKING GLASS SELF In 1902, C.H. Cooley published a social theory that I believe holds up over a century later - “The Looking Glass Self.” The basic premise of the theory is that our behavior is shaped by our perception of how we believe others see us. In other words, perception of “society” is… Continue reading Through “The Looking Glass”
Our Teens are Killing Themselves
SUICIDE is not a 21st century problem, but it has been increasing in recent years. As of 2019, suicide is a top 10 cause of death in the United States and has become an outright epidemic among teens and young adults where it has become the second leading cause of death for those aged 10–34… Continue reading Our Teens are Killing Themselves
THE NEOLIBERAL ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM
“For the love of money is the root of all evil.” I Timothy 6:10INTRODUCTION The dominance of global neoliberal economics and cries for economic justice in the United States has reignited a firestorm of criticism of the capitalist system. What once was a booming economic system that attempted to address and correct the horrors of… Continue reading THE NEOLIBERAL ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM
Rethinking the Unrest
Something to think about with all the chaos and civil unrest happening right now. Those who are pulling down statues believe as strongly and passionately about their cause as you do about keeping those statues to remember history. They believe in their cause as much - and possibly more - than you do about evangelizing… Continue reading Rethinking the Unrest
Simmons' Opinions 