Best Max McCann Podcasts (2024)

1
Jacqui Frost on Max Weber 31:44

2M ago31:44

31:44

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jacqui Frost, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Purdue University and Faculty Research Fellow in the Religion and Public Life Program at Rice University and a Center Affiliate in the Center for the Study of Religion and Society at University of Notre Dame. In our conversation, Jacqui discusses her early encou…

1
Hannah McCann on Judith Butler 48:40

4M ago48:40

48:40

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Hannah McCann, Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne, author of Queering Femininity: Sexuality, Feminism and the Politics of Presentation, and co-author of Queer Theory Now (which we discussed on an earlier episode of the podcast). In our conversation, Hannah introduces us to the va…

1
Ugo Corte on Gary Alan Fine

4M ago

—

In this episode we are joined by Ugo Corte, Professor of Sociology at the University of Stavanger, author of Dangerous Fun: The Social Lives of Big Wave Surfers (2022 University of Chicago Press), and winner of the 2023 Charles Horton Cooley Award from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction.Ugo introduces us to the work of Gary Alan Fine…

1
Kelly Underman reads Lauren Berlant

1y ago

—

In this episode, Dr. Kelly Underman, Associate Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of Feeling Medicine: How the Pelvic Exam Shapes Medical Training (2020), joins us to read from the first chapter of Lauren Berlant’s Cruel Optimism (2011). Follow along HERE. -Kyle-…

1
Kelly Underman on Lauren Berlant

1y ago

—

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Kelly Underman, Associate Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of Feeling Medicine: How the Pelvic Exam Shapes Medical Training (2020). In our conversation, Kelly introduces us to the work of Lauren Berlant, reflects on her experience finding their work as a gradu…

1
Amanda McMillan Lequieu reads Kai Erikson 54:37

2y ago54:37

54:37

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Amanda McMillan Lequieu, Assistant Professor in Sociology at Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming book Who we are is where we are: Making home in the American Rust Belt. Amanda joins us to discuss Kai Erikson’s Everything in its Path: Destruction of Community in the Buff…

1
Andrew McCumber reads Raymond Williams 30:09

2y ago30:09

30:09

In this episode, Dr. Andrew McCumber joins us to discuss Raymond Williams’s ‘Ideas of Nature’ from Problems in Materialism and Culture (1980). Andy introduces us to Willams’s overview of our changing understanding of nature and the natural and why it matters. Andy also discusses the influence of the essay on his dissertation research and current bo…

1
Christopher Matthews on Nick Crossley 57:49

2+ y ago57:49

57:49

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Christopher R. Matthews; a social scientist and epistemologist who specializes in the use of immersive research to understand ideas, people and society. Chris is the author of Doing Immersive Research Vol.1: Using Social Science to Understand the Human World and runs an impressive website with hours of content o…

1
Christopher Matthews reads Nick Crossley 57:43

2+ y ago57:43

57:43

In this companion episode, Dr. Christopher R. Matthews walks us through a series of excerpts from Nick Crossley’s Intersubjectivity: The Fabric of Social Becoming (1996). Chris also provides us with screenshots of his own copy of the book so we can follow along with the text and see Chris’s approach to reading theory.…

1
Matthew Clair on W. E. B. Du Bois 42:26

3y ago42:26

42:26

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Matthew Clair, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Law at Stanford University. In our conversation, Matt introduces us to the work of W. E. B. Du Bois, discusses how Du Bois is one of the rare scholars who transcends sociology and the academy, and helps us understand how Du Bois’s approach to theory, relations…

1
Michael DeLand reads Herbert Blumer 30:25

3y ago30:25

30:25

In this episode, Dr. Michael DeLand, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Gonzaga University, joins us to read from Herbert Blumer’s article ‘Sociological Implications of the Thought of George Herbert Mead’ (1966). Mike walks us through Blumer’s reading of Mead and discusses how the article offers a starting point to understand soci…

1
Michael DeLand on Herbert Blumer 30:29

3y ago30:29

30:29

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Michael DeLand, an Assistant Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Gonzaga University. In our conversation, Mike introduces us to the work of Herbert Blumer and discusses how Blumer’s process-oriented theorizing of interaction and sense-making provide methodological inspiration and how Blumer’s critiques of mo…

1
Jennifer McClearen on Herman Gray 25:47

3y ago25:47

25:47

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Jennifer McClearen, Assistant Professor of Sports, Media, and Culture in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin and author of the recently published Fighting Visibility: Sports Media and Female Athletes in the UFC. Jennifer introduces us to the work of Herman Gray and illust…

