Flip flops: the world wide trail of an everyday commodity. Laurie Taylor talks to Caroline Knowles, Professor of Sociology at Goldsmiths, University of London, whose study takes a ground level view of the lives and places of globalisation's back roads, via that most ubiquitous of footwear - the flip flop sandal. Also, research into Russia's elite and how they acquire social distinction. Dr Elisabeth Schimpfossl, Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Manchester, looks at the strategies employed by representatives of Russia's new social upper class to gain status and prestige. Distancing themselves from the 'vulgar' excesses of the brutal 90s, they've moved away from ostentatious displays of wealth, seeking legitimacy for their position by developing a more 'cultured' image.Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Folgen von Thinking Allowed
586 Folgen
-
Folge vom 02.07.2014Russia's upper class, Flip Flops
-
Folge vom 25.06.2014History of Surfing; Coffee Shops and IdlenessSurfing - a political history. Laurie Taylor looks beyond the tanned bodies, crashing waves and carefree pleasure, talking to Scott Laderman, Associate Professor of History at the University of Minnesota. His study traces the rise of surfing in the context of the rise of imperialism and global capitalism. From its emergence in post annexation Hawaii and its use as a diplomatic weapon in America's Cold War to the low wage labour of the surf industry today; he uncovers a hidden history involving as much blood and repression as beachside bliss. Also, Pelle Valentin Olsen, graduate student at the University of Oxford, explores the Baghdad coffee shop, idleness and the emergence of the bourgeoisie. He's joined by Graham Scambler, Emiritus Professor of Sociology at University College, London.Producer: Jayne Egerton.
-
Folge vom 18.06.2014Late-Modern Hipsters - Before the WindrushBefore the Windrush - Laurie Taylor talks to John Belchem, Professor of History at the University of Liverpool, about his study of race relations in 20th century Liverpool. Long before the arrival of the Empire Windrush after the Second World War, the city was already a teeming mix of different nationalities and races. Black Liverpudlians pioneered mixed marriages and parentage but they also experienced rejection and discrimination. Nisha Katona, city born resident and trustee of National Museums Liverpool, joins the debate.Also, Bjorn Andersen, a sociologist at the University of Gothenburg, discusses the phenomenon of the late modern 'hipster', the young bohemian of the cosmopolitan city.Producer: Jayne Egerton.
-
Folge vom 11.06.2014Masculinity and betting shops; 'New' biological relatives and kinshipIVF - it's 35 years years since the initial success of a form of technologically assisted human reproduction which has led to the birth of 5 million 'miracle' babies. Laurie Taylor talks to Sarah Franklin, Professor in Sociology at the University of Cambridge, about her study into the meaning and impact of IVF. Has the creation of new biological relatives transformed our notion of kinship? They're joined by Henrietta Moore, Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge.Also, the male space of the 'bookies'. Betting on horses and dogs has long been seen as a male pastime and the betting shop as a 'man's world'. Rebecca Cassidy, Professor of Social Anthropology at Goldsmiths at the University of London, asks why this should be, interviewing both workers and customers in London betting shops.Producer: Jayne Egerton.