Society Archives

Doubt-Mongering in the Climate Change Debate

What role does doubt-mongering play in the recent climate change debate? What is the science? What doubts are raised? Merchants of doubt have been engaged in the climate change debate from the beginning. These are people or groups who seek to discredit science behind the policies that threaten their agenda. Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway, the authors of Merchants of Doubt, updated their book in 2020 to cover highlights from the past decade, specifically California law and electric cars. Read more to learn about the recent efforts of merchants of doubt in discrediting the climate change debate.

The Advent and Future of Cloud Computing Technology

What exactly is the cloud? How has the advent of cloud computing technology changed the world? The cloud is a term for services and software that run on the internet instead of locally on your computer, for example, Netflix, Dropbox, or Microsoft Office 365. Like networking, the cloud is a major player in the acceleration of all the other parts of computing because it allows any type of technology to be constantly updated, improved, or shared. In this article, we’ll discuss how the cloud came to be and its implications for the future of computing.

The Black-Ape Association Needs to Be Stopped

How present is the black-ape association in the modern-day? Is it possible to accurately measure implicit bias? How is it that so many experts are in denial about this dangerous mindset? Many people think that the black-ape association was a thing of the past, something from the Jim Crow era. However, there are still modern and dehumanizing comparisons of black people to apes or other animals today and they can have deadly consequences. Continue below for a brief history of the black-ape association and the dangers it causes.

The Other-Race Effect: What It Is and How to Mitigate It

What is the other-race effect? How does this phenomenon develop? Is there a way to prevent/fight it? In her book Biased, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt discusses the “other-race effect.” The other-race effect occurs when an infant is raised without exposure to other races and thus has difficulty recognizing faces of other races throughout their life. This effect can be mitigated later in life through positive, interpersonal relationships with those of another race. Here is everything you need to know about the other-race effect.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Asha the Slumlord

Who is Asha in Behind the Beautiful Forevers? What are Asha’s aspirations and dreams? Asha was a powerful figure in the Annawadi slum. She ran the slum as a slumlord at the direction of authorities and politicians. Asha in Behind the Beautiful Forevers aspired to amass wealth and power to overcome economic hardship. Read more to fully explore the character and aspirations of Asha in Behind the Beautiful Forevers.

What Is Crowdfunding and How Does It Work?

What is crowdfunding and how does it work? What are the best websites to crowdfund a project or a business venture? Crowdfunding is a way of raising money for a project or a business venture from a large number of people, each contributing a small amount. Typically, crowdfunding is done on the crowdfunding internet platforms such as indiegogo and seedinvesttechnology. So what is crowdfunding and how does it work? Read more about tips and strategies to effectively raise money through crowdfunding and familiarize yourself with different crowdfunding platforms.

Airbnb: Racism in the Booking Process?

In what ways was the Airbnb booking process allowing for racial discrimination? What actions did the executives take to fight Airbnb racism? In Biased by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt, she discusses the issues Airbnb had with racism on their website. Black users had a difficult time booking stays due to rejection and black hosts were forced to lower their prices otherwise guests chose to book with their white counterparts. Learn what steps Airbnb took to fight back against racial discrimination.

Segregated Housing: Is It Still a Problem?

Was segregated housing a thing of the past or is it still present today? How can physical spaces be used as tools for bias? Is technology hurting or helping the problem? In her book Biased, Jennifer Eberhardt revealed that although it’s now illegal, de facto segregated housing still persists today. This happens because if a neighborhood is even 30% black, people assume it has high crime rates and low property value and opts not to live in it. Thus, housing segregation still persists. Continue below to read the sad truth about modern segregated housing.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Abdul the Trash Seller

Who is Abdul in Behind the Beautiful Forevers? What kind of family did Abdul come from and what is his role in the story? Abdul in Behind the Beautiful Forevers was a 19-year-old resident of Annawadi that helped his family earn a living by buying scrap metal from trash pickers to sell to recyclers. Abdul belonged to one of the few Muslim families in Annawadi. His family was discriminated against for being Muslim. Read on to discover why Abdul in Behind the Beautiful Forevers is such an interesting character.

Donald Trump vs Democracy: Challenging the System

Did Donald Trump put democracy at risk? What were the implications of his relentless yet indirect assaults on the democratic system? How did Trump’s rule compromise democracy? In his business and personal life, Trump always treated competitors and challengers as enemies to be eliminated—an attitude that carried over into the White House. This attitude was antithetical to the ideals of democracy. Let’s take a look at how Donald Trump challenged the democratic system of the United States.