Hacker News with Generative AI: Sociology

"Fragile, impermanent things": Joseph Tainter on what makes civilizations fall (thebulletin.org)
In the introduction to his seminal 1988 book, The Collapse of Complex Societies, anthropologist and historian Joseph Tainter explained that lost civilizations have a vise-like hold on the human imagination because of the implications their histories hold for our own, modern civilization.
History, Civilization, Anthropology, Sociology
15 points by pseudolus 2 days ago | 0 comments
Lefty preppers are taking a different approach to doomsday (theguardian.com)
Liberals in the US make up about 15% of the prepping scene and their numbers are growing. Their fears differ from their better-known rightwing counterparts – as do their methods
Politics, Preppers, Sociology
12 points by mathgenius 9 days ago | 2 comments
The Society of the Spectacle (wikipedia.org)
The Society of the Spectacle (French: La société du spectacle) is a 1967 work of philosophy and Marxist critical theory by Guy Debord where he develops and presents the concept of the Spectacle.
Philosophy, Marxist Theory, Sociology, Critical Theory
31 points by midzer 16 days ago | 2 comments
Quaker Parents Were Ahead of Their Time (theatlantic.com)
The nearly 375-year-old religion’s principles line up surprisingly well with modern parenting research.
Parenting, Religion, History, Sociology
19 points by ggm 21 days ago | 2 comments
Around the World, Many People Are Leaving Their Childhood Religions (pewresearch.org)
In many countries around the world, a fifth or more of all adults have left the religious group in which they were raised. Christianity and Buddhism have experienced especially large losses from this “religious switching,” while rising numbers of adults have no religious affiliation, according to Pew Research Center surveys of nearly 80,000 people in 36 countries.
Religion, Sociology, Demographics, Global Trends
45 points by vially 28 days ago | 110 comments
That Hit Song You Love Was a Total Fluke (hbr.org)
When Princeton sociology professor Matthew Salganik was a doctoral student at Columbia, he got interested in blockbusters — specifically, he got curious about the role of social influence in determining the success of music, art, and books.
Music, Social Influence, Sociology, Research
16 points by gradus_ad 29 days ago | 4 comments
The Prehistoric Psychopath (worksinprogress.co)
Life in the state of nature was less violent than you might think. Most of our ancestors avoided conflict. But this made them vulnerable to a few psychopaths.
Prehistoric History, Psychology, Sociology
52 points by Petiver 38 days ago | 39 comments
Ownership of High-Risk ("Vicious") Dogs as a Marker for Deviant Behaviors (researchgate.net)
Animal Behavior, Psychology, Sociology, Criminology
25 points by jnord 39 days ago | 49 comments
The "Memory Cartography" of Azerbaijani Emigrants (jam-news.net)
Emigration from Azerbaijan is a subtle phenomenon, yet far from uninteresting, given both its scale and particularities.
Emigration, Azerbaijan, Sociology, Culture, History
39 points by bryanrasmussen 39 days ago | 2 comments
Anomie (wikipedia.org)
In sociology, anomie or anomy (/ˈænəmi/) is a social condition defined by an uprooting or breakdown of any moral values, standards or guidance for individuals to follow.
Sociology, Social Conditions, Morality
7 points by yamrzou 44 days ago | 1 comments
Marrying Up and Marrying Down (medium.com)
The most important decision we make is who we partner with, who we marry. However, for many, marriage isn’t an essential life choice … it’s a luxury item. I asked my friend, the social scientist Richard Reeves, to pen a post on the subject.
Marriage, Relationships, Sociology, Social Science, Personal Finance
9 points by hacsky 54 days ago | 4 comments
US friendship is in freefall – shredding bonds and cutting lives short (nypost.com)
Friendship in America is in steep decline: We’re more disconnected from each other than ever, and the gulf between us is only growing. Does it matter?
Social Issues, Relationships, United States, Sociology, Culture
68 points by Cedarwolf 60 days ago | 55 comments
The 'masculinity crisis' is a crisis of self-esteem (psyche.co)
The early 21st century is described as a time of crises. Liberal democracy, the US (or global) economy, the environment, masculinity, ageing populations, migration, misinformation and social media use are all supposedly in crisis – amounting to what some have called a global ‘polycrisis’. The reader will be forgiven for being sceptical, then, as I draw on the philosophical literature on recognition theory to introduce one more to the stage.
