SORAPOD

Today we are joined by Ebony Bailey & Lamont Pearley to deep dive into the film 'Sinners', exploring its themes of cultural appropriation, historical context, and the interplay of music and desire. We discuss the significance of the juke joint as a cultural space, the character dynamics, and the film's portrayal of black agency and freedom. Clarification note: at 36:46 Ebony would...

In this episode of SORAPod we are joined by Renata Yazzie - a Diné pianist and musicologist currently between New York City & New Mexico. Her research focuses on the intersections of Diné song and music with religion, theory, pedagogy, popular culture, and neurochemistry. Renata discusses the historical context of Navajo hymnals, the evolution of music within her culture, and the significance...

Transcript In this episode, Annika Schmeding shares her journey exploring the multifaceted ways knowledge is produced and shared Through her experiences with circus performance and Sufi poetry, she highlights the importance of embodied knowledge and community engagement. Annika emphasizes the significance of joy, beauty, and solidarity in the face of adversity, and reflects on the evolving dynamic...

In this episode we are joined by Jacien Carr, a military historian from The Ohio State University. The discussion traverses Jacien's unique upbringing in a diplomatic family, his experiences in the Marines, and the academic journey that led him to study military history and secret societies. The conversation delves into the significance of mentorship, the complexities of cultural institutions, and...

The Society of Reluctant Anthropologists reunite with an original SORA member, Nadeem Karkabi, who is now a lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Haifa. Our conversation explores themes of self-liberation, the Palestinian musical scene, and the changing dynamics of Haifa over time. Nadeem shares his personal experiences as a Israeli-Palestinian scholar living in a system...

The three SORAteers are back together for a two-part episode looking back on Season 1 of SORA-pod and getting ready for Season 2! Part 2 of episode turns to the upcoming season’s focus on emancipation and knowledge. Building on the first season’s themes, and responding to the ongoing genocide in Palestine and elsewhere, the three hosts put forward their hopes and plans for Season 2. Thinking throu...

The three SORAteers are back together for a two-part episode looking back on Season 1 of SORA-pod and getting ready for Season 2! Reflecting on feedback and guests’ observations from the first season, part 1 of this episode considers how themes of power and knowledge, activism and scholarship, and community and imagination emerged interconnectedly across the episodes. The three hosts consider how...

Jessica Turner and Cassie Rosita Patterson, Executive Director and Special Projects Consultant for the American Folklore Society (AFS) , join us to explore how AFS fosters community through play, color, and active support of members within, outside, and in between academic institutions. They highlight the careful and joyful work of collaboration and accountability within an organization and show h...

The Society of Reluctant Anthropologists talks to Gregory Halbe about collective decision making, navigating group dynamics, and the wild side of academic conferences! Gregory Halbe’s academic career has been largely shaped by fortuitous accidents and moments of sudden inspiration. Only lately, in what David Brooks calls the Second Mountain phase of his life, has Gregory found and started to seize...

The SORAsians have a fun and deeply insightful conversation with Aimee Joyce, Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Andrews. We talk curses, ethics, traces, the academy (duh), and so much more. For a transcript of the episode, check out sorapod.com Links: Tracts Network: ⁠https://tractsnetwork.online/⁠ Aimee’s Website: https://aimee-joyce.com/ Terminology: Praxis : Praxis is the process by whic...

We're joined by Daniel Sokol, a former university lecturer, medical ethicist, magician, and lead advisor for Alpha Academic Appeals. We discuss the issues students face, the creation of Alpha Academic Appeals, the lengthy and frustrating appeals process, and the improvements needed in university appeals processes. For a transcript, please visit www.sorapod.com Find Daniel on Twitter/X: https:/...

Barbie, Boat Brawls, and The Color of Resilience! The tripod is back to talk about the aesthetics of resistance. You can also follow Sahil's B-plot blanket gymnastics at our website This is an expansion of a conversation that was originally had for the American Anthropological Association, the abstract for which is below: For many marginalized and minority students, the Ph. D. can be a site of...

Maureen and Sahil talk to Leyla Jagiella about, well, a grand theory of everything (which they totally figured out)! Leyla Jagiella is a cultural anthropologist and scholar of religion who has worked on orthodoxy and heterodoxy in Islam and gender and sexuality in Muslim societies. As a Muslim trans woman, she has been a community activist for more than two decades and has held workshops on trans...

The first ever episode of the Society of Reluctant Anthropologists (SORA) Podcast - introducing who we are, why we’re on the mic, and a bit of our origin story. For a transcript of the podcast, check out sorapod.com/podcast/episode001 And visit our website at sorapod.com