9.30
Michele W. Berger
Senior Science News Officer
mwberger@upenn.edu
Sociology
The striking shift in climate politics in a post-Sandy New York City
The striking shift in climate politics in a post-Sandy New York City
Analysis of conversations with 75 disaster responders, social activists, and others revealed that immediately following the superstorm, the city moved away from cutting greenhouse gas emissions and toward adaptation.
Police killings and Black mental health
Police killings and Black mental health
Specialists from across the Penn community discuss the mental health impacts of Black people being subjected to videos of African Americans being killed by the police.
Exploring the links between jobs and health, reframed by COVID-19
Exploring the links between jobs and health, reframed by COVID-19
More than half of America’s farm workers are immigrants, and most have been considered essential workers during the coronavirus pandemic. While this designation has ensured the continuity of their livelihoods, it has also increased their risk of becoming sick.
COVID-19’s assault on Black and Brown communities
COVID-19’s assault on Black and Brown communities
Racism, inequality, and the coronavirus have combined to cause an alarming number of COVID-19 cases and deaths among African-American and Latinx populations.
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
Negative financial shock increases loneliness in older adults
The conclusions hold even after accounting for changes in chronic health conditions and functional limitations, religious service attendance, and relationship strain.
‘Disease knows no borders’
‘Disease knows no borders’
From the history of science to medical anthropology, governance, and economics, Penn experts look at the history of global health from different perspectives to see what the future may hold.
The push for 2020 Census participation, amid a pandemic and data privacy fears
The push for 2020 Census participation, amid a pandemic and data privacy fears
Groups across Penn are working to ensure that college students and hard-to-reach demographics get counted in the once-a-decade tally.
The risk coronavirus poses to our tenuous, complex supply chain
The risk coronavirus poses to our tenuous, complex supply chain
A disruption to any single link, from factories overseas to the truck driver delivering goods the final mile, could have a ripple effect, according to researcher Steve Viscelli.
Greener economy ‘not science fiction anymore’
Greener economy ‘not science fiction anymore’
A new book from Penn sociologist Daniel Aldana Cohen and colleagues describes four key facets of the Green New Deal and why they could become a reality in the not-too-distant future.
Less and later marriage in South Korea
Less and later marriage in South Korea
Sociologist Hyunjoon Park sheds light on why marriage rates are falling in South Korea, particularly among highly educated women and low-educated men.
Media Contact
In the News
Philadelphia Inquirer
What will sex, dating, and marriage look like on the other side of the pandemic?
Frank Furstenburg of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the pandemic’s impact on families and relationships. “I would be very surprised if we don’t see a sharp drop in fertility, and similarly a considerable decrease in cohabitation because the ability to experiment and form relationships has been severely curtailed,” he said.
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Associated Press
US births fall, and virus could drive them down more
Hans-Peter Kohler of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on the possibility of a further decline in birth rates due to the coronavirus. The question isn’t whether or not there will be decline, but rather if the decline will be lasting, he said.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Wisconsin judge’s ‘regular folks’ remark shows how pandemic exposes classism
Annette Lareau of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about the lack of contact between Americans from upper and lower classes. “There are few spaces where people of different classes encounter each other,” she said. “IKEA, the zoo, July Fourth parades. But increasingly, people stay within their own worlds. That helps them treat others with contempt and shame.”
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The New York Times
Trump hasn’t given up on divide and conquer
Daniel Hopkins of the School of Arts & Sciences and alumna Samantha Washington were cited for their research about changes in white Americans’ views on race during the last few years.
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FiveThirtyEight
Why the Democrats have shifted left over the last 30 years
Dan Hopkins of the School of Arts and Sciences was cited for his research, which found that racial prejudice in white Americans has decreased since 2007, particularly among Democrats.
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Popular Science
Why a decline in U.S. birth rates could actually help our economy
Hans-Peter Kohler of the School of Arts and Sciences explained falling birth rates, saying, “There is a broader transformation in young adulthood where there is an increasing prominence in education, career building, human capital, and so forth so that children tend to be desired later in life.”
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