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Story Archives of 'Sociology'Teaching Crows New TricksBy Avishay Artsy on Friday, May 16, 2008.We only think about the animal species threatened with extinction. For example, the polar bear has even more reason to be the mascot of anti-climate change forces, now that the White House has proposed to add them to the endangered species list, the first time a species was listed because of global warming. Choosing Single MotherhoodBy Virginia Prescott on Thursday, May 8, 2008.
Obviously, not all single mothers choose to raise their kids on their own, and when very young women -- like teenagers still in high school -- get pregnant, they can face many challenges. An unexpected pregnancy can throw a girl's life into chaos, and these young mothers can usually use all the help they can get. That's where the Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers comes in. Along with the regular high school subjects of English, History and Math, the students at this school also attend parenting classes. Producer Sarah Elzas visited the school and produced this story. Sarah's story was produced with the help of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. (Photo by waI.ti:) What Do You Want to Know About the Future?By Avishay Artsy on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.Here at Word of Mouth, we track new ideas and trends for some clues into where we, as a society, are headed. What scraps of insight can we glean from emerging technology and culture to tell us if we're on the right track? Is there any way of knowing? How We DecideBy Virginia Prescott on Thursday, April 17, 2008.Why do we jump at "buy one, get one free" deals, even when we don’t need the items in the first place? Or swear to start dieting and then find ourselves ordering a sticky bun at the coffee shop? Two new books look at the field, and Word of Mouth host Virginia Prescott spoke with science writer Jonah Lehrer about them. He's editor-at-large for Seed Magazine and runs the blog The Frontal Cortex. Read more on the two books we reviewed:
(Photo by Andrei Zmievski) Two Very Different Death Penalty DefendantsBy Dan Gorenstein on Thursday, April 10, 2008.The two defendants in New Hampshire facing the death penalty couldn’t be more different. There’s John Brooks, a white millionaire who’s charged with plotting and hiring men to kill an associate. Then there’s Michael Addison, an indigent black man, who is charged with shooting a Manchester police officer. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Dan Gorenstein reports on whether money, race and class may shape the outcome of these two cases. The Art of the ApologyBy Laura Knoy on Wednesday, April 9, 2008.The news has been filled with apologies: former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer on his involvement with a prostitute, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama for statements made by supporters, and, amidst this week’s 40th anniversary of the death of Martin Luther King, John McCain’s mea culpa for originally opposing a national holiday for the civil rights leader. We talk with the author of a new book exploring the complexity, diversity and execution of the simple apology. Guest
Socrates Café: What is Success?By Laura Knoy on Wednesday, April 2, 2008.Each month The Socrates Cafe explores a different philosophical question, both on the air and on the web. This month we look at what success means. Is it a good job? A good marriage? Lots of money or lots of happiness? A healthy life or a healthy family? Be part of the conversation. Guest
Is The Internet Making Us Rude?By Virginia Prescott on Thursday, March 27, 2008.There's a cartoon from The New Yorker from way back in 1993, in which a dog sitting in an office chair, with his paw on a computer keyboard, looks down at another dog on the floor and says, "on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog."
But what does such anonimity allow? Who hasn’t dashed off the ocassional flaming e-mail or post without pausing to think of its effect? We know that online stalking and bullying can lead to dangerous circumstances, but is the mask of the Internet making us ruder people? Mark Timney is associate professor of journalism at Keene State College, where he teaches courses on media ethics and society. He spoke with Word of Mouth about whether we as citizens have become coarser as on-line communication dominates our lives. Communities and ConsequencesBy Laura Knoy on Tuesday, March 25, 2008.A new documentary and companion book called “Communities and Consequences” explores the human ecology of our state. The book is co-authored by demographer Peter Francese and now State Agriculture Commissioner, Lorraine Stuart Merrill. The documentary is produced by filmmaker Jay Childs and hosted by Francese. Both film and book send alarm that our ecology is very much out of balance. They suggest that we’ve become too old, that we’re driving younger families out of our state due to an irrational fear of higher taxes, that our thoughts on preservation have become skewed and that we’re in desperate need of workforce housing. And they both warn that unless this imbalance is corrected soon it may mean “economic suicide” for our state. We’ll look at the ideas of human ecology, ask if and why we may be growing older and what could be done to get our state back in balance. Guests
Does Where You Live Make You Happy?By Virginia Prescott on Friday, March 14, 2008.
Do you agree? How much thought did you put into your current location? Did you just "find" yourself somewhere, or did you think carefully about where you wanted to live? Do you think Richard Florida is right? Do we put enough emphasis on where we want to spend our lives? Leave your thoughts and comments below. Read an excerpt from "Who's Your City?" Find out which is your self-defined best city to live in (Photo of Nashua by Tracy Lee Carroll) |
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