Social Sciences Division

The hard-hit Philippines coastal city of Tacloban may now be known for grim images of devastation and shattered lives caused by Typhoon Haiyan. But before the storm hit, the city was a thriving commercial center with a colorful and proud history, says prof. Vicente Rafael.

Matt Barreto says it's common for races to swing a percentage point or two in the days after election night, but this last election was unusual.

Huskies John Timu, Hau'oli Kikaha and Danny Shelton take a weekly independent-study class at the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

Seattle's new council districts were drawn up by former geography professor Richard Morrill. He says they were created with racial fairness as a top priority.

The film "Blue Is the Warmest Color," features long, detailed and explicit sexual scenes which earned it an NC-17 rating, but some critics say teens should see it. UW sociology professor Pepper Schwartz disagrees.

Dr. Philip Howard, professor of communications, talks about how his research experiences shaped his journey from graduate school at Northwestern to his faculty position at UW.

University of Washington political science Ph.D. student Amanda B. Clayton weighs new action by the AFL-CIO that will pave the way for nonunionized workers and even environmental, immigrant, and civil-rights groups to join the labor federation.

The University of Washington broke ground Friday on a $6 million longhouse to support Native-American students and provide a place for indigenous activities and celebrations.

Jana Mohr Lone, affiliate faculty in philosophy, helps to explore young people's apparent obsession with taking pictures of themselves and posting it to Instagram or Facebook. Some experts say it doesn't mean they are narcissistic or vain.

Many households in rural India still lack electrical power despite the nation's intention more than six decades ago to bring electricity to all its citizens. Professor Sunila Kale explores why parts of India are still off the grid.

The "Intellectual House," will serve as a learning and gathering place for Native American students, faculty and staff, as well as the UW and surrounding community. It will feature a "village concept" that includes two primary buildings and a central outdoor gathering space.

Seattle Charter Amendment 19 seeks to change the way City Council members are elected, from all at-large to seven geographic council districts with two at-large positions.Geography professor emeritus Richard Morrill drew up the map.

In a guest piece, David Barash, professor of psychology, looks at several recent books on evolutionary science that consider reproduction.

UW Artist in Residence Joanne Silberner has received several awards for a five-part radio series on global cancer issues, which aired on Public Radio International's "The World."

Seattle passed San Francisco as the top big city in the nation for the percentage of same-sex couple households. UW geography professor Michael Brown weighs in on what the change means.