Sociology

Two people installing solar panels on a chilly day, wearing gloves and snow hats.

The data at the heart of Green New Deal public housing legislation

Beyond improving living conditions, greening these spaces would reduce emissions and create 250,000 jobs annually, according to research from Penn and Data for Progress.

Michele W. Berger ・ November 15, 2019

For Rent sign on front gate of a brick apartment building

Social interactions in the housing market

Doctoral candidate in sociology Doron Shiffer-Sebba’s prize-winning research paper examines the interpersonal dynamics of landlords and tenants.

Penn Today Staff ・ November 8, 2019

Person sitting at a table with an open book, a picture, glasses, a coffee cup and wearing headphones looking at a cellphone. Three people are in the background.

The culture of coworking spaces

As Penn sociologist David Grazian discovered through hundreds of hours of fieldwork, despite today’s digital work-anywhere economy, having a physical place to conduct business still matters.

Michele W. Berger ・ October 28, 2019

Julia Ticona smiles with her hands in her pockets

A conversation with Julia Ticona

In the latest episode of “Office Hours,” a Penn Today podcast, Assistant Professor of Communication Julia Ticona explains her research about the gig economy and chitchats about cooking, campus, and superpowers.

Brandon Baker ・ October 15, 2019

How race informed the 6th Amendment right to counsel

A new article by Shaun Ossei-Owusu reveals the critical role of race in the development of a staple of the American criminal justice system: the constitutional guarantee of an attorney for defendants too poor to afford one.

Penn Today Staff ・ October 2, 2019

Two people sitting on a stage, one gesturing with his hands. In front of them is a brown wooden table with two water bottles.

Dissecting the Green New Deal

During what’s likely the largest climate event ever held at Penn, leaders in a range of fields discussed the practicalities and implications of the resolution introduced into Congress in February aimed at stemming climate change.

Michele W. Berger ・ September 16, 2019

A young student of color looks upward with their hand on their mouth

Black boys, grief, and guns in urban schools

Nora Gross, a joint doctoral candidate in sociology and education, examines how students grieve and recover after gun violence kills peers.

Penn Today Staff ・ September 13, 2019

Minorities in majority spaces

Ashleigh Cartwright, doctoral candidate in sociology, examines how nonwhite students are selected and prepared to integrate historically white schools.

Penn Today Staff ・ August 1, 2019

Black and white image of a person on a fence in front of a field.

For non-Hispanic whites in the U.S., life expectancy outlook worsens

Research from Penn demographers shows that, though trends vary regionally, mortality is increasing, particularly for women, 25- to 44-year-olds, and those in rural areas.

Michele W. Berger ・ July 10, 2019

Julia Szymczak with a river in the background

Social solutions to antibiotic resistance

Research by sociologist Julia Szymczak of the Perelman School of Medicine is aimed at understanding, and eventually changing, behaviors that lead to the overprescribing of antibiotics.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ July 2, 2019

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In the News

Associated Press

Study Finds False Stories Travel Way Faster Than the Truth

Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center questions a study’s methods for measuring truth in news stories, and suggests rebranding “false” stories as “viral deception” to emphasize the severity of potential harm.

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Dame Magazine

The New Yorker Has a Byline Problem

Research by Alex T. Williams of the Annenberg School for Communication has shown that minority journalists are hired at lower rates after graduation than white journalists, in part because of fewer opportunities while still in school.