Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with society

"These youths wearing their togas halfway down their legs"

Petrot — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:32:33 -0800

My father says that a decline in morals and standards is a particularly modern occurrence. What argument, quotes or sources can I use to persuade him that people have been complaining of societal decline for thousands of years? I'm not too concerned with arguing the specific facts (he is a stubborn old-fashioned Catholic, with all that that entails), but I would like to convince him that he's not experiencing anything new in regards to today's society and youth.

I would really like quotes from as early in history as possible right up to about the 1940s/50s that complain about their society and how things are all going downhill, and it wasn't like that in their day etc.

Thanks!

The dress code is not the problem...

Anonymous — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:40:50 -0800

What's it like to be a member of The Union League Club? I am for several reasons considering ULC membership. Specifically, ULC of Chicago. Me: 40ish professional, whose political views seem tame and ordinary here on Metafilter, yet probably fall well to the left of many ULCC members. I realize that clubs like this tend to attract conservatives--even here in proletariat Chicago--but I've never voted Republican and don't expect that to change. I use the proper forks and hold the correct degrees and etc... But I'm also an atheist, I’ve never been golfing, I live in the city, and I don’t humor bigots...no matter who their parents were.

Is joining a mistake? Am I likely to meet at least some interesting members that I'll relate to? I'd be grateful to hear from any MeFite ULC or ULCC members, or others with insights or experiences regarding membership in clubs of this type. [p.s. I'm anonymous to avoid linking my professional practice identity with my posting history.] Thank you.

How do I make the most of the Internet?

logicalsequence — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 06:05:42 -0800

How do I make the most of the Internet? I find myself reading the same (primarily boring) websites on the Internet and want to make more use of my online time. What can I do to connect with others more effectively, to discover new ideas more easily, to partake in my hobbies more effectively, to become more innovative/creative or to contribute to society more?

All I seem to be using the Internet for at the minute is for checking Facebook and a couple of forums and blogs relating to my hobbies.

Please feel free to suggest ideas or specific websites.

Thanks.

Go Elk? young man?

parmanparman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:06:24 -0800

I have been invited to become an Elk! At 30 years of age, I feel like this one achievement, however dubious, finally signals my movement into adulthood. But there must be better, more awesome, and my own-age groups to join. Tell me what they are!

Thesis topics related to the Internet

metametababe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:40:39 -0800

Looking for a thesis topic related to the internet and society...please help give me some direction! I'm looking for Masters thesis topics related to the internet. The topic can be anything related to the internet, from the impact of Tor on Burma to peer production methods in Wikipedia to internet security.

What questions do you have about the Internet that you wish someone would take a year and some research funds to answer?

(Any other resources you may have on generating research questions from vague ideas would be VERY helpful. (I did a search, of course, but didn't find very much.))

Radical critiques of cyberspace?

jammy — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 07:02:44 -0800

If Karl Marx & Emma Goldman were arguing about the internet on Metafilter, what might they be saying? What kind of radical left analysis &/or commentary exists concerning the internet, new media, & computer technology? Looking for books, articles, essays, websites, etc...

I am most interested in work that takes relatively recent social & technological developments into account (e.g., the rise of social networking sites, mobile devices, etc., or advances in robotics & prosthetics).

Gracias!

Does math have big scary teeth or something?

chicago2penn — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 09:30:02 -0800

Why do people hate math and science so much? I study cosmology for a living. Whenever I tell people this (and I usually use the word astronomy), I usually get one of three responses: 1) 'Oh, well... that must be hard' 2) 'I couldn't even begin to understand any of that' or 3) 'Cosmotology! Can you do my hair? Haha!'

This kind of gets to me after a while, and I was thinking last night about how people generally dismiss math and science (my passions in life!) from conversation. To the best of my consideration there are two reasons for this, certain people are actually incapable of understanding math and science, or they are afraid of it. I really hope the answer is the latter.

I then began to think about people's ideas of a well-rounded, well-educated individual: he/she is expected to have read Shakespeare, but he/she is not expected to know the two postulates of relativity, or all three of Newton's laws, or what a derivative is. This is at least my impression from my experiences in my tier-1 college and grad school (you can probably guess where from my username).

So what's the deal?

