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Articles on Sociology

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In the mid-1990s, body modification enthusiasts – a long-ostracized subculture – created an online community that incorporated blogs, dating and wikis. philippe leroyer/flickr

How Facebook – the Wal-Mart of the internet – dismantled online subcultures

Even though Facebook claims to be a global community, its rise has come at the expense of online subcultures for marginalized people, from body modification enthusiasts to drag queens.
FBI Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Michael Rogers at hearing on allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

Dangers of the witch hunt in Washington

A ‘witch hunt’ is what Trump called investigations into his campaign and Russian interference in the 2016 election. An anthropologist explains the connection between witch hunts and social control.
A glimpse behind bars. Cropped from krystiano/flickr

Private prisons, explained

The White House is pushing for more private prisons. But do the industry’s promised benefits hold up to scrutiny?
Law enforcement officers move in to verify the identity of people in a field outside the Fort Lauderdale airport after a mass shooting. Andrew Innerarity/Reuters

Is mass murder becoming a form of protest?

New ways of expressing discontent are constantly emerging. Could mass shootings join what sociologist Charles Tilly has dubbed the ‘repertoire of contention’?
A student tries to stem her bleeding during clashes at the University of the Witwatersrand. Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters

Why student protests in South Africa have turned violent

Protest movements become radicalised by two factors: escalating policing and competitive escalation between political adversaries and other protesting groups.
According to a recent poll, 45 percent of Americans believe extraterrestrials have visited the Earth. Raphael Terra, 'UFO Sunset.'

Why are people starting to believe in UFOs again?

Whether it’s Hillary Clinton’s courting the UFO vote or Donald Trump’s lending credibility to various conspiracy theories, the “triumph of reason” seems to have gone by the wayside.
Gold miners appear after being trapped underground at a mine in Carltonville, west of Johannesburg. Managing their safety has been a major issue as South Africa has among the deepest and most dangerous mines. Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

Lessons learnt from taking sides as a sociologist in unjust times

When sociologists, driven by their value commitments, go beyond the relative comfort of the classroom and engage with organisations outside the university, they dirty their hands.
A Grateful Dead fan wears a shirt commemorating the band’s farewell tour. Stephen Lam/Reuters

The Grateful Dead were decades ahead of their time

In the internet era, musical artists freely distribute their songs and encourage fans to attend live shows. The Dead did this for 40 years.

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