Sociology Times

The tea party and the politics of paranoia

Wednesday, May 22, 2013 00:00 MST

Tea party members claim the movement reflects basic American conservative principles such as limited government and fiscal responsibility. But new research by University of Washington political scientist Christopher Parker argues that the tea party ideology owes more to the paranoid politics associated with the John Birch Society -- and even the infamous Ku Klux Klan -- than to traditional American conservatism.

Corruption influences migration of skilled workers

Tuesday, May 21, 2013 00:00 MST

Countries that have higher levels of corruption struggle to attract and retain skilled workers report the authors of a new study published in EMBO reports.

Mathematicians analyze social divisions using cell phone data

Monday, May 20, 2013 00:00 MST

Human society fractures along lines defined by politics, religion, ethnicity, and perhaps most fundamentally, language. Although these differences contribute to the great variety of human lives, the partitions they create can lead to conflict and strife, impeding efforts toward social justice and economic development. David Meyer, a mathematician at UC San Diego, has developed a new way of understanding how characteristics like ethnicity and religion coincide to define communities and ultimately influence our actions.

Nearly 50 percent increase in ICU admissions, new study says

Friday, May 17, 2013 00:00 MST

A study released today by George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services researchers offers an in-depth look at hospitals nationwide and admissions to intensive care units (ICU). The study, published in the journal Academic Emergency Medicine, finds a sharp increase -- nearly 50 percent -- in ICU admissions coming from US emergency departments.

Political motivations may have evolutionary links to physical strength

Thursday, May 16, 2013 00:00 MST

Men's upper-body strength predicts their political opinions on economic redistribution, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

Playing at pirate games

Wednesday, May 15, 2013 00:00 MST

The results of a large-scale, analysis of BitTorrent file-sharing of computer games, focusing on using open methodologies are to be published in the International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication and bust some of the common myths about digital piracy.

After the breakup in a digital world: Purging Facebook of painful memories

Monday, May 13, 2013 00:00 MST

The era is long gone when a romantic breakup meant ripped-up photos and burned love letters. Today, digital photos and emails can be quickly deleted but the proliferation of social media has made forgetting a bigger chore. What about the ubiquitous digital records of a once beloved that lurk on Facebook, Tumblr, and Flickr?

Social connections drive the 'upward spiral' of positive emotions and health

Sunday, May 12, 2013 00:00 MST

People who experience warmer, more upbeat emotions may have better physical health because they make more social connections, according to a new study published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

No holes in Swiss online networking theory

Saturday, May 11, 2013 00:00 MST

Often, it's not what you know, but who you know when it comes to business and research success and that still applies even in the age of online social networking, according to results to be published in the International Journal of Organisational Design and Engineering.

When women sell themselves short on team projects

Friday, May 10, 2013 00:00 MST

Working on a team is always a challenge, but a new study highlights a particular challenge to women: how much they credit themselves in a joint success. Women will devalue their contributions when working with men but not with other women, according to the new research. The study, published in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests yet another reason why women still tend to be under-represented at the highest echelons of many organizations.

Internet content is looking for you

Thursday, May 09, 2013 00:00 MST

"Contextual search" is improving so gradually the changes often go unnoticed, and we may soon forget what the world was like without it, according to Brian Proffitt, a technology expert and adjunct instructor of management in the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business.

More than a game: Exploring new digital frontiers

Wednesday, May 08, 2013 00:00 MST

A groundbreaking new initiative led by the University of York, with partners at Cass Business School, part of City University London and Durham University Business School, aims to unlock the potential for scientific and social benefits in digital games.

How to get more followers on Twitter

Tuesday, May 07, 2013 00:00 MST

What do all Twitter users want? Followers -- and lots of them. Looking at a half-million tweets over 15 months, a first-of-its-kind study from Georgia Tech has revealed a set of reliable predictors for building a Twitter following.

Economics influence fertility rates more than other factors

Monday, May 06, 2013 00:00 MST

Based on a recent study by a University of Missouri anthropologist, economic changes have the greatest impact on reducing family size, and thus slowing population growth, compared to other factors. Understanding the causes of declining birth rates may lead to improved policies designed to influence fertility and result in reduced competition for food, water, land and wealth.

Riots create irrational behavior

Sunday, May 05, 2013 00:00 MST

Participants of group riots have, since the end of the 1960s, been viewed as rational individuals driven by a sense of injustice. But in today's world this is misleading, concludes sociologist and Ph.D. Christian Borch in a newly published doctoral thesis. He encourages the police to take the destructive behavior of some participants into account when dealing with groups of rioters.