Why do elementary school teachers teach multiplication tables for 6 years and call that math?
Why do people tell women that they can't do math?
Why do people treat me, a scientist, as if my work is that much more esoteric and specialized than someone else with a similar degree in another field?
Is the ability to do math a learned behaviour, or is it somehow intrinsic knowledge?

Basically, what the hell is so scary about math?!

Forum Warz

mattholomew — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:39:53 -0800

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.

I need help locating an article about how single men are more successful than married men.

myodometer — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 22:08:41 -0800

Looking for an article regarding the fact that single men are responsible for more social breakthroughs than are married men/fathers. Several months (possibly a couple years) ago, I remember reading an article regarding a study that determined that single men are responsible for more breakthroughs in the science world (for example) than are married men. The article outlined the how and why of these results. I believe it possibly also mentioned the health-boosting effects of long-term relationships over the health-diminishing nature of the bachelor lifestyle.

However, my Google-fu skills have failed me in locating this article again. Anyone out there know what I'm talking about?

I have a baby education society, now it needs a name.

soma lkzx — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 10:52:48 -0800

Help me name my wicked-cool collaborative learning group! This question has more backstory on the project, but the basics are: a bunch of people get together to work through a book or topic together, about which none of them are experts. We'll be holding a few classes at a time.

Facts: We're in Brooklyn, probably doing it around the Gowanus, classes will run the gamut from crafty to pure bookish intellectualism

Notes: A lot of words related to collaboration make us sound like an anarchist collective. We're trying to avoid that! We'd also prefer to sound fun over being a horribly formal institution, but we don't want it to be embarrassed to say it out loud. It also isn't a requirement that the name be entirely descriptive.

Things we like: If every class also was about prom, we'd just call it The Dilettante Ball. Brooklyn Guild unfortunately already exists. Brooklyn Creative League has a fun name, too.

and sure, these classes will probably be full of hipsters, so it's okay to court them a little bit as long as you don't alienate Everyone Else

How to express condolences with estranged neighbor?

keith0718 — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:26:41 -0800

Our somewhat estranged neighbors just lost their 19 y/o son in a tragic accident. How do we communicate our sympathies? We had a small disagreement with them when we first moved here and because of that bad impression we've never really developed a relationship with them. We're civil, but there's tension. I'm going out of my mind trying to think of an appropriate response to their inconceivable loss. They have tons of support from family and friends. They don't need ours...but I want to communicate our condolences in an appropriate manner.

Let's go to Little Canada!

Korou — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:15:40 -0800

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. Are they still established in some form, like Little Italys or Chinatowns? How did their culture change from when they lived in Canada to living in the U.S.? What resources cover this topic? (there are some sources mentioned on the page I read)

I had never heard about this type of immigrant community, and hadn't ever considered their existence. What other little covered, niche, or surprising immigrant groups came/are coming to the States?

Is the Secret Service at work?

Smalltown Girl — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:39:39 -0800

Does the Secret Service investigate the vocal and written threats to President Obama that some people have been making at recent town hall meetings? Does the Secret Service investigate the vocal and written threats to President Obama that some people have been making at recent town hall meetings? I'm talking about events where Obama hasn't appeared but some shouters and sign-writers are clearly threatening the president.
Also, what about that guy outside a town hall meeting with a gun strapped to his leg? I know, I know...Americans have a right to arm bears and bear arms, but this looked scary. (PS--I live in Texas, home of "you must carry a gun or you're a lefty pinko wimp.")

What is the real reason for [X]?

lunchbox — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 23:40:00 -0800

What is the real reason for [X]? I read the following in a Paul Graham essay:
"…The stated purpose of Powerpoint is to present ideas. Its real role is to overcome people’s fear of public speaking. It allows you to give an impressive-looking talk about nothing, and it causes the audience to sit in a dark room looking at slides, instead of a bright one looking at you.”

I feel that adopting this general way of thinking about the hidden reasons things exist can help me gain a better understanding of human nature and society.

What are some examples of other things (products, institutions, traditions, protocols, etc.) that are known to exist for reasons other than those stated up front?

