Society And Culture
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Vanderbilt study looks at government shakeup in Honduras
Based on surveys in Honduras, the combination of low levels of education for the masses and high levels of wealth among the elite is a good recipe for undermining democracy. The Latin American Public Opinion Project, a consortium of universities and research institutes based at Vanderbilt University which tracks… Read MoreAug 4, 2010
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Vanderbilt University study to be most comprehensive look at link between stress and health disparities
Researchers at Vanderbilt will begin a landmark study to examine how social stress contributes to disparities in health among minority populations. Vanderbilt University is launching a landmark study in Nashville to look at the role stress plays in the health disparities observed across socioeconomic status and race. The study will… Read MoreJul 6, 2010
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Implicit bias against Latinos affects all immigrants, Vanderbilt research shows
Efren Perez Most Americans, despite their best intentions, harbor a negative bias against Latino immigrants, which deeply colors their outlook on policy proposals for immigration reform, according to research findings by Vanderbilt University political scientist Efren Perez. “I found that when the issue of immigration is broached,… Read MoreJul 1, 2010
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Wartime memories of Vanderbilt community preserved through oral history project
David James, Class of '48, School of Medicine Class of '51 Website offers audio interviews and transcripts World War II memories that include historic battles, hide-outs from the Nazis and campus war relief projects have been preserved through the Vandy Goes to War oral history project,… Read MoreJun 22, 2010
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Creating lifetime connections through tourism
The thing that makes Israeli officials nervous about the program to keep their country connected with young American Jews may be the reason it’s working so well. Read MoreJun 1, 2010
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VU undergrads present research on presidential appointments
Two Vanderbilt undergraduates had the rare opportunity to present their research findings on the influence of patronage on presidential appointments and government performance at the 2010 Midwest Political Science Association Conference. Read MoreMay 18, 2010
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Vanderbilt undergraduates present research at national political science meeting
Two Vanderbilt University undergraduates had the rare opportunity to present their research findings on the influence of patronage on presidential appointments and government performance at the 2010 Midwest Political Science Association Conference. Read MoreMay 12, 2010
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Fitting monstrous crimes into a legal framework
"In the non-legal context, genocide has come to be thought of as the epitome of ’evil,’" writes Vanderbilt philosopher Larry May in his new book, Genocide. "Some authors have argued that we should regard genocide as merely a plain fact that should not be further investigated lest we risk that our explanations and conceptual inquiries will be mistakenly seen as forgiveness for the horror of what genocide is." Read MoreApr 26, 2010
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Is there a middle ground between creationism and evolution?
The battle between creationists and Darwinians sometimes appears to be irresolvable. Pick science or religion – you can't have both. Read MoreMar 23, 2010
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More nasty ads expected outcome of Supreme Court ruling
Count on more political attack ads in 2010 after a Supreme Court ruling lifting the ban on corporation and labor donations, according to Vanderbilt University political scientist John Geer. Read MoreJan 21, 2010
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TIPSHEET: Grading Obama: Vanderbilt presidential experts offer analysis
Vanderbilt experts David Lewis, John Geer and Thomas Schwartz are available to discuss the one-year anniversary of the Obama presidency and his Jan. 27 State of the Union address. Read MoreJan 19, 2010
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TIPSHEET: Vanderbilt expert can talk about history of Haiti in light of earthquake
Haiti expert Colin Dayan is available to discuss the aftermath of the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti that has killed tens of thousands and affected 3 million Haitians. Dayan, whose mother and other family members are Haitian, spent the first two decades of her career studying Haiti and is the author of Haiti, History, and the Gods. She can speak on most aspects of Haitian history, including the theory brought up by evangelist Pat Robertson that a pact with the devil by Haitian slaves in 1791 is responsible for the disaster. Read MoreJan 14, 2010
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Terrorist threats unlikely to boost Obama‘s approval rating, VU professor finds
President Barack Obama, unlike George W. Bush, is not likely to enjoy a surge in public approval after terrorism threats, according to research by Vanderbilt University political scientist Elizabeth Zechmeister and her colleague. Zechmeister, assistant professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, and Jennifer Merolla, associate professor at Claremont Graduate University, are the co-authors of Democracy at Risk: How Terrorist Threats Affect the Public (University of Chicago Press). Read MoreJan 12, 2010
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Beginning of a Decade TIPSHEET – Politics and Government
As you consider year-in-review stories and look ahead to the trends of 2010, Vanderbilt University faculty are available to offer perspective on these and other topics. mailto:bruce.barry@vanderbilt.edu Read MoreDec 14, 2009
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Clashing worldviews a key to understanding voter polarization, VU professor says
The recent vote in Congress on health care reform – with only one Republican lawmaker voting yes – provides more evidence of the growing polarization between the parties and the fundamentally different understandings of right and wrong that continue to pull the two major political parties further apart, according to Vanderbilt University political scientist Marc Hetherington. Read MoreNov 18, 2009
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Vanderbilt professor takes on media bias
A little respect could go a long way to preserving democracy in America, says Vanderbilt professor Bob Talisse in his new book. Read MoreNov 13, 2009
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Terrorist warnings affect political attitudes, says Vanderbilt researcher
When citizens in the United States and Mexico are confronted by terrorist threats, they cope in ways that can put significant stresses on the nations' democracies, according to research by political scientists at Vanderbilt and Claremont. Read MoreSep 1, 2009
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Obama’s appointees: some strong, some not, Vanderbilt expert finds
A Vanderbilt University political scientist's study of President Obama's appointments during his first six months in office finds some agencies are receiving significantly more qualified presidential appointees than others. Read MoreAug 25, 2009
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Why Obama’s birth certificate issue won’t go away: Vanderbilt expert
The controversy over President Obama's birth certificate will not go away as long as he refuses to release sealed records, including the original birth certificate, according to Carol Swain, professor of political science and law at Vanderbilt University. Read MoreJul 30, 2009
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VU sociologists analyze American music forms and their changes over time
Vanderbilt sociologists Jennifer Lena and Richard Peterson analyzed 60 samples of American music and found that each one --over time -- took on forms that were roughly comparable during their developmental sequences. The professors call these four distinct genre types Avant-garde, Scene-based, Industry-based and Traditionalist. "Classification as Culture: Types and Trajectories of Music Genres" has been published in the American Sociological Review. Read MoreMay 28, 2009