The phrase “Black Lives Matter” is considered by many to be a controversial statement, a fact which leaves me in equal states of anger and confusion. In an ideal world, people saying “Black Lives Matter” would be questioned only for their desire to state the obvious. Yet, the idea that Black people’s lives, their very…
Category: sociology
I teach, therefore I am? Teacher identity, symbolic interactionism and other ramblings
Is there such a thing as ‘teacher identity’? Research suggests that there is, and that developing a ‘teacher identity’ is a social process as well as a personal one. According to Beijaard, Meijer, & Verloop (2004), teachers continuously interpret and re-interpret their professional identity, which itself consists of multiple sub-identities and is highly context-dependent.
The role of meat consumption in the social construction, performance and perception of masculinity/ies
This essay will explore the role of meat in the social construction and performance of hegemonic and alternative masculinities, how vegetarian and vegan men’s masculinity is constructed, and how it is perceived by others.
Is the Body Natural? Intersexuality and ‘Corrective’ Genital Surgery
Intersexuality, its social construction and its management are subjects increasingly present in contemporary research that intersect intriguingly with theories of embodiment, performativity (Judith Butler) and bio-power (Foucault).
To what extent is sexuality regulated in the 21st Century?
The creation of ‘truths’ around sexuality and relations of power between nation-states and social bodies construct the foundation of a regulation of sexuality in the 21st century.
Can Reggae music be a means of challenging racism, class and gender?
With the advent of reggae in the 1960s, Jamaican music exploded on the international scene (Rhiney and Cruse, 2012; p.4). Many of the lyrics in reggae songs relate to the urban experience and speak of issues pertinent to race, class, poverty, resistance and change (Rhiney and Cruse, 2012)
Should non-human animals be included in the scope of social justice?
Social justice always relates to morality, and theories of social justice can generally be understood as considerations of the best possible practical applications of philosophical theories around ethics and morality
Total Liberationist Reflection on Iris Young’s ‘Five Faces of Oppression’
When reading on the topic of social justice, my sociological imagination always takes my thoughts to the wider collective of sentient (and social) beings we share this planet with, and so my blog posts will likely always contain an element of this.
Is there Racism in 21st Century Britain?
This essay will explore the prevalence and nature of racism in 21st century Britain, paying particular attention to Islamophobia and British politics, media, sports and education.
Critical Theory, Poststructuralism and Postmodernism
This article explores the arguments these three schools of thought put forward, critiquing positivism and its shortcomings, and offering new ways to theorise and study within the social sciences.
The Millennial 