1
Elizaveta Lepikhova on Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann 43:03

3y ago43:03

43:03

In this episode Elizaveta Lepikhova, a second year MA student, teaching assistant, and supplemental instructor of sociology at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, discusses the work of Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann. Elizaveta discusses their contributions to the sociology of everyday life, introduces her schema of explaining their ideas (see here…

1
Jonathan Wynn on Erving Goffman 34:00

3+ y ago34:00

34:00

In this episode we are joined by Jonathan Wynn, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Sociology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of Music/City: American Festivals and Placemaking in Austin, Nashville, and Amherst. Jon introduces us to Erving Goffman, reflects on Goffman’s intellectual location and influence within the dis…

1
Fabio Rojas on Theory for the Working Sociologist 51:56

3+ y ago51:56

51:56

In this episode, we are joined by Fabio Rojas, professor of sociology at Indiana University Bloomington and author of Theory for the Working Sociologist (2017). Fabio introduces his approach to teaching sociological theory, discusses the four theoretical moves made within the discipline, and argues against the common practice of having students eng…

1
Alex Channon on Stephen Lyng and Edgework 41:07

3+ y ago41:07

41:07

In this episode we are joined by Dr Alex Channon, Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport and Service Management at the University of Brighton. Alex introduces us to Stephen Lyng and his theorization of edgework. Alex illustrates the value of the concept through discussing his research on sport, violence, and interactions in the martial arts gym and…

1
Jocelyn Viterna on Teaching Our Ugly Roots 29:37

3+ y ago29:37

29:37

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jocelyn Viterna, Professor of Sociology and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Harvard University. Jocelyn introduces her approach to teaching sociological theory in a way that is honest about our intellectual roots and engages with the centrality of social evolutionary thought and racist ideology in early di…

1
Anna Goulding on Elinor Ostrom 18:36

3+ y ago18:36

18:36

In this episode we are joined by Dr Anna Goulding, Senior Research Associate at Newcastle University, UK, and a scholar of art, identity, aging, and community. Anna introduces us to Elinor Ostrom, her theorization of co-production, and potential of the term to be weakened through popularization and misapplication. Anna illustrates the methodologica…

1
Shai Dromi reads Luc Boltanski 32:57

3+ y ago32:57

32:57

In this episode, Dr. Shai Dromi, a lecturer of Sociology at Harvard University and author of Above the Fray: The Red Cross and the Making of the Humanitarian NGO Sector (2020), joins us to read from Luc Boltanski’s co-authored article ‘The Sociology of Critical Capacity‘ (1999). Shai introduces us to Boltanski and Thévenot’s analysis of “critical” …

1
Shai Dromi on Luc Boltanski 27:22

3+ y ago27:22

27:22

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Shai Dromi, a lecturer of Sociology at Harvard University and author of the recently published Above the Fray: The Red Cross and the Making of the Humanitarian NGO Sector (2020). In our conversation, Shai introduces us to the work of Luc Boltanski and discusses how he found inspiration in Boltanski’s theorizing …

1
Jeff Guhin on Charles Taylor 33:44

3+ y ago33:44

33:44

In this episode we are joined by Jeff Guhin, an assistant professor of sociology at UCLA, and author of the recently published Agents of God: Boundaries and Authority in Muslim and Christian Schools. Jeff discusses the inspiration he finds in the works of Charles Taylor, reflects on the value and challenges of reading philosophy as a sociologist, t…

1
Tina Sikka reads Helen Longino 36:59

3+ y ago36:59

36:59

In this episode, Dr. Tina Sikka, a Lecturer in Media and Cultural Studies at Newcastle University and author of Climate Technology, Gender, and Justice, joins us to read from Helen Longino‘s ‘Can There Be A Feminist Science’ (1987). Tina introduces us to Longino’s central question about what makes a science feminist, guides us through Longino’s rej…

1
Neil Gong on Norbert Elias 32:24

3+ y ago32:24

32:24

In this episode we are joined by Neil Gong. Neil is an assistant professor of sociology at UC San Diego, a member of the Michigan Society of Fellows, and winner of the 2020 American Sociological Association’s Junior Theorist of the Year award. In our conversation, Neil introduces the work of Norbert Elias, reflects on both the challenges and inspir…

1
Hannah McCann reads Sara Ahmed 39:01

4y ago39:01

39:01

In this episode, Dr. Hannah McCann, a Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne and author of Queer Theory Now, joins us to read from Sara Ahmed‘s ‘Killing Joy: Feminism and the History of Happiness’ (2010). Hannah introduces us to Ahmed’s re-reading and re-conceptualization of happiness, guides us through Ahmed’s use of etymology…

