…The behaviors that usually get thrown into the black box of “irrationality” are sociology’s specialty. And that’s why it’s an especially useful discipline for dealing with the national public-health emergency we face. Insights from sociological theorists like Robert Merton and Erving Goffman can do more than explain the strange pandemic behavior we’ve seen in recent … Continue reading
Filed under Sociology …
Hip-Hop Stars Support Mississippi Rapper in First Amendment Case
Musical tastes at the Supreme Court run toward opera. On Monday, a glittering array of hip-hop stars will try to expand the justices’ musical horizons.In a brief supporting a Mississippi high school student who was disciplined for posting a rap song online, artists including T. I., Big Boi and Killer Mike will explain to the … Continue reading
Affirmative Action Has Got Nothing on White Privilege
Conversations about affirmative action underscore an ugly truth about America — that a country founded as a racial apartheid continues to dance around issues of race. On Wednesday December 9th, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Fisher v. University of Texas, in what may turn out to be a landmark case regarding affirmative action … Continue reading
3 Tips for Handling Discussions in Online Courses
I’ve been teaching a large online class for the first time this semester, and as the course involves looking at a number of challenge interactive works and games I put a lot of emphasis on discussion forums and critical debate. However, discussion forums of this kind present a lot of potential problems in an online … Continue reading
Overcoming Online Persistence Challenges With The Trojan Café (Part 2)
One of the first ideas that came out of the planning phase was to create student forums that would allow interaction between users. Students were already utilizing Blackboard discussion boards to meet course requirements, therefore the infrastructure was ideal for hosting casual student forums. Forums are moderated by staff and have been a significant attraction … Continue reading
6 Strategies to Reduce the Risk of Student Failures in Online Classes
The retention rate for online schools is low and there are many reasons why students discontinue their degree program, from the cost per credit hour to school policies and the quality of the courses offered. Instructors have little control over many of those factors but what they can help with is the classroom environment that … Continue reading
Is Higher Education Reinforcing Inequality?
In the UK and US the growth of social and economic inequality is taking place in societies in which formal participation in higher education is at an historic high. Is higher education then responsible for the pattern of unequal earnings? If education produces human capital, which determines marginal productivity, and that determines wages – remember … Continue reading
Today’s Fail-Safe Students
…We often think of failure as a defining moment, because it makes us question our assumptions, and it tests our resolve. In science, it’s the null result that prompts researchers to rethink a hypothesis. In literature, it’s the darkest stage in the hero’s journey that leads to a transformation. In life, it’s the letdown, the … Continue reading
School: What is it Good for?
One of the curious features about schooling is that there is no explicit consensus about its purpose. Any assertion with regards to function should dramatically affect both the content of what is taught and the structure in terms of how to best instill the things that are taught. For instance, if the purpose of schooling … Continue reading
The End of Male Supremacy
Women are not equal to men; they are superior in many ways, and in most ways that will count in the future. It is not just a matter of culture or upbringing. It is a matter of chromosomes, genes, hormones, and nerve circuits. It is not mainly because of how experience shapes women, but because … Continue reading
Professor Van Ry 