Sociology | Penn Today

Displaced Palestinians outside their tents near the seaside in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.

Study shows drop in life expectancy in the Gaza Strip

A collaborative team of international researchers estimate that between Oct. 2023 and Sep. 2024 compared to pre-war levels, life expectancy in the Gaza Strip almost halved.

What is a migrant? What is ICE? 10 terms to help you understand the debate over immigration

Doctoral student Daniel Jenks of the School of Arts & Sciences defines 10 important terms to help people understand immigration news.

The social structures that shape AI

There’s more hype than ever around artificial intelligence, but Assistant Professor of Sociology Benjamin Shestakofsky says it’s important to fully examine how the new technology fits into broader society.

Grumpy voters want better stories. Not statistics

In a Q&A, PIK Professor Duncan Watts says that U.S. voters ignored Democratic policy in favor of Republican storytelling.

Engaging discussion at Center in the Park on conservative agenda Project 2025

At a Philadelphia panel on Project 2025, PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts said that Black women would have even greater numbers of unwanted pregnancies without access to legal contraceptives.

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts named a 2024 MacArthur Fellow

Roberts, who has appointments in Penn Carey Law and School of Arts & Sciences, is one of 22 Fellows to be named this year.

MacArthur Foundation announces 2024 ‘genius’ grant winners

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts has been named a MacArthur Fellow for her work on racial inequities in health and social-service systems.

Penn law professor Dorothy E. Roberts named a MacArthur Fellow

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts has received the “genius grant” for her efforts to expose racism embedded in social-support programs, such as the child welfare system.

A person wearing a backpack outside a university building.

From college community to career path

Joyce Kim, an advanced doctoral student in sociology and education, wants to know what motivates undergraduates—especially those who are the first in their families to attend college—to choose the career trajectories that they do.

The bad politics of bad posture

In her book “Slouch,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences outlines how societal pressures have driven huge swaths of people to embrace falsehoods about posture.

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