About this podcast
The sociological imagination is great, but really, it ruins all your favorite things. This podcast, hosted by Matt Sedlar, takes a topic each month and explores it from a sociological perspective.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 26 episodes
- Youth Sports · 47 min · Season 4 Episode 4I know what you might be thinking: Sociology and sports? Remember this podcast is called Sociology Ruins Everything, not Sociology Ruins Some Things. But to be fair, some people…
- Data Science · 41 min · Season 4 Episode 3This month's episode dives into the origins and definitions of the "sexiest job of the 21st century": Data science. I look at the most recent data to uncover how and why it…
- Legend Tripping · 16 min · Season 4 Episode 2What exactly is legend tripping? Is it truly about finding ghosts and cryptids, or is it a ritual designed to create unbreakable social bonds? This month's episode dives into the…
- Trust · 1 h 4 min · Season 4 Episode 1Happy New Year, listeners! This month's episode deals with trust. When we think of trust, we tend to place this issue within the realm of psychology. It’s often seen as a…
- Social Robots · 55 min · Season 3 Episode 6The season finale of Sociology Ruins Everything explores the intersection of robotics and reproductive labor, highlighting the potential risks of deploying technology without…
- Civic Engagement · 41 min · Season 3 Episode 5You pay your taxes, you vote, and you follow the laws. Does that make you a good citizen? If you said yes, according to a 2019 Pew Center Research survey, most Americans agree…
- Wildfires · 21 min · Season 3 Episode 4What can a sociology podcast say about fire? This episode delves into the social and cultural dimensions of fire and the institutions that have changed our relationship with it…
- Puppetry · 29 min · Season 3 Episode 3This month, I want to tell you a story about Concord Park, a suburb of Philadelphia. Concord Park was intentionally designed to combat the systemic forces that fostered…
- Unaccompanied Migrant Youth · 43 min · Season 3 Episode 2Sociologist Stephanie Canizales joins the podcast to discuss the complex realities unaccompanied migrant youth face, the factors that lead them to embark on such journeys, the…
- Furniture Poverty · 36 min · Season 3 Episode 1Places are unique to us. We become attached to them. And when you ask people to name a place that means a lot to them, there’s a good chance they’ll talk about home. Our homes…
- Sociology Goes on Strike · 1 h 3 min · Season 2 Episode 4Collective action is the most effective way to bring about social change because it allows people to pool their resources and efforts to achieve a common goal. Strikes are one of…
- Sociology Ruins Reality TV · 32 min · Season 2 Episode 3What if I told you reality TV says a lot about the world around us? I'm sure you're skeptical, but hopefully, this episode will convince you that reality TV is worth paying…
- Sociology Ruins Silence · 37 min · Season 2 Episode 2Not many people realize institutions and society regulate silence. The noise in our lives, both external and internal, is actually controlled by laws and norms, and that noise…
- Sociology Ruins Conspiracy Theories · 36 min · Season 2 Episode 1There are some wild theories about the Denver International Airport. But is it really the headquarters of the Illuminati, guarded by the demonic statue of a blue horse? Believe…
- Improv · 30 min · Season 1 Episode 12In the final episode of season one, I enlist the help of Ruth Yamamoto, PhD and certified improv instructor, to explore the role improv can play in improving science…
- Sociology Ruins Bullying · 23 min · Season 1 Episode 11How do we identify bullying and how do sociologists in particular study this phenomenon? This episode looks at the infamous Slap to examine whether bullying goes unrecognized…
- Sociology Ruins Trauma · 17 min · Season 1 Episode 10The world is a mess, so let's talk about trauma. In this episode, I examine trauma in its many different forms and the ways social structures can create as well as mitigate its…
- Sociology Ruins Don't Look Up · 31 min · Season 1 Episode 9What does Adam McKay's 2021 disaster film Don't Look Up say about the current discourse over climate change? In this episode, I talk with Nik Janos, Associate Professor of…
- Sociology Ruins Marriage · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 8What is marriage? What are the origins of marriage? What does it mean today? For this episode, I'm joined by Shannon Davis, associate dean for Faculty and Academic Affairs at…
- Sociology Ruins Housing · 43 min · Season 1 Episode 7In this episode, I head to California to explore why there isn't enough housing and what the state and activists are doing about it. Joining me are New York Times reporter Conor…
