News

The Thousand Words behind a Picture

Photographs are powerful storytellers. But what stories do they tell? In the image-heavy modern environment, it’s ever more important to choose photographs’ proverbial ‘thousand words’ carefully.

True Citizenship is Far More than a Set of Rights and Obligations

How can communities and the individuals that comprise them be inspired to cultivate a shared civic ethos in order to lay the foundations for a more vibrant and cooperative civic life?

The Golden Rule as Good Business

The First International Conference of Humanist Economics, held in April in Madrid, encouraged businesses to get ‘Back to Basics,’ and apply the golden rule within the corporate environment for the benefit of all.

A Call for Moral Toughness in an Age of Amoral Niceness

Jewish public intellectual Eric Cohen exhorts all people of faith to work together to reassert the moral high ground of Judeo Christian civilization.

Contemplating the Big Questions through Tiny Matter

Oxford nanophysicist and theologian Andrew Briggs explains how science and faith work together and alternate taking the lead, to further explore man’s penultimate curiosity.

The Divine in Contemporary Legal Norms

Is there a theological defense for obliging laws that protect us from unjust harm? Craig J. Iffland seeks one, delving into theological questions with interdisciplinary scope.

Back to the Cultural Diversity and IR Drawing Board

Current discussion of the relationship between cultural diversity and International Relations is based on flawed perceptions of both. STI experts are rethinking the issue on new terms.

Halal Markets as Sites of Cultural Hybridity: Moral Agency and Public Participation

For decades, markets saw religion, especially Islam, as something that required little or no attention. The turn of the Millennium proved this thinking wrong.

Cultures - Like Languages - Can Be Translated

What do Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and John Sturges’ Magnificent Seven have to with globalization? Pablo Quiñonero Pertusa has an answer.

Sign the Statement: Truth Seeking, Democracy, and Freedom of Thought and Expression - A Statement by Robert P. George and Cornel West

With freedom of expression under attack at academic institutions and elsewhere, two prominent American public intellectuals, Cornel West and Robert George, have issued the statement we reproduce below (...)

Cohabitation: “Until Life Do Us Part”

Data do not support the claim that “marriage is just a piece of paper.” The paperless alternative – cohabitation - is measurably less stable, both for the adults who choose it and for their children, who don’t have the luxury of choice.

Can Real News Be Rescued?

With insidious fake news popping up all over, the late Wolfgang Donsbach’s reflections on the interaction of society and media bear reflection. Below is an excerpt from his chapter in What Society Needs from Media in the Age of Digital Media.

Apt to Be Overlooked

If domestic tasks and direct care were assigned a monetary value, they would constitute between 10% and 39% of Gross Domestic Product, but it is generally unrecognized and undervalued by policymakers and legislators.

What Do the “Haves” Have, That the “Have-Not’s” Have Not?

Family inequality is entwined with inequalities of class, both feeding them and being fed by them.

Are American Jews Falling out of Love with Israel?

Michael Barnett’s new book examines the particulars that influence how American Jews balance the historical tension between universalism and particularism.

TV Families: Stereotypical or Real?

Television series are all the rage – mass phenomena that fuel discussions and study. Their influence on society is on the rise and their portrayal of reality can even influence that very reality.

Will Artificial Intelligence Make the World a Better Place?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications already outperform humans in many tasks. Expert Luciano Floridi reflects on the possible consequences.

How to Sift Reliable News from the Cacophony

The past, present and future of journalism and its new challenges, objectivity, digital technology, transparency, social media, who’s who... The new book by C.W. Anderson, Michael Schudson and Leonard Downie, "The News Media," addresses all this.

2016 in a Nutshell

With 4 meetings held in 3 locations, 3 books and 2 reports published, several books and projects by collaborators and 4 graduate students embarked on their Master's studies with Social Trends Institute grants, it has indeed been a fruitful year.

Does Divorce Contribute to Social Inequalities?

