• Roger Southall (Professor of Sociology at the University of Witwatersrand) wrote an article for The Conversation on poverty and inequality in South Africa. According to recent polls, 60% of South Africans think that the government of national unity is working well and there has been a recent upturn in the economy. However, while the unity government’s policies may reduce poverty, Southall warns that they may not address class inequalities. “Unless its benefits become socially inclusive, it might well collapse.”
  • The New York Times ran a story on governmental efforts to increase fertility rates in wealthy countries around the world. Kumiko Nemoto (Professor of Business Administration at Senshu University) and Ylva Moberg (Researcher at the Swedish Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University) commented on gender, childcare and work in Japan and Sweden, respectively. In a study of Japanese women in executive or managerial positions, Nemoto found that the women were either childless or relied on their parents or child care services. “Almost all of these women said their husbands did not help them,” Nemoto said. In 1995, Sweden introduced paternity leave policies to encourage men to take on more childcare responsibilities. “That has created a change in cultural expectations on what it means to be a good father,” Moeberg said. However, fertility rates in both countries remain low.
  • Scott Scheiman (Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto) wrote an article for The Conversation, asking: will Kamala Harris’s pro-work message resonate in an age of “anti-ambition” rhetoric? Scheiman examines data from the General Social Survey (GSS) about sentiments about work. While, compared to the late 80s, fewer Americans today think ambition and hard work are essential or important for getting ahead in life, “sweeping sociological claims that we’re living in an age of anti-ambition and that most people are quiet quitting simply aren’t justified.” However, Scheiman notes that “economic pessimism remains entrenched despite objective evidence to the contrary. Harris may therefore have her work cut out for her in selling an “opportunity economy” message as election day draws closer.”
  • Eve Ewing (Sociologist and Professor of Race, Diaspora, and Indegeneity at the University of Chicago) moderated a discussion with Ta-Nehisi Coates (Author of The Message) and Rami Nashashibi (MacArthur Fellow and Founder of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network) at the Chicago Humanities Festival. Ewing asked the panel about how oppressed groups turn to nationalism as a response to loss and displacement. Coates stated that nationalistic attitudes “must necessarily come at the expense of another people. It’s just no way around that.” This story was covered by The TRiiBE.