They Say / I Blog

“A dire shortage of affordable housing”: Jerusalem Demsas on the structural causes of homelessness

Every day, over half a million Americans are homeless. What has led to this crisis? In this essay, writer Jerusalem Demsas critiques the way homelessness is often framed as an individual’s “personal failure,” with little attempt to recognize or rectify its underlying root causes. She argues that the lack of affordable housing is at the center of the homelessness problem in many U.S. cities and communities.

Jerusalem Demsas, "The Obvious Answer to Homelessness," Atlantic, 12 December 2022

 

“Algorithms fault her”: Joy Buolamwini on deep-rooted racial biases in facial recognition software

Who can artificial intelligence see, and whose faces and stories remain invisible? Joy Buolamwini, poet, computer scientist, and co-founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, asks this question in her research about how racial and gender biases influence the software and search algorithms that shape our everyday lives. In this provocative spoken-word video, Buolamwini demonstrates the shortcomings of facial recognition software and argues that the developers of AI technology “often forget[] to deal with race, gender, and class” (1:03).

Joy Buolamwini, "AI, Ain't I A Woman?" YouTube.com, 18 June 2018

 

Help wanted: Richard V. Reeves on recruiting more men to be teachers, nurses, and care workers

In 2022, the UN’s International Labour Organization reported that women, on average, still earn 20% less than men. The global gender wage gap has been widely discussed and researched, but there is another gender gap that has received less attention: fewer and fewer men are taking jobs in fields that are traditionally seen as “women’s work,” including teaching, nursing, and social work. Richard V. Reeves investigates the complex reasons why, in today’s economy and society, “Women are doing ‘men’s jobs.’ Men are not doing ‘women’s jobs.’”

Richard V. Reeves, "Why America Needs More Men Working in Health Care and Education," TIME, 19 October 2022

 

A family by choice: Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman on queer kinship and broadening the definition of a family

There is no one-size-fits-all structure for the American family. Research shows more people are living in multigenerational households and in other arrangements that look different from the “traditional” nuclear family, a concept some argue has always been a myth. In this essay, Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman argue that what constitutes a family isn’t solely a private affair. Rather, the definition of a family has political and economic consequences, with some families protected and others challenged. Bradway and Freeman explain the concept of “queer kinship,” describing a range of relationships in which people love and care for each other, and advocate for “expansive understandings of the family.”

Tyler Bradway and Elizabeth Freeman, "What Constitutes a Family? Don’t Ask Conservatives" The Nation, 30 August 2022

 

Beyond shame and stigma: Jay Shifman on reframing how we talk about drug use and drug addiction

What would winning the “war on drugs” look like? For Jay Shifman, the answer to that question requires rethinking what we’re at war with, what counts as sobriety, and why people use drugs in the first place. It’s clear that overdoses and addiction cause harm to individuals, families, and communities. Yet, according to Shifman, the current drug policies in the U.S. have been largely ineffective in reducing overdoses, preventing access to dangerous, fentanyl-laced street drugs, and reversing the racial disparity of those who are charged for drug crimes.

Jay Shifman, "Can Better Policy Help Reduce Overdoses?," YES!, 18 May 2022.

 

The limits of free speech: Jacob Mchangama on censorship, extremism, and hate speech

There’s no question that social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube can rapidly amplify and circulate hate speech and extremist content. Solutions to this problem are murky, as seen in debates over topics such as cancel culture, free speech, and censorship. In this essay, Jacob Mchangama, a Danish writer and lawyer, argues that an expansive definition of free expression is essential for vibrant democracies. He warns against having too many restrictions on the kinds of speech posted and circulated online.

Jacob Mchangama, "Banning Hate Speech Won’t End Extremist Violence," Persuasion, 6 June 2022

 

The future of money: Lana Swartz on digital currency and the benefits of cash

Don’t have cash? No problem. The number of places where you can use cashless transactions has multiplied in recent years, from digital wallets to contactless payments on public transit. For all the convenience of digital currency, however, there are significant downsides to eschewing cash, according to Lana Swartz, an assistant professor of media studies. Swartz argues that cash is a “universal, public, printed monetary medium” that makes it possible for people to participate equally in economic exchanges.

Lana Swartz, "In Praise of the Dollar Bill," MIT Technology Review, 15 April 2022

 

A safety net with many holes: Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra on the limitations of crowdfunding

Organizations like GoFundMe claim to tap into the power of social networks: those in need of financial assistance post on their social media sites and gather donations from people far beyond their immediate circle of family and friends. Yet according to researchers Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe “have been largely unsuccessful in solving financial problems for most of the people who use them.” Kenworthy and Igra detail the reasons why and argue that the uptick in crowdfunding campaigns points toward growing inequities in our society.

Nora Kenworthy and Ken Igra, "Crowdfunding Isn't Enough in a Crisis," Scientific American, 4 February 2022

 

Dispatch from the war zone: Kyle Chayka on the effects of using social media to document war

Social media platforms are another front in 21st century warfare, and people have increasingly turned to them to narrate and share their personal war experiences. From Syria to Ukraine, images and videos circulated on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok have chronicled the human impact of conflict in real time. In this essay, Kyle Chayka analyzes how these glimpses affect both those in the war and those watching it online.

Kyle Chayka, "Watching the World's 'First TikTok War,'" The New Yorker, 3 March 2022

 

Class in the metaverse: Nir Eisikovits on the challenges of building virtual reality universities

Virtual reality, widely used in gaming, is now being adapted for a range of purposes, including medicine, therapy, and sports. But could virtual reality work for higher education? In this essay, Nir Eisikovits, an associate professor of ethics at University of Massachusetts-Boston, explores the ethical and social challenges of virtual reality. He explains what is at stake for students and universities if campuses move to the metaverse.

Nir Eisikovits, "College Could Take Place in the Metaverse, but These Problems Must Be Overcome First,"The Conversation, 1 March 2022