Understanding families in order to understand society. This is the motivation behind Marta Castillo González’ Master’s Degree work. She intends to analyze whether divorce provokes social inequalities. Is this real?

If Only Trump Were as Predictable as Reagan

In a more militarized, unpredictable and unstable world, power becomes regionalized, but I was afraid of that with Reagan, too, and in the end we survived. Under Trump, the US has already lost its status as a reliable ally.

"Strong, United Families Will Soon Relegate Youth Gangs to History"

Families should be the essential guarantors of children’s rights, supported but not supplanted by the State. Maria Jose Benítez studies how violence in El Salvador has changed family structure and how public policy can better support family units.

Can Faith and Modernity Coexist under Muslimism?

There is a new brand of Muslim religious orthodoxy on the rise in places like Turkey, which seeks to engage modernity through the sincere religious belief of individuals. Neslihan Cevik uses the term "Muslimism" to set it apart from other trends.

"Digital Media Even Out the Communications Playing Field"

New digital media have given a voice to those beyond conventional circles. Yet they demand savvy users able to dispassionately weigh their contents and their aims

"No one is showing any responsibility in Syria"

The United Nations approved in 2005 the doctrine Responsibility to Protect, with the aim of protecting civilians in the case of conflicts that put their lives at risk. Why isn't it being applied in Syria?

"The financial industry is a global franchise, and governance has limited leverage to impose global transformations"

Global finance is a world unto itself, with its own rules, practices, norms, expectations, pressures, risks and rewards. Can it be regulated from the outside or modified from within to heal its many disfunctionalities, which effect everyone?

Prudence Should Lead to an Attitude of Protection towards the Human Embryo

El Salvador hosted a round table on the legal status of the human embryo, considering biological, philosophical, ethical and legal perspectives . This small country is among the few whose constitution recognizes a human embryo’s legal personhood.

STI Grant Recipients Embark on their Master’s in Social Science Research at UNAV.

Nine students from Spain, Puerto Rico and El Salvador have been admitted to this new program. Four of them received Social Trends Institute grants, which promote research on fashion, globalization, family policies, or care professions.

The Ethical Backbone of Social Life

Philosopher Ana Marta González, recently appointed by Pope Francis to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, expands in this interview on her latest book: "La articulación ética de la vida social."

What Unique Moral Questions Are Raised by Pregnancy?

In her new book, "The Ethics of Pregnancy, Abortion and Childbirth: Exploring Moral Choices in Childbearing," Dr. Helen Watt addresses that question from a philosophical angle. Watt (Focus on the Embryo) expands on her work in this interview for STI.

“Businesses can be a great help in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals”

SDG-Fund director, Paloma Durán, reflects on the role the private sector can play in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, explaining some of the work the Fund is already doing to integrate businesses in the new era of sustainable development.

Christine Mahoney: “Refugees want to begin anew. We have the opportunity to invest in their future”

Associate Professor Christine Mahoney of the University of Virginia has just published a new book 'Failure and Hope: Fighting for the Rights of the Forcibly Displaced'. She participated in STI’s “Globalization and the Common Good” Experts Meeting.

The Principle of 'Shared Responsibility' in Family Policies

Work-family balance is important not only to individuals, but also to society. The World Family Map 2015 focused on the issue at a personal level. In this paper, IFFD director Ignacio Socias lays out policy recommendations to the United Nations

Theology and Philosophy: Can They Survive in the Modern University?

In this piece, St. Andrews philosophy professor John Haldane, who has contributed to three STI experts meetings and publications, defends philosophy and theology as academic disciplines and describes the challenges they face in the modern university.

World Family Map Report Highlighted at the United Nations

Speaking at the fourth annual commemoration of Global Parents’ Day at the UN, STI contributor W. Bradford Wilcox presented conclusions from this and the previous year’s World Family Map reports to an audience of some 200 diplomats and NGO leaders.

Can We Live the Good Life in the World of Finance and Banking?

