Sociology Archives

American parents need comprehensive work-family plan

A reported proposal by Vice President JD Vance redirecting childcare subsidies to married couples with a stay-at-home parent will not address fundamental challenges in the market, including soaring costs and limited availability, according to WashU sociologist Caitlyn Collins.

Sociology

Chiarello named IAS fellow, recognized for best sociology book

Sociologist Elizabeth Chiarello, in WashU Arts & Sciences, was honored by both the American Sociological Association and the Institute for Advanced Study for her work at the intersection of patient care and criminal justice.

History & Education

Inequality and Opportunity in America

What are the main drivers of inequality in America, and how can we increase opportunity? WashU’s Sandro Galea sits down with Stanford’s Lukas Althoff to explore the role education may have in solving these issues.

Lukas Althoff

Humanities & Society

Caste: A Global Story

Caste is a prominent feature of India’s society, but are its principles endemic to today’s global society as well? WashU’s Sandro Galea sits down with Penn scholar Suraj Yengde to discuss how a better understanding of caste can inform our efforts to address racism and injustice across the world.

Suraj Yengde

Sociology

Research reveals evolving fatherhood expectations

Fatherhood today is shaped by two powerful expectations: to be actively involved in caregiving and to provide financially, according to research by Patrick Ishizuka, assistant professor of sociology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Politics

Political Polarization and the Future of Democracy

Is polarization a threat to democracy or one of its inherent features? WashU’s Sandro Galea sits down with Johns Hopkins University’s Lilliana Mason to discuss the deep divides that define today’s political landscape.

Lilliana Mason

Awards & Notables

Public Scholarship names faculty fellows

Salma Abdalla, at WashU Public Health, and Liz Chiarello, in WashU Arts & Sciences, have been named 2026 Public Scholarship faculty fellows in recognition of their work that connects rigorous research with public audiences.

Health & Society

Power, Knowledge, and COVID-19

Did the scientific community’s response to the pandemic fall short of the reasoned pursuit of truth? Alex Broadbent of Durham University and Pieter Streicher of the University of Johannesburg—authors of a new book on science during the COVID moment—join WashU’s Sandro Galea to discuss what is still to be learned from the pandemic.

Alex Broadbent and Pieter Streicher

Sociology

Policing Patients

Treatment and Surveillance on the Frontlines of the Opioid Crisis

Faced with a drug crisis that has claimed more than a million lives, legislatures, courts and policymakers have enlisted the help of technology in the hopes of curtailing prescriptions and preventing deaths. This book reveals how “Trojan horse” technology embeds the logics of surveillance in the practice of medicine.

Politics

Immigration in a Changing World

In the hotly contested debate surrounding U.S. immigration policy, what does it take to find common ground? Alexander Kustov, an expert in public opinion and democratic governance and a professor of global affairs at the University of Notre Dame, joins host Sandro Galea to discuss the factors driving this debate.

Alexander Kustov

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