My most recent article #Club #Rules: #Symbolic #Boundaries and the Making of a #Regular at Mulligan’s is now available to read via Online First at Social Currents (the official journal for Southern Sociological Society). Check it out here: journals.sagepub.com/eprint/ENGAY...

Any of my followers read Donald A. Schön? Some of his work was an extension of John Dewey's work on experiential education (with a particular focus on reflection - making a distinction between reflection "in action" and what he called reflection "on action").

Excited that Becoming a Regular is conditionally accepted at Social Currents! This ethnography explores how barroom patrons earn & negotiate the informal status of “regular” and what that means for identity, ritual, & belonging.

I'm currently stuck on finding research that has been conducted on student experience with college (or high school) hangouts (whether it be dorms OR someone's house). I'm interested in the experiences that students have in these social spaces and the value they place on them.

2026 MSS Annual Meeting (March 26-29 in St. Louis, MO) - Call for Submissions (closes October 17, 2025) 📢📢 themss.org/2026-annual-... 🧵1/4

Day 1 of 16th year teaching Sociology at William Penn University. What a great feeling it was to be back on campus today!

Call for Papers We’re preparing an edited volume to extend the conversation from Home Cultures about the impact of #artificialintelligence on #homeculture. Abstract deadline: Nov 28, 2025 📧 abstracts to: Michael O. Johnston, Ph.D. – [email protected] #CFP #AI #Sociology #Design

On Friday and Saturday I had the privilege to take part in #NewStudentOrientation where I shared info about the tech that students use at William Penn University. It was a great honor to meet all of these fine students before classes even begin. Here is the cover page for my presentation:

Scaffolded assignments mirror how people become professionals. Becker saw this in med school. Fine saw the same in MFA programs. Students build competence through guided practice, not just final tasks. Structure matters. Belonging grows when learning has a path. #HigherEd #TeachingMatters

Are you an escape room designer? I'm researching how designers shape player experiences and emotions in escape rooms. I'd love your insights! Complete this short survey here: forms.office.com/r/bvMkTcDXxe #EscapeRoom #GameDesign #Survey

Call for Panelist! I'm seeking a last-minute panelist for my #SSSP2025 session: #InsurgentProductions: The Use of #Culture for #SocialChange. Interested? Join @sssp1org.bsky.social + register no later than TODAY (July 15) + DM me.🎭🎶⚽ Details: lnkd.in/gJVdECv5 #InsurgentSociology #Sociology

Belonging isn’t just about being present. It is about how we advance. Social capital, networks, & performance all play a role in who gets ahead & who doesn’t. It isn't enough to fit in. Thrive! www.linkedin.com/posts/michae... #Sociology #SenseOfBelonging #Bourdieu #Goffman

When it rains, it pours. The concerts for FabFoodie Friday & the Lake Red Rock Annual Hot Air Balloon Race and night glow for opening ceremonies were cancelled. The story moved inside & online. Disappointment, memories, & weather updates filled the barroom & social media feeds!

Some of the most meaningful moments in academic life are the ones you don’t see coming. A kind invitation. A quiet acknowledgment. A chance to share your work. Unexpected recognition reminds us: people are listening. Keep going. #AcademicLife #Sociology

I’m organizing a session @sssp1org.bsky.social that is titled “Insurgent #Productions: The Use of Culture as a Vehicle for Social Change”—we’re looking for one more panelist! #SSSP2025 #SocialChange #Culture #ArtsForJustice 🧵1/2

Wouldn't it be interesting if employers offered the same cascading or transfer services that academic presses do. Applicants deemed unsuitable for a job they applied would be offered the service to have their app materials transferred to a more appropriate college or university!