Samuel Gregg (Research Director at Acton Institute) expands on his latest book 'For God and Profit: How Banking and Finance Can Serve the Common Good' for STI. Gregg has participated in three STI Experts Meetings and two resulting publications.

The Other Side of the ‘Money vs. Marriage’ Debate

What’s to blame for rising inequality in income and family stability is a complex issue that must be addressed from many angles to be fully understood.

Have Values Fallen Victim to the Culture Wars?

Ethicist and professor of law and medicine Margaret Somerville expands on her latest book "Bird on an Ethics Wire: Battles about Values in the Culture Wars" for STI, with whom she collaborated in 'Construction of New Realities in Medicine.'

The World Family Map 2015 Report Is Now Available in Spanish

Because three of the project’s academic partners are universities in Latin America, and one in Spain, the Spanish edition is particularly relevant.

What’s Driving Growing Inequality in the United States?

The “Money vs. Marriage” debate between Naomi R. Cahn and W. Bradford Wilcox paves the way for an Experts Meeting next year exploring the same topic.

Brian D. Earp: "If We Use Medicines to Cure the Flu, Why Not Use Them to Cure Infidelity?"

La Vanguardia interviewed Brian D. Earp following his participation as an expert in STI's "Technology and the Good Society". At the meeting Earp discussed love drugs and why scientists should study their effects on romantic relationships.

New Marketing

More human, ethical, inspiring, respectful and at the service the common good. This is the new marketing that STI Expert Professor Francisco Pérez Latre (University of Navarra) defends.

The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of Economics

STI Expert John D. Mueller, Director of the Economics and Ethics Program of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), recently gave this lecture in Budapest about his book 'Redeeming Economics'.

Social Trends Institute is Offering Four Grants for the Master’s in Social Science Research

Candidates will be committed to writing their master’s thesis on studies of fashion, the cultural impact of globalization, family policies, or care professions.

The Long Road to Equality

We are pleased to share this article by STI Expert Paloma Durán, Director of the United Nations Sustainable Development Fund, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2016.

Bringing to the Fore the Implications of Technology for a Good Society

Omar Rosas (University of Navarra) summarizes the goals and preliminary conclusions of the experts meeting "Technology and Good Society", held in Barcelona on February 4-6, 2016.

Luciano Floridi: "Either We Control Facebook or it Will Control Our Whole Life"

Professor Floridi gave this interview to Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia following STI's "Technology and the Good Society" experts meeting, which he led as academic director.

Time Really Passes, Science Can’t Deny That

STI is pleased to share with its community this paper by Professor Nicolas Gisin (Is Science Compatible with Our Desire for Freedom?), presented at the Conference "Time in Physics" at the ETH-Zurich (September 2015) and recently published online.

Cultural and Political Contexts Make a Difference for Finance

Marta Elvira (IESE) expands on the conclusions of her paper "National Culture and Financial Systems: When the Political Context Matters," published by Academy of Management.

A Call to Invigorate Society

Harold James, Co-Editor of 'The Thriving Society' and member of our Board of Advisers, encourages readers to strive towards a society that is not merely decent but dynamic.

Implications of the Gender Gap

This is the second IFFD policy paper on unpaid work shared by its Director of International Relations, Ignacio Socias. This paper considers the influence of gender inequality on labor outcome.

The Value of Care and Domestic Work

Ignacio Socias, Director of International Relations at the International Federation for Family Development (IFFD) shared with STI two policy papers on the value of unpaid work in the home, the first of which follows. The second will follow next week.

What Differentiates Humans from Machines?

We discussed with STI Expert Prof. Luis Echarte some of the conclusions of his last paper, which analyzes freedom, the mind-brain problem and the differences between human beings and machines.

On Biomedicine and its Limits

Joseph E. Davis (Construction of New Realities in Medicine) discusses some of the conclusions from our latest publication "To Fix or To Heal," of which he is co-editor.

