Author: TheConversation

By Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy, Associate Teaching Professor of American Studies, Miami University When Bernie Sanders emerged as a Democratic front-runner in the race for the presidential nomination, some left-leaning pundits and publications were concerned about what they saw as his potential lack of electability. Sanders is a Democratic Socialist. And the label “socialist” has been a political liability in American culture. According to a Gallup poll released on February 11 only 45% of Americans would vote for a socialist. I am a scholar of American culture with an interest in the relationship between political ideologies and popular culture. In my...

By Anjana Susarla, Associate Professor of Information Systems, Michigan State University “Cancel culture” has become a pervasive phenomenon, giving rise it as an overly judgmental approach to activism that does little to bring about change. For the uninitiated, here’s a quick primer on the phenomenon: An individual or an organization says, supports or promotes something that other people find offensive. They swarm, piling on the criticism via social media channels. Then that person or company is largely shunned, or “canceled.” It happened to Chick-fil-A when its ties to organizations such as Focus on the Family invited backlash from LGBTQ...

By Simon F. Haeder, Assistant Professor of Public Policy, Pennsylvania State University Living in rural America certainly comes with a number of benefits. There is less crime, access to the outdoors, and lower costs of living. Yet, not everything is rosy outside the city limits. Rural communities face growing infrastructure problems like decaying water systems. And they have more limited access to amenities ranging from grocery stores to movie theaters, lower quality schools, and less access to high-speed internet. Yet perhaps most daunting are the tremendous health disparities rural Americans face, in terms of both their own health and...