Are those gosh durned kids really having as much free love as the Tv says?

reenum — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:24:24 -0800

How accurate are the media portrayals of young people engaging in risky sexual behaviors? Recently, I've noticed that a lot of media outlets seem to be sensationalizing the sexual practices of people in their teens and 20's. These sources would have you believe that these groups are always 'hooking up', they prefer oral sex to kissing, and that now engage in sexual activity first and date if the experience is positive. Things along those lines.

I'm 30, so I was a teen in the early 90's. I find it hard to believe that sexual mores have changed all that much in the last 15 years. Obviously, I don't get much action, so I can't speak from experience. Have things really become as open and free as the media would have us believe?

Are there any studies or news stories that give statistics of how prevalent sexual activity and risky sexual behaviors are in teens and twentysomethings? Anecdotes are also welcome.

What are we looking at here?

Holly — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:57:25 -0800

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.

Never fight a land war in Asia

Hargrimm — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:30:08 -0800

What are some good examples of failing to learn from history? I was having a discussion with a friend, and I brought up the trope that "those who do not study history are doomed to repeat it." I was challenged to provide some examples, but all I could come up with on the spot was that America goes through a similar bubble and burst economic breakdown every twenty years or so. So I'm looking for more concrete examples of when a person/society made a mistake that could have been avoided by looking at history. Something like Hitler making the mistake of invading Russia in the winter, which has been proven to be foolhardy in the past by Napoleon, among others.

How did the Christian take over?

timepiece — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 12:38:22 -0800

How exactly did Christianity come to dominate the Western world to such an extent? I've always been amazed at the extent to which Western society is dominated to the Christian faith, to the exclusion of almost all others.

I can see how it follows logically that since the Americas (and Australia) were primarily colonized by Western Europe that their religion would dominate in those areas, but how did it come to take over Western Europe so thoroughly in the first place? What is it about the religion that was so appealing that people converted? Or was it simply the advantage of having the same religion as the emperor (meaning Constantine, since he seems to be the lynchpin of popularity, from what I've read)? Were there tangible (monetary/civic) advantages to being Christian in the late Roman Empire?

Books about Peru & Bolivia?

UbuRoivas — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:15:37 -0800

Books about Peru & Bolivia? Looking for recommendations for books (fiction or non-fiction) to read as background info for an upcoming trip to Peru & Bolivia.

I Need a New Big Think Book!

musofire — Sun, 10 May 2009 17:03:14 -0800

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. I like books that make you look at stuff you think you know about, which show you a new perspective. I liked Moneyball, and Better, and Complications. I just enjoyed The Black Swan.

I also like the same kinds of books in a historical context, e.g. 1491, Twilight of the Mammoths, The Dinosaur Heresies and Changes in the Land.

I'm not that fond of Thomas Friedman, who seems a master of the obvious, and Ray Kurzweil seems a bit breathless.

Who else should I read?

Show me evidence that laws alter the normative landscape of society.

atmosphere — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:22:59 -0800

I am looking for evidence / examples to support the concept that laws affect the moral / cultural landscape of society. I am studying the morality of euthanasia at the moment, and am investigating the concept that when principals are enshrined in law, they can, over time, alter the values / socially accepted norms of the society the law applies to. Specifically, the legalization of active voluntary euthanasia could change the role / perception of death in society in a detrimental manner.

I am looking for anything to do with the role laws play in the development of the moral / cultural landscape of society. Although my question is not necessarily specific to euthanasia, it would definitely be extra useful if you have euthanasia specific suggestions.

I am looking for both philosophical thought experiments or discussions as well as possibly empirical data, if it exists. Thanks in advance for your help hivemind.

Book about Islam and intellectualism, what's the title?

divabat — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:13:10 -0800

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! The book was written by a Pakistani based in the UK. The book starts off with him explaining how he often has to fend off the people from the nearby mosque that always want to recruit him and a family member, but one time he decides to say "Yes" to see what they're about.

This leads him to an international journey about different ways Islam manifests itself around the world. He's more concerned with how people use their interpretations of Islam for political gain. There's a section about how Saddam Hussein was part of a political party that wanted Arab unity without concern for religion, and an encounter with a friend/relative in Iran who gets frustrated with his questions.

Later on in the book he details his experience of running an Islamic intellectualism magazine/organisation in Kuala Lumpur that lasted a few years, but then things like race riots and 9/11 made it really difficult to push through a more rational and intellectual view of Islam. There was some talk of revisiting questions about science, humanism, and so on through the eyes of Islam. Anwar Ibrahim gets a mention.