1
Anas Karzai on Friedrich Nietzsche 30:15

4y ago30:15

30:15

In this episode we are joined by Anas Karzai, lecturer in the Department of Sociology and coordinator of the criminology program at Laurentian University. Anas joins us to speak about the subject of his book Nietzsche and Sociology: Prophet of Affirmation. We discuss why Friedrich Nietzsche has not received the attention he deserves within sociolog…

1
Shamus Khan reads Thomas Hobbes 36:14

4y ago36:14

36:14

In this episode, Dr. Shamus Khan joins us to read from Leviathan: Or the Matter, Forme and Power of a Commonwealth, Ecclesiasticall and Civil, the 1651 Thomas Hobbes classic work of social theory. Shamus shares his advice on reading theory fast, helps us understand how Hobbes conceptualized social contract theory and the relationship between violen…

1
Shamus Khan on Teaching the Canon 24:13

4y ago24:13

24:13

In this episode, we are joined by Shamus Khan, professor in and chair of the sociology department at Columbia University. Shamus discusses his approach to teaching the sociological canon, the importance of focusing on moments of racist and colonial discourse as central to, rather than in spite of, the core theories, and the value of directly linkin…

1
Saida Grundy on W.E.B. Du Bois 1:03:51

4y ago1:03:51

1:03:51

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Saida Grundy, Assistant Professor of Sociology and African-American Studies at Boston University and author of the forthcoming book Manhood Within the Margins: Promise, Peril and Paradox at the Historically Black College for Men. In our wide-ranging conversation, Saida discusses how the 1899 Du Bois classic, The…

1
Hannah McCann and Whitney Monaghan on Queer Theory 28:13

4y ago28:13

28:13

Our guests today are Hannah McCann, a Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne and Whitney Monaghan, an Assistant Lecturer in Film and Screen Studies at Monash University. Hannah and Whitney are co-authors of the recently published textbook Queer Theory Now. In our wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the challenge of defining q…

1
Angela Jones reads W.E.B. Du Bois 25:07

4y ago25:07

25:07

In this episode, Dr. Angela Jones joins us to read from The Souls of Black Folk, the 1903 W.E.B Du Bois classic work of social theory. This is the first of a new type of Give Theory a Chance podcast where contemporary social theorists introduce us to the specific passages that inspired them and help us make sense of the text. When possible, I will …

1
Angela Jones on W.E.B. Du Bois 19:46

4y ago19:46

19:46

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Angela Jones, Associate Professor of Sociology at Farmingdale State College, State University of New York and author of the recently published book Camming: Money, Power, and Pleasure in the Sex Work Industry. Angela discusses the importance of recognizing W.E.B. Du Bois as a founder of the discipline, his under…

1
Rachel O’Neill on Rosalind Gill 33:46

4y ago33:46

33:46

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Rachel O’Neill, a Fellow in the Department of Media and Communications at The London School of Economics and Political Science. Rachel discusses the work of contemporary theorist Rosalind Gill. Rachel introduces us to Gill’s writings on post-feminism and mediated intimacy. Rachel also demonstrates the value of t…

1
Madeleine Pape on Anne Fausto-Sterling 33:22

4y ago33:22

33:22

In this episode we are joined by Dr. Madeleine Pape, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Science in Human Culture program at Northwestern University. Madeleine introduces us to the work of Anne Fausto-Sterling and discusses how Fausto-Sterling demands a move beyond a strictly binary model of sex and encourages a shift away from…

1
Jaclyn Wypler on Learning to Love Theory 28:10

4y ago28:10

28:10

In this episode we are joined by Jaclyn Wypler, a PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jaclyn joins us to reflect on her shift from not being a fan of theory to being an organizer of the 2020 Junior Theorists Symposium. Jaclyn shares what her approach to theory and cookies have in common and uses her research on the ex…

1
Ricarda Hammer on Stuart Hall 31:27

4y ago31:27

31:27

In this episode we are joined by Ricarda Hammer, a PhD candidate in Sociology at Brown University and a Graduate Fellow at Brown’s Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. Her work has been published in Sociological Theory, Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, Political Power and Social Theory, and Teaching Sociology. Ricarda discusses the powerful…

1
Seth Abrutyn on Social Distance, Grief, and COVID-19 32:12

4y ago32:12

32:12

In this episode we are joined once again by Seth Abrutyn, Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of British Columbia. Seth joins us to discuss what sociology can potentially add to the public conversation that surrounds COVID-19. In our conversation, Seth touches on the value of a number of theorists including Emile Durkheim, Erving Gof…

1
Amy Guptill on Niklas Luhmann 11:38

4y ago11:38

11:38

In this episode, Amy Guptill, Professor of Sociology at The College at Brockport, State University of New York, discusses her recent discovery of Niklas Luhmann and systems theory. In particular, Amy reflects on how Luhmann avoids some of the negatives associated with his intellectual mentor Talcott Parsons and provides a powerful tool to better co…

