Looking for a thesis topic related to the internet and society...please help give me some direction! [more inside]
posted by metametababe on Oct 28, 2009 - 8 answers

If Karl Marx & Emma Goldman were arguing about the internet on Metafilter, what might they be saying? [more inside]
posted by jammy on Oct 18, 2009 - 10 answers

Why do people hate math and science so much? [more inside]
posted by chicago2penn on Oct 17, 2009 - 129 answers

For comedic purposes, I'm looking for flame wars on obscure and trivial subjects regarding consumer products. The idea came from video games and the intense passion around consoles (Xbox 360 vs. PS3, etc.), so I'd like to put together examples from other areas; e.g. cars, cameras, high-end audio, violin bow resin. Ideal examples would be highly emotional, petulant and way out of proportion to the issue at hand. Bonus points for posts that take perceived slights against the product as a personal attack or escalate into threats.
posted by mattholomew on Oct 12, 2009 - 38 answers

Looking for an article regarding the fact that single men are responsible for more social breakthroughs than are married men/fathers. [more inside]
posted by myodometer on Oct 3, 2009 - 3 answers

Help me name my wicked-cool collaborative learning group! [more inside]
posted by soma lkzx on Sep 24, 2009 - 18 answers

Our somewhat estranged neighbors just lost their 19 y/o son in a tragic accident. How do we communicate our sympathies? [more inside]
posted by keith0718 on Sep 12, 2009 - 28 answers

A few months ago I read about French-Canadian immigration into the U.S. from the 1840s to 1930s. Evidently, some of these immigrants established "Little Canadas." I'd like to learn more about them. [more inside]
posted by Korou on Aug 31, 2009 - 17 answers

Does the Secret Service investigate the vocal and written threats to President Obama that some people have been making at recent town hall meetings? [more inside]
posted by Smalltown Girl on Aug 13, 2009 - 14 answers

What is the real reason for [X]? [more inside]
posted by lunchbox on Jul 25, 2009 - 42 answers

How accurate are the media portrayals of young people engaging in risky sexual behaviors? [more inside]
posted by reenum on Jul 8, 2009 - 54 answers

SociologyFilter: "We are living in a society in which our perception is directed almost as often to representations as it is to ‘reality’" (Scott Lash). Any recommended writings on this notion, more recent than Baudrillard and Eco, and preferably with an emphasis on film, will be eagerly devoured.
posted by Holly on Jul 6, 2009 - 5 answers

What are some good examples of failing to learn from history? [more inside]
posted by Hargrimm on Jul 1, 2009 - 36 answers

How exactly did Christianity come to dominate the Western world to such an extent? [more inside]
posted by timepiece on Jun 24, 2009 - 42 answers

Books about Peru & Bolivia? [more inside]
posted by UbuRoivas on May 18, 2009 - 10 answers

I need a new "big think" book! I just finished Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers, and I loved his other books as well. I've read everything Jared Diamond has published (Collapse, Guns, Germs & Steel, The Third Chimpanzee etc.) I like books that stretch your brain and reveal the hidden factors in life, the world and society. [more inside]
posted by musofire on May 10, 2009 - 65 answers

I am looking for evidence / examples to support the concept that laws affect the moral / cultural landscape of society. [more inside]
posted by atmosphere on Apr 29, 2009 - 16 answers

I'm trying to find a book about Islam and intellectualism. I can remember the cover, and the content - but not the title or the author. Gah! [more inside]
posted by divabat on Apr 26, 2009 - 11 answers

I have a friend who just discovered new social media and he has no boundaries. How can I tell him to back off without hurting his feelings? [more inside]
posted by micawber on Apr 20, 2009 - 40 answers

I am looking for cross-disciplinary graduate/phd course in web technology. More specifically, relating to societal use of web from a global perspective. My goal is to become an expert in use of web based technologies in developing countries (which involves computer use, censorship, etc.). So far, what I have found is STS (science, technology and society) which sounds perfect, but from what I have seen, tend to be more in the areas of applied sciences and engineering. Then there is basic CS programs which tend to be more technology than societal aspects. Does anyone have any thoughts, ideas, recommendations? [more inside]
posted by _zed_ on Mar 31, 2009 - 7 answers

