4/16
Sociology
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’
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
Sociologist Hyunjoon Park sheds light on why marriage rates are falling in South Korea, particularly among highly educated women and low-educated men.
The Amish and the Anthropocene
Nicole Welk-Joerger, a doctoral candidate in the Department of History and Sociology of Science, discusses what a technology adopted by the Amish can tell us about climate change and the future.
Do DIY DNA kits revive a harmful perceived link between genetics and race?
Research from sociologist Wendy Roth reveals that on average, these tests don’t reinforce the idea of essentialism, but how much participants know about genetics going in matters.
Drug epidemic likely ‘killing more Americans than we think’
Research from Penn and Georgetown shows that the estimated number of drug-associated deaths in the U.S. in 2016 was approximately double the number of deaths attributed to drugs.
The religious battle over birth control and the unpleasant motivation that fueled it
In a Q&A, sociologist Melissa Wilde discusses her new book, which probes the racism and elitism that spurred religious groups to fight for legalizing contraception.
Socioeconomic status in the U.S. harder to change than any time in past 150 years
Research from Penn sociologist Xi Song and colleagues shows that mobility declined substantially during this period, particularly for those born in the 1940s and later.
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.
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.
In the News
In death, three decades after his trial verdict, O.J. Simpson still reflects America’s racial divides
Camille Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences says that Black Americans have grown less likely to believe in a famous defendant’s innocence as a show of race solidarity.
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‘Slouch’ review: The panic over posture
In her new book, “Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America,” Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces society’s posture obsession to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.
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The truth behind the slouching epidemic
Beth Linker of the School of Arts & Sciences traces the history of a poor-posture epidemic in the U.S. which began at the onset of the 20th century.
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How two Mass. lawyers are helping DACA recipients stay in the US
Carlos Águilar González of the School of Arts & Sciences says that streamlining the D3 authorization process for DACA recipients may limit the number of people who can benefit by focusing only on the most prestigious and educated.
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The activist academy
In her book “Chasing the Intact Mind,” Amy S.F. Lutz of the School of Arts & Sciences argues that the current approach to disabilities studies marginalizes the most severely disabled.
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Ready or not, self-driving semi-trucks are coming to America’s highways
Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences says that autonomous trucking could change the geography of the U.S. economy in the way that railroads and shipping did.
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