Humanities & Society

Few things are as certain as the end of life, so why is it so hard to talk about? That’s a question that many families will be grappling with over the holidays. And while it’s easy to put off dark discussions during festive times, it’s best to have them sooner than later, says Brian Carpenter, a psychologist who studies family relations in later life at Washington University in St. Louis.

Cultural education through tourism. An app for assisting physical therapy patients. A self-care subscription box. These are a few of the business concepts being launched during this semester’s social entrepreneurship class at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis.

More and better health care will be necessary, but not sufficient, to advance better overall population health and to address lingering health disparities, says Jason Purnell, an expert on public health at Washington University in St. Louis. Purnell has written a chapter in the newly released book “What It’s Worth: Strengthening the Financial Future of Families, Communities, and the Nation.”

Most Americans live within 25 miles of their mothers, according to a study co-authored by an economics researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. The study calls into question a widespread belief that when children grow up, they’re likely to move far away and not be on hand to help out when their mothers get […]

The Gephardt Institute celebrates its ­10-year anniversary with a renewed focus on engagement. Its Civic Scholars Program exemplifies the mission: to develop engaged citizens and build strong communities.

Across higher education, colleges and universities refer to a tripartite mission of teaching, research and service. Today, the shift in service is one away from a charitable orientation toward one that embraces a problem-solving, partnership-based approach.

What do you do if you are trying to save a very rare and shy animal? How do you even find them? Anthropologist Joseph Orkin, PhD ’14, called in Pinkerton. No, not the detective agency, the dog.

It’s a response made all too often by politicians in the wake of a mass shooting or violent act of terrorism: Keeping all in “thoughts and prayers.” This week, in the wake of the Dec. 2 shooting incident in San Bernardino, Calif., that sentiment seemed to reached a breaking point and shed light on the wide political and rhetorical chasm dividing the country, said John Inazu, JD, an expert on law and religion at Washington University in St. Louis.

Who were the Pilgrims? Who were the Puritans? And how did they view Native Americans? As the annual Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Abram Van Engen, PhD, assistant professor of English in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, discusses the beliefs of the two groups, the differences between them and the theology of sympathy.

Israel’s parliament has passed a law funding long-term savings accounts for all newborns, based on a proposal developed by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, PhD, professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and associate director of the Center for Social Development (CSD), and on research efforts led by Michael Sherraden, PhD, the George Warren Brown Distinguished University Professor and director of CSD.