This month, I want to tell you a story about Concord Park, a suburb of Philadelphia. Concord Park was intentionally designed to combat the systemic forces that fostered segregation and inequality in postwar American cities. So when more and more people were being separated, Concord Park brought people together. But geography, or putting people in homes next to each other, isn’t enough. Communities are built on interaction, shared interests, and experiences. In the case of Concord Park, it was through the Wonderland Puppet Theater. That’s right. This month, we’re talking about puppets. But also housing, inequality, and community. This is a sociology podcast, after all. Paulette Richards joins the podcast as we talk about how art can bring community together.

Show Notes

Richards, P. (2024). Object performance in the Black Atlantic: The United States. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Object-Performance-in-the-Black-Atlantic-The-United-States/Richards/p/book/9781032054865

Patterson, Orlando. Slavery and Social Death: A Comparative Study. Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1982. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674986909

Piggot, W. Benjamin and W. Benjamin Pigott. “The ‘Problem’ of the Black Middle Class: Morris Milgram's Concord Park and Residential Integration in Philadelphia's Postwar Suburbs” The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Apr., 2008, Vol. 132, No. 2 (Apr., 2008), pp. 173-190 https://www.jstor.org/stable/20093996

Sociologist Stephanie Canizales joins the podcast to discuss the complex realities unaccompanied migrant youth face, the factors that lead them to embark on such journeys, the risks they encounter, and the challenges they face in adapting to new surroundings. The episode also discusses how communities and organizations can provide support and opportunities for these vulnerable youth.

Show notes

Canizales, Stephanie. 2024. Sin Padres, Ni Papeles: Unaccompanied Migrant Youth Coming of Age in the United States

https://www.ucpress.edu/books/sin-padres-ni-papeles/paper

Places are unique to us. We become attached to them. And when you ask people to name a place that means a lot to them, there’s a good chance they’ll talk about home. Our homes are full of stuff, from practical items like vacuum cleaners and chairs to sentimental treasures such as photo albums and heirlooms inherited through generations. All these objects help make a space a place. But what happens when we lose them? And how does the loss of even mundane objects, seemingly insignificant items, impact our emotional well-being? Surprisingly, there isn’t a whole lot of research in this area.

This episode examines furniture poverty. What is it, how does it affect people and their ability to connect with others, and what can we do about it?