recommended stories based on your interest EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY How The Pandemic Changed Digital Journalism In the last decade, smartphones and mobile technology have altered newsrooms, transforming news gathering, live broadcasting and content distribution. Trained on an iPhone 4s at the University of Sheffield in 2011, I was one of the first mobile journalists in the UK. Over the course of my career broadcasting live, from war zones in Iraq to tornados […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Inflection Point Of Society Key Takeaways: If it feels as though every system on the planet—both man-made and natural—is at an inflection point, and that the decisions we make next could deliver us to long-term, sustainable prosperity or result in the collapse of our species, it’s because that is exactly what is going on. The Sigmoid Curve Just 40 […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Understanding Otakus & Sex Robots Social robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in everyday life and sex robots are a sub-category of especially high public interest and controversy. Starting from the concept of the otaku, a term from Japanese youth culture that describes secluded persons with a high affinity for fictional manga characters, we examine individual differences behind sex robot appeal (anime […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY Some Silicon Valley Investors Are Trying To Create A Utopian City Key Takeaway: George Bernard Shaw referred to Ebenezer Howard’s “garden cities” concept in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which he believed would offer the advantages of town and country without the drawbacks. Recently, a Silicon Valley consortium called Flannery Associates purchased land for California Forever, a contentious project that echoes Howard’s ideas. Howard’s […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY Do I Even Exist? Brave New World. The Matrix. The Truman Show. Inception. Source Code. And the latest dystopia I’ve seen: Archive. They all trade on the same group of basic structures: the idea that we do not exist, and moreover, may never have; that we are but algorithms; that we are mere vestiges of something past; or that reality is anything but real, in spite of the […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Covid: The Gulf Between The Rich And Poor Inequality between the rich and poor worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty increased, for the first time in decades. In part two of our series on how the virus has changed the world, we look at the ways the pandemic has pushed back efforts to create more equitable societies. Inequalities exposed © UNICEF/NahomTesfaye / Street […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY What Is The Metaverse & Why It Matters? The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations – or avatars – of themselves. Think of a combination of immersive virtual reality, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game and the web. The metaverse is a concept from science fiction that many […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked CULTURE JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Tang Code And Women Laws and institutions reflect the culture while culture constitutes the motive and momentum to shape laws. The Tang Code, which was created during the Tan dynasty, and became the basis for later dynastic codes in China and also in East Asia with its sophisticated and detailed character enriched by civil statutes and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY How Do Dictatorships Manage Their Image Authoritarian states deliberately use a number of tools to manage their image internationally, writes Alexander Dukalskis. Creating positive news, distracting and silencing critique, and shaping elite opinion help make the world safer for dictatorships In 2012 news broke about a public relations contract between a firm called Racepoint Global and the Rwandan government. The contract involved a plan […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY How Did Patriarchy Start? Key Takeaways: The patriarchy, having been somewhat in retreat in parts of the world, is back in our faces . In some of these matrilineal systems in Africa, men remain a powerful force in households, but it is older brothers and uncles who try to control women rather than husbands or fathers. Women are also […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY The Digital Tipping Point Has anyone else noticed that we reached a tipping point a while ago? That few of us now retain the mental fortitude to endure even five seconds of boredom, without reaching for our phones to pacify ennui? It is now utterly epidemic. Everywhere you look without exception—on an elevator, in a subway, while driving or walking, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY Megacities In The Digital Age Key Takeaways: Digitization and crowdsourcing will actually undermine the very foundations of the megacity economy, which is typically built on some combination of manufacturing, commerce, retail and professional services. Shopping malls, for example, which once thrived in megacities, are now suffering from the advent of e-commerce. Today, megacities have become synonymous with economic growth. In both developing and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Rise Of Deinfluencers Key Takeaways: Deinfluencing is a social media trend that discourages influencers from promoting overpriced or ineffective products. With nearly 730 million views on TikTok, it aims to address the desire for authenticity, social media burnout, and a shift in values. Deinfluencers prioritize genuine content and engagement over curated content and commercial partnerships, addressing the emotional […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY POLITICS SOCIOLOGY The Modern Relevance Of George Orwell’s Ideas Seventy-five years ago, in August 1946, George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was published in the United States. It was a huge success, with over a half-million copies sold in its first year. “Animal Farm” was followed three years later by an even bigger success: Orwell’s dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” In the years since, Orwell’s writing has left […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY Consumerism vs. Cultivation Over the past three years, I have become increasingly disappointed in capitalism. It’s not that I’ve landed on the wrong side of the equation. I am squarely on the “winning” side. So, my misgivings aren’t fueled by personal feelings of exclusion or hardship. They are fed by an increasing awareness about the extent of destruction […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY The Problem With Maslow’s Pyramid Of Needs Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs implies a linearity, with self-actualization crowning our enlightenment, once the rest of the pyramid’s ‘baser needs’ are met. While powerful, it is a misguided notion. In reality, we need to start “at the top”. Here’s why. His was a brilliant piece of reflective — if intuitive — insight that gave […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked 1 2 … 9 10 Older Posts
