The Question (cont’d): The Trump administration’s readiness to deploy militarised policing strategies to enforce objectives and quell disquiet - in opposition to the CA governor’s wishes - leaves major questions about the clash between federal and individual state policies, setting a new precedent.

09.06.2025 17:43 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

The Context (cont’d): Australian journalist Lauren Tomasi was shot with a rubber bullet whilst recording a piece-to-camera on the continued unrest in LA. This followed widespread ICE clampdowns on immigrants. Amnesty International details 124 journalist deaths last year - the highest ever recorded.

09.06.2025 17:36 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

The Knowledge (cont’d): French-Algerian Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser also theorised the state’s apparatus as including an ideological function fulfilled by media, religion, the family and the education system.

09.06.2025 17:26 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

Sociology Says #1: The Repressive State Apparatus

The Knowledge: Althusser said the RSA consists of the army, the police, the judiciary and the prison system, operating through use of mental and physical coercion and violence (latent and actual).

The Context: See video

The Question: What’s next?

09.06.2025 16:09 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Introducing Sociology Says. A new social media forum for applying key concepts from the subject to the world of news and current affairs. Inspired by the eternal wisdom and motivation of Pierre Bourdieu. Each post will feature three key components: The Knowledge; The Context and The Question.

09.06.2025 15:24 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Ciaran Thapar’s youth and community work is really inspiring too, much of that is the basis of ‘Cut Short’

04.11.2023 17:06 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Kerry is a friend of Rosie’s from university. Her first novel ‘Tony Hogan…’ is wonderful too. Also ‘The Social Distance Between Us’ by DM is great. Happy hunting!

04.11.2023 17:04 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

A few book recommendations and quotations from the world of contemporary Sociology in the U.K. These all supported a recent lecture on social class. Sterling work from Kerry Hudson, Darren McGarvey and Ciaran Thapar 👏🏼

04.11.2023 15:49 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Been thinking about Orwell’s writing a lot the past few weeks - discourse and discussion recently seems so incredibly polarised and I’m interested (having just joined today) to see how Blue Sky fares in that realm. Thanks for the post 👍🏼

04.11.2023 15:42 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0