I connect with people across all disciplines. Why? Because I am a seeker of #KNOWLEDGE . Given our disciplinary differences, the best way to learn is from one another. If I want to know the 🌎, I must learn from those who live in it. That includes YOU! 🪢💪🤝 #NODISCIPLINE #NODIVIDE #STRONGERTOGETHER

📣 William Penn Univ is hiring a tenure-track Assistant Prof of Psych, starting Aug 2025. We’re looking for passionate educators ready to inspire students and engage in campus life. Apply 👉 www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/42... #AcademicJobs #Psychology @spspnews.bsky.social @psychscience.bsky.social

William Penn University (IA) is hiring a tenure-track Asst. Professor of Psych starting Aug 2025. Passion for student learning, interdisciplinarity, & Gen AI. Teach courses like Intro to Psych, Soc Psych, Lifespan, & Experimental Psych, Neuropsych. ✉️ [email protected] #AcademicJobs #Psychology

I'm available to guest lecture (Zoom/Teams or in-person). I’ve spoken on gender & pageantry, innovative methods, festivals, escape rooms, space & design, and belonging in higher ed. I can even set up a joint session w/ my class. DM if interested! #Sociology #GuestLecture

From rural Iowa, I’ve conducted nearly 100 interviews on @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social/ Sociology. With just two sociologists in the division, podcasting keeps me in conversation with the discipline. It allows me to remain visible, connected, and community—all from a microphone! 🎧🎙️📘

From escape rooms to beach resorts, emotions are now products. Hochschild, Ahmed, Illouz, Giddens, Massumi, Rosa—they all warned us: #identity, #meaning, and #feeling are #upforsale. When was the last time you paid to feel something? Let’s talk #affect and #capitalism.

Places aren't passive. They’re built from biography, history, memory, and struggle. A park bench, a church, a town square—none of these are neutral. They carry the weight of who used them, who was excluded, and how people remember. #Placemaking #Sociology #PlaceMatters

#Ethnography = #research + #storytelling. It’s immersive #fieldwork and evocative ✍️. We study 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 in real time, then ✍️ scenes that bring readers into the moment. Ethnography is as much about being there as it is making others feel they were. #qualitativeresearch

What’s strange about 💰? It’s idealized and full of anxiety, performance, & inequality. #Luxislabor. #Affluence_is_complex. #Status is always #managed. 💍 The Sport Marriage, Ortiz 👜 Uneasy Street, Sherman 🍾 Very Important People, Mears 🏔️ Aspen and the American Dream, Stuber

Desk rejections ≠ bad manuscript. Academic journals have habitus—their own style, tone, & preferences. A desk reject often means your paper isn’t the right fit, not that it lacks merit. Don’t lose ❤️. The same piece might ⛵️ through elsewhere. Reread the comments & try again. #AcademicBluesky

8 books I’m reading explore how #placemaking shapes #identity & #performance: food in Jackson, mining in MN, resistance in Chicago, casinos in Macau. Who we are is shaped by where we are. Cities don’t just reflect us! They produce us! #Sociology #SpaceAndIdentity #Books

Co-chaired 2 summer faculty searches. Lessons: Words in job ads matter Go beyond HigherEdJobs Word of mouth still works Email silence = normal Video interviews before campus visits = smart & refreshing What insights do you have for conducting a #jobsearch?

I’m sorting fieldnotes for my study on Urban Moments in Rural Towns that includes notes from Art on the Square, Smokestack Showdown, Flower Fest, etc. Ethnographers: how do you code for rhythm, emotion, or interaction across different rural events? #ethnography #fieldnotes #sociology

3 urgent reads on mental #illness, #homelessness & #care in LA: 📘 The #Unclaimed (Prickett & Timmermans) 📕 #Conservatorship (Barnard) 📙 #Sons, #Daughters & #Sidewalk #Psychotics (Gong) What happens when care becomes control? Where does your city stand? #Sociology @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social

Smokestack Showdown isn’t just about brisket—it’s #social #structure in smoke. From DIY smokers to commercial rigs, each grill signals #skill, #status, and #backstory. Grilling styles, #stories, and gear reveal deeper #inequalities and #identities. Fieldnotes for Summer’s End.

Tattooing is more than ink—it's identity, healing, resistance. In my interviews with Dustin Kiskaddon, David Lane, and Brian Brown & Virginia Berndt, we explore body art as labor, therapy, and culture. @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social #NewBooksInSociology #TattooCulture #BodyArt

We are still #hiring! Do you know anyone who might be interested in a full-time, nine month #tenure-track Assistant Professor of #Psychology position at William Penn University? academiccareers.com/job/139125/a... @spspnews.bsky.social @psychnews.bsky.social #academicjobs #psycjobs

How do I prepare for New Books in Sociology? What makes a great interview question? Ask me anything today—I'll share my answers tomorrow. @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social #AMA #Questions

From bar stools to campus quads, I study how #space shapes #belonging. Barrooms are #performances of belonging. At Mulligan’s, I observe how #repetition, #ritual, & #recognition shape informal #status. #Identity here is performed through seating, #storytelling, & subtle cues.

