Society and Culture
Indicators of despair rising among Gen X-ers entering middle age
Apr. 15, 2019—In 2016, a surprising decline in life expectancy was ascribed to "deaths of despair" among working-class middle-aged white men displaced by a changing economy. However, new research shows indicators of despair are rising among Americans approaching middle age regardless of race, education and gender.
Mellon Foundation renews support for Center for Digital Humanities
Mar. 15, 2019—The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a $1.5 million grant to Vanderbilt for renewed support of its Center for Digital Humanities.
Tichi’s latest research is ‘how-to manual’ for Gilded Age socialites
Mar. 4, 2019—Cecelia Tichi, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of English and professor of American studies, will discuss the many rules for making it into the top tier of late-19th century high society during a reading and discussion of her book "What Would Mrs. Astor Do?" March 13 in the Vanderbilt Library's Special Collections.
The health consequences of backlash politics
Mar. 4, 2019—Public policies rooted in racial resentment can carry grave consequences for health and well-being, according to new research by Vanderbilt psychiatrist and sociologist Jonathan Metzl.
Long before #MeToo, female artists were calling out sexual violence
Feb. 11, 2019—Social media has brought sexual assault into the public eye, but bearing witness to sexual violence in popular culture didn’t begin with the invention of tweets and posts, according to Vanderbilt art history professor Vivien Green Fryd, who explores the topic in her new book.
New analysis suggests lepers may not have been pariahs in Jesus’ time
Jan. 10, 2019—New insights into how disease and impurity were viewed in first-century Jewish society suggests scholars may need to reevaluate how they interpret Jesus' interaction with people affected by leprosy.
The ‘clean plate’ mentality drives us to overeat. To-go bags can help.
Nov. 27, 2018—We’re more likely to overeat when we only have a little bit of food left over, and we justify it by convincing ourselves it’s not as unhealthy as it is, according to new research by marketing professor Kelly Haws.
Grant funds study of social media’s role in spreading political misinformation
Nov. 14, 2018—Elizabeth Zechmeister and Noam Lupu will study the role that messaging app WhatsApp plays in the spread of political misinformation and public opinion in Latin America.
Take a lot of sick days? Who you know and where you live might be partly to blame
Nov. 1, 2018—New research by Lijun Song suggests that knowing high-status people may not always be good for your health--but it depends on how economically unequal your country is.
Prompting people to listen to each other reduces inequality and improves group performance
Sep. 11, 2018—Reminding people that nobody has all the answers and everyone has something to contribute can reduce racial inequality and improve outcomes in group projects, according to new research by sociologist Bianca Manago.
$1.6M grant renews CLAS’ designation as National Resource Center
Aug. 27, 2018—The Department of Education grant allows Vanderbilt's Center for Latin American Studies to retain its status as one of the nation's top educational resources for subjects pertaining to Latin American society and culture.
Dillehay receives $510K to study role of gold mining in colonization of South America
Aug. 20, 2018—Anthropology professor Tom Dillehay and co-investigators will undertake anthropological, historical, engineering and geological studies to uncover the many forces shaping the development of the southern Andes.