Sociology | Penn Today

Is thrifting for fun harmful? She did the research; plus tips for thoughtful secondhand shopping

In a Q&A, College of Arts and Sciences fourth-year Anya Miller from Lancaster, Pennsylvania outlines her thesis examining secondhand shopping experiences through a socioeconomic lens.

Illustration of COVID-19, made by drawing in red circular orbs with match-like objects sticking out around all of them.

States with high COVID-19 death rates also saw high mortality from other causes

Research from Penn, Boston University, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that between March 2020 and February 2021 non-COVID deaths accounted for some 20% of excess mortality.

Biomilq and the new science of artificial breast milk

Jessica Martucci of the School of Arts & Sciences says that historical imperatives endorsed by health authorities rarely translated into meaningful support for women interested in breast-feeding.

New York Times journalist Brent Staples and Penn’s Tukufu Zuberi in conversation

At the inaugural W.E.B. Du Bois Lecture in Public Social Science, the two discussed Du Bois’ legacy and influence, Staples’ personal and professional journey, and the importance of speaking truth to power.

Dorothy Roberts says it’s time to abolish the child welfare system

PIK Professor Dorothy Roberts appears on “Your Call” to discuss her new book, “Torn Apart,” which argues that the child welfare system should be abolished and replaced with a radically different way of supporting families.

Three things the pandemic taught us about inequality in college—and why they matter today

Doctoral candidate Elena G. van Stee in the School of Arts & Sciences outlines three lessons on disparity from the pandemic that can help colleges better address student inequality.

How records of life’s milestones help solve cold cases, pinpoint health risks and allocate public resources

An article by Paula Fomby of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses how a more centralized approach to record keeping in the U.S. could facilitate rapid turnaround of statistics and ensure that public agencies have more complete information about their populations.

Four peple standing, posing for the camera. Three are students at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. The fourth is a professor there, Adamson Muula.

The future of health research in Malawi

A workshop convened by Penn, University College Dublin, and the Young Researchers Forum in Malawi brought together stakeholders to discuss the African nation’s use of technology in health care and the double burden of non-communicable and infectious diseases.

A different kind of learning loss

In a Q&A, Camille Z. Charles of the School of Arts & Sciences discusses the behavioral changes she’s seen in her classroom since the start of the pandemic.

Jason Schnittker and the cover of his new book called "Prisons and Health in the Age of Mass Incarceration," by Jason Schnittker, Michael Massoglia, and Christopher Uggen

The ‘paradox’ of receiving health care in prison

In an excerpt from their new book, Penn sociologist Jason Schnittker and colleagues dissect the contradictory nature of these institutions, which are charged with both “denying freedom and providing care.”

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