#SocHaiku

Haiku: Simple. Eloquent. Involves counting syllables on your fingers while speaking haltingly. And the faint (or not so faint) whiff of cultural appropriation.

Haiku are all over published sociology by accident. Bu back in April Contexts made this call to the Twitterverse:

Hey nerds, we’re seeking
sociology haiku
tweet us your best work
#sochaiku

The Twitterverse responded, and it’s time to publish some of our favorite sociology haiku.* And we will update this page with new ones if you all respond again… after all, there’s new research to be summarized, new thoughts on being a sociologist, and old theories that haven’t yet been captured in 17 syllables. #sochaiku
 

On sociology

sociologists
love/hate inequality
it’s kind of our thing
–@contextsmag

Troubles and issues
Make us understand the world.
Wright Mills said so
–@janninmy

sociology
imagination becomes
wearisome sometimes
–@LuciaLykke

Everyone believes
They know sociology
They’re not scientists
–Melissa Brown

On academics

your game must be tight
to get a pub and a cite
so edit that shite!
–@chrisuggen

Grad students love it
When we make them write a lot
And it’s good for them
–@familyunequal

Students eyes open
viewing status and strain
understanding crime.
–@Archeo3

academic jobs
look different when you’re
25, single
–@LuciaLykke

On theory

Why study gender?
‘Cause it’s not something you have
But something you “do”
–@katefcairns

Gender’s unequal
That’s why they call it gender
You can do the maths
–@familyunequal

time and time again
poor verse rich, no difference
It’s all a conflict
–@ManikSpinz

socy photog shows
front stage and back in the eye
of the beholder
–@familyunequal (photo above)

seven syllables
intersectionality
that’s quite a mouthful
–@LuciaLykke

On experience

job interview while
pregnant, aware of research
try to hide the bump
–@LuciaLykke

When the war ended
some folks expected justice.
It didn’t happen.
–@EricGordy

Can’t watch sitcoms now
because sociology
ruins all the jokes.
–Megan Wilhelm

she went abroad once
washed clothes scrubbed floors ate fast food
returned home broke/n
–@skyedali

Summing up the research…

Your friends have more friends
Than you do.  See also sex,
Disease and Facebook
–@JamesCookUMA (research here)

Double Consciousness
A Foot in Each of Two Worlds
It’s a Group Size Thing
–@JamesCookUMA (research here)

Paternity leave
Leads to happiness and sex
So share the housework
–@CoffeeBaseball

Proximity does
not mean integration or
racial equity
#behindthewhitepicketfence
–@MayorgaGallo

Inequality
Movement makes it worse for some
Bosses discriminate
–@JB_FutureSocPhD

parents’ time with kids
Matters in quality only
Quantity doesn’t
–@CoffeeBaseball

In closing

Keep haiku coming
we will post some on our site
soc nerds for the win!
–@contextsmag
#sochaiku

*Not all of the haikus you all wrote actually fit the 5-7-5 syllable format… we know, counting syllables on your fingers can be surprisingly hard. We published the almost-not-quite poems anyway because we love the effort!