Positive Sociology

Check out this brilliant 20-minute "Tiny Desk" concert featuring Common and friends at the White House. I've been bumping it in the background and feel more calm and relaxed...there's something about Common's voice and his message that really hits home right now. Thank you, Common. Always droppin' knowledge... Common drops gems about Black history, women's empowerment, mass incarceration, and other conscious topics.  How many rappers you know reference Michelle Alexander in their rhymes? Seeing this little performance makes me feel nostalgic about Barack Obama and his legacy as POTUS.  No matter what happens, there are many things that Barack Obama set in motion that will not simply go away because of who is following him into office.  In the coming days, those of us who are unhappy with the result of this election have to keep our eyes on the long game. Maybe this election is something that will inspire collection action and real social change?

Awesome Jiu Jitsu I love watching Otavio Sousa.  He's a 2-time Black Belt World Champion and considered one of the great modern day jiu jitsu competitors.  Lots of people know him for his difficult "situp guard" and the high pace that he imposes on all of his opponents. Otavio's solid base has crushed many guards But, in the finals of the Atlanta BJJ Pro , we get to see one of the other skills in his repertoire--and indeed, something that is essential to the gentle art: BASE (or one's base of support).  Here's what my good friend (and one of my first jiu jitsu instructors), Josh Vogel , has to say about base: Base refers to your base of support. A base of support is made up of whatever points of support you have with an object. If you are standing, your two feet are your points of support and your base of support would be the straight line drawn between your two feet. If you place one hand on the ground (and shift some weight onto it) you have three

I've been on a Kid Cudi listening spree ever since he checked himself into a mental health care facility last month .  It took a lot of courage for Cudi to share his struggles with the world and I sincerely hope he gets the help he needs. Fans love Kid Cudi's honesty in his music I think Cudi is a shining example of how we can all help fight mental health stigma.  If Cudi can come out and talk about his own demons in Hip Hop--a genre that is especially averse to admitting vulnerability of any sort--we can all come out and do the same in our own worlds.   The truth is, we all face adversity.  And we all get stressed out and down...and lose hope. That's the nature of life.  And when we do, we can't be afraid to tell others that we're going through it.  And, on the flipside, we should also make ourselves available to people in need around us.  Those are two small--yet powerful--things we can do to reverse the stigma against mental health issues.   I lo

I've been experimenting with writing strategies lately and came across this method called "The Pomodoro Method."  The Pomodoro Method was created by Francisco Cirillo, a developer and entrepreneur, who developed the method in the 90s (and named the method after a Tomato-shaped timer).  The method is simple: You work for short bursts of time and then you take an even shorter break. Then repeat. Here's the generic Pomodoro Method cycle. 1) Set your timer for 25 minutes Conquer your writing woes and feel like my good buddy, Anthony Ervin! 2) Work for 25 minutes without interruption or distraction (turn off email, phone, etc) 3) take a 5 minute break (where you do something else) 4) repeat *every 3rd or 4th cycle should be followed with a longer, 15-20 minute break The Pomodoro Method is a method of sprinting through tasks. It's very similar to interval based training in swimming.  The general idea is that you cannot sustain optimal levels of effort and

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it inspires a massive shift in how people think about their lives.  Amidst the food, football, and other holiday vibes, people are encouraged to give thanks.  For a day (or even 20-30 minutes at the dinner table), people think about and say out loud what they're thankful for...and as a result, they feel happier. Thanksgiving can teach us how to cultivate a powerful mindset ...And then, Black Friday rolls around and people forget about all the good vibes that they just talked about.  By Monday, the "Thanksgiving mojo" is all but gone and people are stressed out, back on the hamster wheel. But, maybe it doesn't have to be that way.  What if we could take all the positive vibes from Thanksgiving and apply it to our everyday lives? The business leader/self-help guru, Tony Robbins, might have some important insights into this very process.  Robbins, who is a prolific best-selling author/international public speaker/work

