The Conversation

Criminal justice algorithms: Being race-neutral doesn’t mean race-blind

Written by Duncan Purves, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Florida

An algorithm is the centerpiece of one criminal justice reform program, but should it be race-blind?the_burtons/Moment via Getty Images

Justice is supposed to be “blind.” But is race blindness always the best way to achieve racial equality? An algorithm to predict recidivism among prison populations is underscoring that debate.

The...

Transgender women are finding some respect in India, but a traditional gender-nonconforming group – hijras – remains stigmatized

Written by Liz Mount, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Flagler College

Members of the Association of Transgender and Hijra at Bengal light a lamp to mark Transgender Day of Bengal in Kolkata, India, in 2017.AP Photo/Bikas Das

The confirmation of Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender federal official in the U.S., as assistant secretary to Department of Health and Human Services, showed the progress toward...

'Laugh right in its face' – a poet reflects on her craft's defiant role in the middle of a war

Written by Rachel Hadas, Professor of English, Rutgers University - Newark

Poetry matters: City workers in Kiev, Ukraine, protect a monument to Italian poet Dante Alighieri from shelling by the Russians.Sergei Supinsky/AFP via Getty Images

During the two years of intermittent lockdown, writers had plenty of time to write, a state of affairs that becomes clearer and clearer as books generated by, and written during, the...

Afghan evacuees lack a clear path for resettlement in the U.S., 7 months after Taliban takeover

Written by Tazreena Sajjad, Senior Professorial Lecturer of Global Governance, Politics and Security, American University School of International Service

The U.S. has evacuated 84,600 Afghans since August 2021, but many of these people remain in a legal limbo.Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen/U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa via Getty Images

Russia’s war against Ukraine has resulted in more than 4 million Ukrainian refugees fleeing the country.

The United States said on March 24, 2022, that it would...

A new way to pick the best school for your child

Written by David M. Houston, Assistant Professor of Education, George Mason University

Different types of data can influence how parents select schools for their children.Viktorcvetkovic/E+ via Getty Images

When parents look for information to help them choose a good elementary or secondary school for their child, they often turn to a variety of sources online.

For instance, they may check out state government websites that provide...

Much of the cost of dementia care in aging Native American adults is due to hospitalization

Written by Joan O'Connell, Associate Professor of Health Economics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

As the population of American Indian and Alaska Native adults ages, the risk for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias – along with various chronic conditions – goes up.grandriver/E+ via Getty Images

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

The big idea

The total treatment costs for American Indian and Alaska...

What is aphasia? An expert explains the condition forcing Bruce Willis to retire from acting

Written by Swathi Kiran, Professor of Neurorehabilitation, Boston University

Bruce Willis has announced he is stepping away from acting.Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Actor Bruce Willis, 67, is “stepping away” from his career in film and TV after being diagnosed with aphasia, his family announced on March 30, 2022.

In a message posted on Instagram, his daughter, Rumer Willis, said that the condition was “impacting...

Black college presidents had a tough balancing act during the civil rights era

Written by Eddie R. Cole, Associate Professor of Higher Education and History, University of California, Los Angeles

Some Black college presidents stood at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images

Historians have documented again and again how college students contributed to the civil rights movement. Less attention has been paid to the role college presidents played in the fight for equality. Here, Eddie R. Cole,...

Yes, Putin and Russia are fascist – a political scientist shows how they meet the textbook definition

Written by Alexander Motyl, Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University - Newark

Russian President Vladimir Putin on stage during a rally in Moscow on March 18, 2022. Sergei Guneyev/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

When Vladimir Putin unleashed an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the Ukrainian media, public and policymakers almost unanimously began calling the Russian president and the state he leads...

Black Lives Matter protests are shaping how people understand racial inequality

Written by Jelani Ince, Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Washington

Activists participate in a march urging Congress to pass voting rights legislation in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 28, 2021.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Considered to be the largest social justice movement since the civil rights era of the 1960s, Black Lives Matter is more than the scores of street protests organized by the social...