Positive Sociology

I'll never forget my trip to Cambodia.  I was 26 or 27 and was itching to travel.  At that point, I was nearing the end of grad school and realized that I hadn't traveled many places outside of the US.  I had been to Korea to visit family, stopped over in Japan once, and been to drunken beach parties in Rosarito Beach, but none of these trips really "counted" in my mind.  I wanted something that was going to change my perspective. And so, I decided to visit Cambodia.  You might be wondering, 'why Cambodia?'  To make a long story short, I have always been interested in the capacity for human resiliency. As a young man, I read lots of stories about the Genocide.  These stories haunted me.  But, I was even more amazed at stories of people forgiving others for killing their family.  Similarly, other things I read mentioned how Khmer people were amongst the most friendly and hospitable in the world.  These things always struck a nerve wit...

I was having trouble sleeping the other night and watched Valentine Road , an HBO documentary about the murder of a cross-dressing boy named Larry King.  The documentary is sad and infuriating.  It raises painful issues about LGBT intolerance and reminded me of Boys Don't Cry . Larry King was brutally murdered for being "different." I won't give too much away, but the documentary tells the story of Larry King. King, an orphaned biracial boy, had a crush on a white classmate named Brandon McInerney.  On Valentine's day, King approached McInerney and gave him a Valentine's card.  This was humiliating to McInerney, who lost face in front of his peers.  McInerney later brought a loaded revolver with him to school and shot King twice in the back of the head.  King would later die on life support. The documentary isn't stylish, but the filmmakers portray both sides of this traumatic event.  They interviewed Larry King's friends, teachers who later te...

A video of Psi's "Gangnam Style" is going viral again.  Only this time, the video isn't just a cheeky pop song.  The video is apparently from a wedding party in Yemen.  Guests at this wedding are dancing to "Gangnam Style."  At the start of the video, you see a man firing celebratory gunshots from his AK-47.  Nobody seems to mind.  People keep dancing and the mood appears light and festive. One minute later, the gunman rattles off another series of rounds.  The dancing and music continue for a few seconds and then some revellers recoil in horror as they discover three people dead on the ground.  I did some digging around the internet and couldn't find a reliable report on this event.  But, from the looks of it, the gun was accidentally discharged in the direction of other party-goers. I've never really understood "celebratory gunshots."  I know that it's a popular pastime for some people on the 4th of July and New Years in the US,...

One of my students just tweeted a heartbreaking murder-suicide story.   Merrick McKoy, shot and killed his 18-month daughter, Mia McKoy-Phanthavongsa, and then turned the gun on himself . In a nutshell, McKoy was upset that his girlfriend was going to leave him.  He then announced the murder-suicide on social media.  He wrote to his estranged girlfriend on Facebook, "I told u I can't live without u lol u thought I was just joking now me n Mia out this bitch." He then took a selfie with his daughter and killed her and then himself. This story has stirred up so many feelings in me.  Part of me wants to understand McKoy's mindset.  He must have been in a terrible place.  Love and heartbreak can make us all do stupid things that we regret.  But, I've never heard of something quite like this. I also can't imagine the pain that McKoy's estranged girlfriend, Kim Phanthavongsa, must feel.  What kind of guilt is she feeling?  What kinds of sup...

So, I've realized that my blog has been dormant for awhile...During this time, I've had that sinking, weighty feeling that you get when you have an unpaid bill collecting late fees, or a late homework assignment that constantly hangs over your head... This isn't to say that I haven't been writing.  I have.  But, my writing energies have been channeled toward my book, Blowing Up , which is finally nearing completion.  As I revise chapters that I've revised multiple times over, I find myself gaining new respect and admiration for everyone who has ever finished a book.  This is no small feat and something that I previously didn't quite appreciate. In fact, as I make my way through the revision process, I find myself cringing at memories of when I was a first year PhD student.  Like other eager grad students, I'd read an assignment book, mark the hell out of it with annotated questions (see snarky criticisms), and then come to class ready to really lay into...

The George Zimmerman trial has challenged some of my beliefs about surveillance in the 21 st century.   On one hand, I’m like many of you and feel that the NSA, CIA, and other governmental institutions have far too much access to our private lives.   I also catch myself feeling the panoptical gaze of friends, co-workers, and random people on Facebook and other social media. In my personal dealings, I usually lament the disappearance of privacy.   Christina Nippert-Eng’s insights in Islands of Privacy are both timely and right on the money.      But, the George Zimmerman trial raises interesting questions about how crime fighting might be better with better surveillance technologies.    What if we had the shooting on video?  Would this case already be closed? Most of the state’s case against Zimmerman has been built on witness testimony.  In addition to having Rachel Jenteal take the stand and testify that Trayvon was being...

Canadians like to apologize a lot.   I’ve noticed that many Canadians are mindful of their personal space and the space of others.   Although my students and some colleagues have warned me not to be charmed by what they call the “underhanded apology,” I’ve found this to be a very pleasant part of living North of the border.   Take, for example, a mundane encounter last night during the Pride block parties.   A group of women were walking backwards in the middle of a crowded street full of intoxicated revelers hopped up on everything from booze to molly.   It was a slow and grinding procession.   Most of the outdoor parties were shutting down for the night and people were sort of roaming the streets, looking to keep the party going.   In the midst of it all, I spotted a group of women that looked especially wasted.   They were screaming loudly and dancing (more like flailing!) about…until BAM!   They ran into someone.   The guilty ...