In the wake of political upheaval and technological disruption, you might find yourself longing for simpler times. If so, you’re not alone: A recent poll found that a majority of Americans think the country’s culture and way of life have changed for the worse since the 1950s. But what’s the effect of this longing for the past? Psychologist Krystine Batcho, who’s spent nearly 20 years studying nostalgia, thinks it’s important to make a distinction between two types of nostalgic yearning
– one productive, the other debilitating.
President Trump’s proposed budget would cut and even scrap programs that help people in need pay for everything from their groceries to their heating bills. His budget director criticizes these programs for not always making their beneficiaries become more self-sufficient. But that yardstick suggests the administration misses the point of having a safety net, argue Binghamton University (SUNY) professors David Campbell and Kristina Lambright.
Since President Obama ordered restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba in 2014, it’s become easier for Americans to travel there and for organizations in the two countries to form partnerships. Cuban marine biologist Jorge Angulo-Valdes, who currently holds appointments at the University of Havana and the University of Florida, calls for broader and deeper collaboration to conserve coral reefs and fisheries in the waters that connect us.
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Winslow Homer’s ‘Boys in a Pasture’ (1874).
Wikimedia Commons
Krystine Batcho, Le Moyne College
There are two types of nostalgia. One promotes resilience and personal growth, while the other can lead to an obsessive quest to escape the present.
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Politics + Society
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Melissa Hamilton, University of Houston
The Supreme Court may soon hear a case on data-driven criminal sentencing. Research suggests that algorithms are not as good as we think they are at making these decisions.
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Dyan Mazurana, Tufts University
Who is responsible for this problem? Research indicates that it's often the victims' own colleagues, and that aid agencies don't do enough to stop it.
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Economy + Business
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David Campbell, Binghamton University, State University of New York; Kristina Lambright, Binghamton University, State University of New York
The best way to assess a program's effectiveness is see how well it meets the goals for which it was created. Maybe someone could tell the Trump administration.
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