What institutions/artefacts/services has the internet categorically seen the back of?
posted on Jun 21, 2008 - 40 answers

If you work (or have in recent memory) in a service position, what are the pet peeves/annoyances you remember most that people in general can fix? No matter if you're a dentist, waiter, teacher, or used car salesman, let us know (: [more inside]
posted on Jun 20, 2008 - 56 answers

Does porn benefit society? Over the years we've read a lot about the ills of pornography but the world doesn't seem to be falling apart any faster than it was before the internet came along. What's the latest thinking on this? [more inside]
posted on Jun 18, 2008 - 22 answers

I'm looking for recommendations on books on purported (modern) religious miracles in Latin America, and their impact on society and politics. [more inside]
posted on Jun 11, 2008 - 2 answers

I need a list of of foreign chemical societies. [more inside]
posted on May 23, 2008 - 3 answers

Lately, the concept of "friends" seems to have become incredibly diluted by the casual use of the term by Facebook, MySpace et al. But in "the real world" what do you consider to be important when you are making and becoming friends? Is it how long you've known someone? How frequently you meet up? What you have in common? Something more intangible? Also, I'd love recommendations of any books looking at the psychology of how people become friends.
posted on May 14, 2008 - 21 answers

I am looking for good pairs of quotes/articles/other from different points in history, which make the same observation but both think they're identifying a recent or "modern" social change. [more inside]
posted on Apr 15, 2008 - 5 answers

Looking for off the beaten path podcasts and ways to find podcasts online. [more inside]
posted on Apr 15, 2008 - 10 answers

How do you fake American? [more inside]
posted on Apr 10, 2008 - 64 answers

I've decided that I want to research / work in the development of strong, sustainable local communities using social networks, web and mobile technologies and urban design practice (particularly new urbanism). The problem is, I don't know how or where to get started in this field. [more inside]
posted on Mar 19, 2008 - 1 answers

I have been asked at the last minute to incorporate some Bakunin into my paper (due Friday) on 19th Century theories of community. Not having read any Bakunin before, and not having much time to work on this, I am in a bit of a pickle. I am more than happy to do the relevant reading if only I can identify it. Can someone who has read Bakunin please recommend to me some specific pieces I should read? I am interested in ideas of what community is and should be, how it is created and maintained, why it is necessary, etc. For reference, the major theorist I am drawing on for this paper is Ferdinand Tonnies.
posted on Feb 13, 2008 - 2 answers

I'm looking for books where the author immerses himself in an experience and then writes about it [more inside]
posted on Feb 7, 2008 - 54 answers

Are there any books that take a Freakonomics like approach to explaining and analyzing urban sprawl? [more inside]
posted on Feb 6, 2008 - 14 answers

Does doing anything sex-industry-related (from taking a nude photo to actually working as a prostitute or exotic dancer) actually damn you from ever living a successful life in another area? Has anyone ever managed to be known and respected in their field without falling into "OMG SHE POSED NUDE" controversy? [more inside]
posted on Jan 28, 2008 - 49 answers

[ConversationFilter] Me no speaky so good no more. Please help! [more inside]
posted on Jan 19, 2008 - 26 answers

Looking for books that talk about aspects of society or culture in new and interesting ways. [more inside]
posted on Jan 10, 2008 - 20 answers

Where can I find a downloadable version of Michael Murphey's classic, "Temple of the Sun" to download? Of course I am willing to pay for the copyrighted, legal, etc. version. But I would rather not have to buy the entire Swans Against the Sun CD to get this one song. Also, HUGE Bonus Points if you can lead me to similar(?) songs which might interest my sons (see inside for more on this challenge). [more inside]
posted on Jan 7, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm considering applying for a maths PhD in Singapore. I'm from the UK. I'd like some thoughts on living there for an extended period. As far as I can tell there's been a certain degree of liberalization recently - any opinion on that?
posted on Nov 28, 2007 - 7 answers

Books about Burma? [more inside]
posted on Nov 19, 2007 - 17 answers

What was the greatest thing before sliced bread came along? [more inside]
posted on Nov 19, 2007 - 30 answers

What are some good books and magazines related to social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, and the Fourth Sector? [more inside]
posted on Oct 9, 2007 - 4 answers

How many organizations are fading away due to a generation gap? [more inside]
posted on Sep 18, 2007 - 34 answers

I'd like to build a clock that makes shifting to daylight savings time unnecessary by instead gaining or losing a bit of time each day as appropriate for the season so that when the second Sunday in March and first Sunday in November roll around it's already in sync. Setting aside the logistics of making this work from a societial point of view, how would you do it technically? Something like leap seconds or leap minutes? Or smaller changes on a more constant interval? [more inside]
posted on Aug 31, 2007 - 26 answers

