"Think like a Sociologist": Dr. Om Varma Explores Society Through Podcasting

Dr. Om Nath Varma has established himself as a respected voice in the fields of education and social reflection in Mauritius. After serving as the director of the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), as well as a sociologist, educator, and advisor to the Ministry of Education, he now chooses podcasting as a new space for dialogue.

Under the title "Think like a Sociologist," he regularly offers episodes in English that invite listeners to analyze society beyond the obvious. His contributions, informed by experience and intellectual rigor, connect sociological concepts to contemporary realities.

Among the themes he explores are:

• "What can we learn from Mauritian Creole from Bernstein?" – A reflection on the Creole language and what it reveals about social structures.
• "What can the 21st-century schools learn from Bernstein’s notions of the curriculum: classification & framing?" – A questioning of modern education and its pedagogical challenges.
• "Who gets to move up? Power, privilege, and mobility" – An analysis of inequalities and mechanisms of social mobility.
• "How is the drug business organized?" – A dive into the parallel economy and its internal logics.
• "What happens when social media becomes surrogate parents?" – Shedding light on the growing role of social networks in the lives of young people.

Through these topics, Dr. Om Nath Varma does not aim to impose definitive answers but rather to open avenues for reflection. His approach is to demonstrate how sociology can illuminate the issues of everyday life, whether concerning education, power relations, or cultural transformations.

By choosing the podcast format, which he co-hosts with Dr. Charisma Thondee, a Senior Lecturer at MIE, he shows that critical thinking can adapt to modern communication tools. The podcast also includes reflections on how schools should evolve, particularly "who benefits from inertia in education." He questions the uniform examination system by asking whether the problem lies with IQ tests and whether we make false assumptions about intelligence.

"Think like a Sociologist" serves as a bridge between the academic world and the general public, providing everyone the opportunity to "think like a sociologist." It is available on Spotify without the need for an account to access it.

Correction: An error appeared in our edition of Défi Quotidien on Wednesday, December 10. In the article titled "Abolition of coeducation in public schools: Concerns related to indiscipline behind the decision," it should have read: "No final decision has yet been made regarding the abolition of coeducation," rather than: "A decision has been made regarding the abolition of coeducation."