“What Happens in the Home Doesn’t Stay in the Home”

The latest STI Experts meeting focused on the home as a complex field worthy of interdisciplinary academic study.

No One Way: Dividing Work and Family Around the Globe

When it comes to dividing household labor, what matters is not how you divide up the labor but whether you have someone with whom to divide the labor.

Do Educational Media and Technology Advance Democracy?

University of Rhode Island Communication Studies professor Renee Hobbs discusses how her research suggests some of the ways that society benefits from a media-literate public.

What Are the Requisites for a Thriving Society?

'The Thriving Society: On the Social Conditions of Human Flourishing' is a newly published collection of essays aimed at demystifying the key economic, social, and moral foundations of successful societies.

Does Juggling Work and Family Influence Happiness?

The recently-released World Family Map 2015, explores different work-family arrangements and their impact on family well-being.

Reports of the Death of Free Will Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

Since Florida State University philosophy professor Al Mele spoke at STI’s 2010 Experts Meeting Is Science Compatible with Free Will?, he has been prolific on the topic.

Can News Organizations Learn from the Digital Innovators?

Lucy Küng, Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, and Professor of Media Innovation at the University of Oslo, shares the keys to digital news’ success in a recently published book.

The Insidious Impact of Assisted Suicide

Physician assisted suicide has been the subject of an historic vote in the United Kingdom. Professor David Albert Jones, director of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre in Oxford describes the significance of the vote and their contribution to the debate.

Debunking the Science vs. Religion Myth

"Science and Religion: Strangers, Rivals, or Partners in the Search for Truth?" was the topic of a University of Notre Dame seminar this summer lectured by Providence College STI expert Rev. Nicanor Austriaco.

Establishing Family Policies When the Family Itself is Not Established

Ten years after STI’s first experts meeting - on family policies – the questions addressed in the meeting are still being debated. STI invites readers to share the original presentations, which are still relevant today.

Digital Strategies an Important Weapon in the Election Arsenal

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Journalism Professor Daniel Kreiss (Crisis of Journalism) investigates a new breed of election worker – knowledgeable in digital strategies. His new study considers how campaigns are affected.

Exploring a Cultural Tendency to Rationalize Barbarism

Texas A&M sociologist Stjepan Mestrovic has coined the term “The Postemotional Bully” in his new book of the same title. He considers current examples of how abusive and barbaric behavior is rationalized and tolerated by society.

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen: "Digital media are becoming more important every year"

Dr. Nielsen is Director of Research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (Oxford University). We discussed some of the findings of the "2015 Reuters Institute Digital News Report" with him.

Further Ethical Questions Relating to the Gene Editing of Early Human Embryos

Dr. Calum MacKellar, Director of Research of the Scottish Council on Human Bioethics, signs this article on the ethical implications of gene editing of human embryos. Dr. MacKellar participated in STI's Experts Meeting "Focus on the embryo" (2009).

Paternalism in Humanitarian Efforts: Despicable, Justifiable or Both?

George Washington University professor of International Affairs & Political Science Michael Barnett (Understanding Modern Humanitarianism) gave this talk on “Paternalism Beyond Borders” at the Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) last April 7th, 2015.

Michael Kimmel: “Gender Equality is Probably the Best Thing that Has Ever Happened for Men”

Michael Kimmel (Gender Identities in a Globalized World) will address gender equality at the 2015 Ted Women event in Monterrey, CA on May 29. He will discuss why men resist gender equality and why they shouldn’t. He shared his ideas with STI…

'The End of the University', by Roger Scruton

British philosopher and writer Roger Scruton considers the social and moral purpose of the university in this article for 'First Things'. Scruton has participated in four Experts Meetings organized by STI.

A Timeless Theory of Decision-making Now Available to English-speaking Readers

STI Expert Nuria Chinchilla has written an informative forward to the just-published English translation of a business management classic: 'Foundations of Management'.