Are there any currently active futurists/pundits with a good track record of predicting societal changes 10+ years in the future? Who should I be reading now to understand where things are going? Or is any speculation about the world 10-20 years from now strictly in the realm of science fiction?
posted on Aug 3, 2007 - 12 answers

Has anyone taken the language courses offered by the Japan Society in New York? [more inside]
posted on Jul 17, 2007 - 8 answers

How do you socialize if you don't like to be photographed? [more inside]
posted on Jul 7, 2007 - 98 answers

How can I learn to be scathingly witty? Most of the people in my life are bright intellectuals with sharp tongues. I wish to compete with them in repartee. [more inside]
posted on Jul 2, 2007 - 69 answers

Say something medically catastrophic happened to human beings and most of them were wiped off the earth. The buildings and monuments and such remained, intact but uncared for. How long would the highrise buildings stand and be relatively livable? How long would it take for a building to come down? [more inside]
posted on Jan 4, 2007 - 23 answers

How to deal with disruptive university students who are determined to ruin the course and the tutors? [more inside]
posted on Nov 12, 2006 - 32 answers

EconomyFilter: I have a difficult time figuring out why the Dow Index breaking 12,000 translates into anything good for the average person on the street. Help me understand! [more inside]
posted on Oct 19, 2006 - 41 answers

Any ideas on the effects of a prolonged solar eclipse, say 10-30 years? [more inside]
posted on Oct 7, 2006 - 43 answers

What's the difference between "society" and "culture"? [more inside]
posted on Sep 24, 2006 - 5 answers

Are teenagers the same around the world and through all cultures? [more inside]
posted on Sep 23, 2006 - 20 answers

Currency Exchange: I have a handful of Japanese Yen and a desire the British pound wasn't so strong. What are my best options for getting my Yen converted into Sterling? [more inside]
posted on Sep 21, 2006 - 6 answers

What were some of the most idyllic communities to have ever existed? I’m not looking for opinions, I’m looking for hard anthropological examples or studies that have been carried out on such cultures. [more inside]
posted on Aug 29, 2006 - 9 answers

For our society to evolve to the next level, what kind of surpluses do we need to have? [more inside]
posted on Jun 21, 2006 - 33 answers

I need a link to the online test that analysis political conservatism and social conservatism. [more inside]
posted on Jun 16, 2006 - 6 answers

Where did I read the claim that organized society as we know it here in the US could fall apart in as little as 72 hours? [more inside]
posted on May 8, 2006 - 21 answers

I'm having trouble tracking down information about a movement in Dada-ist Art I heard about a few years ago. From what I remember Dadaist idealism inspired a group of artists to contemplate the organic development of urban environments. Art, using the defined structure of the city, to reflect the chaotic order which arises from nature. Did this century old movement exist or has my brain made it up?
posted on Apr 26, 2006 - 10 answers

In general, how do non-American men view American women? Repressed, promiscuous, intelligent, arrogant, superficial, attractive, aggressive, etc.
posted on Mar 10, 2006 - 56 answers

A question regarding people's reaction to foreign-looking people. [more inside]
posted on Feb 24, 2006 - 46 answers

there are, at least to my mind, many nefarious things going on in this country, at all levels. i recently voiced a specific complaint to a friend of mind. his reply was 'this is the way the 'man' wants it.' who is this 'man' anyway?
posted on Dec 26, 2005 - 16 answers

Where can I find an extensive list of 'labeled generations'? (i.e. 'X', 'Y', 'The Greatest', 'Baby Boomers', etc.) [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2005 - 8 answers

Using music to understand the French riots? [more inside]
posted on Nov 17, 2005 - 18 answers

Social class specific first names ? Are there in the US any specific trends regarding the choice of first names related to the social class ? [more inside]
posted on Nov 15, 2005 - 23 answers

are there any socially-accepted addictions anymore?
posted on Nov 11, 2005 - 58 answers

Why are countries and most people against secession? [more inside]
posted on Oct 17, 2005 - 29 answers

Why is the marijuana usage rate in Japan (0.05%) so much lower than anywhere else?
posted on Sep 9, 2005 - 36 answers

What are some examples of a particular type of music being associated with a gang or criminal subculture? [more inside]
posted on Sep 2, 2005 - 30 answers

I'm over 30 and probably know as much or less about history, politics/ gov, and current events as my 7 year old niece. Now, I want to be aware and don't know where to begin. I've tried just "merging in" but the references, terms, and names are lost on me. I need a starting point that will give me a framework or bird's eye view to start from and build on. [more inside]
posted on Jul 24, 2005 - 27 answers