They Say / I Blog

Autism advocates: Eric Garcia on funding research and providing services that improve life for people with autism

For years, a primary focus of autism research has been finding a cure for this neurodivergent condition. Eric Garcia, a writer and autism advocate, asserts that this goal does not reflect the actual, pressing issues that people with autism encounter in their daily lives. In this essay, Garcia draws on his own experiences as an autistic person to call for research and policies that improve health, educational, and employment outcomes for people with autism.

Eric Garcia, "We Don't Need a Cure for Autism. We Need to Make Living with It Easier." TIME, 27 August 2021.

 

Race and representation in the college classroom: J. Nathan Matias, Neil Lewis Jr., and Elan Hope on the barriers to retaining a more diverse tenured and tenure-track faculty at U.S. universities

People of color are underrepresented in a variety of fields and settings, including in medicine, clinical trials, and the military. This problem also exists in U.S. higher education. In this essay, scholars J. Nathan Matias, Neil Lewis Jr., and Elan Hope show how “Black, Hispanic, American Indian and multiracial faculty members are underrepresented in faculty ranks.” They explain how efforts by universities to diversify their faculty fail to address the structural inequities within higher education that prevent faculty of color from feeling supported and achieving tenure.

J. Nathan Matias, Neil Lewis Jr. and Elan Hope, "Universities Say They Want More Diverse Faculties. So Why Is Academia Still So White?" FiveThirtyEight, 7 September 2021

 

An epidemic of teenage loneliness: Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge on the mental health impact of smartphones on Gen Z

There’s been a shift in how teenagers hang out, and you can hear it: the chatter that used to buzz through a high school cafeteria has often morphed into silent scrolling on smartphone screens, punctuated by tiny pings as teens message each other through their social media apps. The isolation many teenagers have experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic has made social media even more critical to how they sustain their relationships with each other. Yet there are questions about the long-term health consequences of social media and smartphones on teenagers. In this July 31, 2021 essay, Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge explain their research about the connection among smartphones, social media, and the mental health of teenagers, both in the US and across the globe.

Jonathan Haidt and Jean M. Twenge, "This Is Our Chance to Pull Teenagers Out of the Smartphone Trap," The New York Times, 31 July 2021.

 

Relying on robots to care for us: Anna Romina Guevarra on the consequences of automating the work of caregivers

Thanks to rapid advances in artificial intelligence, what used to be sci-fi fantasy is now reality: robots can now teach, provide therapy, and administer care in hospitals and other medical facilities. But as Anna Romina Guevarra, associate professor and director of Global Asian Studies at University of Illinois Chicago, asks, should they? In her August 2, 2021 essay in Boston Review, Guevarra explores issues of labor and bias to determine the “potential harm of automating care work.”

Anna Romina Guevarra, "Here Come the Robot Nurses," Boston Review, 2 August 2021.

 

Power of the press: Danielle Kilgo on how journalists and news organizations cover protests

What stories are emphasized in the news, and why? Danielle Kilgo, a professor of journalism at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, argues that journalists and the news media choose to highlight “spectacle, conflict, disruption” over stories that cover “the substance of movements.” In this April 30, 2021, article, she uses her research about how the press has covered Black Lives Matters demonstrations to challenge journalists to report on protests in a way that more accurately explains and legitimizes the concerns of the protestors.

Danielle Kilgo, "Unraveling the Protest Paradigm,"Columbia Journalism Review, 30 April 2021.

 

“When we protect nature”: Greta Thunberg on changing the ways we farm, eat, and treat nature

What does the COVID-19 pandemic have to do with the climate crisis and the worldwide loss of wildlife habitats? Activist Greta Thunberg argues that industrial agriculture, which supports meat- and dairy-heavy diets, plays a significant role in these interconnected crises. In this five-minute video, Thunberg challenges her audience—us!—to adopt a plant-based diet and change our fundamental relationship with nature.

Tom Mustill, director, featuring Greta Thunberg, "Our Relationship with Nature Is Broken," 22 May 2021.

 

A case for critical media literacy: Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali on how viral misinformation could affect future historians

Some people might argue that what we do online is our own personal business. Historians Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali, however, contend that online spaces are instead part of our “public life.” In this May 19, 2021 essay, Alhassen and Ali argue that it is our “civic duty” to be critical about what we consume and circulate online, as the constant retweeting and reposting of potentially misleading information has consequences for both our present moment and the work of future historians.

Maytha Alhassen and Zaheer Ali, "By Any Memes Necessary: A Case Study for Critical Media Literacy," Los Angeles Review of Books, 19 May 2021.

 

“Hemp is the way”: Winona LaDuke on the hemp industry and climate justice for Native communities

After decades of being banned due to its close genetic relationship with marijuana, hemp was legalized through the 2018 Farm Bill. Winona LaDuke, a Native writer and activist, argues that Native tribes, which have historically cultivated the crop, should lead and benefit from the growing hemp industry. In this February 2021 essay, LaDuke explains how hemp could be the cornerstone of a new, “post-petroleum” sustainable economy.

Winona LaDuke, "Tribes Revive Traditional Hemp Economies," YES!, February 16, 2021

 

Windows around the world: Paolo Sigismondi on the cultural impact of streaming international movies and shows

What’s next up on your Netflix watch list? You may notice more suggestions for shows and movies made outside the US, such as Spain’s Money Heist and South Korea’s One More Time. Facing pressure to acquire new media content, Netflix has made a conscious decision to develop local shows and films around the world and then distribute that content globally. In this April 7, 2021 essay, Paolo Sigismondi explains how Netflix’s business decision might broaden the content we consume and challenge long-standing cultural stereotypes that have been reinforced by Hollywood.

Paolo Sigismondi, "Netflix’s Big Bet on Foreign Content and International Viewers Could Upend the Global Mediascape – and Change How People View the World," The Conversation, 7 April 2021

 

Party in the streets: Kate Lacour on creating inclusive public celebrations

“When society decides to celebrate, who’s getting an invite, and who’s being excluded?” (1:04). Art therapist Kate Lacour poses this question in her TED talk, featured in this episode of the TEDx Shorts podcast from February 21, 2021. Lacour explains how she has helped teenagers with autism participate in Mardi Gras, a joyously noisy and colorful month-long public celebration in New Orleans with parades, music, masks, floats, and costumes. As you listen, think about the connection Lacour draws to a larger goal, making public celebrations “more attentive to the needs of all.”

Kate Lacour, "Fight for Your Right to Party," TEDx Shorts, 21 February 2021