Honoring the rich history of rural America and examining the social problems we currently face
by WIU Sociology Instructor and Guest Contributor Allyssa (Hall) Anderson The definition of self- care is “the practice of taking action to preserve or improve one's own health” (Oxford languages). We’ve probably all heard this term enough over 2020. As an Instructor of Sociology, my Sociological Imagination influences everything I see, read, and hear. It …
On this edition of the Forgottonia Project, we had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Matt Meacham, program manager and director of statewide engagement at the IL Humanities. We asked Matt what the humanities are and how they can help bridge our rural-urban divide. We hope you enjoy our conversation
On Sunday April 30 from 2-2:30 PM the Canton area YWCA led by Executive Director Brooke Denniston held a ¨Stand Against Racism¨ rally at Jones Park in Canton, IL. Please visit the links below for more information (Photo taken from YWCA logo) Listen online to the event through WBYS here: Take the pledge to ¨Stand …
Continue reading "S1 – Blog 07: YWCA Hosts ¨Stand Against Racism¨"
On Friday April 6, 2018 students from Cuba High School had the opportunity to visit Lt. Sarah Eddy at the Salvation Army. This experience was part of our unit on poverty in Fulton County. Students participated in the following activities A tour of the facility and overview of the history and mission of the Salvation …
Continue reading "S1 – Blog 06: Salvation Army Field Trip Experience"
Enjoyed sharing our previous conversation on race and rural America with Dr. Alphonso Simpson from WIU. You can listen here by visiting this link or through our "Forgottonia Project" podcast. Wanted to take a moment to share a few resources Dr. Simpson recommended during on discussion. These are various books, articles, and media he finds very helpful in facilitating healthy conversations about race and also uses in them in various courses he teaches. We recommend you get your hands on the following:
We are pleased to share this interview with Dr. Lori Baker-Sperry from Western Illinois University Department of Women Studies. We asked Dr. Baker-Sperry several questions concerning the topic of gender, especially in regards to rural America. This interview prompted us to interview key community leaders to also share their experience with things like gender stereotypes and advice to women growing up in rural America today. Dr. Baker-Sperry provided us with several links to her responses as well that you will find helpful. We hope you enjoy and please contact us with any questions you might have.
Many Americans recognize beloved actor John Mahoney from his days as Frasier's dad, Martin Crane on the hit NBC sitcom. However, most natives of Forgottonia may not realize that Mahoney actually lived in McDonough County for a time as a young man. Although he was actually born in England and associated most with living in Chicago, he came to Macomb, IL to live with his sister where he studied at Quincy University and joined the army to help him become a citizen faster.
Burma-Shave was a brand of shaving cream famous for its humorous advertisements during the 1920s (check out the link here to see some examples for yourself). They had a reputation sort of like Geico does today; a company known for doing unconventional commercial advertisements with their own quirky sense of style. Yet perhaps another reason for their success lies not in the content of their ads, but new trends in American life in the 1920s that emphasized more materialistic values of status and wealth. Or as sociologist and economist Thorstein Veblen called conspicuous consumption; spending money on luxurious goods to flaunt the wealth and status of the buyer.
A recent podcast on NPR Ted Radio Hour asked the question ¨What are the 5 biggest problems in the world?¨ (you can listen to the podcast here or search ¨Ted Radio Hour¨ on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts). Let's take a closer look and then ask the question ¨What are the 5 biggest problems …
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