Author Archive for Dr. Michael Sosteric
I'm a sociologist at Athabasca University where I coordinate,amongst other things, the introductory sociology courses (Sociology I and Sociology II). FYI I did my dissertation in the political economy of scholarly communication (you can read it if you want). It's not that bad. My current interests lie in the area of scholarly communication and pedagogy, the sociology of spirituality and religion, consciousness research, entheogens, inequality and stratification, and the revolutionary potential of authentic spirituality. The Socjourn is my pet project. It started as the Electronic Journal of Sociology but after watching our social elites systematically dismantle the potential of eJournals to alter the politics and economies of scholarly communication, I decided I'd try something a little different. That something is The Socjourn, a initiative that bends the rules of scholarly communication and pedagogy by disregarding academic ego and smashing down the walls that divide our little Ivory Tower world from the rest of humanity. If you are a sociologist or a sociology student and you have a burning desire to engage in a little institutional demolition by perhaps writing for the Socjourn, contact me. If you are a graduate student and you have some ideas that you think I might find interesting, contact me. I supervise graduate students through Athabasca Universities MAIS program.
Teenage suicide, Amanda Todd, and new communication technology
A brave new world has emerged for our children. Whereas once bullying was confined to the school yard, or the back hall, now bullying penetrates into every aspect of their life space. At night, alone, in their bedroom, surrounded by family, our children have become targets, and victims. What are we going to do and who are we going to turn to? As Nat King Cole once sang, “Straighten out and fly right…”
Emotional Abuse
Here is a letter from a concerned worker in the Florida school system. Schools are supposed to be safe havens for our children, but the reality is they are not. Filled with violence and abuse, our schools beat us up and put us down. We often know it is going on, and we are often willing to change, but The System is designed to punish the willing and suppress change. Times are a changing though and what is now only a subterranean tremble of minor revision will shortly become a global and revolutionary earthquake of change.
Participate in Sexual Assault Survey
Help us change the world! If you are a male over the age of 18, please participate in our online survey of sexual victimization and assault. Your responses are anonymous and you’ll be helping to make the world a better place by helping change our perceptions and understanding of sexual assault and victimization. Please note, if you find yourself triggered by the survey, please contact [email protected] for counseling advice and services.
Gender and Sexual Violence
As a therapist I see everyday the victimization of women, and men. In intimate relationships physical, psychological, and emotional violence are as common as the Hollywood action film. They occur outside of relationships as well, but just how much of it occurs is hard to tell not only because we often don’t “see” violence when directed at men, by women, but also because fear and ego get in the way of reporting, or so we think. In this survey we take a look at some of the factors that impact whether people report sexual victimization or not. If you’ve ever been victimized, male or female, consider taking the survey. It will help us get a better picture of the extent to which male and female victimization goes unreported.
Zed Books – The End of Conceit
He is a refreshing admission of failure. Western social thought sucks and has failed to provide solutions to any “of our most pressing domestic social and economic issues.” Well duh. Natural science may have been successful at ramping up the technological quotient of this world, but social thought has done nothing but goggle the environmental, psychological, emotional, and spiritual disaster that has resulted. We definitely need a new way of thinking about the world. Still, and sadly, I’m pretty sure you wont’ find it in this book.
Feminism Sucks
Got your attention? Good. Feminists have long challenged men to treat women with respect, and to acknowledge their “sins.” But now, feminists themselves face a challenge. Men might be part of the problem, but women play a role as well. In fact, their role in creating the world “as it is” is just as significant, and just as worthy of critical analysis, as the roles (father, warrior, ruler) that men have played. The only question is, will we face the part we played, take responsibility for the damage, and change what we’ve done. Or will it be business as usual once again.
No Justice for All
Here’s a little criminological snapshot of incarceration rates in the U.S. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this one speaks volumes not only about the high rates of incarceration in the U.S., but the incredible social cost that is associated. Something to think about for all you would-be criminologists in the audience.
What is Creativity
What is creativity? How does one become creative? Turns out, nobody knows. Or at least that is the conclusion of Dr. Monika Reuter who, after thousands of hours of research, throws up her hands in frustration at the lack of theory and explanation. Should we give up? No. But if yo uask me, if we want to understand creativity then what we need is a revolution in how we understand the nature of our reality, our existence, and ourselves.
The High-Tech Sweatshop
Here’s a paper by a student in my Sociology 460 class. Great analysis of control strategies, oppression, even deskilling the labour process. There’s also some stuff on panoptic observation and control that would make Foucault proud. All in all an excellent use of the sociological imagination.
Ding Dong the Alpha Male is Dead
Is our socialization process a process of ideological indoctrination? As part of our socialization we learn “how the world really works.” Our religions teach us of a cosmic “fight” between good and evil, science teaches us about the struggle for survival and “survival of the fittest,” and everybody talks about how its OK for the “winners” to dominate the “losers.” It is all part of the natural (or divine) social order! But is it really, or is it just indoctrination. You be the judge.
What to know about the nature of money, the value of money, and money's role in our modern economies of exchange, then download The Rocket Scientists' Guide to Money and the Economy and let the truth set you free. [
Sociology for the revolutionary in you. 