The Conversation

Can the world stop Israel and Hamas from committing war crimes? 7 questions answered about international law

Written by Asaf Lubin, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University

A Palestinian boy inspects his destroyed house after it was shelled by Israeli aircraft, Gaza, May 18, 2021. Ahmed Zakot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The deadliest fighting in years between Israel and Hamas had by mid-May killed over 200 Palestinians in Gaza, including dozens of children, and at least 10 in Israel. Both sides are...

The sex scene isn't disappearing – it's simply shifting from clichéd fantasy to messy reality

Written by Maria San Filippo, Associate Professor of Visual and Media Arts, Emerson College

Today's sex scenes are, first and foremost, fun.Lids Bierenday

Writing during what seems – in retrospect – to have been the wildly carefree summer of 2019, Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday lamented that “sex is disappearing from the big screen.”

Fast forward two years, and, improbably enough, it’s conservative...

Trans moms discuss their unique parenting challenges during the pandemic – and what they worry about when things go back to 'normal'

Written by Derek P. Siegel, Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Quarantine has been both a plus and minus for transgender parents.Mengwen Cao/Moment Collection/Getty Images

Between 25% and 50% of transgender adults in the U.S. have children. Some have kids before coming out as trans, others adopt or foster, and some use egg or sperm cells they’ve frozen – usually before starting hormone replacement...

How theater can help communities heal from the losses and trauma of the pandemic

Written by Joel Christensen, Professor of Classical Studies, Brandeis University

Community storytelling can help participants remember, cope with and heal from traumatic experiences.Marc Romanelli/Getty Images

President Joe Biden began his presidency by memorializing the 400,000 American lives that had been lost up to that point to COVID-19. The ceremony, held on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, was arguably the first...

Survey experts have yet to figure out what caused the most significant polling error in 40 years in Trump-Biden race

Written by W. Joseph Campbell, Professor of Communication Studies, American University School of Communication

Biden supporters in Philadelphia celebrate when his win -- with a much smaller margin than predicted by polls -- was projected by news outlets on Nov. 7, 2020. Chris McGrath/Getty Images

More than six months after the astonishing polling embarrassment in the 2020 U.S. elections, survey experts examining what went wrong are uncertain about what led...

As trust between Israeli Jews and Arabs reaches new lows, Netanyahu rises again

Written by Eli Gottlieb, Senior Visiting Scholar in Education and Human Development, George Washington University

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a briefing at the Hakirya military base in Tel Aviv on May 19, 2021.Sebastian Scheiner/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in the world’s capitals in mid-May 2021 blamed the Israeli government for recent bloodshed in Israel and Gaza, and called on world leaders to pressure...

Employees are feeling burned over broken work-from-home promises and corporate culture ‘BS’ as employers try to bring them back to the office

Written by Kimberly Merriman, Professor of Management, Manning School of Business, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Some workers aren’t that excited about a return to the office. Antonio Sanchez Albacete/EyeEm via Getty Images

As vaccinations and relaxed health guidelines make returning to the office a reality for more companies, there seems to be a disconnect between managers and their workers over remote work.

A good example of this is a recent op-ed...

Paying people to get vaccinated might work – but is it ethical?

Written by Christopher Robertson, Professor of Law, Boston University

A shot and a small fortune could entice some to get vaccinated.skodonnell/Getty Images

A financial shot in the arm could be just what is needed for Americans unsure about vaccination.

On May 12, 2021, the Republican governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, announced five US$1 million lottery prizes for those who are vaccinated. Meanwhile, in West Virginia,...

Roe v. Wade gave American women a choice about having children – here's how that changed their lives

Written by Constance Shehan, Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies, University of Florida

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a Mississippi abortion case that challenges Roe v. Wade. Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case challenging a Mississippi state law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, much earlier than the 24-week threshold generally established by the pivotal abortion rights case Roe...

Prom send-offs celebrate Black girls and their communities

Written by Aja D. Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Education, Wayne State University

Tonayvia Turner, 18, celebrating 2020 prom send-off in the backyard as her younger sister, Cece, fixes the train on her gown.Jovan Garvi

Danielle Nolen sat in her living room, looking glamorous in a baby blue robe and trying to preserve her new regal hairstyle as her family decorated the backyard in black and gold in anticipation of her grand...