The Sociology of Everything Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss introduce listeners to a noteworthy work in early classical sociology that often gets oversimplified for what it argues and observes about a key aspect of the process of modernisation. Georg Simmel’s noted essay on The Metropolis and Mental Life, originally published in 1903, provides varied insights about what effect living in an urban/metropolitan environment has on individuals and their psychologies, which includes the blasé attitude exhibited by many urban dwellers. Unpacking this text leads Eric and Louis to talk about the Will Ferrell classic Christmas film, Elf and what it means to do a ‘mainy’ in rural Australia. Eric and Louis also take sides in a hypothetical ‘punch-up’ in  a country Australian town (Eric is Team Joe, while Louis is Team Frank), alongside other musings and reflections about the ideas Simmel puts forward.

Music and sound effects used in this episode are licensed under a CC 0 License, the CC Attribution License 3.0, or by a SFX (Multi-Use) License Commercial License from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com). Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/sound-effects/tracks/1313038b-b628-47c1-b974-bb75b64c099d/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/e430cef0-e9f1-41b0-b68a-2d98b7d92c39/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/3dd2a7c0-7363-428b-918f-bb729286fba8/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/4c8596c2-6064-4ec4-b82e-e2a46763ce08/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/bc333bec-1d67-4019-b369-9ddb194aa1c1/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/2aa1ade1-1548-4259-8038-008fd88e1b6c/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/9c5dc20d-86ad-31c3-b5e6-4ded89b7028d/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/A2V5xRtt5S/

The views and opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers, and do not reflect any of the involved institutions.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In the second part of their series on Gaza, Genocide, and Social Theory, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss welcome Ernesto Verdeja onto their podcast to talk around an article Ernesto has written in the Journal of Genocide Research, titled ‘The Gaza Genocide in Five Crises’. In this wide-ranging discussion, Ernesto makes some very powerful points about why it is meaningful and apt to categorise the recent major loss of life in Gaza as a genocide, while also unpacking what the broader ramifications of the Gaza case are to international governance. Eric and Louis feel strongly that this episode is not to be missed.  

Ernesto Verdeja is Associate Professor of Peace Studies and Global Politics at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He is currently the Executive Director of the human rights non-profit Institute for the Study of Genocide. For more information about his work, you can visit Ernesto’s website: https://everdeja.weebly.com/

Music and sound effects used in this episode are licensed under a CC 0 License, the CC Attribution License 3.0, or by a SFX (Multi-Use) License Commercial License from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com). Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/1500ce5a-ec15-3d83-ac57-de83ecc3166d/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/50028bdf-8888-3bd1-8089-0999e89b61fd/

