Can democracy survive when large segments of the population no longer have faith in it? And what happens if one of the two major political parties actively works to undermine that faith as a strategy to achieve their political goals? Is this where we now find ourselves? One of my favorite programs for news and […]
One of my favorite podcasts is the “Hidden Brain” (it’s also a show heard on National Public Radio). It’s not only extremely well-produced but it’s a good example of how social science can shed light on important issues. As a public sociologist I respect host Shankar Vedantam‘s effort to bring social science to a wider […]
Next week four thousand ISU students wearing long gowns and funny hats will walk across a stage and receive an empty red diploma cover in a ritual marking the end of a successful college career. The mood at the various commencement ceremonies on campus is festive. At the one I participate in each year as […]
Here’s an alarming look at the “romantic” norms of contemporary college life. Lisa Wade, sociologist at Occidental College, has done extensive research into the unspoken but powerful rules that govern the culture of casual sex on college campuses. She is the guest on this episode of the “Hidden Brain” podcast.
I recently had a chance to visit an old friend who moved to Scotland several years ago. He and his wife now have two beautiful children and, as happens in life after kids, our visits now entail more parenting activities than the pub-related kind. One day we went to pick up their seven year old […]