The Conversation

Market bubbles and sonic attacks: Mass hysterias will never go away

Written by Barry Markovsky, Professor of Sociology, University of South Carolina

Were U.S. diplomats at the embassy in Cuba stricken by a mass delusion?AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa

Ancient and quaint seem the days of witch crazes, demon scares and tulip manias. Instances of mass hysteria may strike you as rare events in modern advanced societies. But such outbreaks are products of their times. They’re still around today, just...

The dangerous belief that white people are under attack

Written by Clara Wilkins, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Wesleyan University

Lucian Wintrich, left, leaves court on Dec. 11 after charges of breach of peace were dropped. In November, Wintrich had delivered a speech at the University of Connecticut titled 'It's OK To Be White.'AP Photo/Jessica Hill

In August, the Justice Department decided to investigate instances of bias against whites in university admissions. Since then,...

What is a soul, anyway? Pullman's 'La Belle Sauvage' tackles the big questions

Written by Marek Oziewicz, Professor, Literacy Education, University of Minnesota

“La Belle Sauvage” is the first volume of “The Book of Dust” series, in which the best-selling fantasy author Philip Pullman returns to the world of “His Dark Materials.”

As a scholar of fantasy and children’s literature, I have been hoping for this novel for 17 years. The original trilogy, which consist...

Why justice is more important than the rule of law

Written by Klaus Mladek, Associate Professor of German Studies and Comparative Literature, Dartmouth College

Special Counsel Robert Mueller.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

The 2017 Stress in America survey has confirmed it: Americans are officially freaking out.

The survey, conducted by the Harris Poll, reports that what keeps many Americans up at night is genuine political anxiety. Rather than issues related to their work or families, respondents said...

Why Trump's plan to forbid spouses of H-1B visa holders to work is a bad idea

Written by Amy Bhatt, Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

U.S. immigration law has a complicated history with keeping families together. Reuters/Brian Snyder

On Dec. 14, the Trump administration announced a regulatory change that would strip spouses of high-skilled foreign workers of the right to work in the United States.

The apparent aim is to promote Trump’s “Buy American, Hire...

Tips from negotiation experts for truly happy holidays

Written by Rachel Croson, Dean, College of Social Science; MSU Foundation Professor of Economics, Michigan State University

bokan/Shutterstock.com

I had the most awesome Thanksgiving this year.

My husband took our two boys, ages 8 and 10, to his family’s celebration, and I had five days of uninterrupted sleep, fun with friends and grownup time. Don’t get me wrong; I love my husband’s family and I believe that holidays are important opportunities for...

Skip fights about digital devices over the holidays – instead, let them bring your family together

Written by Shelia R. Cotten, Professor of Media and Information, Michigan State University

Rather than conflict, seek togetherness.Diego Cervo/Shutterstock.com

Holidays are a time for family and friends to come together, to celebrate and to enjoy each other’s company. Older adults, who are often lonely and socially isolated, can particularly look forward to reconnecting with family and friends. However, when technology enters the...

Why the Republican tax plan can help put American youths back to work

Written by Randall Olsen, Director of the Center for Human Resource Research, The Ohio State University

House Speaker Paul Ryan talks about the GOP tax plan.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Republican lawmakers are set to vote this week on their tax plan after reconciling differences between the Senate and House versions and appear likely to meet their Christmas deadline of turning it into law.

During the ongoing debate over its merits, many have focused on...

The travel industry has sparked a backlash against tourists by stressing quantity over quality

Written by Carter A. Hunt, Assistant Professor of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, and Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University

The view of Cartagena, Colombia from Tierra Bomba. Despite being one of the most visited cities in South America, Tierra Bomba remains highly impoverished. Why doesn't large-scale tourism benefit such a community?Carter Hunt, CC BY-ND

Travel is a major global industry, but in 2017 it attracted unprecedented resentment and retaliation towards...

Black voters won Alabama for the Dems. Here's what they need in return

Written by Sharon Austin, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of African American Studies, University of Florida

As a scholar of African-American and Southern politics for the last 25 years, I’ve witnessed a lot of election upsets and surprises. None has been more interesting than the Democrat Doug Jones’ election to the U.S. Senate in a Dec. 12 special election against Republican Roy Moore.

I’m not talking here about the controversy...