Sociology: Exploring the Architecture in Everyday Life
Audio
Radiolab: Season 4 Episode 1: Laughter
This program explores laughter as a biological and sociological phenomenon. Scientists discuss laughter as a means of communicating important social information and observe that we are unlikely to laugh when alone. Also examined is laughter as something that is “contagious.”
Questions to Consider:
- We often think of laughter as spontaneous, something that we simply do because we find a joke or event humorous. Is this actually the case?
- What important social information is being communicated when we laugh? What functions does laughter serve in interaction?
- Have you ever acted as if you found something amusing and, in order to communicate this to another person, made yourself “laugh”? Describe the circumstances. (Who were you with? What was the thing you pretended to find humorous?) We often engage in this kind of acting. Why? What does it accomplish?
This American Life 318: With Great Power
This episode is focused on stories of power and responsibility. The first act is a story of a woman who possessed information that could free an innocent man from prison. The second act is the story of a mother and daughter in a family who wished for years they could do something to stop their neighbor from all kinds of shocking behavior. Suddenly they get the power to decisively change things forever and then they have to decide whether they will.
Questions to Consider:
- How was the behavior of the women in these stories influenced by the people around them?
- How did statuses and roles factor into these situations?
- Can you explain the stories in terms of one or more of the major sociological perspectives presented in the chapter? Be specific and provide details.
This American Life 378: This I used to believe
This program is a compilation of stories about people forced to let go of their firmly held beliefs. For example, when the daughter of a pro-choice activist concludes that abortion is murder, her mother goes to extraordinary lengths to persuade her daughter to switch sides. An additional example shows us that after a woman loses her faith, a football coach—who she's never met—tries to restore it.
Questions to Consider:
- How does society play a role in each of the stories presented?
- Identify the social statues of the people involved in each of the stories and furthermore how might these statues have influenced each member?
- Identify how one social institution mentioned in the episode played a part in how the story played out.