The central role of schools in the Brisbane COVID-19 outbreak means the virus might move through the community differently from previous outbreaks. Previously, the focus has been on the spread of the virus through the aged care sector and via service workers. People in education systems move and interact differently. Sociology can provide a useful lens for understanding how the virus is […] … learn more→

It’s well documented by many scholars that psychological warfare took place for a long time as part of the colonial conquest. The colonialists laboured to ensure that black people’s minds were colonised. And to this end, many theories were developed (by white psychologists) to prove the inferiority of the black mind. One of the consequences of this […] … learn more→

The U.S. faces one of the most consequential public health campaigns in history right now: to vaccinate the population against COVID-19 and, especially, to get shots into the arms of people who cannot easily navigate getting vaccinated on their own. Time is of the essence. As new, potentially more dangerous variants of this coronavirus spread to new […] … learn more→

Formal approval of Covid-19 vaccines means that colleges and universities around the world will soon face a fraught choice, if not a Faustian bargain: whether to mandate vaccinations for campus communities. In an era when even the smallest colleges possess a student health infrastructure capable of delivering mass inoculations, the temptation to vaccinate by fiat […] … learn more→

Let’s face it: who doesn’t have anxiety related to the coronavirus pandemic? Children are flexible by nature. They have an innate ability to just go with the flow. (More adults could stand to hone this skill…myself included.) For better or for worse, children can adapt to anything. However, you don’t want your child to learn […] … learn more→

Notwithstanding the reaction of students at the University of Manchester to the sight of fences being erected around their halls of residence last week, universities have escaped the worst of England’s second lockdown. Unlike restaurants, pubs and other “non-essential” businesses, universities have not been required to close during the lockdown, which began last week. Higher […] … learn more→

“While academic sparring can keep a few sociologists amused during lockdown, we need to remember our moral accountability to a society in crisis.” The medical professor who wrote those words in an early pre-print advocating the use of face coverings deleted them from subsequent versions. It is, however, one of the more forthright expressions of […] … learn more→

Right now, writing this, I’m on Day 131 of COVID life. The last time I wrote about it, I was only 10 days in. Revisit that first post if you want to get an idea of the isolation context that I’m in. Here in Melbourne, Australia, we are in Lockdown 2.0 and experiencing the highest numbers […] … learn more→

As lockdowns around the world begin to be eased (even for people who aren’t government advisors), some universities are planning to re-open as physical spaces in September. But is this really wise? How much danger will that create for employees, and how should university leaders seek to minimise the risks? In our judgment, the most […] … learn more→