The Conversation

NCAA amateurism appears immune to COVID-19 – despite tide in public support for paying athletes having turned

Written by Chris Knoester, Associate Professor of Sociology, The Ohio State University

The pandemic has laid bare just how few economic rights college athletes possess.AP Photo/Keith Srakocic

Despite the coronavirus pandemic, college sports have mostly chugged along – albeit with cancellations, postponements and pauses in play.

While many college athletes are grateful for the opportunity to compete, the pandemic has laid bare...

Fences have big effects on land and wildlife around the world that are rarely measured

Written by Alex McInturff, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of California Santa Barbara

Australia's dingo fences, built to protect livestock from wild dogs, stretch for thousands of kilometers.Marian Deschain/Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

What is the most common form of human infrastructure in the world? It may well be the fence. Recent estimates suggest that the total length of all fencing around the globe is 10 times greater than the total...

Nonprofits are struggling to do more with less money, but donors and volunteers can help: 5 questions answered

Written by Erica Mills Barnhart, Associate Teaching Professor & Director of the Nancy Bell Evans Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, University of Washington

A volunteer hands out food boxes in Los Angeles before Thanksgiving.Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

Historically, nonprofits have gotten nearly a third of their charitable donations just during the month of December. In recent years, this flurry of giving has begun on #GivingTuesday, an online campaign that takes place on the first Tuesday after...

Why waiters give Black customers poor service

Written by Zachary Brewster, Associate Professor of Sociology, Wayne State University

Some people argue the poor service is because of a stereotype that Black people tip less. PavelVinnik/iStock via Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

When Black diners get poorer service from wait staff and bartenders than white customers, it’s more likely because of racial bias than the...

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was a record-breaker, and it's raising more concerns about climate change

Written by James H. Ruppert Jr., Assistant Research Professor, Penn State

Hurricanes Sally and Paulette, Tropical Depression Rene, and Tropical Storms Teddy and Vicky were all active on Sept. 14, 2020.NOAA

It was clear before the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season started that it was going to be busy. Six months later, we’re looking back at a trail of broken records, and the storms may still not be over even though the...

How Taiwan uses Buddhist literature for environmental education

Written by Natasha Heller, Associate Professor of Religion, University of Virginia

Buddhist literature is used for teaching children about environmental issues in Taiwan.Photo credit should read SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges that the world faces. A United Nations report has cautioned that greenhouse gas emissions due to human activity are at a record high, “with no signs of...

Parler is bringing together mainstream conservatives, anti-Semites and white supremacists as the social media platform attracts millions of Trump supporters

Written by Alex Newhouse, Research Lead, Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism, Middlebury Institute of International Studies

Parler is similar to Twitter but doesn't control or discourage hate speech or calls to violence.OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Image

Since the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Parler has caught on among right-wing politicians and “influencers” – people with large online followings – as a social media platform where they can...

57 años después del asesinato de Kennedy, las pistas en México se agotan

Written by Gonzalo Soltero, Professor of Narrative Analysis, School of Higher Studies, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)

Esta es la supuesta foto de Lee Harvey Oswald que la estación de la CIA en la Ciudad de México envió tras el asesinato de JFK.

La mayoría de las teorías de conspiración que rodean el asesinato del expresidente estadounidense John F. Kennedy han sido refutadas. Kennedy no fue asesinado por un dispositivo de...

'Constructive arguing' can help keep the peace at your Thanksgiving table

Written by James M. Honeycutt, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies from Louisiana State University; Lecturer in Executive Education, University of Texas at Dallas

Those with different perspectives don’t have to butt heads.FluxFactory/E+ via Getty Images

Sex, income, religion and politics – these are some of the biggies on the list of taboo topics during polite discussion. Even a conciliatory tone doesn’t always protect you if the subjects are spicy. When singer Katy Perry tweeted...

This type of sexual harassment on campus often goes overlooked

Written by Sarah Ives, Instructor of Anthropology, City College of San Francisco

Teaching assistants often remain silent when sexual harassment comes from the students they teach.Hill Street Studios / Getty Images

When the #MeToo movement gained momentum in 2017, it exposed widespread sexual harassment in the workplace, and academia was no exception. Yet the COVID-19 pandemic has dimmed the spotlight on this issue in higher...