Humanities & Society

Think being color blind is a disadvantage? Washington University anthropologist Amanda Melin says don’t be so sure. Color blindness actually may give some animals, and people, a competitive edge.

​​Want to make sure your child graduates from high school? Don’t move.A new study from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis finds that students experiencing at least one move over a twelve month period have a roughly 50 percent decreased likelihood of obtaining a high school diploma by age 25. These associations are identified regardless of whether students move to a poorer or more affluent area.​ ​

A bipartisan groups of United States senators announced Oct. 1 legislation that would overhaul the country’s criminal justice system, giving judges more leeway in sentencing and reducing sentences for some nonviolent offenders. A move in the right direction, said Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, an expert on criminal justice system reform at the Brown School, but the bill doesn’t go far enough.

Pope Francis is widely expected to address a range of issues when he visits the United States Sept. 22-27, including the crisis of mass incarceration in the US criminal justice system. The attention is needed and welcome, said a criminal justice reform expert Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School.

The Supreme Court decision that the Constitution requires that gay couples be allowed to marry no matter where they live has caused many religious conservatives to feel that the tax-exempt status of religious institutions is under threat. There is a fundamental reason we should protect religious organizations — even those we disagree with, said John Inazu, JD, associate professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis.

The number of uninsured people in America dropped by 8.8 million in 2014, according to a report released Sept. 16 from the U.S. Census Bureau. This number is significant because it is the first Census Bureau report since the widespread implementation of the Affordable Care Act, said a health economist at Washington University in St. Louis. “This is a big deal,” said Timothy McBride, PhD, professor at the Brown School and noted health policy analyst.

A national conference held at Washington University in St. Louis Sept. 24-27 will begin a conversation on finding a lasting solution to America’s incarceration problem. Organized by Carrie Pettus-Davis, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School, the conference will discuss and evaluate proposals for sustainable and effective decarceration of America’s jails and prisons.

For more than 40 years, the Brown School and the Family Resource Center have been working together to give abused children hope and a better life.

A look at the impact the 40-plus-year partnership between the Brown School and the Family Resource Center has had on the community.

Brittany Packnett’s commitment to social justice has taken her from the streets of Ferguson all the way to the White House, where she helped shape policy to make policing less racially biased.