Society & Culture Archives - News Center

Archival photo of two water fountains next to each other. The larger one has a plaque above it reading "white" and the smaller fountain has a sign that reads "colored," illustrating American illiberalism.

Society & Culture

Steven Hahn ’73 on America’s illiberal past and present

October 31, 2025

From eugenics to segregation, the Pulitzer Prize winner says America’s ‘darker impulses’ run deep.

Emblem of United Nations with UN member country flags and Secretariat Building in the background.

Society & Culture

After 80 years, is the United Nations past its prime?

October 20, 2025

Randall Stone, an expert on international institutions, explains the UN’s enduring influence—and its limits.

Black graduation cap on top of an American flag.

Society & Culture

Survey: Americans back higher ed—but worry about campus culture

October 15, 2025

University of Rochester’s James Druckman helps lead sweeping 50-state study on public attitudes toward universities.

Outer facade of the Mt. Hope Family Center building with fall foliate in the foreground.

Society & Culture

8 things to know about the University of Rochester’s Mt. Hope Family Center

October 6, 2025

For 45 years, this national resource has pioneered cutting-edge psychology research while providing support for thousands of vulnerable families annually.

A dandelion grows through the cracks in concrete to symbolize resilience in the face of stress.

Society & Culture

Understanding stress and resilience from the inside out

September 29, 2025

By studying the effects of persistent stress, URochester researchers are shedding light on how to be more resilient.

A vise tool holding a coin that says United States of America one dollar.

Society & Culture

When Washington tried to starve industries of loans—and failed

September 26, 2025

Federal regulators pressured banks to withdraw from controversial industries. A new study finds companies simply borrowed elsewhere.

image of illustrated medieval text

Society & Culture

Rochester project democratizes access to medieval English literature

September 22, 2025

The pioneering Middle English Texts Series “puts the literature out there for everybody,” making medieval English texts available to scholars and students around the world.

Close-up of a newspaper section titled "perspective" to illustrate opinion journalism.

Society & Culture

Opinion journalism in a polarized age: vital or vitriol?

September 9, 2025

Rochester philosopher Zeynep Soysal says opinion journalism helps the public navigate uncertainty—if its role is properly framed.

A mother comforts her daughter on a park bench.

Society & Culture

Why teens defy—and how parents can help

September 8, 2025

New research shows that teens heed warnings more when parents model their values and show understanding.

Teenager in a high school hallway leaning against a wall and looking at misinformation on his smartphone with other students in the background.

Society & Culture

How educators can help students navigate misinformation

When misinformation often travels faster than facts, teaching young people to discern credible sources has never been more urgent.

Two hands hold up a blue poster that says "hands off our healthcare, research, and jobs."

Society & Culture

Study: Widespread disapproval of federal interventions in science, public health

The findings, based on a sweeping national survey, help quantify the public’s verdict on recent federal policies.

A dog wearing a tin foil hat stares at an open laptop screen. Behind him is a "ripped from the headlines" collage of conspiracy theories a dog might believe.

Society & Culture

Who’s immune to conspiracy theories?

Rochester faculty on how political conspiracy theories start and spread—and why people believe them.