Lisa Wade
Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College and the co-author of Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions.
The (Short) Lives of Poor, Urban Teenagers
If a child does not believe that they might live to see another day, what motivation can there possibly be for investing in the future?
Millennials' Tolerance for Shutting Down Free Speech
Recent surveys suggest the American love of free speech is waning.
The Trouble With American Views of Female Genital Cutting
There are many grounds upon which to oppose FGCs, but the language we use to discuss the practice may actually encourage it.
114 Years Young: Light Bulbs Before Planned Obsolescence
One last hold-out from a time when it made more sense to build things to last.
What Is This World in Which Commercials Make You Cry?
And what does it have to do with the largest refugee crisis since World War II?
What, If Anything, Do Catholics Have in Common?
Are they just part of another imagined community?
The Social Construction of Race
Unemployment, imprisonment, and other life events can change what race those around you perceive you to be.
Ten Years After Hurricane Katrina, Is New Orleans Undergoing a Revival?
The New Orleans economy, in large part thanks to record tourism, is outperforming that of many other areas.
The Devastating Effect Hurricane Katrina Had on Education
Students are still trying to make up for lost time.
The New York City Subway to a Person Using a Wheelchair
We have a long way to go before the Americans With Disabilities Act is actually realized.
Who Really Runs the Airbnbs?
Outside investors buying properties and turning them into full-time, short-term rentals are pricing locals out of the market.
A Short History of Trophy Hunting in America
Since the mid-1800s, hunting trophies—taxidermied remains of wild animals—have served as symbolic proof of one’s "manliness."
White American Male With a Weapon
All attributed motivations are approximate. All races are unconfirmed. All crimes are alleged. All oppression is interconnected. Summer, 2015.
Desperate Efforts to Re-Unite During Reconstruction
The racial empathy gap, then and now.
There Are 22 Million Angry, Impulsive Americans With Guns
Examining the personality characteristics of America's gun owners.
Less Than One Percent of Women Regret Their Decision to Have an Abortion
And the experience becomes less emotionally charged over time.
Nearly Half of Black and Latina Female Scientists Report Being Mistaken for Janitors or Assistants
And other findings from a new survey about discrimination in the workplace.
Millennials Are No Less Racist Than Members of Generation X
Millennial attitudes are much more similar to those of older whites than they are to those of their peers of color.
What Should Cities Do With Their Icons to White Supremacy?
Is removing them a sign that we're finally taking history seriously, or that we're uncomfortable with our past?
Why It Was Easy for Rachel Dolezal to Pass as Black
Race is more social than biological.
Women Graduate College at Higher Rates Than Men—Unless They're Gay
Women overall may graduate at higher rates than men, but sexual minority women are the least likely to graduate at all.
A Majority of U.S. Republicans Finally Agree That Being Gay Is Morally Acceptable
A look at the latest survey responses from Gallup.
The Politics of Facial Hair
Potential voters perceive men with facial hair to be more masculine—and that's not a good thing.
The Chinatown of the American South
Why New Orleans' Bourbon Street used to be dominated by Chinese businesses.
Racism and Discrimination Kill—Literally
Experiencing discrimination has been shown to have both acute and long-term effects on the body.
A Transgender Teenager Takes on the DMV and Wins the Right to Wear Make-Up
It’s hard to defend the idea that somehow make-up distorts a man’s identity, but not a woman’s.
Culture and Privacy: A Sociology of the Shotgun House
This simple housing design represents much more than just a building technique.
Racial Bias and How the Media Perpetuates It With Coverage of Violent Crime
Disproportionate reporting makes the neural links in our brain—it’s actual physical structure—reflect the racism inherent in the reporting itself.
Has Anita Sarkeesian Been Silenced?
Gamergate is a cautionary tale that may dampen others’ willingness to speak out, but the problems of video game misogyny and the online harassment of women are more visible than ever.
Why Are So Many People in the South Watching Gay Porn Online?
Three theories attempt to make sense of some provocative new data.
Are People Who Major in Economics More Anti-Social Than the Rest of Us?
Probably. And that's concerning.
Ending the White Man's Claim on Brilliance
The demography of academic fields, and why women are more likely to participate in areas that are associated with hard work over any kind of luck.
The Gender Pay Gap Starts Really Early
Not only do young girls work more around the house than their male counterparts, but their parents reward them with a smaller allowance.
Irish Dance and Our Invented Concepts of Race and Ethnicity
When one cultural tradition evolves, borrowing and melding with other cultural traditions, it increasingly belongs to everyone.
Unkind Architecture: Designing Against the Homeless
A subset of architecture is actively antagonist to the comfort of the homeless.
Why Lesbians and Gay Men Don't Live in the Same Areas
Gay men are still men and what woman wants to live near so many of them?
Why Don't More Men Hit Each Other Below the Belt?
Alpha male fights are about figuring out which male is alpha, while preserving the idea that the alpha male is a thing that matters.
The Myth of Teenage Binge Drinking
Alcohol-related deaths are most common among middle-aged white men with disposable income, so why are all of the PSAs aimed at kids?
Can You Guess Someone's Political Preferences by the Size of Their House?
The idea of the urban liberal and the rural conservative is not a new one, but it's shocking just how accurate that stereotype appears to be.
Maybe You've Been Tricked Into Liking Strawberries So Much
The incredible rise of the strawberry highlights the power of massive marketing campaigns.