Of course, Pierre Bourdieu noted this in his 1979 book Distinction, where he observed that our notions of "good taste" are nothing more than the habits and preferences of the ruling class. Georg Simmel said something similar in 1902 when he said fashion is a game of imitation.

Just 🗣️ w/ @gjikaphd.bsky.social about her powerful 📖 When Rape Goes #Viral (Univ Cal Press, 2023) on #youth, #sexualassault & #digitalculture. We explored #trauma, #tech, & #justice in a #socialmedia age. 🎧 via @NewBooksSoc (a 📺 on @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social): newbooksnetwork.com/when-rape-go...

We’re hiring! William Penn University is seeking a #TenureTrack Assistant Professor of #Psychology to begin Fall 2025. We value #student-centered #teaching, #interdisciplinaryscholarship, & #inclusivelearning. Please share! academiccareers.com/job/139125/a...

I’m doing #fieldwork in small-town squares this summer. Festivals, benches, signage, & sound all reshape #space. The square has a #rhythm. It tells us who gathers, who lingers, & who disappears. #Publicspace is a #civicstage. Who is included? Who is excluded? Who gets seen? Who doesn't get seen?

I 🗣️ w/ Syed Ali & Margaret Chin about #ThePeerEffect on @NewBooksSoc (@NewBooksNetwork). We 🗣️ about how peers (not just parents or teachers) shape #opportunity, #success, & #belonging. youtu.be/cIsiK09xCSk?... ❓Who have your strongest peers been? How did they shape your path?

🚨 Now Hiring: Assistant Professor of Psychology Join us at William Penn University to teach, mentor, and shape the next generation of scholars in a student-centered environment. Apply here 👉 academiccareers.com/job/139125/a... #AcademicJobs #PsychJobs #HigherEd #TenureTrack #PsychHiring

In my interview w/ @casilli.bsky.social, we talked about Waiting for #Robots and looked into the hidden human #labor behind #AI. A powerful challenge to #automation #myths. Check it out here: newbooksnetwork.com/category/pol... #NewBooksInSociology

Escape rooms aren’t just play—they’re engineered spaces that structure emotion. I study how fear, urgency, and success are scripted into our leisure.

From bar stools to campus quads, I study how #space shapes #belonging. Barrooms are #performances of belonging. At Mulligan’s, I observe how #repetition, #ritual, and #recognition shape informal #status. #Identity here is performed through seating, #storytelling, and subtle cues. #BarroomCulture

This summer I’m sharing the work I do as a sociologist: place, identity, escape rooms, barrooms, festivals, and student belonging. Daily reflections. Fieldnotes. Emotion. Ritual. Space. #Sociology #Ethnography

🎧 Chelsea Schelly on Dwelling in Resistance: living off‑grid isn’t just lifestyle—it’s political resistance. Tune in! #NewBooksInSociology newbooksnetwork.com/chelsea-sche...

What does it mean to feel "at home"? Is it #comfort, #routine, #memory, #performance? My research traces how people come to inhabit #place not just physically, but #emotionally and #symbolically. #SociologyOfEmotion #Belonging #PlaceMatters

📢This summer, I’m sharing more about what I do as a sociologist. From barroom culture to escape rooms, student life to small-town festivals—I'll be sharing insights from my research, fieldwork, and podcast interviews. #Sociology #AcademicLife #WhatSociologistsDo #NewBooksNetwork #NewBooksSoc

I’m Dr. Michael O. Johnston, a sociologist studying the relationship between place and identity. From bar stools to escape rooms to festivals and celebrations in historic town squares, I examine the social and emotional meanings of space. #Sociology #PlaceAndIdentity #Belonging

📚 William Penn Univ is hiring an Assistant Prof of History to start this fall! Join a supportive, collaborative team in the Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences! We are committed to meaningful teaching & scholarship. Apply via ✉️ to [email protected]. #AcademicJobs #History #HigherEd