Allison Pugh: "Job Insecurity Creates Individual Sorrow Out of Collective Abandonment"

Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, Dr. Pugh has recently published "The Tumbleweed Society" (Oxford University Press, 2015). She participated in STI's "Being Human in a Consumer Society" Experts Meeting.

A look at "Being Human in a Consumer Society"

Editor Alejandro Néstor García Martínez shares his thoughts on the book 'Being Human in a Consumer Society' (Ashgate 2015), result of the 2011 STI Experts Meeting of the same name.

Is Citizenship in Jeopardy? The Concept Must Evolve

David Thunder seeks to rehabilitate the ethical standpoint in political philosophy in his book 'Citizenship and the Pursuit of the Worthy Life' (Cambridge University Press, 2014). He discusses the work with STI.

Mark Griffiths: "People Can Become Addicted to Non-Chemical Behaviors.”

Dr. Griffiths is Professor of Gambling Studies at the International Gaming Research Unit of Nottingham Trent University. He participated in STI's "Communication Technologies and Lifestyles" Experts Meeting, held in Barcelona in May, 2013.

Carlos Cavallé: "Southeast Asian Countries Could Surely Benefit from Observing the EU"

STI President Carlos Cavallé spoke to a conference of international business-owners and executives at the Financial Club of Jakarta on “Experiences of the EU Project That Can Be of Interest to the Business Community and Governments of SEA Countries".

STI Expert Luis Echarte Published a Book on the Emotional Roots of Current Western Fashions

A professor of Biomedical Humanities at the University of Navarra, Luis Echarte has recently authored “Hábitos emocionales en torno a la salud y la belleza” (Emotional habits surrounding health and beauty), published by EUNSA.

Ashgate has Published STI’s “Being Human in a Consumer Society”

Fruit of the 2011 STI Experts Meeting of the same name, this book analyzes the structural and cultural transformations that can be identified in a consumer society.

Karin Ekström: "We need to consider the consequences of consumption"

Professor Karin M. Ekström of the University of Borås, Sweden recently edited the book Waste Management and Sustainable Consumption; Reflections on Consumer Waste (Routledge).

Margaret Somerville: A Modest Proposal for Respecting Physicians’ Freedom of Conscience

McGill University Professor Margaret Somerville (Construction of New Realities in Medicine) reflects on the controversy between patients’ right of access to abortion and doctors’ freedom of conscience.

The Success of Roger Scruton’s 'The Soul of the World'

Written by STI Expert Roger Scruton, 'The Soul of the World' is a Princeton University Press Bestseller, one of The Times’ Books of the Year and one of the Scotsman’s Books of the Year.

Carlos Cavallé: “Business Management Is About People"

STI Chairman, Carlos Cavallé, reflects on the timeless foundations of business, business management and business management education. From his introduction to 'Rethinking Business Management'…

Antonio Argandoña: "How Virtuous Must a Good Manager Be?"

Antonio Argandoña (Rethinking Business Management), who has been honored with the Ramón Mullerat prize for his career achievements in the dissemination of Corporate Social Responsibility, shares his thoughts on “Virtues in Management.”

Iain Wilkinson: "Humanitarianism is an issue that calls into question the terms under which we assign value to human life"

January 08-10, STI will hold the Experts Meeting "Understanding Modern Humanitarianism: Conditions, Consequences and Critical Concerns," in which Iain Wilkinson is the Academic Leader.

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen: "U.S. tech gets more political worldwide"

Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (The Crisis of Journalism Reconsidered) participates with this article on Nieman​Lab's Predictions for Journalism 2015. He is director of research at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford.

A conversation with Josephine Quintavalle, of the think tank Comment on Reproductive Ethics

In 1994, Josephine Quintavalle founded CORE (Comment on Reproductive Ethics), an international think tank that deals with the problems related to the practice of in vitro fertilization. She participated in STI Experts Meeting "Focus on the Embryo".