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY How The Pandemic Changed Digital Journalism In the last decade, smartphones and mobile technology have altered newsrooms, transforming news gathering, live broadcasting and content distribution. Trained on an iPhone 4s at the University of Sheffield in 2011, I was one of the first mobile journalists in the UK. Over the course of my career broadcasting live, from war zones in Iraq to tornados […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Inflection Point Of Society Key Takeaways: If it feels as though every system on the planet—both man-made and natural—is at an inflection point, and that the decisions we make next could deliver us to long-term, sustainable prosperity or result in the collapse of our species, it’s because that is exactly what is going on. The Sigmoid Curve Just 40 […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Understanding Otakus & Sex Robots Social robots are becoming increasingly prevalent in everyday life and sex robots are a sub-category of especially high public interest and controversy. Starting from the concept of the otaku, a term from Japanese youth culture that describes secluded persons with a high affinity for fictional manga characters, we examine individual differences behind sex robot appeal (anime […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY Some Silicon Valley Investors Are Trying To Create A Utopian City Key Takeaway: George Bernard Shaw referred to Ebenezer Howard’s “garden cities” concept in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which he believed would offer the advantages of town and country without the drawbacks. Recently, a Silicon Valley consortium called Flannery Associates purchased land for California Forever, a contentious project that echoes Howard’s ideas. Howard’s […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY Do I Even Exist? Brave New World. The Matrix. The Truman Show. Inception. Source Code. And the latest dystopia I’ve seen: Archive. They all trade on the same group of basic structures: the idea that we do not exist, and moreover, may never have; that we are but algorithms; that we are mere vestiges of something past; or that reality is anything but real, in spite of the […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Covid: The Gulf Between The Rich And Poor Inequality between the rich and poor worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic and poverty increased, for the first time in decades. In part two of our series on how the virus has changed the world, we look at the ways the pandemic has pushed back efforts to create more equitable societies. Inequalities exposed © UNICEF/NahomTesfaye / Street […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY What Is The Metaverse & Why It Matters? The metaverse is a network of always-on virtual environments in which many people can interact with one another and digital objects while operating virtual representations – or avatars – of themselves. Think of a combination of immersive virtual reality, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game and the web. The metaverse is a concept from science fiction that many […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE JOURNAL & RESEARCH SOCIOLOGY Tang Code And Women Laws and institutions reflect the culture while culture constitutes the motive and momentum to shape laws. The Tang Code, which was created during the Tan dynasty, and became the basis for later dynastic codes in China and also in East Asia with its sophisticated and detailed character enriched by civil statutes and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY How Do Dictatorships Manage Their Image Authoritarian states deliberately use a number of tools to manage their image internationally, writes Alexander Dukalskis. Creating positive news, distracting and silencing critique, and shaping elite opinion help make the world safer for dictatorships In 2012 news broke about a public relations contract between a firm called Racepoint Global and the Rwandan government. The contract involved a plan […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY How Did Patriarchy Start? Key Takeaways: The patriarchy, having been somewhat in retreat in parts of the world, is back in our faces . In some of these matrilineal systems in Africa, men remain a powerful force in households, but it is older brothers and uncles who try to control women rather than husbands or fathers. Women are also […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY The Digital Tipping Point Has anyone else noticed that we reached a tipping point a while ago? That few of us now retain the mental fortitude to endure even five seconds of boredom, without reaching for our phones to pacify ennui? It is now utterly epidemic. Everywhere you look without exception—on an elevator, in a subway, while driving or walking, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY Megacities In The Digital Age Key Takeaways: Digitization and crowdsourcing will actually undermine the very foundations of the megacity economy, which is typically built on some combination of manufacturing, commerce, retail and professional services. Shopping malls, for example, which once thrived in megacities, are now suffering from the advent of e-commerce. Today, megacities have become synonymous with economic growth. In both developing and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Rise Of Deinfluencers Key Takeaways: Deinfluencing is a social media trend that discourages influencers from promoting overpriced or ineffective products. With nearly 730 million views on TikTok, it aims to address the desire for authenticity, social media burnout, and a shift in values. Deinfluencers prioritize genuine content and engagement over curated content and commercial partnerships, addressing the emotional […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY POLITICS SOCIOLOGY The Modern Relevance Of George Orwell’s Ideas Seventy-five years ago, in August 1946, George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” was published in the United States. It was a huge success, with over a half-million copies sold in its first year. “Animal Farm” was followed three years later by an even bigger success: Orwell’s dystopian novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four.” In the years since, Orwell’s writing has left […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY Consumerism vs. Cultivation Over the past three years, I have become increasingly disappointed in capitalism. It’s not that I’ve landed on the wrong side of the equation. I am squarely on the “winning” side. So, my misgivings aren’t fueled by personal feelings of exclusion or hardship. They are fed by an increasing awareness about the extent of destruction […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY The Problem With Maslow’s Pyramid Of Needs Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs implies a linearity, with self-actualization crowning our enlightenment, once the rest of the pyramid’s ‘baser needs’ are met. While powerful, it is a misguided notion. In reality, we need to start “at the top”. Here’s why. His was a brilliant piece of reflective — if intuitive — insight that gave […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked