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Arts, Humanities, & Social Sciences
Socioeconomic status in the U.S. harder to change than any time in past 150 years
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.
Math, stereotypes, and social belonging
Math, stereotypes, and social belonging
Philip Gressman, professor of mathematics, discusses how stereotype threat can affect student performance in math, and how social belonging can curb it.
‘13 Reasons Why’ and media effects on suicide
‘13 Reasons Why’ and media effects on suicide
in a recent study, researchers estimated that an additional 195 suicide deaths among 10- to 17-year-olds occurred in the nine months after the 2017 release of the first season of the Netflix series “13 Reasons Why.”
Immersive stories to spur action on climate
Immersive stories to spur action on climate
Organized by the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities (PPEH), a two-day festival, “Environmental Storytelling and Virtual Reality” begins Friday, and will explore how virtual reality and other immersive storytelling might inspire action on climate change.
Using science to make cities safer and healthier
Using science to make cities safer and healthier
In a Q&A, criminologist John MacDonald discusses his new book, grounded in years of research on the positive effects of remediation like fixing up abandoned lots and houses.
A conversation with Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw
A conversation with Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw
In the latest episode of “Office Hours,” a Penn Today podcast, Professor of History of Art Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw explains the curation process behind the Barnes Foundation’s “30 Americans” exhibit.
Demographic shifts, voter fears, and presidential voting
Demographic shifts, voter fears, and presidential voting
New research shows Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign didn’t benefit from voters’ fears of immigrants in communities experiencing greater demographic change.
After political debates, FactCheck.org tells the true story
After political debates, FactCheck.org tells the true story
During each presidential debate, the team at FactCheck.org watches and listens closely to verify statements made by candidates, and draws precise lines between fact, misleading information, and sometimes pure fiction, for voters to have access to the truth.
Paideia’s spring course offerings highlight wellness, service, and citizenship
Paideia’s spring course offerings highlight wellness, service, and citizenship
The first four courses offered to Penn undergraduates as part of the new Stavros Niarchos Foundation Paideia Program will focus on passion, civility, effective communication, and a deep dive into American Chinatowns.
Russian interference and the West: Learning from ‘The Lands in Between’
Russian interference and the West: Learning from ‘The Lands in Between’
In his new book, Mitchell Orenstein argues that politics in countries situated between Russia and the European Union can hold powerful lessons for Western countries affected by Russian interference.
In the News
Architectural Record
Why removing the melted scaffolding from Notre Dame is the key to its preservation
Frank Matero of the Stuart Weitzman School of Design said removing the Cathedral of Notre Dame’s melted scaffolding is key to protecting the cathedral’s masonry vaults. “Vault collapse would destabilize the entire structure and significantly compromise its overall integrity in every way,” he said.
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Inside Higher Ed
An intelligent argument on race?
Quayshawn Spencer of the School of Arts and Sciences said it’s a “fatal flaw” for an article on the role of heredity in determining character traits to not address how race effects both the researchers and their subjects.
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The New York Times
Why Trump persists
Diana Mutz of the Annenberg School for Communication and School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the effects of education on individual world views. “Every study I’ve ever seen across the social sciences shows that education promotes less in-group favoritism and greater tolerance toward those unlike ourselves,” she said. “In panel studies that track the same people over time, as people gain advanced levels of education, they become more tolerant and favorable toward liberal democratic norms.”
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The Wall Street Journal
Can a woman win in 2020?
Sarah Shaiman, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote an opinion piece encouraging voters to look beyond identity politics when selecting a presidential candidate. “Electing a woman to be president means nothing if she doesn’t commit to materially improving the lives of the nation’s women, including working-class women,” she wrote.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
With 2020 election, Women’s March on Philadelphia ‘more important now than ever,’ organizers say
Dawn Teele of the School of Arts and Sciences spoke about the Women’s March, calling it “a cathartic show of solidarity rather than a solid movement with a specific end.”
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