Category: Janis Prince Inniss

Whitney Houston’s Funeral: The Most Integrated Church Service

On By econnellIn Behind the Headlines, Janis Prince Inniss, Race and Ethnicity, Religion6 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

Whitney Houston’s first album came out in 1985, the time as I was getting into my own music, going to parties and to nightclubs. Perhaps, not surprisingly then, I have found myself drawn to the coverage of the superstar’s death.

When I first learned that her family opted to have a private, invitation-only funeral service, I surprised myself by feeling left out. What about the fans, I thought? What about the idea of having a huge event at an arena in New Jersey, her home state?

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Studying Classrooms Sociologically

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Social Psychology, Statistics and Methods10 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

After many years, I returned to teaching a couple years ago.clip_image002Some of my initial joys and highs in this job have been tempered by some intense frustrations. I have found some comfort in the fact that my colleagues have expressed similar frustrations. Ever the student and researcher, I have been attending training and reading about teaching to be better at my job. This has helped me to focus on what I can do to be a more effective teacher.

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Technology and Cultural Lag

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Popular Culture and Consumption, Social Problems, Politics, and Social Change6 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

A few months ago I heard the following on a talk radio program. A boy and his family from a rural area travelled a great distance for the boy to have surgery. (I have long forgotten the nature of the surgery.) This meant that the family had to stay in a hotel to be with their son, and so apart from the emotional toll there was a significant financial cost for them beyond the direct medical expenses.

The surgery went well and the family returned home. What struck me about the story was the post surgery follow-up. The boy’s father was able to take pictures with a cell phone and send them to the doctor to make sure that his son’s incision was healing as it should. Given how much most of take and email pictures this is somewhat mundane—except for the fact that this technology was being employed in the medical area for a ”checkup.”

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The Lone Star State: Symbols, Place, and Identity

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Popular Culture and Consumption, Social Psychology11 Comments

clip_image002

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

Do you know where this picture of the Christmas tree was snapped? Hint: look at its ornaments; they’re all stars. And look at the building in the background…no, this is not Washington, D.C. The correct answer is Austin, Texas.

As I traveled to, and around a few cities in Texas during the holidays, I was struck by the fact that I was in Texas! Unlike some other American cities which might be substituted one for another, it is hard to forget where you are when in the so-called Lone Star State. There are quite a few emblems that appear practically everywhere.

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A Durkheimian Christmas

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Religion, Theory4 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

As I set off to the mall a couple nights before Christmas, I was thinking about how I might apply sociological concepts to holiday rituals. My husband had just introduced my Mum to Festivus (you know, "for the rest of us") from the TV show Seinfeld. She had never seen that episode and because my husband sounded fairly convincing, she had no way of knowing that Festivus does not include washing cars, watering the garden or opening a gift – all of the things we had done earlier in the day.

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Tweeting and Social Theory

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Popular Culture and Consumption, Theory3 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

clip_image002Cooking was probably my first hobby. No kiddy dishes for me though; I apprenticed at age eight with “grown-up” dishes like rice and Pork Chow Mein. Decades later, cooking is still one of my favorite ways to spend time. You understand, then, why I love watching cooking shows on TV. I have my preferences going back to one of the originals TV chefs, Julia Child. However, for the past year or so, I have had a new favorite on Food Network. I love several things about this program. The chef is palpably passionate about food and that comes across loud and clear. I don’t remember what dishes he cooked the first time I watched the show, but I detected a Caribbean accent. I saw that the show was filmed in Canada, and since I have a cousin with Caribbean roots who lives in Toronto—well more importantly, she is a veritable “Who’s Who in Toronto” I asked her about the chef. Indeed, she knows him and so we chatted about how much I like his show.

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Marketing, Cancer and Health

On By econnellIn Janis Prince Inniss, Popular Culture and Consumption, Social Institutions: Work, Education, and Medicine, Social Problems, Politics, and Social Change14 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

What do the following items have in common?

  • Yogurt
  • Mugs
  • Caps and hats
  • Blow dryers
  • Curling irons
  • Flat irons
  • Cars
  • Bracelets
  • Key chains
  • Blenders
  • Bags
  • Sunglasses
  • Men’s designer shirts
  • Buckets of fried chicken

Give up? Actually, the list could be much longer. These are just some of the items available for purchase that are associated with breast cancer awareness as indicated by their pink colors. I guess the list would be much shorter if I thought about where I have not seen the ubiquitous pink ribbon or “pink washed” items.

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Victimization and Conformity: Just Following Orders?

On By econnellIn Crime and Deviance, Globalization, Janis Prince Inniss, Social Psychology7 Comments

clip_image001By Janis Prince Inniss

A few years ago, an 18-year-old McDonald’s employee was working the late shift at the fast-food restaurant when her 51-year-old assistant manager received a telephone call from someone who identified himself as a police officer, “Officer Scott”. The police officer accused the 18-year-old of stealing and told the manager search the young woman; her pockets were emptied and her car keys and cell phone were confiscated and put into the manager’s car.

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Class Segregation in Academia

On By econnellIn Class and Stratification, Janis Prince Inniss, Social Institutions: Work, Education, and Medicine3 Comments

Janis_picBy Janis Prince Inniss

No matter the size of your college or university, you are likely to be taught by adjunct professors at some point.

What is an adjunct? You might think of an adjunct as the equivalent of a ”temp” or a part-time worker; an adjunct is the university version of such a position. Usually, this means that adjuncts receive no health, retirement, or other benefits, are poorly paid and do not have the holy grail of academic positions: tenure. In fact, adjuncts are a job classification that does not allow them to ever become tenured.

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