Next STI Experts Meeting to Explore Modern Humanitarianism

Understanding Modern Humanitarianism: Conditions, Consequences and Critical Concerns will be held in Barcelona from January 8-10, 2015 under STI’s Culture and Lifestyles Branch, with the academic leadership of Kent sociologist Iain Wilkinson.

For Richer, for Poorer: How Family Structures Economic Success in America

A new AEI-IFS Study offers data to support claims that growing up with both parents leads to greater wealth, and makes policy recommendations to address the rising income inequality that the study relates to “the retreat from marriage.”

​Ignatieff Addresses the Challenge of a New Global Ethic

“Reimagining a Global Ethic” by Michael Ignatieff, was recently published in the journal Ethics and International Affairs. Ignatieff opened STI’s “Globalization and the Common Good” meeting with the similarly themed lecture “Imagining a Global Ethic"

Wilcox: “The middle and upper classes are divorcing less and less”

Family sociologist W. Bradford Wilcox gave the following interview to La Vanguardia's Lluis Amiguet. It appeared in the newspaper's "contra" on October 11, 2014 in Spanish. Wilcox has participated in 6 Experts Meetings and 8 STI publications.

STI Expert Nicolas Gisin Awarded the 2014 Marcel Benoist Prize

Professor Gisin has been awarded Switzerland’s highest scientific distinction.

Capizzi: "The Free Market Can Benefit From The Expansion Of Solidarity"

From September 24-26, the Catholic University of America School of Business hosted a conference titled “Liberty and Solidarity: Living the Vocation to Business.” STI expert Joe Capizzi (Intention & Double Effect) participated.

Berry: “One third of global luxury consumers are now from China”

Glasgow Political Theory Professor Christopher J. Berry reflects on the growth of Asian burgeoning consumerism. He participated in the STI experts meeting Fashion, Image and Identity in 2004. He has been spending time in Asia lately.

Bradford Wilcox: "The World Family Map Gives Us Insights Into the Unique Family Strengths Found in Different Regions of the World"

Interview with W. Bradford Wilcox, Senior Fellow of the Institute for Family Studies and Director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia. Wilcox is Codirector of the World Family Map Project, which is sponsored by STI.

Nicanor Austriaco: "Recovering a Robust Account of Substantial Form Will Allow Us to Better Bring Science and Religion Into Conversation"

A molecular biologist and a moral theologian at Providence College, Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P., participated in STI's Experts Meeting "Focus on the Embryo" and recently gave a presentation at the Anscombe Centre for Bioethics at Oxford University.

Pornography: A Harmful Product for Society’s Moral Ecology

This article summarizes and analyzes the social harms of pornography as considered in "Los costes sociales de la pornografía" (Ed. Rialp). The review was written by Fernando Rodríguez-Borlado and published by Aceprensa on June 11, 2014 in Spanish.

Carlos Cavallé: "My First Chair at IESE Was a Stool"

STI founder Carlos Cavallé shared this interview with IESE's magazine Seven Days, in its July 21, 2014 edition. Professor Cavallé was dean of IESE Business School for 17 years. He has been professor emeritus at IESE since 2003.

Alexander: "The Big Newspapers Are Earning Money Again"

Interview on occasion of an STI experts meeting that took place in Barcelona last May 3 to 6. Yale media sociologist Jeffrey C. Alexander reflects on journalism today. This is an English translation of an interview in La Vanguardia.

Family Stability: Priceless Medicine for Childhood Health in the Developing World

The World Family Map 2014, released this month in the US, suggests that the family contexts of caregiving deserve attention in ongoing efforts to improve children’s health around the world.

Alexander: "Internet isn’t just a technology but also an ideology"

Some 20 journalists and sociologists have gathered in Barcelona to debate 'the crisis of journalism reconsidered: cultural power.' Academic Leader Jeffrey Alexander of Yale University offers a window into the discussion.

How is Double Effect Applied?

