Humanities & Society

The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is not only a great loss to Pakistan, but also a great loss to the world says a sociocultural anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis who lived in Pakistan for six months and whose research focuses on Islamic movements in that country and in Afghanistan.

Photo by Mary Butkus / WUSTL PhotoStudy finds that the larger the bill, the smaller the tip percentage.With the holiday season upon us, Americans are grappling more than ever with what’s appropriate when it comes to rewarding service providers with tips, gifts and other token gratuities, suggests Leonard Green, a psychology professor in Arts & Sciences who studies tipping behavior at Washington University in St. Louis. Video available.

It’s possible to keep your diet intact during the holidays.The holiday season, with all its sweet temptations, is in full swing. However, all those holiday parties and office gatherings laden with scrumptious food and drink don’t have to mean the end of your weight loss plan. It’s still possible to enjoy the bounty and not feel deprived of your favorite holiday dishes, says Connie Diekman, director of University Nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis. Video available.

“Faith in Schools?” is focus of new book by WUSTL’s Ian MacMullen.Arguing that democratic principles do not support a strict separation of church and state in educational policy, a new book contends that government has both the responsibility to pay for religious schools and the right to regulate what’s taught within them.

For college students, the winter break can be a welcome time off. Classes are over, finals are finished and it’s a time to spend with family and friends. But, says a practicing psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis, the break between semesters can also be a very stressful time for students.

As the holidays approach, toy store shelves are stocked with toys that make noise. While toys with sound may be appealing to children, William Clark, Ph.D., director of audiology and communication sciences at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, cautions parents to be careful in choosing such toys.

Psychiatry researchers at the School of Medicine have found that a clinical diagnosis of alcohol dependence in young adults is associated with having a high number of sex partners. Their study, published in the December issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, also found links between a conduct disorder diagnosis and high numbers of sexual partners as well as between problem drinking and more partners.

Early childhood education advocates have a new weapon at their disposal. Recent research by an economics professor at Washington University in St. Louis provides evidence that preprimary education leads to more years spent in school based on the experience of children from relatively disadvantaged households in Uruguay.

John C. (Jack) Danforth, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations since July 1, will deliver a major policy address that will focus on his vision of the United Nations’ role in working to resolve international crises. He will speak at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 22, in Graham Chapel at Washington University in St. Louis. The event is open only to the Washington University community, including students, faculty, staff and alumni.

The cowpox virus, a much milder cousin of the deadly smallpox virus, can keep infected host cells from warning the immune system that they have been compromised, researchers at the School of Medicine have found. The scientists also showed that more virulent poxviruses, such as the strains of monkeypox prevalent in Central Africa, likely have the same ability.