The cover is white; it may have had a mosque and some greenery on the bottom border. The title (which probably didn't have the word "Islam") was likely
vertically
aligned
like
so.
It was published sometime after 2002-2003. It's non-fiction but not a textbook.

I got this book from our local library last year but they don't keep borrowing histories and I couldn't find it on their catalogue. Amazon, Google Books, Barnes and Noble, and even Twitter friends can't find it. It was originally meant to be just a throwaway cite, but now I've become even more motivated to find the book. Can you help?

When friends use social media badly

micawber — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:03:24 -0800

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? I use social media. If you think it's stupid, please avoid reading this post.

--

My friend "Bob" and I have known each other for about 15 years. 15 years ago, we were in regular contact, but that stopped about 7 years ago, dwindling down to maybe an email or two a year. We see each other every once in a while at events of mutual friends.

Within the past six weeks, Bob has discovered Facebook. And Twitter. And all of the web sites I write on and for. He responds to everything I twitter. He is upset I won't follow him on my professional account so he can direct message me, and actually ARGUED WITH ME about it.

So he started sending me text messages instead.

It would be okay, probably, if we were closer friends, or if he was being helpful or interesting. But instead, he send me stats for baseball games I am SITTING AT (and yes, he knows I am there). he would text me "sky blue" when i just posted a picture of the sky. etc etc etc etc.

Yesterday I went out to lunch with my elderly aunt and as such was not online or tweeting or texting or doing anything of that nature. When I had seen her into her car to go home, I took out my phone and turned it on... only to get a text message from Bob, asking why I wasn't tweeting about [live event]. Frustration got the better of me, and I replied, "Because I 'm not CNN."

His response: "But you told me you took this seriously and that was why you couldn't follow me!"

I did not reply to that.

Today he sent me a text regarding something that was not interesting, or timely, or necessary (regarding something happening NEAR MY HOUSE... in a neighborhood he does not live in). It could have gone in an email. It could have been a phone call. It could have been a @ in twitter.

I replied back that I was over my text messages this month on my phone plan and was asking everyone to please stop txting.

That's going to work for a while, but not forever.

The problem is, that this guy isn't a close enough friend that I could just say, "Hey, I know you're having fun with this stuff, but could you turn down the volume?" and he isn't a distant enough friend that I can just block him. I know that this is like the friend who gets on Facebook and takes every quiz and sends you every application and puts you in every top 25... except that it is on my phone. all the time. and costing me money. he has sent me more text messages than my boyfriend, more text messages than my sister. i don't reply to them all, and when I do, I am curt. he isn't getting it.

how can I tell him to stop without hurting his feelings? or is there no way around this? I know, it sounds stupid, but every time my phone buzzes, it's him with some other inane, stupid comment. I know this is the danger of Twitter. I know Twitter is stupid [TM Metafilter]. this is not like teaching your relatives to not forward chain letters or cookie recipes. This is on.my.phone.

this whole thing sounds so stupid. but I am jumping every time the phone buzzes. and if i don't find a nice way to do it the next time he annoys me out of my mind I will say something not-nice and then completely lose a friend.

Suggestions for graduate studies in technology and society area

_zed_ — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:17:24 -0800

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? My background is a management/grunt work mash of 6 years at a R&D non-profit - a one (sometimes two) man show. It started as a website and helped build it into an international tele-consultation, e-learning and networking site. I also created and trained users for medical e-learning courses in Bosnia, Central America and Afghanistan; performed research on Tele-medicine; and do odd things like co-led a landmark workshop for leaders in tele-medicine in Latin America. All done from a BA in Film. I have some clear research ideas that are related to future computer use mostly in underdeveloped countries.

So any thoughts...please let me know.

Making sure my professional society work does me some good, too.

TheManChild2000 — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 20:48:38 -0800

Strategies to maximize how I personally benefit from my leadership position in a regional professional society chapter ? I'm on the executive committee for my local, discipline-specific engineering chapter. I'm looking for ideas to make sure I personally benefit from this, because I'm of course already doing everything I can to benefit the chapter membership.