New Books in Sociology

Jared D. Margulies, author of The Cactus Hunters: Desire and Extinction in the Illicit Succulent Trade, delves into the motivations and methods of cactus collectors, explores the connection between botanists and collectors in the succulent trade, and discusses the use of psychoanalytic frameworks in understanding the trade. He also shares his personal involvement in the illicit plant trade and his work in conservation science policy.

Hannah Gould and Gwyn McClelland discuss their edited volume on olfaction in Asian societies, exploring its role in crafting relationships with the dead, shaping social networks, and crossing boundaries. They also discuss the thematic structure of the book, uncovering stories and research topics that were not included.

Dr. James St Andre, author of Conceptualising China through Translation, discusses the development of key cultural terms between English and Chinese, exploring how ideas about Chinese culture impact our understanding of China. Topics include feng shui's impact on Western modernity, the transformation of filial piety in China, and the complex dynamics of face in translation.

Guido Parietti, author who proposes a proper definition of power, discusses the limitations of current approaches to political theory and political science. He emphasizes the importance of understanding power in order to comprehend politics and explores the connection between power and possibility. The podcast also delves into the concept of poverty in different languages, the paradoxical identification of freedom with the absence of poverty, and the relationship between representation and power.

Ofer Sharone, an expert on the stigma of unemployment, discusses how highly educated and experienced workers are vulnerable to long-term unemployment. He explains the impact of unemployment stigma on job seekers and their relationships. The podcast also explores the financial consequences on intimate relationships and friendships. Additionally, it highlights the importance of advocacy and collective action in changing societal perceptions of unemployment.

Joseph C. Russo, author of 'Hard Luck and Heavy Rain: The Ecology of Stories in Southeast Texas,' explores the lives of rural residents and their hard-luck stories in Southeast Texas. Topics include LGBTQ+ life, petrochemical industries, religiosity among health food store employees, and the suffering of cancer patients. The podcast challenges classist stereotypes and highlights the insight these individuals offer into contemporary America.

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, author of Fit Nation: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession, discusses the history of fitness in the US, its impact on national community, industry, security, wealth, and wellness. They delve into the origins of fitness in the US, including the influence of European practices and the role of Muscle Beach in promoting bodybuilding. They also explore the transformation of fitness, the shift in target demographics, and the rise of private organizations. The chapter ends with a discussion on the pandemic's impact on exercising and the speaker's current projects.

Authors Pete Barbrook-Johnson and Alexandra S. Penn discuss the practicality and accessibility of systems mapping. They explore their backgrounds and experiences in the field, offering tips for effective application. They also delve into running workshops and the connection between systems mapping and complexity science. The chapter emphasizes the benefits of understanding complex systems and encourages listeners to start building maps.

Aniefiok Ekpoudom, a freelance writer and storyteller from South London, discusses his book 'Where We Come From: Rap, Home & Hope in Modern Britain'. The book explores the struggles and triumphs of UK Rap and Grime music in South London, South Wales, and the Midlands, and highlights the importance of music, culture, and place in modern British society. Topics include the origins of UK rap and grime, the connection between reggae music and grime, the evolution of music in Birmingham, the Welsh rap group Ashford Boyz, the life and music of rapper Cadet, and exploring other mediums to capture different aspects of British culture.

Thomas Baudinette's Boys Love Media in Thailand: Celebrity, Fans, and Transnational Asian Queer Popular Culture (Bloomsbury, 2023) explores the contours of fandom, and in particular the mainstreaming of queer romance, not only in Thailand but in the Philippines and also Japan. Topics include the Japanese origins of the Boys Love trope, the Thai Boys Love series, the audiences the series has found in Thailand and elsewhere. This podcast is also hosted by the New Books Network, and will focus on the significance of this genre for our understanding of Thailand.Over the past several years, the Thai popular culture landscape has radically transformed due to the emergence of “Boys Love” (BL) soap operas which celebrate the love between handsome young men. Boys Love Media in Thailand is the first book length study of this increasingly significant transnational pop culture phenomenon. Drawing upon six years of ethnographic research, the book reveals BL's impacts on depictions of same-sex desire in Thai media culture and the resultant mainstreaming of queer romance through new forms of celebrity and participatory fandom.The author explores how the rise of BL has transformed contemporary Thai consumer culture, leading to heterosexual female fans of male celebrities who perform homoeroticism becoming the main audience to whom Thai pop culture is geared. Through the case study of BL, this book thus also investigates how Thai media is responding to broader regional trends across Asia where the economic potentials of female and queer fans are becoming increasingly important. Baudinette ultimately argues that the center of queer cultural production in Asia has shifted from Japan to Thailand, investigating both the growing international fandom of Thailand's BL series as well as the influence of international investment into the development of these media. The book particularly focuses on specific case studies of the fandom for Thai BL celebrity couples in Thailand, China, the Philippines, and Japan to explore how BL series have transformed each of these national contexts' queer consumer cultures.Professor Michele Ford is the Director of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, a university-wide multidisciplinary center at the University of Sydney, Australia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSupport our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/sociology