The Conversation

Mormons in Mexico: A brief history of polygamy, cartel violence and faith

Written by Rebecca Janzen, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Comparative Literature, University of South Carolina

Bullet-riddled vehicles that members of the LeBaron family were traveling in sit parked on a dirt road near Bavispe, at the Sonora-Chihuahua border, Mexico, Nov 6, 2019.AP Photo/Christian Chavez

Nine members of a prominent Mormon family in northern Mexico, all women and children, were gunned down on Nov. 4 in territory whose control is disputed by...

Revenge porn is sexual violence, not millennial negligence

Written by Kristen Zaleski, Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work, University of Southern California

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi poses with Rep. Katie Hill and her husband, Kenny Heslep, in January 2019.AP Photo/Cliff Owen

U.S. Representative Katie Hill was the latest victim of a form of sexual abuse that’s become increasingly common: revenge porn.

Intimate photos of her were leaked to the media and published, without her consent, for the...

Peace advocates have long been found among veterans who fought in America's wars

Written by Michael Messner, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Veterans for Peace gather for a Veterans Day ceremony at the Minnesota State Capitol mall, Nov. 11, 2014, in St. Paul. AP/Jim Mone

If President Donald Trump had gotten his way, the nation would have celebrated the centennial of the World War I armistice last year on Nov. 11 with a massive military parade in Washington, D.C.

But that didn’t...

Making life-or-death decisions is very hard – here's how we've taught people to do it better

Written by Laurence Alison, Director of the Centre for Critical and Major Incident Psychology, University of Liverpool

When faced with a wildfire, responders must act quickly and decisively to save lives.AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

When faced with a rapidly advancing fire threatening a community, it can be hard to know how best to save lives.

Is a rapid evacuation better, or is it safer for residents to stay where they are? The whole situation can change in an...

Plague was around for millennia before epidemics took hold – and the way people lived might be what protected them

Written by Sonja Eliason, MPhil Candidate in Bioscience Enterprise, University of Cambridge

What happened to make plague able to cause devastating epidemics?Everett Historical/Shutterstock.com

One of civilization’s most prolific killers shadowed humans for thousands of years without their knowledge.

The bacteria Yersinia pestis, which causes the plague, is thought to be responsible for up to 200 million deaths across human history...

Why there is no Kurdish nation

Written by John Broich, Associate Professor, Case Western Reserve University

Flag of Kurdistan on military uniform.Bumble Dee/Shutterstock.com

Since U.S. troops left their region, roughly 180,000 Kurds of northeastern Syria have been displaced, and over 200 have been killed.

Those Kurds, soldiers who’d battled the Islamic State and families, had hoped to secure a future Kurdistan state in areas now targeted by Turkish...

Anti-Semitism in the US today is a variation on an old theme

Written by Pamela S. Nadell, Professor and Patrick Clendenen Chair in Women's & Gender History and Director of the Jewish Studies Program, American University

Despite courting the Jewish vote, President Trump has used anti-Semitic rhetoric.AP/John Locher

Senators Jacky Rosen and James Lankford, who describe themselves as “a practicing Jewish Democrat from Nevada and a devoted Christian Republican from Oklahoma,” are spearheading a new effort to fight an old problem: anti-Semitism in America.

Th...

Evangelicals in Brazil see abuse of God's earth as a sin – but will they fight to save the Amazon?

Written by Amy Erica Smith, Associate Professor of Political Science as well as Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean's Professor, Iowa State University

Trees that survived a forest fire stand amid smoldering smoke in the Vila Nova Samuel region of Brazil, Aug. 25, 2019. AP Photo/Eraldo Peres

When the Brazilian city of São Paulo abruptly went dark at midday on Aug. 19, there was talk of the Apocalypse – not all of it in jest.

In fact, meteorologists explained, unusual wind patterns had...

Many states now require anti-bullying training that includes a focus on LGBTQ students - but risks remain

Written by Daniel A Cinotti, Associate Professor of School Counseling and Director of Counseling Programs, New York Institute of Technology

Tyler Clementi's 2010 death inspired anti-bullying efforts.AP Photo/Mel Evans

Dharun Ravi spent spent weeks gossiping with his friends about the sexual orientation of his freshman roommate at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Initially, he texted and used social media.

His roommate, Tyler Clementi, eventually learned that Ravi had...

To solve the hidden epidemic of teen hunger, we should listen to teens who experience it

Written by Stephanie Clintonia Boddie, Assistant Professor of Church and Community Ministries, Baylor University

Millions of America's youth experience food insecurity.pathdoc/Shutterstock.com

For many young people, the toughest choice they will ever have to make about food is what to eat at home or what to choose from a menu.

But for Texas high schoolers Tamiya, Juliana, Trisha, Cara and Kristen, the choices they have to make about food are more difficult....