Snakegrrl Sociology

Episode 8. Indebted: How Families Make College Work at any Cost

Sociology Professor Beverly Yuen Thompson overviews the book, Indebted: How Families Make College Work at any Cost, by Caitlin Zaloom in 2019. This is an ethnographic study based on interviews with 160 participants, including college students and their parents, about how they understand, communicate about, and engage with student loan debt to finance college, even while the employment arena is increasingly uncertain and precarious. The participants attend both NYU, where Zaloom is herself a professor, as well as students attending a public university in Michigan of the United States. This video overviews the main points of each chapter, the facts and figures, and the sociological framework of understanding the exponentially growing institutions engaged with the process of financing student debt. Video link [https://youtu.be/8InGLwuFZ5Y] Get full access to Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson at snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe [https://snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 7. Sociology of Housing

In this episode, sociology professors Akello Stone and Beverly Yuen Thompson provide an in-depth overview of the anthology called, “The Sociology of Housing,” edited by Brian J. McCabe & Eva Rosen (2023). This overview mentioned many of the chapters which cover a vast array of topics such as: indigenous land loss, segregation, housing insecurity, short term rentals, types of housing, and social problems related to housing and well-being. This never took off as a sub-discipline of sociology, but this book argues for more research that examines housing as a social phenomenon. Video link [https://youtu.be/QW5Yjywafu4] Get full access to Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson at snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe [https://snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 6. Southeast Asia in Sociological Books

I recently traveled to six countries in SE Asia and as I am a sociology professor, I took this opportunity to read or collect about fifteen books on the sociological and historical aspects of the region. This video overviews all the books briefly and provide a glimpse into the trajectory of the region and our relationship to it. I would love to teach a course on SE Asian sociology in the future so be sure to let me know if you’d be interested in more information about any of these books. Video link [https://youtu.be/6V4JW4bTl68] Get full access to Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson at snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe [https://snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 5. Yale Committee on “Trust in Higher Education”

I overview the main points of the Yale Committee’s Report “On Trust in Higher Education,” based on one year of research, and published on April 10, 2026. The committee worked for the Yale president and conducted interviews and focus groups with hundreds of campus stakeholders, as well as held public forums on a variety of relevant topics. Based on this data, as well as a lengthy bibliography, the committee had a handful of primary topics to address. They also present a list of twenty recommendations for institutions of higher education to consider. Link to video [https://youtu.be/lS912ymtUt8]Link to report: https://president.yale.edu/committees-programs/presidents-committees/committee-on-trust-in-higher-education Get full access to Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson at snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe [https://snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Episode 4. Historical Buildings: Demolition and Preservation

We discuss Dr. Bruce Jackson’s book, “The Life and Death of Buffalo’s Great Northern Grain Elevator 1897-2023” published in 2024. Jackson is a professor of English at The University of University at Buffalo and has written numerous books, made documentary films, and is a photographer. This book is an archival project, bringing together original documents regarding the structure and its demolition, as well as photographs from Dr. Jackson. The book tells the story of one historical structure’s impact on the city of Buffalo and the actors who worked to demolish the building. Morgan Craig and I (Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson) discuss the book and reflect on the historical and cultural significance of historic structures. I am a sociology professor and Morgan is an artist and PhD candidate in art and philosophy, whose artwork focuses on industrial ruin. Morgan discusses his artwork capturing the decline of manufacturing globally. Video link [https://youtu.be/jguFnOBLPw8]Morgan’s website: https://morgancraig.org/Dr. Bruce Jackson’s website: https://www.buffalo.edu/cas/english/faculty/faculty_directory.host.html/content/shared/cas/english/profiles/jackson-bruce.html Get full access to Dr. Beverly Yuen Thompson at snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe [https://snakegrrlsociology.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]