San Francisco Philosophy Professor Thomas Anthony Cavanaugh explains the practical applications of Double Effect, citing some of the theory’s implications for political, legal and ethical questions.

Professionalization of Care: New Challenges

The main insights of the STI experts meeting on Care Professions are to be published by Palgrave in May. Editors Ana Marta González and Craig Iffland advance the arguments.

What is meant by “double-effect”?

Interview with Craig Iffland, who has actively organized the Double Effect meeting alongside Academic Leader John O’Callaghan.

Experts Meeting on Double Effect: Theoretical and Practical Challenges

STI’s first Experts Meeting at the University of Notre Dame is scheduled to begin Thursday. The meeting will explore the role that intention, foresight, and proportionality play in determinations of moral or legal fault.

Tenth Anniversary Meeting

The Executive Committee held a 10th Anniversary meeting in New York on October 24 to assess The Social Trends Institute's first decade as a research foundation, and to plan for the next several years.

What Society Needs from Media in the Age of Digital Communication

The meeting, held at Balliol College at Oxford, explored how the changing media environment created by proliferation of media platforms and providers is affecting the kind of information and entertainment the public receives.

Making Parenthood Pay: Should Washington Pay Parents to Raise Future Taxpayers?

Sociologist Brad Wilcox, who heads up many STI Family Branch projects, published an article in "The Atlantic" this week.

"Is This Cell a Human Being?"

The Linacre Quarterly has published Dr. David Albert Jones’ review of the book "Is This Cell a Human Being? Exploring the Status of Embryos, Stem Cells and Human-Animal Hybrids"

The Future of Fertility: The Impact of Gender Equality in the Developed World

Two participants in STI's 2010 Whither the Child? Experts Meeting spoke at the University of Virginia on the relationship between gender equality and fertility in developed nations.

Whither the Child? Book Launch held at the London School of Economics

LSE Professor Elliot Green chaired a session at LSE on March 11, 2013 to present some of the issues treated in STI's new book Whither the Child? Causes and Consequences of Low Fertility

Read the 2013 World Family Map Report

Read the 2013 World Family Map Report

Applications Being Accepted for Graduate Seminar in Fashion and Identity

Fashion and Identity in a Cultural Key

Why Love Hurts - Por qué duele el amor

Spanish-speakers can read a very complete review of Eva Illouz's book Why Love Hurts. STI board member and academic leader Ana Marta González wrote the summary for Aceprensa.

Michael Ignatieff Gives a Public Lecture at UVA to Kick Off STI Meeting

Michael Ignatieff lectured on "Imagining a Global Ethic" on April 19 at UVA, to kick off STI's "Globalization and the Common Good" Experts Meeting.

New STI Report Relates Marriage and Fertility to the Economy

A new international report from the Social Trends Institute - "The Sustainable Demographic Dividend" - contends that the long-term fortunes of the modern economy rise and fall with the family.

STI on Facebook

The Social Trends Institute has created a page on Facebook. View photo albums from our meetings, keep up with what STI and our collaborators are working on, and share your news. "Like" STI at www.facebook.com/socialtrendsinstitute.

STI Contributes to the Free Will Debate

Harvard Philosopher and Astrophysicist Bob Doyle has published the book Free Will: The Scandal in Philosophy, crediting STI's "Is Science Compatible with our Desire for Freedom?" Experts Meeting for spurring on much of his work.

Focus on Fashion

Leading scholars of fashion theory explored the importance of emotion to understanding modern fashion at the STI-sponsored Fashion and Emotions Graduate Seminar on May 19-20.

Equality, Freedom of Conscience and the Common Good

STI sponsored the symposium Equality, Freedom of Conscience and the Common Good, held at Lincoln's Inn in London from March 17-19, 2011.

STI on YouTube

STI's Is Science Compatible with Our Desire for Freedom? experts meeting is now available to watch on YouTube.

Free Interchange of Ideas

The Social Costs of Pornography