1
Richard Pringle on Michel Foucault 29:42

4y ago29:42

29:42

In this episode we are joined by Richard Pringle, Professor of Sport, Health and Physical Education at Monash University. Richard reflects on the challenge of transitioning from reading kinesiology to reading Michel Foucault, discusses how Foucault provided him with a lens to understand pain and gender on the rugby pitch, and offers advice on the i…

1
Erin McDonnell on Max Weber 35:44

4+ y ago35:44

35:44

In this episode we are joined by Erin Metz McDonnell, Kellogg Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame and author of the recently published Patchwork Leviathan: Pockets of Bureaucratic Effectiveness in Developing States. Erin introduces us to the “budgetary unit”–a powerful, but under-utilized Weberian term–and discusses how…

1
Daniel Winchester on Pierre Bourdieu 34:44

4+ y ago34:44

34:44

Our guest today is Daniel Winchester, Associate Professor of Sociology at Purdue University. Dan tells us about his initial encounter with Pierre Bourdieu’s famously dense writings, his application of Bourdieu’s ideas in his Masters thesis on Islamic faith, and his more recent turn to the American Pragmatism to supplement his use of Bourdieu in stu…

1
Elliot Weininger on Pierre Bourdieu 23:51

4+ y ago23:51

23:51

In this episode, Alysha Rios interviews Elliot Weininger, Professor of Sociology in the Department of Sociology at SUNY Brockport, about Pierre Bourdieu. Elliot reflects on how Bourdieu offered a bridge between his philosophical interests and his quantitative training and explains how his interest in central concepts like cultural capital led to a …

1
Pirkko Markula on Gilles Deleuze and Michel Foucault 26:58

4+ y ago26:58

26:58

Our guest for this episode is Pirkko Markula, Professor of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation at the University of Alberta. Pirkko takes on the challenge of discussing both Michel Foucault and Gilles Deleuze in a single podcast. Pirkko explains how reading them together offers insight into embodied practices and reveals more ethical possibilities. …

1
Anna Hickey-Moody on Gilles Deleuze 37:03

4+ y ago37:03

37:03

The guest for this episode is Anna Hickey-Moody, a Professor of Media and Communications at RMIT University and an Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Anna is also the author of the recently published Deleuze and Masculinity. In our conversation, Anna discusses both the challenges and charms of Gilles Deleuze and how she has built on the con…

1
Elise Paradis on John Meyer 21:30

4+ y ago21:30

21:30

In this episode we are joined by Elise Paradis, Assistant Professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. Elise introduces us to the work of John Meyer and the value of neo institutional theory as an alternative to more functionalist or conflict-oriented perspectives. In particular, Elise demonstrates the importance of…

1
Stefano Bloch on Henri Lefebvre 25:29

4+ y ago25:29

25:29

In this episode we are joined by Stefano Bloch, Assistant Professor in the School of Geography & Development at the University of Arizona and author of Going All City: Struggle and Survival in LA’s Graffiti Subculture. Stefano reflects on his initial encounters with the writings of Henri Lefebvre as an undergraduate literature major and discusses h…

1
Clifton Evers on Raewyn Connell 30:43

4+ y ago30:43

30:43

In this episode we are joined by Clifton Evers. Clifton is a lecturer in media and cultural studies at Newcastle University and founding member of The Shadow Places Network. Clifton discusses how reading Raewyn Connell forced him to reflect on his own lived experience with and performances of masculinity and sent him down a research path that both …

1
Tristan Bridges on Raewyn Connell 22:03

4+ y ago22:03

22:03

In this episode we are joined by Tristan Bridges, editor of the Journal of Men and Masculinities and Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Bridges joins us to reflect on the influence Raewyn Connell has had on his understandings of masculinity and power from his initial encounters with her writings to his …

1
Alex Manning on Annette Lareau 22:04

4+ y ago22:04

22:04

In this episode of Give Theory a Chance, we speak to Alex Manning, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Hamilton College. Alex explains how his work builds on and complicates Annette Lareau’s writings on class reproduction and parenting. In particular, Alex explains his own work on elite youth sport and a form of concerted cultivation employed by pa…

1
Stephen Suh on Edward Said 26:35

4+ y ago26:35

26:35

In this episode we speak to Stephen Cho Suh, an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Women’s and Ethnic Studies at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. Stephen explains how Edward Said’s writings on Orientalism shaped his research on the popularity of Korean American chefs in South Korea’s food and beverage industry. We also discuss how S…

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