By Stacy Torres Until his dying day, my father ordered, “Don’t open the door to no one,” as though I was still 11 years old, not in my early 40s. In retirement, Dad had more time to warn me about... Continue reading

By Lisa Smith “Crow o’ clock” is that time of day in Vancouver when crows make their way at dusk and dawn, to and from their roost. After a busy day in the city hunting for snacks, watching out for... Continue reading

We are “slowly becoming Homo plasticus,” scientist Megha Satyanarayana warns, citing increasing evidence of the pervasive presence of plastics in our bodies, water, air, and soil. In her argument, Satyanarayana describes how a consumer and convenience culture, a desire to make profits, and a slow regulatory process make it hard to address microplastic pollution. Megha Satyanarayana, "Why Aren’t We Losing Our Minds over the Plastic in Our Brains?" Scientific American, 14 February 2025. Satyanarayana describes scientific research that has identified widespread evidence of microplastics in human bodies and our environments. Give three examples of this evidence from her argument. Which... Continue reading

By Stacy Torres I like to see myself as a tough and seasoned lifelong New Yorker. I pride myself on quickly distinguishing real urban dangers from visibly troubled city dwellers who may talk to themselves or act erratically but are... Continue reading

By Monica Radu Does attendance really matter? It’s a question I ask myself a lot, especially on days when it feels like I’m lecturing to an empty classroom. The topic of optional class attendance at colleges and universities often sparks... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer By now you have likely heard about the wildfires that devastated parts of Los Angeles in January 2025. The fires destroyed more than 10,000 homes, including my own. Sociologists study the importance of communities in shaping individual... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer When I have visited Europe, I always found the castles there a bit shocking in their sheer size and number. One can stumble upon a castle on a walk or on the side of the highway, as... Continue reading

By Janis Prince Inniss When my aunt expressed mock horror—I think it was mock—at the thought of me going to Mexico because Canadian tourists had been killed there, I chided her. She’s alarmist, giving into negative portrayals and stereotypes of... Continue reading

It seems like everyone is talking about TikTok: its security risks, its seeming ubiquity among teenagers and adults alike. Writer Roxane Gay––whose father introduced her to the app––describes the problem of “pleasurably wasting hours and hours of time” on TikTok and warns about its purposeful addictive and exploitive nature. Is TikTok worth it? Roxane Gay, "The New Pornographers," The New Pornographers, 9 July 2024 Gay details the many “TikTok rabbit holes” she’s fallen into, from watching viral dances to following influencer feeds. Consider how Gay uses TikTok, and think about how you and people you know use the app. If... Continue reading

By Monica Radu If you've spent any time on TikTok lately, you've probably come across the "showing up" trend. It’s a feel-good trend where parents proudly showcase how they try to be present for their kids, whether it's for school... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer I have recently become a member of a group, joining my local trail running community. The process of joining a new group got me thinking about the sociological processes involved in becoming a member of a group,... Continue reading

By Stacy Torres Confession time. I’m having difficulty mustering much sympathy for the brazen and targeted murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, shot outside a Hilton Hotel in Midtown Manhattan as he walked to a shareholders meeting. And apparently, I’m... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer As I mentioned in my last post, I recently ran my first trail race. I entered a local 22k race, also called a “heavy half;” at 14.5 miles and more than 2,300 feet of elevation gain, the... Continue reading

Trash is piling up around the globe, from overflowing landfills to plastic waste washing up on shorelines. However, this problem extends beyond Earth itself. In this essay, Iris Gottlieb highlights a newer and often overlooked dumping ground: outer space. Gottlieb describes the human-made debris orbiting the planet and littering the Moon, arguing that outer space is a “public resource” that should be protected. Iris Gottlieb, "Elon Musk is Sending His Garbage Into Space (with All the Other Trash)" LitHub.com, 19 August 2024 What kinds of objects have humans put in outer space and on the Moon? What is a major... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer During the stay-at-home days of the pandemic, like many others, I got into running. I had run decades in the past but had mostly set it aside when my knees always seemed to be sore. But in... Continue reading

By Monica Radu Gaining popularity during the baby boom, baby showers have been a hallmark of family celebrations for decades. These rituals are often filled with pastel decorations, gift-giving, and games that revolve around the joy of welcoming a new... Continue reading

Could a generative AI chatbot have a real relationship with a person? Allison Pugh, a sociologist, argues no: “there is no human relationship when one half of the encounter is a machine,” she writes. In her argument, Pugh describes how care-focused generative AI platforms–such as the ones being used in education, medical, and therapy settings–damage human relationships by making people feel both invisible and disconnected from each other. Allison Pugh, "When AI Automates Relationships, TIME, 14 August 2024. Pugh introduces the term “connective labor” in her argument. In your own words, define this term. Name three jobs that Pugh mentions... Continue reading

By Colby King This presidential campaign cycle has brought national attention to several towns and small cities across the US. From Butte, Nebraska (2020 Census population of 286) where Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz graduated from high school in a... Continue reading

By Lisa Smith I’ve often heard students lament that while they love sociology, it often ruins things they used to enjoy. It’s true that once you start to peel back the layers of the society you live in and understand... Continue reading

College tuition costs continue to rise in the U.S., and even with student loan debt and college affordability reforms, middle-class students often struggle to pay for a college degree. The college affordability crisis matters beyond higher education: researchers have connected it to the shrinking middle class in the U.S. In this op-ed, Christine Schueckler, a student at the University of Virginia, explains the economic and personal consequences of the “middle-class squeeze” on U.S. college campuses. Christine Schueckler, "Can I Afford College? High Tuition Costs Squeeze Middle Class Students Like Me," USA Today, 1 August 2024. Schueckler references the “middle-class squeeze”... Continue reading

By Karen Sternheimer As we approach the seventeenth anniversary of my grandmother’s death at age 96, (something I wrote about when this blog was in its infancy), I have been thinking about the many lessons she taught me about getting... Continue reading

By Alyssa Lyons I was sitting on the couch with my partner trying to decompress after an unusually long day. To unwind, we decided to watch Abbott Elementary. As a sociologist of education, I knew it was on brand, but... Continue reading

Consider the expansive parking lots that surround buildings and the curbside parking spots that line many city and suburban streets. One study estimated that there are 3.4 parking spots per vehicle in the U.S. What could that space be used for instead? In this essay, researcher Henry Grabar examines the environmental, economic, and social costs of free or cheap parking in U.S. cities and communities. Henry Graber, "How Parking Reform Is Helping Transform American Cities" Yale360.com, 31 January 2024. Grabar argues that eliminating parking mandates—rules within building codes that require a certain number of parking spaces per building—could make housing... Continue reading

By Janis Prince Inniss Sociologically speaking, there are lots of interesting aspects of the Janet Jackson PR fiasco. In case you missed it, the international superstar caused quite a stir recently. In a long and wide-ranging interview published by The... Continue reading

By Stacy Torres Recovering from my own recent romantic breakups, I drew comfort from seeing one of the hardest working women in Hollywood take a break. This spring as I walked to my office across the street from San Francisco’s... Continue reading