The Conversation

When men started to obsess over six-packs

Written by Conor Heffernan, Assistant Professor of Physical Culture and Sport Studies, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

The ideal male body didn't always include chiseled abs.Chris von Wangenheim/Conde Nast via Getty Images

The cultural obsession with six-pack abdominals shows no signs of abating. And if research into male body image is to be believed, it will likely only grow, thanks to social media.

Today, there’s an entire industry centered on obtaining...

Decision-making experts explain how to avoid arguments over where to get dinner together

Written by Peggy Liu, Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Ben L. Fryrear Faculty Fellow, University of Pittsburgh

Making joint decisions is hard.praetorianphoto/E+ via Getty Images

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

The big idea

The next time someone asks you where you want to go for dinner, state a clear preference. And if you’re inviting someone out, tell your friend that you don’t like deciding. These are two of...

Why Black and Hispanic small-business owners have been so badly hit in the pandemic recession

Written by Carlos Avenancio-Leon, Assistant Professor of Finance, Indiana University

Black-owned businesses have been shuttered at a higher rate during the pandemic.AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on Main Street, with small businesses across the U.S. closing by the thousands.

But as bad as the overall scene is, for minority-owned businesses the picture is even bleaker. A survey released on Jan. 27 by advoca...

5 ways parents can help kids avoid gender stereotypes

Written by Kyl Myers, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Utah

Parents and caregivers can shop all the aisles of toy and clothing stores to show children that gendered norms are arbitrary and can be crossed.Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In the last century, significant progress has been made in advancing gender equity in the United States. Women gained the right to vote, fathers have become mo...

How Philadelphia's Black churches overcame disease, depression and civil strife

Written by Stephanie Clintonia Boddie, Assistant Professor of Church and Community Ministries, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University

A statue of Bishop Richard Allen outside the historic Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia.AP Photo/Matt Rourke

The Black Church is an institution that was forged in crises. Through slavery, Reconstruction, Jim Crow segregation and the civil rights era, the network of places of worship serving traditionally Black...

How to really fix COVID-19 vaccine appointment scheduling

Written by Tinglong Dai, Associate Professor of Operations Management & Business Analytics, Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing

In some states, getting a COIVD-19 vaccination appointment has felt like winning the lottery.Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

If you’ve tried to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment, you know how frustrating the process can be. People are spending hours obsessively refreshing websites, hoping an appointment will open up somewhere....

Child poverty in the U.S. could be slashed by monthly payments to parents – an idea proved in other rich countries and proposed by a prominent Republican decades ago

Written by Joya Misra, Professor of Sociology & Public Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Richard Nixon fumbled his attempt to secure benefits for American kids.Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Which former president pitched a Family Assistance Plan to the American people that would have provided many families with children a monthly stipend?

It may surprise you that it came in 1969 from Richard Nixon, a Republican who emb...

Rev. Raphael Warnock's historic US Senate win broke more barriers than you may think

Written by John A. Tures, Professor of Political Science, LaGrange College

Then-candidate Raphael Warnock waves to supporters at a rally held two days before his election on Jan. 5, 2021.AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton

When Rev. Raphael Warnock prevailed in the special election on Jan. 5, he was the first African American from Georgia to win a U.S. Senate seat, and the 11th African American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

But as a...

Biden's Cabinet of many women shows other world leaders that US takes gender equality seriously

Written by John Scherpereel, Professor of Political Science, James Madison University

Joe Biden has more top advisers who are women than any other U.S. president. They include Vice President Kamala Harris and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is the most diverse in U.S. history.

It has five women, including the first female treasury secretary, Janet Yellen, and Deb...

How safe is your baby food? Company reports show arsenic, lead and other heavy metals – here's what you need to know

Written by C. Michael White, Distinguished Professor and Head of the Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Connecticut

One study found that 95% of baby foods tested contained at least one heavy metal.Plume Creative via Getty Images

Heavy metals including lead, arsenic and mercury can be found in commercial baby foods at levels well above what the federal government considers safe for children, a new congressional report warns.

Members of Congress asked seven major...