Via my favorite source for toilet humor, Adriana Lleras-Muney, here is a paper describing how the urinal game and other bathroom customs can be used in introductory Sociology classes.
the use of “interactive exercises” can also be a valuable way by which to underscore the connection between individual actions and social structure. So stated, this paper identifies a number of “everyday” participatory exercises designed to spur classroom interaction and highlight core sociological concepts. Specifically, I use interactional scenarios within the typical American men’s public restroom to emphasize: 1) that individual actions, even those that exist in the mundane, are influenced by larger social-cultural forces; and 2) that a number of core sociological concepts can be found and explored in a place generally ignored or taken for granted.
I wrote about the urinal game here and the trough variant here.
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July 18, 2012 at 4:46 pm
Sean Crockett
There was a discussion and schematic of the urinal game on the History Channel show, United Stats of America. The episode was “Livin’ Large.” The urinal game is now everywhere, apparently, but I saw it here first!