Social Sciences Division

Michael Pearce, a doctoral student in statistics at the UW, and Adrian Raftery, PhD, a professor of sociology, discuss how long humans coild live.

University of Washington Provost Mark A. Richards today announced Dianne Harris will become dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, beginning Sept. 1.

"J.D. Vance, author of the briefly relevant memoir 'Hillbilly Elegy,' is now running for the Republican nomination for the Ohio Senate seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman. It’s a tough race, and Vance is starting well behind in the polls. Feeling the pressure, Vance felt compelled this past weekend to dredge up one of the most hackneyed clichés in the conservative playbook," writes Scott Lemieux, assistant teaching professor of political science at the UW.

Seattle-based health data company Truveta today announced $95 million in fresh funding and the addition of three new participating health care systems, bringing its total to 17. Tyler McCormick, associate professor of statistics and of sociology at the UW, is quoted.

The UW's Nives Dolšak, professor of marine and environmental affairs, and Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, write about Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos: "The rich want to do stuff that the unwashed masses cannot: own the biggest yacht, the most expensive house, the masterpiece by a famous painter and so on. Add becoming an astronaut to the wish list ... Both [also] want to be recognized as climate leaders."

The Internet Association once brokered deals on tech legislation. But its role has shrunk amid the industry’s divides and changes under a new CEO. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

The pandemic promised nothing short of the End of Cities, a prophecy foretold by pundits, tweets and headlines, at times with unveiled schadenfreude. Margaret O’Mara, professor of history at the UW, is quoted.

"As researchers of policing and homelessness, we have seen an unmistakable rise in homeless sweeps and encampment crackdowns since the late 1990s. This response to visible poverty results from a collision of forces, both in Canada and the United States: the decline of affordable housing and mental-health services, and local governments’ desires to revitalize business districts, boost tourism and attract high-income residents," write Katherine Beckett, professor of sociology and of law, societies and justice at the UW, and Forrest Stuart of Stanford University.

Kristina Scharp, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, has recieved the 2021 International Communication Association Early Career Scholar Award

In the Honors course "Abolishing Poverty," students untangle the interwoven complexities that lead to impoverishment.

A new sociology course explores self-tracking technology that captures our daily routines.

Aseem Prakash, professor of political science, discusses Amazon's climate pledge.

"In 2016, Donald Trump recruited voters with the highest levels of animosity toward African Americans, assembling a 'schadenfreude' electorate — voters who take pleasure in making the opposition suffer — that continues to dominate the Republican Party, even in the aftermath of the Trump presidency," writes columnist Thomas Edsall. Christopher Parker, professor of political science at the UW, is quoted.

The Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies has issued a new report, Puget Sound’s Fight for $15: Family Experiences and Policy Impacts of Increasing the Minimum Wage.

Because of the pandemic, high school seniors across Washington experienced a tumultuous end to their secondary education. But while all kinds of students struggled to adjust to virtual learning, student life has been particularly difficult for students in high-poverty districts. This story was written for a UW journalism class by Renee Diaz, Patric Haerle and Faith Noh.