In the second part of their series on Gaza, Genocide, and Social Theory, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss welcome Ernesto Verdeja onto their podcast to talk around an article Ernesto has written in the Journal of Genocide Research, titled ‘The Gaza Genocide in Five Crises’. In this wide-ranging discussion, Ernesto makes some very powerful points about why it is meaningful and apt to categorise the recent major loss of life in Gaza as a genocide, while also unpacking what the broader ramifications of the Gaza case are to international governance. Eric and Louis feel strongly that this episode is not to be missed.

Ernesto Verdeja is Associate Professor of Peace Studies and Global Politics at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies in the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame. He is currently the Executive Director of the human rights non-profit Institute for the Study of Genocide. For more information about his work, you can visit Ernesto’s website: https://everdeja.weebly.com/

Music and sound effects used in this episode are licensed under a CC 0 License, the CC Attribution License 3.0, or by a SFX (Multi-Use) License Commercial License from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com). Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/1500ce5a-ec15-3d83-ac57-de83ecc3166d/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/50028bdf-8888-3bd1-8089-0999e89b61fd/

The views and opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers, and do not reflect any of the involved institutions.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss look to social theory to try to make better sense of the tremendous loss of life in Gaza since October 2023. They appeal to an article written by Bradley Campbell, titled ‘Genocide and Social Control’, which was published in 2009 in Sociological Theory. If indeed developments in Gaza constitute a genocide, as bodies like the International Association of Genocide Scholars have asserted, then Campbell’s account of genocide is useful because it spells out what it means sociologically for a genocide to occur. That is, Campbell applies Donald Black’s pure sociology approach to tease out what the contributing social configurations to genocide are.

This episode is the first of a two part series on Gaza, Genocide, and Social Theory. Part 2 will be released on 1 October 2025.

Music and sound effects used in this episode are licensed under a CC 0 License, the CC Attribution License 3.0, or by a SFX (Multi-Use) License Commercial License from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com). Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/392778fc-e958-44bf-9a4b-e7671ae2aa57/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/45e4a974-0361-3816-997e-6a7c7e77674c/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/music/tracks/50028bdf-8888-3bd1-8089-0999e89b61fd/

The views and opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers, and do not reflect any of the involved institutions.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com

In this episode, Eric Hsu and Louis Everuss celebrate their podcast reaching a quarter million downloads by spotlighting a work that has significantly developed the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS): Donald Mackenzie and Judy Wajcman’s influential introductory chapter in their anthology on The Social Shaping of Technology, first published in 1985, and later updated in 1999. This text develops an oft cited critique of technological determinism, which posits that technology is an autonomous force in society, which is the primary driver of social change. Discussing this work leads Eric and Louis to talk about the Trump branded smartphone, Labubu, and the discontinued BlackBerry phone line, which Louis still feels sad about 😞.

In the second half of the episode, Eric and Louis welcome onto their podcast Judy Wajcman herself. Judy draws from her four plus decades of work within and beyond the field of STS to elaborate on the many themes and topics found in her co-authored chapter with Mackenzie. If Judy were to offer an updated 3rd edition of the work, what new scholarly discussions would she look to include? What keeps Judy up at night with the ways technology is transforming? Judy’s response to these and other questions are offered here to our listeners.

Music and sound effects used in this episode are licensed under a CC 0 License, the CC Attribution License 3.0, or by a SFX (Multi-Use) License Commercial License from Epidemic Sound (www.epidemicsound.com). Tracks include:

https://freesound.org/people/Tuben/sounds/272044/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/nmWIurJwyW/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/XuASNiizaE/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/9xA55nmzC3/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/9bms0Xvzb6/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/pmkciSTsC3/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/49eBs9LhPB/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/8sZv9s0Kgi/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/jqkXfeWiLg/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/uFaC3mLnZH/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/buOh7KtGgd/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/mNiHfAoXYS/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/0CdtmVatFG/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/FAsSj9DDpF/
https://freesound.org/people/flood-mix/sounds/413342/
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/A2V5xRtt5S/

The views and opinions expressed in the Sociology of Everything podcast are that of the hosts and/or guest speakers, and do not reflect any of the involved institutions.

The Sociology of Everything podcast | www.sociologypodcast.com