Social Sciences Division

Three new faculty books from the University of Washington cover wide-ranging topics: oysters, the moral contradictions of religion, and Cherokee creature names and environmental relationships.

The four new graduates honored as College of Arts & Sciences Dean's Medalists for 2023 are all working to improve our world, in different ways. 

"The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded a lavish welcome by the Biden Administration during his recently concluded U.S. visit. He spoke to the U.S. Congress, making him the sixth individual ever to address the U.S. Congress more than once...Why this courtship? For the U.S., India is critical to counter China," write the UW's Nives Dol?ak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

No one can really describe what milk is -- least of all the people who think most often about it. Melanie Martin, assistant professor of anthropology at the UW, is quoted.

"Early this month, Quebec forest fires caused severe air pollution on the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. Although subject to some debate, many blamed climate change for these fires," write the UW's Nives Dol?ak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

As a candidate, Joe Biden called himself a climate change pioneer. He promised a green energy revolution. More renewables, way less fossil fuels, and a carbon-neutral economy by 2050. So two years in, how's he doing? Outside/In host Nate Hegyi speaks with Aseem Prakash, professor of political science at the UW, to figure out where Biden has pushed his climate agenda, where he hasn't, and whether he's an octopus or a bighorn sheep.

Brain-computer interface technology can benefit people with disabilities by restoring mobility and communication. Sara Goering, professor of philosophy at the UW, says it also allows potentially monetizable access to the center of our thoughts and feelings.

"The COVID-19 pandemic shined a light on the deep need that people feel for human touch and connection in hospital settings. Having relatives peering through windows at their loved ones or unable to enter hospitals altogether exacerbated the lack of human intimacy that is all too common in health care settings" writes Marlaine Gray, affiliate assistant professor of anthropology at the UW.

"In the fall of 2022, a German court heard an unusual case. It was a civil lawsuit that grew out of a feud on Twitter about whether transgender people were victims of the Holocaust. Though there is no longer much debate about whether gay men and lesbians were persecuted, there's been very little scholarship on trans people during this period," writes Laurie Marhoefer, professor of history at the UW.

Sapna Cheryan, professor of psychology at the UW, and her colleagues want U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to consider not telling grads to, "Follow your passions," in his commencement address on Saturday. Instead, in this interview Cheryan shares alternative advice for graduating students.

Hayden Goldberg, graduating with majors in political science and economics, has advised the dean of Arts & Sciences for the past three years while juggling numerous other projects. 

Two grants from the U.S. Department of Education International and Foreign Language Education office will allow the Canadian Studies Center at the University of Washington to award eight to 10 fellowships each year to students studying French or an Indigenous language spoken in Canada.

"Does international trade undermine national security? Russia has weaponized its energy dominance to threaten European security. Might China weaponize its control over the renewable energy supply chain to pursue political objectives, such as reunification with Taiwan?" write the UW's Nives Dolsak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

"Health practitioners are increasingly concerned that because race is a social construct, and the biological mechanisms of how race affects clinical outcomes are often unknown, including race in predictive algorithms for clinical decision-making may worsen inequities," writes Anirban Basu, professor of health economics at the UW.

All women and girls are susceptible to eating disorders and poor body image, but because of misleading medical terminology, popular-media images, and a lack of overall awareness and training, the issue and remedies are framed almost exclusively around white women. But individuals and organizations are working to shift the discussion and unveil the true complexities of eating disorders, particularly in relation to minoritized communities. Timeka Tounsel, assistant professor of Black studies in communication at the UW, is quoted.