Doing Social Research: The Podcast

SHOW NOTES What happens when the categories we use to understand the world don’t quite capture the messy realities of people’s lives? And what if the most important things we need to understand aren’t just who people are or what they have, but how social hierarchies, power and intersectional factors interact? … Read More “Researching Agrarian Political Economy wi...

SHO W NOTES In this episode, Phyllis interviews Dr. Devon Powers , professor of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan. Known for her influential work on branding, consumer culture, and promotional industries, Dr. Powers offers insight into the evolving world of trend forecasting, both as a cultural practice and a speculative force.… Read More “Researching Trend Forecast...

SHOW NOTES Dr. Lena Hübner, an assistant professor of communication at the University of Ottawa, discusses her research on cyber violence and its impact on women’s digital information practices. The conversation explores Hübner’s work, conducted in collaboration with Co-Savoir, a Montreal-based community organization, examining how online harassment such as hate speech, and exposure to harmf...

SHOW NOTES In this fascinating episode, Dr. Kelly Bronson , reveals how Big Tech companies use AI and big data to gain, maintain, and wield their power, especially within the field of agriculture (pun intended!). The conversation, set during a December 2024 snowstorm in Ottawa, teases out some of the ethical, moral, social, and financial implications of these technologies in order to ask: what are...

Hi friends! I’m sharing a special episode here of me, Phyllis L. F. Rippey, being interviewed for a new podcast called AI and Higher Learning produced by the University of Ottawa radio station 89.1 CHUO and UO librarian Mish Boutet. Hear me spout off about my thoughts on artificial intelligence along with two other UOttawa profs in the episodes that follow.… Read More “AI and Hig...

Show notes  In this episode, we find our host particularly giggly with Dr. Maggie M. Werner , professor of writing and rhetoric at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, as they explore the politics of language and writing. The conversation begins with Dr.… Read More “Researching Writing & Portmanteau Words with Dr. Maggie Werner ”

Show Notes In this episode, Dr. Willow Scobie, associate professor of sociology and coordinator of the MA programs in sociology at the University of Ottawa, discusses her multiple research projects illuminating extractivism both by mining companies in Quebec and within introductory sociology textbooks in Canada.… Read More “Researching Extractivism in Mining and in Scholarship with Dr....

SHOW NOTES In this episode, feminist sociologist Farinaz Basmachi shares her current doctoral research on sexuality, sexual agency, and sexual violence in Canada and Iran, as well as the research from her first dissertation (yes, she’s doing TWO PhD’s!) titled Not Just About a Piece of Cloth: Three Content Analysis Studies of an Online Anti-Mandatory Hijab Movement in Iran . … Re...

In this episode, Phyllis speaks with Professor Philippe Frowd, PhD, about his research on the politics of security and migration governance, particularly in the Sahel region of West Africa. Philippe shares his experiences accessing hard-to-reach participants, such as border guards and policymakers, using networks and unexpected encounters to build trust.… Read More “Navigating Risky Re...

In this episode Phyllis dives deep into the world of social research with the extraordinary Dr. Ivy Bourgeault. 🌟 Highlights include learning how Ivy has published more papers in a year than most do in a career! Appreciating the value of a gender lens in health research and why diversity is so important on our research teams.… Read More “Researching Gender, Health, and Equity with Pub...

Show Summary In this episode, Phyllis digs into what we can learn from error (our own and others) with the brilliant Dr. Michael Allan, a comparative literature professor at the University of Oregon. They kick things off with Mike’s latest research on late-19th-century filmmaker Alexandre Promio of the Lumière Brothers, unpacking what it means to “research an ellipsis.”… Read More “Res...