As a sociologist, I cannot overemphasize the importance of learning stats together with software such as R and basic coding, not only for research competence but also for building transferable skills valued in the labor market.

If housing is a “national crisis,” why do outcomes vary so much across metros, and even w/in & b/w suburbia? E.g., inner & outer suburbs tell different stories. Also, what exactly counts as “affordable housing”?

A meta-analysis of 168 studies covering more than 11 million people found no reliable link between economic inequality and well-being or mental health. go.nature.com/4smt467

“The more it stays in denial—insisting this vast, wealthy industry has nothing to fix, that the last decade of cancel culture and ideological conformity was mostly a hoax, and that the critics are all acting in bad faith—the more likely the backlash becomes uglier, broader, and harder to stop.”

As the year wraps up, I’m grateful for forums like Heterodox Academy that make serious disagreement possible, without turning it into a loyalty test or pre-sorting people into ideological boxes. Sadly, this is a quality higher education has long lost. Here’s hoping that changes… yeah, right…

Reading or sharing something labeled “left” or “right” doesn’t make someone left- or right-wing. Association isn’t causation, whether we’re talking about data or ideas.

A quick, exploratory look at where Greek immigrants stood socioeconomically in the early 1900s. Just a first pass. www.grigorisargeros.com/greekamerica...

Great piece by Lawrence Eppard in @contexts.org challenging how we measure poverty.

Funny how just trying to see both sides of an issue (now) gets you labeled as left or right. That says more about their self-righteousness than your views.

As another possible shutdown approaches, here’s the history of U.S. government shutdowns since 1976.

The “sociological imagination”, a key concept in soc, is supposed to help people see how personal problems connect to larger social forces. However, many use it only when it fits their own political, moral, or value beliefs, which makes it less about open thinking & more abt supporting their side.

Been playing around with data & using GIS to map inner/outer-ring suburbs in Detroit from 2000-20. The story? Poverty is higher in inner rings but has also grown in the outer ones. Racial/ethnic diversity is rising in both, more so in the outer. Suburban change is more multifaceted than it seems.

After reading “Why We Disagree About Inequality” (Iceland, Silver, & Redstone), I keep thinking about how their framework applies to residential segregation. 1/2

He was my professor in both undergrad and grad school (MA) at Queens College, and one of the few who helped me see the beauty in statistics. His guidance and passion for teaching statisics left a lasting mark on me. He will be deeply missed. May he rest in peace.

Detroit’s suburbs are more diverse than ever-Black, Asian, Latino, & immigrant families are reshaping places once seen as white & middle-class. 1/

Looks like the Baseball Gods have realigned things just the way the status quo likes it: The Yankee hate is back — and it’s stronger than ever. Amen.

I started reading this book by John Iceland, Eric Silver, and Illana Redstone. Among a host of other courses, it can be a great addition to an intro to sociology course.

Non-profits that publicly announce cuts and layoffs should be required to disclose their CEO’s/President’s salary.

Dubai, you are stunning…

Association does not imply association unless it is to support or oppose a political figure/party.

“More than 50 interviews with Democratic leaders revealed a party struggling to decide what it believes in, what issues to prioritize and how to confront an aggressive right-wing administration.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/02/u...

I was curious about the bed bug situation in NYC, so I created a map of bedbug reports in the city based on their filing dates. This map covers the period from 1/1-14, 2025.

‪I find it both intriguing and frustrating that some people label the current pause as an "attack" on science while ignoring the various ways the progressive left in academia has undermined science in recent years, both directly and indirectly. 1/

I guess DeepSeek isn’t interested in this topic.

It's quite ironic to see Facebook posts calling for a boycott of Target due to the rollback of some DEI programs.

“Although the survey is not statistically representative of Nature readers or the scientific community at large, it echoes recent enthusiasm for Bluesky among researchers and disillusionment with X.”

The fire happened in 2022. According to the former president & CEO, who served b/w 2022-24, stated that she’s “not aware of anywhere near $400,000 that was raised to support the Twin Parks fire” victims.” So then who would know?

Maps of Detroit and NYC showing the 2024 election results and the changes compared to the 2020 election.

How racial realignment ignited the culture war Because racial views were already tied to other cultural views in the public, civil rights divided the parties based on other cultural issues New #ScienceOfPolitics podcast/transcript with Neil O'Brian www.niskanencenter.org/how-racial-r...

This Trump transition was more fully planned than the last one, leading to a more developed & extensive Day 1 agenda. Major nominations, while still less experienced and unusual, were designed to be both on board with the agenda & mostly confirmable: www.niskanencenter.org/what-the-tru...

@bsky.app is full of very smart and educated people who validate on a daily basis this central truth about human nature: Intuitions come first, strategic reasoning later. Our passions drive our thinking. That's why bubbles are bad.

Progressives/liberals need a new strategy to “resist” Trump, as we all saw how the first attempt turned out.

Just 33% view the Democrat party as favorable. The party of the working/middle class….

How things have changed. Imagine going back to 2016/2017 and showing a 20 year old this chart.

““Whatever their achievements, proponents of this era of progressive cancel culture must reckon with the fact that they also helped to bring about the very thing they dreaded most: Trump’s restoration.””

“A vast majority of Americans — 87 percent — support deporting undocumented immigrants with a criminal record, which Mr. Trump has said would be one of the first orders of business he carries out.”

Pre-tenure vs tenured

“Rutgers University psychology Professor Lee Jussim said forced retractions without evidence of data errors is “the new book burning in science.”“ www.thecollegefix.com/censorship-i...

Rep. French Hill on federal aid to California: "I would be for conditions if people can find ways to attach federal conditions to that aid." "It does have to do with that ideology of the climate change agenda," Maria Bartiromo replies.

Claiming the success of congestion pricing by posting a photo of an empty street in Manhattan's congestion zone is similar to sharing a random image and casually linking it to any issue of your choice.

I’ve noticed that the far left's resistance to certain far-right claims reflects the far right's skepticism towards some of the far left's assertions. Moral virtue is a two-way street.

“In part that’s because people who are partisans don’t want to believe things that make their party look bad.” The (uber) Left will selectively believe and consider truth as much as the (uber) Right will do so and vice versa - both would deem themselves as moral virtue crusaders.

Crime stats vs lived experiences on the NYC subway present a complex challenge. While data shows certain crime metrics decreasing, riders' personal experiences and perceptions tell a different story. How can leaders & pundits discuss subway safety w/o ideologically demonizing the same subway riders?

Not surprising. I’m sure more businesses will do the same.