Clippings – October 14th, 2024 TSP Media Report

Former President Barack Obama will be joining the campaign trail with Vice President Kamala Harris, and is set to visit several swing states. Liz McKenna (Assistant Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University) commented that Obama’s 2008 campaign enlisted local supporters “to do the difficult and often socially risky work of having real conversations with friends and neighbors about the election”–a “yes, we can” ethos. McKenna added Harris’s campaign has an “authentic groundswell of enthusiasm” that echoes the Obama campaign. This story was covered by Forbes.

Matthew Desmond (Professor of Sociology at Princeton University) appeared on WYPR to discuss the causes of poverty in America, how affluent individuals contribute to poverty, and what we can do to help alleviate poverty.

The Wall Street Journal reviewed Born to Rule: The Making and Remaking of the British Elite by Aaron Reeves (Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics) and Sam Freidman (Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics). The book analyzes the British elite (from the Victorian era to today) and describes how and argues “that Britain is as much in the grip of a tiny sociopolitical caste today as it was in the late 19th century.”

Rima Majed (Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University of Beirut) was interviewed by Democracy Now, discussing Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, the history of Hezbollah, and Lebanon’s resistance movements. “Our wars never end. Our wars are only put on hold until the next round starts,” Majed emphasized. “And these wars will not stop as long as there is occupation, as long as there’s a settler-colonial entity that is expanding, as long as there is no justice, no right to return, no reparation.”

The Hindustan Times ran a story on active aging in India. Neetu Batra (Sociologist at the Giri Institute of Development Studies) commented that many older adults are embracing aging more positively. “Many live alone after their children move out,” Batra said. “Rather than seeing it as retirement, they look at it as a fresh chapter in life and work to make their 60s the new 40s. They actively participate in group activities such as morning walks, gardening, dancing, and even playing badminton. Many seniors also opt for second careers driven by a desire to remain active and contribute to society.”