The views and opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers, and do not reflect any of the involved institutions.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss discuss what it means to be 'authentic' in the context of tourism. By examining the work of Ning Wang, they consider how authenticity in tourism research can be conceptualised in a number of different ways. One of these ways leads Louis to recount a time Eric ruined a sightseeing excursion they once went on. Louis also explains in this episode why he enjoys watching Antiques Roadshow. Not to be outdone, Eric wonders aloud where people defecate when they go bushwalking in Australia.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0, EFF Open Audio License, or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://freesound.org/people/flood-mix/sounds/413342/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:W._A._Mozart_-_Don_Giovanni_-_01._Ouverture_(Josef_Krips,_Wiener_Staatsoper,_1955).ogg
https://freesound.org/people/thearchiveguy99/sounds/658932/
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss do their best to have a reflexive discussion about a highly influential sociological account of the contemporary modern world: Anthony Giddens's idea of reflexive modernization, as captured in his work, The Consequences of Modernity. Eric somehow manages to use his bad Trump impression to promote the field of sociology, while Louis tries to keep the conversation more on track by ruminating on Giddens's point that modernity leaves us with more questions than answers.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0, EFF Open Audio License, or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://freesound.org/people/Trollarch2/sounds/331656/
https://freesound.org/people/giouliangel100/sounds/546897/
https://freesound.org/people/stevielematt/sounds/538066/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:A_Midsummer_Night%27s_Dream_Op._61_Wedding_March_(Mendelssohn)_European_Archive.ogg
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss launch the third season of their podcast by unpacking one of Karl Marx's most resonant and influential ideas in the field of sociology, his theory of estranged/alienated labour. Eric somehow manages to call Marx an 'emo' in this episode, while Louis admits that his ideal work situation is to play video games and travel a lot.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0, EFF Open Audio License, or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:W._A._Mozart_-_Don_Giovanni_-_01._Ouverture_(Josef_Krips,_Wiener_Staatsoper,_1955).ogg
https://freesound.org/people/colorsCrimsonTears/sounds/562296/
https://freesound.org/people/kyles/sounds/637823/
https://freesound.org/people/flood-mix/sounds/413342/
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss look to unpack a chapter in the Disability Studies Reader by the noted disability researcher, Tom Shakespeare. This work considers considers the  strengths and limitations of the social model of disability, which powerfully conceptualises disability as a socially constructed phenomenon.  In the second half of the episode, Eric and Louis welcome onto the show Caroline Ellison,  who is a noted developmental educator and an Associate Professor of Ageing and Disability at the University of South Australia. Caroline helps them understand how the social model of disability has been adopted, debated, and contested in contexts like Australia.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0, EFF Open Audio License, or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://freesound.org/people/Niedec/sounds/250268/
https://freesound.org/people/kajoo/sounds/628939/
https://freesound.org/people/SamuelGremaud/sounds/458862/
https://freesound.org/people/bevibeldesign/sounds/350428/
https://freesound.org/people/plasterbrain/sounds/273159/
https://freesound.org/people/olver/sounds/513484/
https://freesound.org/people/Vannipat/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss have a discussion about Zygmunt Bauman's noted work, Wasted Lives (2003), which explores how the process of modernisation inevitably produces waste.  In discussing what it means to live in a disposable society, Eric and Louis imagine what it must have been like to have once worked in a fax machine factory. Listeners wanting to send Eric and Louis a fax are advised to send them a telegram instead.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0, EFF Open Audio License, or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://imslp.org/wiki/Le_carnaval_des_animaux_%28Saint-Sa%C3%ABns,_Camille%29
https://freesound.org/people/Trollarch2/sounds/331656/
https://freesound.org/people/flood-mix/sounds/413342/
https://freesound.org/people/Fupicat/sounds/607207/
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss take time out of their somewhat busy schedules to talk about Hartmut Rosa's noted theory of 'social acceleration'. Rosa's (2003) article in the journal, Constellations, helps us make better sense of what it means to live in a high-speed society. Eric at one point in this episode recounts the time he gave a (hurried) presentation to Bob Hawke, the late former Labour party Prime Minister of Australia, and Louis admits that the new ordering system at his local fast-food chain that relies on self-ordering kiosks is super confusing to him.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/ https://freesound.org/people/Kagateni/sounds/404359/
https://freesound.org/people/Trollarch2/sounds/331656/
https://freesound.org/people/thearchiveguy99/sounds/658932/
https://freesound.org/people/embracetheart/sounds/345313/
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss explore Immanuel Wallerstein's influential and innovative approach to theorizing inequalities at a global level, which regards capitalism as a 'world-system' that is directly linked with colonialism. They also welcome onto the program a guest who you can either thank or blame for Eric having an academic career in sociology, Emeritus Professor Charles Lemert. Having previously co-authored a work with Wallerstein, Charles tells Eric and Louis what they got wrong about Wallerstein's insights about the capitalist world-system.

Music and sound effects for this episode comes from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://freesound.org/people/plasterbrain/sounds/273159/
https://freesound.org/people/bevibeldesign/sounds/350428/
https://freesound.org/people/colorsCrimsonTears/sounds/562296/
https://freesound.org/people/Vannipat/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss entertain the possibility that one of the previous episodes they did wasted everyone's time. They have a chat about Justin Rosenberg's polemical argument that scholars are paying too much attention to the concept of globalization. Not only is it being used in theoretically problematic ways, perhaps it actually does not say all that much. Eric and Louis consider responses to this argument, and as always they end up talking about a lot of strange topics, like the global stardom of the Korean pop singer, Psy, why Louis hates bourbon whiskey, and how Eric once managed to get sleep at Singapore Changi airport by pushing two chairs together.

Music and sound effects for this episode come from various sources and is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License, the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 or is covered by a SFX (Multi-Use) License. Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://freesound.org/people/rekks888/sounds/683046/
https://freesound.org/people/JPMusic82/sounds/415511/

The opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers. They do not reflect the opinions of anyone else at UniSA or the institution at large.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com