Sociology

Archaeological site filled with stacked, dusty, aged bricks and surrounded by rocks..

Reconsidering world heritage for the modern era

Through recent research, archaeologist and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Lynn Meskell has continued to highlight how World Heritage Sites have become flashpoints for conflict and out of touch with local communities.

America’s mothers are suckers. And I say that with love

In an Op-Ed featuring a quote from PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts, Tess Wilkinson-Ryan of Penn Carey Law writes that American capitalism has commodified motherhood, shifting it from a “social good” to a “personal choice” when women ask for support.

Stanton Samenow, psychologist who studied ‘criminal personality,’ dies at 81

William S. Laufer of the Wharton School says that Stanton Samenow’s influence on criminal psychology will remain, even if at the foundation of future research.

More wives now outearn their husbands. They also stay together longer

Research co-authored by Pilar Gonalons-Pons of the School of Arts & Sciences finds that marriages in which wives outearn their husbands are not only more common, but less likely to end in divorce than in the past.

Young black man wearing surgical face masks while sitting and riding on a window seat of a tram

Understanding the decline in racial disparities in COVID

The School of Arts & Sciences’ Irma Elo and Samuel Preston, with a collaborative team of researchers, assessed racial disparities in U.S. COVID-19 deaths, calling for continued efforts to better understand and implement targeted strategies for addressing health inequalities.

Remembering Harry Belafonte

Tukufu Zuberi describes meeting the musician-turned-activist, plus how Belafonte used his talents for good and what legacy he leaves behind.

Child welfare system is overloaded with racial disparities that impact Black families, experts say

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts says that Black families have been entangled in the child welfare system since the time of slavery, when they were routinely separated.

Long-lived rivals: Actuaries say Biden and Trump are not too old for office

Samuel Preston of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Donald Trump being three-and-a-half years younger than Joe Biden equates to a 30% lower annual probability of death, though that advantage would be offset by Trump’s higher BMI.

A Texas family fought for weeks to regain custody of their newborn. Experts say the case shows how Black parents are criminalized

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts says that decisions to report neglect and abuse to the child welfare system are largely shaped by racist stereotypes of Black families.

The truth about the adoption option

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts breaks down the adoption fallacy of the Supreme Court Dobbs decision.

Filters