11/15
Sociology
U.S. fertility is at an all-time low, but is that a bad thing?
U.S. fertility is at an all-time low, but is that a bad thing?
Researchers from the Population Studies Center dissect the latest CDC numbers and explain the role of migration patterns, better family planning, and delayed parenthood.
When green ‘fixes’ actually increase the carbon footprint
When green ‘fixes’ actually increase the carbon footprint
New research shows that when tech companies move in, they often encourage a sustainability mindset, but lead to gentrification and stable or higher emissions.
The times and life of W.E.B. Du Bois at Penn
The times and life of W.E.B. Du Bois at Penn
In 1896, Du Bois was appointed an assistant instructor at Penn and began his investigation of the Seventh Ward of Philadelphia—research that he would turn into his groundbreaking work, “The Philadelphia Negro.”
Supreme Court decision a boon for truck drivers and, potentially, the gig economy
Supreme Court decision a boon for truck drivers and, potentially, the gig economy
Three Penn experts discuss the ruling, which gives transportation workers the ability to sue their employers in class-action lawsuits, sidestepping forced arbitration.
Becoming a mother reduces a woman’s earning potential by up to 10 percent per child
Becoming a mother reduces a woman’s earning potential by up to 10 percent per child
In a Q&A, Sandra Florian, a postdoctoral fellow in sociology and the Population Studies Center, discusses motherhood’s short- and long-term effects on a woman’s career.
What happens when someone’s skin color and racial identity don’t align?
What happens when someone’s skin color and racial identity don’t align?
Doctoral student Haley Pilgrim is trying to answer this question through her research, which focuses on second-generation multi-racial populations.
Testing the reproducibility of social science research
Testing the reproducibility of social science research
A team co-led by Gideon Nave of the Wharton School replicated 21 high-profile social science studies and found discrepancies with the original research. Researchers betting in prediction markets, however, were quite accurate at predicting which findings would replicate and which would not.
Centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth
Centennial of Nelson Mandela’s birth
It has been 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, elected as South Africa’s first black president after being imprisoned by the apartheid government for nearly three decades. Penn Professor Tukufu Zuberi of the School of Arts and Sciences discusses Mandela’s legacy and his continuing impact today.
Philly as lab, classroom, and collaborator
Philly as lab, classroom, and collaborator
Philadelphia’s rich history and forward momentum make it ripe for scientific inquiry for a number of Penn schools and departments, from urban and population studies to medicine and anthropology.
Teachers view immigrant and minority parents as less involved in their children’s education
Teachers view immigrant and minority parents as less involved in their children’s education
A study from Penn Sociology revealed that such perspectives from educators can end up hampering the academic trajectory of the students.
In the News
Philadelphia Tribune
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.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
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.
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The New York Times
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.
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New Republic
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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USA Today
The ACT’s new ties to a private equity firm are raising eyebrows
Benjamin Shestakofsky of the School of Arts & Sciences says it is not surprising that private equity firms are setting their sights on the standardized testing market.
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Stat
HHS considering changes to sterilization consent process
PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts says there’s widespread devaluing of certain people’s childbearing from negative stereotypes to laws that deny someone extra benefits if they get pregnant while on welfare.
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