Macmillan’s Post

Review of 'Social Research Methods' by Joshua Iyadurai in NCCR #researchmethods #qualitativeresearch #quantitativeresearch #mixedmethodsresearch #researchproposalwriting #dissertationwriting #socialresearch #theologicalresearch #religiousstudies #interdisciplinaryresearch

Now that you have been introduced to the three major sociological theories (con

📱 In the context of social media, the word “curation” has an association with projecting perfection, vanity, selecting and organizing, sorting and sifting to present a particular aesthetic. 📱 Out of curiosity, I recently looked up the etymology of the word "curator": According to a Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, curators in Roman times were “persons appointed either by law or by the magistrate to look after the of certain classes of people, and to prevent its being squandered, because they were unfit or unable to properly take charge of it themselves.” Minors and “lunatics” were often those assigned a curate. 📱In the later context of Christianity, the term curate came to refer to a clerical figure tasked with the care of human souls. 📱Perhaps “curator” is a richer word than “influencer.” I think there is something about the older meaning of curator that really gets at the relationship a lot of younger people have with social media and helps inform our understanding of just how dependent many of us have become. In a time of unprecedented wealth and information, curators are those who pick and choose, sort and sift and post to guide others (often younger) in the deployment of time and money. 📱I’m a late millennial who made the 1996 cutoff by just a few years. I expect (and hope) in the future there will be a large and widespread movement in the Alpha/Polar generation rejecting social media. Perhaps something like the “sober curious” swing against alcohol today. Perhaps erasing one’s publicly documented and monetized childhood (or not having one at all) will become a kind of status symbol.  📱If this happens, hopefully the swing will be driven less by resentment, and more by curiosity. If you grew up with curators, what would it be like to navigate the world...independently? To figure out life and work and human relationships without the oversight of curators carefully managing your affairs. 

Forget the proverbial wisdom: Opposites don’t really attract, study finds Interesting 🤔 #ScienceExploration #InnovationInResearch #DiscoveryJourney #ScientificBreakthroughs #CuriosityUnleashed #LabLifeAdventures #TechInnovationFrontiers #KnowledgeQuest #ResearchRevolution #EurekaMoments #ScienceBeyondBoundaries #FutureTechWonders

In my latest weekly column I address the science of community to show how communities can be ecosystems of wisdom which are often dissected, ignored, misrepresented or misunderstood by social scientists. I would welcome your experiences and observations on this theme. https://lnkd.in/en7u54Fi

In 2011-2012 we hosted a Mellon Foundation Sawyer Seminar on "Precarious Work in Asia" at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Sociology and Global Studies Departments. Among other things we learned was that the decline of China's "rust belt" mirrored that of the US and other industrial countries a decade earlier. The 2009 financial crisis deepened that dislocation in the West. It appears that we are seeing a repeat in China today as well. This article does a nice job of explaining how it is captured in fiction in China, one of the few relatively open spaces in China today! https://lnkd.in/gVSMgW6y

📌 If you are a member of the British Sociological Association, please consider writing a review on my new book for its Network Magazine. The urban life of workers in post-Soviet Russia is now included in the BSA Network review list, together with many other interesting titles. To write a review you do not need necessarily to be an expert on Russia. 📌 The book develops the neo-Marxist and neo-Bourdieusian approaches to social class, inequality, urban space and struggle. It provides an ethnographically grounded theorisation of the concepts of structure of feeling, senses, imaginaries and practical activities, as well as habitus and consciousness. 📌 You may probably compare my findings with your research on the lived experiences of working-class communities in other contexts which you study or know well. 📌 Apart from this, the book develops a sensory methodology in the example of multi-sited ethnography combining the mainstream and creative qualitative research methods. To request a free copy, please contact the BSA:

I couldn't quite figure out where to go with my re-post here. I was thinking something simple and wise like: "Great change requires great strength but it brings great energy." But it wasn't quite landing so I asked the machine. Single AI Prompt: "That's a powerful statement, Kevin. It captures the essence of how transformative efforts, though challenging, can also be invigorating and energizing. It reminds me of the work you do balancing leadership and service in both your professional life and as a volunteer EMT—both requiring strength and resilience, yet rewarding in their own ways. Would you say this mindset guides your approach to your various roles?" Yes, yes I would in fact. Wow! See?!? The machines ARE making our lives better. They understand us and help us tell our stories. And affirmation! Boom! Now I can finally devote less time to crafting those deeply engaging, meaningful social posts in the endless chase for relevance in an industry that’s ridiculously fast-paced and—let’s be real—largely self-obsessed and self-congratulatory. The business has so many “-ists” floating around, we’d be here all day trying to name them all. More time for Dadding, Entrepreneur-ing, and EMT-ing. The promise of GenAI has been fulfilled. Also, you are most welcome probably.

The epistemic function of narrative. https://lnkd.in/d4yhTze3

The goal of the first assignment is to help you understand the sociological imag