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Monday's Musings: New Name, New Look But Same Old Neighborhood, Same Old...
I am not one much for looking down on new initiatives that aim to help others. In fact, it is usually quite the opposite, especially when it comes to education initiatives (one of my areas of academic...
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Racial Inequality and the Rhetoric of Responsibility
Last Spring, Brown University economist Glenn Loury presented at Harvard sociology’s Workshop on Race and Black Youth Culture.He titled his talk “Culture, Causation and Confusion: Why Bill Cosby is...
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Faith, Family, and Football
Ask any former high school football player to reflect on his playing days and you’ll undoubtedly notice a certain sparkle in his eye.He’ll crack a smile, look off into the distance, and wave his hands...
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"The Rest All Look Alike"
Last week’s episode of Mad Men was filled with thought provoking social commentary.Daniel wrote an excellent wrap-up, but one point deserves deeper context and discussion.Roger Sterling’s hilarious...
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The Insolence of Understanding
I was on the T heading to Boston Common to watch (500) Days of Summer (amazing movie) when I looked up and saw the above advertisement situated on top of the door. Me being over six feet tall and damn...
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Ted Kennedy’s Call to Service (And How I Got Into Harvard)
It’s not wholly surprising, given the current political climate, that Ted Kennedy’s legacy has been framed by the mass media in relation to healthcare reform.But Kennedy’s political and public impact...
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Beyond The Tramp Stamp
(x-posted at Feministe)I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the regular readers of Social Science Lite and Feministe cringe upon hearing the phrase “tramp stamp.”I dug through Feministe’s archives, and...
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The Unintentional Effects of Seemingly Mundane Public Policy
Tyler Cowen, Matt Yglesias, and Ryan Avent recently engaged in a fascinating back and forth discussion regarding the role of highways in the development of contemporary American suburbs.The precise...
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The White Racist Meme
It would be an understatement to argue that the mass media has taken on racial analysis with unprecedented zeal since the election of Barack Obama. Unfortunately, in attempts to present fair and...
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What The Notorious BIG Can Tell Us About Race and Immigration
In Black Identities, Harvard sociologist Mary Waters analyzes the racial and ethnic identities of first and second generation West Indian immigrants in New York City. At its core, Black Identities is a...
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How (Not So) Far We’ve Come: Still “Doing Gender”
Last week I attended an Inequality Seminar here at Harvard. An attractive bonus to attending these lectures beyond exposure to work from scholars across the country is, to be honest, the free food. And...
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God-Given Rights
I may be too young to remember past Presidential transition periods, but there seems to be something unique about public opinion over the last few months, something that defies reason or logic.Across...
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Meghan McCain Continues to Impress, President Obama Continues to Disappoint
Fresh off his Nobel Peace Prize announcement, President Obama addressed thousands of gay right protestors marching at our nation’s capital this past Saturday night.It was a rousing speech, as always,...
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More on Obama & Gay Rights
Yesterday's post on Obama and gay rights deserves an addendum following Jamelle's insightful critique over at The League of Ordinary Gentlemen. On the whole, I think Jamelle makes some important points...
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What Up?!
Watching the GOP scramble to rebrand their party’s image following President Obama’s election has been a fascinating development in American politics. But nothing has been quite as interesting as the...
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Come Out, Come Out Whoever You Are(?): Outings in Popular Media
To be upfront about this post, it is a response to Bryan Safi’s video That’s Gay: Coming Out. Upon a cursory viewing of the video, one does get a sense of how coming out on popular shows has been...
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Republicans Wear Sneakers, Too
In 1990, Democratic challenger Harvey Gantt opposed Republican incumbent Jessie Helms in North Carolina's Senate race. Gantt, an early civil rights leader and Mayor of Charlotte, ultimately lost the...
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Representing Reality with Integrity
Few television shows have received as much academic praise as HBO’s The Wire.From City Hall to the classroom to the street corner, The Wire brilliantly captured the heart and soul of urban America—the...
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Dangerous Implications
In the months preceding December’s blockbuster explosion, two films have been dominating the box office: Lee Daniels’ Precious and John Lee Hancock’s The Blindside.Both films are based on critically...
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There’s No Such Thing as Stupid People
But there are certainly stupid, asinine attempts at “investigative” reporting:A few factual corrections:“Detroit sucks, but why? Well to start, it’s no secret that Detroit is run entirely by...
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The Insolence of Understanding: Part II
It has been a while since my last post. Reason: graduate school is, for lack of better words, no joke. Nevertheless, we prevail. A few weeks ago I wrote a post entitled, "The Insolence of...
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Apple Pies, McDonalds, and Gender O’ My
Am I the only that finds it a bit ironic that the restaurant that has been criticized as the culinary culprit in the breakdown of the American family has returned to traditional gender roles in their...
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The Other Detroit
Wunderkammer Magazine recently commissioned me to write a piece on Detroit for their Politics and Society section.I took the opportunity to write about a side of the city that gets significantly less...
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In (Slight) Defense of Chris Matthews
Chris Matthews’ blunder following President Obama’s State of the Union Address is by now common knowledge to political junkies.But for those that missed it, Matthews was so enamored with Obama’s speech...
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“Food Deserts”: Fertile Ground for Socially-Minded Entrepreneurs
Adminstrator's note: The following piece was written by SSL Guest Contributor Ifeoma Ajunwa and was reposted from RightRespect. Ifeoma is about to begin her Ph.D at Columbia University in Sociology....
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