Culture
Making meaning of people making meaning.
Ground Zero of Misunderstanding
Stereotypes and media mischaracterizations prohibit conversations between Muslims and non-Muslims that could otherwise counteract false assumptions. Read MoreCulture Goes To Camp
Many “culture camps” seek to enhance transnational adoptees’ sense of ethnic identify. While camps may not achieve this goal, they do provide a space for adoptees and their parents to feel supported, create networks, and explore an “adoptive” identity. Read MoreThere Goes The Gayborhood?
The cultural assimilation of American gays has many seeking residence outside of traditional gay neighborhoods. In a “post-gay” era, some feel gay enclaves have become indistinguishable or nonexistent. Read MoreCache Me If You Can
In the last decade, geocaching has come to provide a way that technology can enhance our interaction with the physical and social worlds. Participants are sharing knowledge and creating community in the digital age. Read MoreLosing Las Vegas
Promises of exuberance and excess no longer appeal to a sobered American public. This has left Las Vegas struggling to reinvent its image. Read MoreCSI: The Scenes Behind The Look
TV shows have piqued public interest in forensic work and how crime is done. But the attention hasn’t necessarily been good for those who work with corpses in real life. Medical examiners’ daily work remains mundane, misunderstood, and underappreciated. Read MoreThe Princess and the Frog
Despite being marketed as the first black princess cartoon, Disney’s The Princess and the Frog fails to challenge gender and race stereotypes. Charania and Simonds provide detailed commentary and illuminate how the film merely reworks and disguises old, familiar themes. Read MoreDepression Chic — Shopping Our Way To Recovery
Consumption has taken an inconspicuous turn during this recession, and “Depression chic” has emerged as an outlet for those who want to spend without appearing ostentatious. Overpriced, baggy sack dresses, newsboy hats, and Mary Jane shoes allow buyers to acknowledge something is amiss while still enjoying the pleasures of shopping and style. Read MoreDestination and Drift in Atlantic City
“America’s Playground” entertains many with its glitz and gambling, but it’s also home to many street homeless. This essay explores the paradox. Read MoreBalloon Boy Plus Ei8ht? Children and Reality Television
Shows like Kid Nation and Jon & Kate Plus Ei8ght have provoked concern over child exploitation. Limited protections exist for kids on such shows, who are considered neither performers nor laborers. Read More