I just finished reading Mark Manson's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck .  This was a breezy read and packs a ton of wisdom into 210 pages. I read the entire book on my flight back to California yesterday and think it's worth checking out, particularly if you're disillusioned with the cult of self-help-pop-psychology in today's book market. Manson's book is as advertised, "A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life." Other passengers were interested in the book, too! I was initially drawn to  The Subtle Art...  because Manson, a professional blogger , draws inspiration from Charles Bukowski aka "The Dirty Old Man."  Bukowski is one of my favorite writers and has a legion of fans who adore his blunt, crude, and honest way of writing.  I can't think of a less pretentious writer.  Love or hate him, Bukowski was someone who wrote with raw sincerity; "The Dirty Old Man" was open and unabashed about his vulnerability and he

Grad school is a grind.  Getting a Ph.D. (or any other professional degree) takes a lot of time and a lot of hard work. But, the process of getting through an intensive graduate program needn't be soul crushing.  In fact, the process can be made a lot easier if you're surrounded by the "right" types of people. Here are 4 "types" of friends you need to get through a Ph.D. program.  (In truth, these kinds of friends might have broader utility; I think they might be useful for academics at any stage of the career)... You need someone like Mckayla Maroney... 1) The Tough Critic : This person isn't always the easiest person to be around, but they have a very important role in your development as a scholar.  They might be your chair or mentor, or they might simply be someone who is  always critical of everything.  Whatever the case, surround yourself with a friend or friends who will tell you when your work sucks.  They might not always make you feel

I saw this photo today on my Twitter feed. Apparently, these moose were locked in mortal combat... ...and then they both froze to death... I think this picture captures the futility of arguing with people on social media.  There was a time in the recent past when I would get into it with people online. Someone would post something or comment on a post and I'd interject or add my two cents. On a few occasions, these exchanges would lead to an interesting back-and-forth...but 99% of the time they'd lead to personal attacks and they'd become a massive waste of time and energy. I recently swore off Facebook and Twitter debating and I feel much better because of it.  Next time someone posts something that bothers you, think of the moose who died while locked in combat...or think of this hilarious Kermit gif.  There's probably very little you can stand to gain in Facebook or Twitter debates. Happy Sunday.  Take care of yourself and keep fighting the good fight!

I woke up this morning and discovered that an old friend, Nicolo Noche, has passed away at 35 years young.  I still don't know all the details, but I read that he passed while teaching at his MMA academy in Union City, CA.  My heart is aching, thinking about my old friend and how the world has lost a truly kind and gentle person. Nicolo was a multi-talented dude and a genuinely friendly person I first met Nicolo in the Bay Area poppin' world.  We met in an all-styles dance battle at "The Crackhouse," an abandoned warehouse near Jack London Square in Oakland.  Nicolo's personality came out in his dancing. He wasn't one of those poppers who tried to act hard.  He was humble and warm, full of good vibes and smiles. I got to know Nicolo over the years after this event.  He was one of my early popping teachers and an amazing DJ.  Nicolo used to DJ all sorts of events and would spin a mixture of old school Hip Hop and old school freestyle records (a la Stevi

Last night I was on a wonderful panel organized by my colleague, Judy Taylor.  The panel was part of an ongoing "Qualitative Research in Reflection" series.  All of the panelists were asked to reflect on "Things I Wish I Hadn't Learned" while doing fieldwork.  We all shared funny, sad, and challenging stories from our collective fieldwork.  I was honored to share the stage with my U of T colleague, Neda Maghbouleh, and Jessica Fields (SFSU) who does interesting work on gender and sexuality.  I walked away from the panel feeling invigorated and excited about being an ethnographer again. Paul Farmer talks the talk and walks the walk The session then transitioned into a Q&A period and then my colleague Luisa Schwartzman asked, "What can sociology learn from other disciplines that do ethnography?  What can sociology learn from Anthropology?" I didn't have a good answer for this at first, but then I thought back to my time in the Robert Wood

"Got a lotta enemies, got a lotta enemies got a lotta people tryna drain me of my energy..." - Drake I'll be the first to admit it. I haven't always been the biggest fan of Drake. Maybe there's a part of me that subconsciously rejects someone who used to be a child TV star.  Or, maybe there's a part of me in denial about someone from outside of NYC or LA at the top of the Hip Hop food chain... But, whatever the case, Started from Degrassi now we here my opinion about Drake has been changing lately.  Even though I don't like the Raptors, I do like the fact that he represents his city.  And, I've warmed up to some of his songs, including his 2015 hit, "Energy."   I guess you could say that I've moved from being a bonafide "Drizzy hater" to being someone who appreciates his hustle.  Fair enough? Anyways, "Energy" is an important song in which Drake address a growing legion of haters.  He describes all the peop

