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Jun 18

2011

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in Social theory, Sociologists

Tags Manuel Castells Mass Communication Research Paul Lazarsfeld Two-step flow of communication

The two-step flow of communication

The processes of social mobilization against the crisis and against the measures taken by policymakers that have occurred in Spain, the Arab countries (especially Egypt), Greece or other Mediterranean countries offer an opportunity to review the hypothesis of the two-step flow of communication from the point of view of both its continuity and its diversity, and they suggest that this process could be the inverse of that which is indicated by the original studies.

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Jun 10

2011

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in Epistemology social sciences, Social theory

Tags Immigration Material conditions Social class Social identity Social mobility Social structure Stigmatization Symbolic capital

Racism and crisis

There are two possible hypotheses explaining the mechanism of racism in situations of crisis. The first appears to be not specific to situations of crisis and suggests that when these contexts receive immigrants there are some changes in the social structure which would be analogous to upward mobility. According to the second hypothesis, the changes that are taking place in the social structure are totally opposed to what is pointed out in the previous hypothesis, involving a loss of symbolic capital of certain native classes.

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Oct 31

2010

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in Methodology

Tags Focused interview Interviewing techniques

Elite interviewing

The book Scientific Elite provides valuable indications on elite interviewing. Specifically, the book includes an appendix (“Appendix A: Interviewing an Ultra-Elite”) that explores this topic. The Appendix A was originally published in a slightly different form at The Public Opinion Quarterly. The work of Harriet Zuckerman on elite interviewing is based in the seminal work of Robert K. Merton published in The Focused Interview, an unique and incredible book that every sociologist should know.

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Oct 08

2010

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in Sociologists

Tags Pierre Bourdieu

Reading Bourdieu

One of the best sociologists of all times, Pierre Bourdieu is also one of the least understood. Many attribute this to his difficult writing style. Others say that social science is very difficult: if we start from the premise that we think we know how the social world operates, it is not surprising to see that when someone explains the complexity of the social world, we do not understand anything. It is because the things explained are so strange and so different from how we think they are that we offer a brutal resistance.

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