The Conversation

Not all insurrections are equal -- for enslaved Americans, it was the only option

Written by Deion Scott Hawkins, Assistant Professor of Argumentation & Advocacy, Emerson College

Donald Trump supporters take over the steps of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

For most Americans, Jan. 6 was once an ordinary, ho-hum day.

That changed in 2021 when millions of television viewers watched thousands of Trump supporters assault the U.S. Capitol in their violent attempt to stop Joe...

Green jobs are booming, but too few employees have sustainability skills to fill them – here are 4 ways to close the gap

Written by Christopher Boone, Professor of Sustainability, Arizona State University

U.S. universities now have over 3,000 sustainability programs.Andy DeLisle/ASU

To meet today’s global sustainability challenges, the corporate world needs more than a few chief sustainability officers – it needs an army of employees, in all areas of business, thinking about sustainability in their decisions every day.

That means product...

Sports broadcasters have a duty to report injuries responsibly – in the case of NFL's Damar Hamlin, they passed the test

Written by Nicole Kraft, Associate Professor of Clinical Communication, The Ohio State University

Medical personnel attend to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin after he collapsed on the field during an NFL game in Cincinnati on Jan. 2, 2023.AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel

Injuries are an unfortunate part of any sport – none more so than in the NFL, where players can be felled in front of a TV audience in the tens of millions.

Typically, when a...

Diversity of US workplaces is growing in terms of race, ethnicity and age – forcing more employers to be flexible

Written by Adia Harvey Wingfield, Professor of Sociology, Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis

The aging of the U.S. workforce is further along for librarians than most other professions.kali9/E+ via Getty Images

Increased immigration, longer life expectancy and a decline in birth rates are transforming the U.S. workforce in two important ways. The people powering this nation’s economy include far more people of color and workers over...

Nanomedicines for various diseases are in development – but research facilities produce vastly inconsistent results on how the body will react to them

Written by Morteza Mahmoudi, Assistant Professor of Radiology, Michigan State University

Nanoparticles (white disks) can be used to deliver treatment to cells (blue).Brenda Melendez and Rita Serda/National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, CC BY-NC

Nanomedicines took the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers are using these very small and intricate materials to develop diagnostic tests and treatments....

Worker strikes and union elections surged in 2022 – could it mark a turning point for organized labor?

Written by Marick Masters, Professor of Business and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Wayne State University

Workers such as these Starbucks employees in St. Anthony, Minn., increasingly went on strike in 2022.Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Workers organized and took to the picket line in increased numbers in 2022 to demand better pay and working conditions, leading to optimism among labor leaders and advocates that...

'Whisper networks' thrive when women lose faith in formal systems of reporting sexual harassment

Written by Carrie Ann Johnson, Postdoctoral Scholar of Communication, Iowa State University

Quiet warnings can protect women from sexual harassment.lekcej/iStock via Getty Images Plus

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

The big idea

Whisper networks – informal channels that women use to warn others about sexual harassment, abuse or assault – take root because formal reporting systems can...

Working in isolation can pose mental health challenges – here’s what anyone can learn from how gig workers have adapted

Written by Brittany Lambert, Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship, Indiana University

Coffee shops can be a "third space" – not home or the office – where remote or gig workers can go to feel less isolated.Granger Wootz/Tetra images via Getty Images

In the wake of the pandemic, it is clear that remote work is here to stay. It seems every week there are more news stories about workers preferring to work remotely, or...

Beyond Section 230: A pair of social media experts describes how to bring transparency and accountability to the industry

Written by Robert Kozinets, Professor of Journalism, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

Social media regulation – and the future of Section 230 – are top of mind for many in Congress.Pavlo Conchar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

One of Elon Musk’s stated reasons for purchasing Twitter was to use the social media platform to defend the right to free speech. The ability to defend that right, or to abuse it,...

These are not your mother's machines - the next generation of American manufacturing is high-tech, and skilled workers are needed to operate these advanced tools

Written by Tony Schmitz, Professor of Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee

More skilled workers are needed to operate high-tech tools in factories.Getty Images

The U.S. Navy is beginning to build 12 top-of-the-line nuclear submarines , with the first one scheduled to be completed by 2027. But it is missing a critical ingredient: many of an estimated 50,000 skilled workers to get the job done. It also lacks a reliable...