Social Sciences Division

"When Jeanne Calment of France died in 1997 at the age of 122 years and 164 days, she set a record for oldest human. That record still stands. As statisticians who study demography, we expect that record will be broken by 2100," write the UW's Michael Pearce, a doctoral student in statistics, and Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics and of sociology.

"I was born in a small port town in Japan and moved to Eugene, Oregon, when I was 5 years old, where I lived until I graduated college. I’m half-Asian — my mom is Japanese, and my dad is white — but that was enough to be mostly treated as Asian growing up in a town that’s around 83% white and only around 4.5% Asian," writes The Seattle Times' Jade Yamazaki Stewart. Connie So, teaching professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is referenced.

Experts say so-called breakthrough cases remain rare, and deaths among vaccinated people are "effectively zero." Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics and of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

Amazon announced Thursday it intends to delay reopening its offices until Jan. 3, a move that raises fresh questions about the pace of recovery in Seattle and Bellevue where well-paid workers from Amazon and other tech firms are critical economic drivers. Margaret O'Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

"Straight Talk Africa" explores whether investigating former leaders is good for democracy. James Long, associate professor of political science at the UW, is interviewed.

This week, attend gallery exhibitions and the latest Grit City Think and Drink, watch recorded events, and more.

An executive producer of a Bainbridge-made documentary, Gina Corpuz, is also the daughter of an aboriginal woman who survived an Indian residential school in Canada. She made a documentary to reveal the untold stories of the Indipinos with help from the Bainbridge Island community. Rick Bonus, professor of American ethnic studies at the UW, is quoted.

If America’s unions are dying, no one told labor leaders in Washington. The state ranks fifth in the nation for union membership. That strength also translates to political power. In recent years, organized labor has helped Democrats solidify one-party rule. In turn, unions have notched a succession of legislative victories. Kim England, professor of geography and chair of the UW Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, is quoted.

If the American labor movement is dead, nobody told Washington’s unions. While workers struggle amid a gig economy and union membership remains near a nationwide low, state legislators in recent years have passed more than 20 new labor-backed laws. Jake Grumbach, assistant professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

Fights on airplanes, arguments over wearing a mask, white people calling police unnecessarily when a person of color shows up in their neighborhood and road rage incidents that end in gunfire. That is just some of the bad behavior going on these days as the lack of civility in American society seems to be out of control. Ralina Joseph, associate professor of communication at the UW, is interviewed on the "Chino Y Chicano" podcast.

"Both New York and Seattle are in the process of electing their mayors. Because these cities are very liberal, the key election to watch for is the Democratic primary. Unless something unexpected were to occur between now and November, the candidate winning the Democratic primary will become the next mayor. In both cities, mayor hopefuls are focusing on crime, policing and homelessness. Climate change does not seem to be on their agendas. Why is this surprising?" write the UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science.

This week at the UW, attend gallery exhibitions, watch recorded events, and more.

As many as 60% of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have gone unreported, and the coronavirus has infected nearly 1 in 5 Americans, according to a new model out of the University of Washington. The UW's Nicholas Irons, a doctoral student in statistics, and Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics and of sociology, are quoted.

The number of COVID-19 cases across the U.S. may have been undercounted by as much as 60%, researchers at the UW have found. Adrian Raftery, professor of statistics and of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

Every year, the U.S. Supreme Court, the nation’s highest court, issues several high-profile decisions that can have dramatic impacts on society. But much of what it does garners few headlines. Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.