Strategies to maximize how I personally benefit from my leadership position in a regional professional society chapter ? [more inside]
posted by TheManChild2000 on Mar 14, 2009 - 5 answers

Without becoming some kind of super activist, what can I do to assist social change? [more inside]
posted by jacalata on Mar 13, 2009 - 29 answers

Looking for variety of different podcasts or radio shows to listen to. Please give me many recommendations. [more inside]
posted by reenum on Mar 3, 2009 - 16 answers

Where did flour come from? [more inside]
posted by allfortheBoss on Feb 24, 2009 - 16 answers

Is it rational for me to become irritated when I see people with their windshield wipers on full speed when there is only a light drizzle? Does this irritate anyone else?
posted by ascetic on Feb 19, 2009 - 59 answers

Can you please recommend some books on daily life, home life, and general society in the UK and the US in the 1840s - 1880s for me? I already have What Jane Austen Ate, and What Charles Dickens Knew and An Elegant Madness. It doesn't have to be specifically on daily life- creative nonfiction like Larson's The Devil in the White City or Johnson's The Ghost Map are awesome, too.
posted by headspace on Feb 16, 2009 - 13 answers

Recommend me a book with a good overview of the entire history of economic systems. [more inside]
posted by atmosphere on Feb 8, 2009 - 14 answers

I'm seeking an example of how standardization on something has had a major impact to the world. Basically, because X became a standard, we now have Y. (Where X is something that was non-standard and Y is something better than what existed before X became a standard). I thought the standardization of screw threading might be a good one, but the wikipedia page makes it seem like it was a more gradual process (with various standards being made throughout time). Any better examples for my presentation? [more inside]
posted by verevi on Jan 26, 2009 - 24 answers

A history of the camera and its' effects on modern society in five paragraphs. [more inside]
posted by Northwest on Jan 22, 2009 - 8 answers

Please help me learn more about cultures different from my own? [more inside]
posted by netbros on Jan 15, 2009 - 12 answers

What if we made a "week" 10 days long? [more inside]
posted by jasondbarr on Dec 11, 2008 - 34 answers

Are there any large (national) Art & Technology societies in the US? [more inside]
posted by Black_Umbrella on Oct 31, 2008 - 3 answers

Help me decode the Linear B of teens [more inside]
posted by mattholomew on Oct 26, 2008 - 10 answers

Should I continue to be myself or change for the sake of acceptance? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 14, 2008 - 24 answers

Who was the Ur-Paris? Who were the Paris Hiltons of yesteryear? Whenever I find myself in conversation with people-who-think-they're-smarter-than-everyone, I know that I will soon be subjected to a rant about how we now live in the most facile of times, obsessed with celebrities like Paris Hilton. I'd like to hear arguments for the opposing view: that this is nothing new, that, throughout history, it has always been human nature to be interested in the lives of certain people... [more inside]
posted by surenoproblem on Oct 5, 2008 - 50 answers

Does insanity exist, outside the subjective viewpoint of a given society? [more inside]
posted by datter on Oct 2, 2008 - 50 answers

What is normally considered "appropriate recreational bathroom activities" in US culture? (Safe for work) [more inside]
posted by arniec on Sep 22, 2008 - 60 answers

What happens to your credit after walking out of your house? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Sep 2, 2008 - 15 answers

Why do people hate hippies so much? [more inside]
posted by Who_Am_I on Jul 31, 2008 - 70 answers

What institutions/artefacts/services has the internet categorically seen the back of?
posted by MrMerlot 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 by Precision on Jun 20, 2008 - 57 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 by vizsla 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 by Joakim Ziegler on Jun 11, 2008 - 2 answers

I need a list of of foreign chemical societies. [more inside]
posted by yoyo_nyc 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 by pipstar 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 by so_necessary on Apr 15, 2008 - 5 answers

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

How do you fake American? [more inside]
posted by lpsguy on Apr 10, 2008 - 66 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 by pipstar on Mar 19, 2008 - 1 answer

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 by arcticwoman on Feb 13, 2008 - 2 answers