Category: sociology
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do me a favor and maybe make money in the process
To my Tampa readers (or anyone not in Tampa who knows someone other than us in Tampa): I’m beginning a research project that includes surveying two samples of Hillsborough County residents. We’re using two surveying methodologies, one of which is an online survey. But unlike many online surveys, we are taking a different approach: We…
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read this, please!
An article on health care that everyone should read – Sick and Wrong. FYI, I’m no longer for health care reform. If it isn’t a single-payer system, it won’t do any of us any good. I figure I should come out on this now, so there’s evidence. When I tell people I was adamantly opposed…
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Toren as Torena
I’m a sociologist. I’m all into trying to raise my boy in a non-stereotypical fashion. I won’t be pushing sports or cars on him. To that end, I insisted that we buy Toren gender neutral onesies. Light green works great. Even light browns are fine for both girls and boys. But, um, yellow… Well, you…
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You disagree with me? LAAA LAAA LAAA
As a social scientist I’m fully aware of the fact that people tend to listen to, observe, and even seek out media and information that support their existing beliefs (this is a subset of both confirmation bias and self-justification). Along with this is the tendency of people to avoid, criticize, and even demean any media…
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prevent cavities with lollipops?
If you regularly follow this blog, you’ll know that I’m not a fan of alternative medicine. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that I despise alternative medicine. But, there are occasionally legitimate advances that come out of what is traditionally considered alternative medicine. Those advances, of course, become part of the…
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circumcision justification
Scanning through my news this morning I caught this article in the NYTimes about circumcision. Turns out, public health officials in the US (people at the CDC) are considering making a recommendation that baby boys and even high risk adults get circumcised to reduce their risk of contracting AIDS. I’m likely just using this as…
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Why we won’t see real healthcare reform
The answer is simple: $$$$ The St. Petersburg Times ran a good story this morning looking at donations to politicians in the state of Florida by… Health insurance companies and other groups who stand to see a decline in their windfall profits if the Federal Government actually reforms healthcare. Now, you may be saying, “But…
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that wiley evolution!
I posted Debi’s and my newborn photos a while back and asked people to vote for who they thought Toren looked the most like. Turns out, 2/3 of those who voted (pretty small sample, people) chose me (I’m parent #2). Now I find out that Toren looking like me is probably an evolutionary adaptation. Here’s…
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The cost of a baby
One of the ideas I talk about every semester in my Introduction to Sociology classes is the declining birth rate in developed countries. There are several factors that help explain the low birth rates, but one of them is the cost of children. In agricultural communities, children can be a net positive for parents –…
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Namesake Photos
One of my former students sent Toren a very thoughtful gift – Capital: Volume I (1st US edition to boot). Capital (or Das Kapital) is perhaps Karl Marx’s most famous work. Thus, the gift is Toren’s first book by his namesake. Ever since the book arrived I’ve wanted to do a photoshoot with Toren and…