After a quick swim, I stepped into the public shower at the Y. Like most of you, I have a pretty standard routine in public showers.  I avoid making eye contact with others, wash quickly, and then bounce to the locker room.  It's like I was never there.   The public shower, like the subway or bus, is a place where people practice what Erving Goffman calls “civil inattention.”   There’s an expectation that you should enter this space, tacitly acknowledge others, but keep to yourself.   Engaging with someone in a space that feels so intimate and revealing can be awkward and intrusive.  And so, people walk into the showers heads down and go about their business without ever socially connecting with others.   But, something interesting happened tonight… As I was getting ready to leave, somebody started singing.  At first it was faint, a muffled echo against the sounds of a dozen showers squirting hot water on bodies.  But, then the singing got louder.  I glanced around the s

Sometimes you need that extra jolt of energy--that reminder that nothing worthwhile in this life comes easy.  Maybe you have a lot of work to finish, or you are faced with some adversity in your life.  No matter what it is, take a deep breath, remember that you've faced and overcome similar challenges in your life, and then get to work.  This is the overwhelming message in Ace Hood's 2011 banger, "Hustle Hard" , and it's a message that all of us need in this particular moment.  If there's any silver lining in the aftermath of the Trump election, it's that so many people are getting involved in small and big ways.  We can all make a difference and it starts with rolling up your sleeves and doing something locally. Times are getting hard Guess what I'm a do Hustle, hustle, hustle, hard (x3) Closed mouths don't get fed on this boulevard

My good buddy, Anup Sheth, introduced me to this song.  Based out of LA, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros are a new age folk/indie rock band.  They have an eclectic sound that is reminiscent of the old folk rock days from the '60s.  I love this song because it is catchy and it shows people of various backgrounds lost in the art of dance.  Dance and other creative activity can be very cathartic, particularly when you do it with others. I think this song is a gentle reminder to do something today that you absolutely love. Take care of yourself and keep fighting the good fight!

Mos Def has long made positive and uplifting music.  I am a huge fan of "Black on Both Sides" and think it's one of the best Hip Hop albums ever.   "Life is Good" was originally released on "Sound Tracks 2" produced by DJ Deckstream. It's a wonderful little song that reminds us to always look for beauty in everyday life. The song begins with a powerful reminder to take each day and live it to the fullest: Wake up in the mornin! And I give thanks and praise, Open up the gift called a brand new day This life is fantastic It's easy It's hard It's intense It's young And on and on and on!

Here's another great song to brighten your day and give you some energy.  Jimmy Cliff is one of my all-time favorite musicians and his songs are simultaneously political and inspiring.  "I Can See Clearly Now" is a song that reminds us that there's always a brighter tomorrow.  Keep fighting the good fight!

Psychologists have long shown that positive, uplifting music can be a boost to your mental health.  I've often relied on different kinds of music to help boost my overall mood and energy.  I know that self-care isn't going to solve all the problems that we're facing in this dark time, but my hope is that these daily songs will give you a little positive vibration.  If you are feeling better and healthier, you will be better equipped to fight the good fight. The first entry is one of my all-time favorite songs, "One Love", by the immortal Bob Marley.  The song rings truer today than ever.  We are in desperate need of the kind of message contained in this beautiful and iconic song about unity and love.

Over the last 48 hours, people have shared stories about witnessing and personally experiencing racist and homophobic bullying.   These stories are bubbling up everywhere. From stories of people spray painting swastikas on cars , to accounts of college co-eds dressing up in blackface, it seems as if Trump’s electoral win has suddenly energized and emboldened bigots near and far.   This has been difficult to watch and hear about, even from the relatively safe sidelines in Toronto.   Call it wishful thinking, but I thought (or at least hoped) that the US had moved passed this (I knew it was still lurking).   Didn’t we just elect Barack Obama to the presidency 8 years ago?   Isn’t the general population becoming more racially and ethnically diverse?   Aren’t we supposed to be a more tolerant world?   These events have felt like a rude awakening and have challenged my basic faith in political progress and racial equity in the US.     Smartphones can be key in our fight for justice