Ask or aks? How linguistic prejudice perpetuates inequality
Teacher and artist Sunn M'Cheaux has been posting on social media about "linguicism" after a reader asked him about the word "ax," saying: "Why did we struggle saying 'ask?' Like when I was little, I always said 'ax." Like I couldn't say the word cor.....»»
Could the Netherlands crack the secret of language learning using this approach?
From the UK government's latest post-Brexit language-learning reforms to France's eternal debates over the supposed linguistic inadequacy of its youth, governments regularly scratch their heads over how to improve how languages are taught......»»
Genes and languages aren"t always found together, says new study
More than 7,000 languages are spoken in the world. This linguistic diversity is passed on from one generation to the next, similarly to biological traits. But have language and genes evolved in parallel over the past few thousand years, as Charles Da.....»»
Save the economy, save the planet, says sustainability expert
A new book by UVM economist Jon Erickson, "The Progress Illusion: Reclaiming Our Future from the Fairytale of Economics" (Island Press, Dec. 1) explores the harsh economic realities that have led to sky-high inflation, growing inequality, polarized p.....»»
Gender inequality is still rampant in the maritime longshore profession
Gender equality has made enormous strides over the past century. In Canada today, women participate in the labor market at much higher rates than they used to—there are almost 3.5 times more women working now than there were in the 1950s......»»
South Africa can reduce emissions and create jobs. A tough task, but doable
South Africa has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of unemployment and inequality in the world. It is also one of the world's most emissions-intensive economies, measured in greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic outpu.....»»
Racial bias in white children linked to beliefs about the causes of inequality, new study finds
White children who are exposed to larger racial inequalities in their daily lives and who see those inequalities as due to intrinsic differences between people are more likely to hold racial biases in their perceptions of Black children. By contrast,.....»»
Government can minimize racial inequality in criminal justice by reducing police stops, detention, and long sentences
To reduce racial inequality in the U.S. criminal justice system, local, state, and federal government should explore ways to reduce police stops and searches, jail detention, prison admission, and long sentences, says a new report from the National A.....»»
Nazi propaganda from 1927–1945 reveals the role of dehumanization of Jews in the Holocaust
A linguistic analysis of Nazi propaganda suggests that dehumanization of Jews shifted over time, with propaganda after the onset of the Holocaust portraying Jews as having a greater capacity for agency, relative to earlier propaganda focused on disen.....»»
Boise is trying to fight climate change, inequality with trees. Here"s how it works
Lining the streets of Boise's North End are stands of tall trees, with broad leaves that merge into a canopy, providing cool shade to pedestrians in the summer months......»»
Study reveals extent of gender inequality in start-up landscape
Women are significantly underrepresented in German and French start-ups, especially in technical industries. This applies to both founders and employees, as a study from TUM in collaboration with the Roland Berger Foundation for European Management n.....»»
New report details worsening racial inequality in home appraisals
In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, sex and nation of origin in the sale, rental or financing of housing. More than 50 years later, however, discrimination in the h.....»»
Why inequality is growing in the US and around the world
U.S. income inequality grew in 2021 for the first time in a decade, according to data the Census Bureau released in September 2022......»»
Apple’s Craig Federighi says iMessage for Android would have ‘held us back in innovating’
iMessage is a powerful messaging platform for iPhone users that changed the game for messaging, but over the years, it has also served as a lock-in tactic and even developed a prejudice between Android and iPhone users. In an interview this week, Ap.....»»
How financial technology can discriminate against people speaking minority dialects: New evidence from China
In the U.K., studies have repeatedly found evidence of accentism. Prejudice based on someone's way of speaking can affect people in the classroom, the office and beyond......»»
Social grants offer cash, but they aren"t a magic bullet response to inequality in the Global South
Over the last three decades, there has been a proliferation of social protection programs across the Global South in what some have dubbed a development revolution. International development agencies across the ideological spectrum have embraced soci.....»»
Media messages that humanize outgroups don"t combat prejudice, study finds
It seems intuitive: if you want to soften hearts toward marginalized people, show that they are human like everyone else. That's the theory behind untold media messages depicting "outgroups" having relatable experiences, such as images of immigrants.....»»
Mental health in the UK is about to get worse, and inequality will have a lot to do with it
The U.K. government's recent mini-budget has come in for a lot of criticism. Its effect on stock markets, pensions and the value of the pound have barely been out of the news. As a clinical psychologist, one issue I find alarming, but has barely been.....»»
First global survey of mayors shows urgent climate, infrastructure, equity challenges
A new global survey of city leaders underscores pressing challenges facing municipalities, including rising inequality, extreme heat and flood risks exacerbated by climate change, and a need to rebalance transportation systems that overly favor priva.....»»
In Schools, Honest Talk about Racism Can Reduce Discrimination
New laws make it harder for teachers to discuss racism and inequality, but psychological evidence shows these conversations dispel causes of bias and distress.....»»
We analysed NZ Twitter users" language during lockdown, with surprising results
Social media has the reputation of being spontaneous, rushed, prone to typos and ungrammatical sentences, and generally a linguistic disaster. And some of it is. However, analysis of Twitter posts on the topic of COVID-19 suggests there is more to so.....»»