With so much information at our fingertips have we a choice in what we view and consume?
Tag Archives: Culture & Society
‘In stressed times, we can take comfort in wildlife’: why nature-writing is ‘exploding’
Journalist Alison Flood investigates the increase of nature writing and reading in times of transition.
Tinker v. Des Moines: Protecting student free speech
This article describes the chain of events that led to the 1969 Supreme Court decision that protected students’ right to free speech.
Millennial pink is exposing our culture’s worst anxieties about “girly stuff”
Author Sady Doyle argues that pink, whether feminine or not, is simply a flattering and pleasing color that has been popular throughout time.
Collective reparation in Colombia: when everyone suffers from the ravages of war
Read this article to learn what collective reparations are. Watch the video to see how one village in Colombia was affected by war and how the program will help them restore their community.
Plessy and Ferguson: Descendants of a divisive Supreme Court decision unite
Read about the historic Plessy v. Ferguson court decision and about how the two namesakes’ ancestors have joined together to form a foundation that seeks to educate the public about the importance of the case.
To Overcome the Fear of Failure, Fear This Instead
After talking to many successful entrepreneurs, professor and author Adam Grant found that they feared failing to act more than failing itself.
For migrant workers on Illinois farms, the job is hot, risky
Have you ever wondered about the people who harvest the fruits and vegetables you eat? This article explores the difficult conditions many migrant farm workers face.
Teen Night Owls Struggle To Learn And Control Emotions At School
Do you tend to stay up late at night? A group of researchers recently conducted a survey to explore the effects of teenagers being “night owls.” Read to learn more.
Nationality, identity and the pledge of allegiance
In this article, a reporter tells her story of becoming an American citizen and recalls some of her experience living with more than one cultural identity.
American Indian Boarding Schools Haunt Many
As the United States government took over the West, a concerted effort to “kill the Indian” through education developed. Hear the stories of Native Americans forcibly separated from their culture.
Marriage and Family in Shakespeare’s England
Read this article and view resources from Shakespeare’s time to learn how marriage customs then were similar to and different from those we observe in the 21st century.
The Fertility and Futility of Hatred
Cultural anthropologist Janice Harper argues that expressing hatred is self-destructive.
Malcolm Gladwell got us wrong: Our research was key to the 10,000-hour rule, but here’s what got oversimplified
Psychologist Anders Ericsson and his colleague explain how Malcolm Gladwell misunderstood Ericcson’s research when proposing that it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become successful in any given field.
Why Reconstruction Matters
Columbia University history professor Eric Foner argues that Reconstruction ended before it could become truly successful, and he draws parallels to current affairs.
Republican lawmakers introduce bills to curb protesting in at least 18 states
In response to the growing number of large protests in recent years, state lawmakers have introduced bills to curtail protestors and the tactics they use.
Celebrate Our Mother Tongues
Educator and former U.S. Foreign Service officer Chris Livaccari discusses how Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” inspired him to examine his own family’s use of language.
Not From Venus, Not From Mars: What We Believe About Gender and Why It’s Often Wrong
In this review of Testosterone Rex by Cordelia Fine, criitc Annie Murphy Paul explains how the author flips how we think about gender on its head.
How African Immigrants Are Creating a New Identity for Themselves in Houston
Do immigrants from African countries take on a shared cultural identity in American communities? This article takes a look at the case of Houston, Texas.
Teaching Teenagers to Cope With Social Stress
Psychology Professor David S. Yeager has a simple message that can help teens manage their stress and anxiety: People can change. Read to find out how keeping this idea in mind can be useful when navigating the transition into high school.