Masculinity, Psychology, Sociology
10 points by herbertl 60 days ago | 8 comments
Why Do Young Men Migrate? (thewire.in)
Migration, Sociology, Demographics, Gender Studies, Youth
12 points by akbarnama 61 days ago | 2 comments
Tell HN: Generational Gap (ycombinator.com)
Generational Gap, Social Commentary, Technology, Sociology
17 points by yonisto 63 days ago | 29 comments
The Euro-American Split (I): Dread Possibility (scholars-stage.org)
THERE ARE DECADES WHEN possibility is constrained in a narrow frame. The terrain has been surveyed, boundaries have been laid, and rules have been established. In such an age there is still room for high drama: The decisive round of a boxing match draws the eye despite the fact—or perhaps because—the boxers play an antique game. In such times and climes, victory means mastery of existing modes, not the invention of new ones.
Politics, History, Europe, America, Sociology
28 points by Khaine 64 days ago | 75 comments
René Girard and the Mimetic Trap (onepercentrule.substack.com)
This is part 1 of a 2 part series. Part 2: The Mimetic Intelligence Trap is here
Philosophy, Sociology, Culture, Psychology
8 points by drcwpl 78 days ago | 0 comments
Why Civilizations Collapse (palladiummag.com)
Why do civilizations collapse? This question bears not only on safeguarding our society’s future but also makes sense of our present. The answer relies on some of the same technē that humanity needed to build civilization in the first place: we have to evaluate the perceptions that mint facts and theory, not merely peruse the body of theories handed down to us.
History, Civilization, Sociology, Future, Society
11 points by MindGods 78 days ago | 2 comments
The 3-ladder system of social class in the U.S. (archive.org)
Typical depictions of social class in the United States posit a linear, ordered hierarchy. I’ve actually come to the conclusion that there are 3 distinct ladders, with approximately four social classes on each. Additionally, there is an underclass of people not connected to any of the ladders, creating an unlucky 13th social class. I’ll attempt to explain how this three-ladder system works, what it means, and also why it is a source of conflict.
Social Class, Sociology, United States, Hierarchy, Inequality
6 points by oidar 80 days ago | 1 comments
The Michael Scott Theory of Social Class (danco.substack.com)
I’m happy to finally share a thesis I’ve been chewing on for a little while. I call it The Michael Scott Theory of Social Class, which states: The higher you ascend the ladder of the Educated Gentry class, the more you become Michael Scott.
Social Class, Humor, Sociology, Pop Culture
48 points by sulami 80 days ago | 3 comments
They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45 (1955) (press.uchicago.edu)
"What no one seemed to notice," said a colleague of mine, a philologist, "was the ever widening gap, after 1933, between the government and the people. Just think how very wide this gap was to begin with, here in Germany. And it became always wider. You know, it doesn’t make people close to their government to be told that this is a people’s government, a true democracy, or to be enrolled in civilian defense, or even to vote.
History, Germany, Politics, Sociology
557 points by thunderbong 80 days ago | 473 comments
It's not 'emotional labour', it's kin work (thefuturefeeling.substack.com)
I’ve just come back from a seasonal gathering where it was obvious – as it is obvious every year – that the women in the heterosexual couples had done a far larger amount of work than their partners.
Gender, Relationships, Sociology, Family
61 points by bobbiechen 81 days ago | 71 comments
The persistence of "high trust" in Europe west of the Hajnal Line (wordpress.com)
What is the West? What is the source of Western success? How are Western people different from others (“the Rest”)? What is unique about the West?
Europe, Culture, History, Sociology, Anthropology
7 points by lopespm 84 days ago | 0 comments
Do Russians Support the War in Ukraine? (newyorker.com)
A group of sociologists found that few Russians were steadfast supporters of the war. Most had something more complicated to say.
Russia, Ukraine, War, Public Opinion, Sociology
33 points by PaulHoule 91 days ago | 21 comments
Why Brazil fell for Pentecostalism but not liberation theology (aeon.co)
In 1962, the Colombian priest and sociology professor Camilo Torres Restrepo travelled to the north of the country to investigate a dispute between powerful landlords and subsistence farmers.
Religion, Brazil, Sociology, Theology
5 points by rbanffy 93 days ago | 0 comments
The Tyranny of Structurelessness (1970) (jofreeman.com)
During the years in which the women's liberation movement has been taking shape, a great emphasis has been placed on what are called leaderless, structureless groups as the main -- if not sole -- organizational form of the movement.
Feminism, Sociology, History, Political Movements, Organizations
387 points by yamrzou 94 days ago | 149 comments
German Collective Guilt [Wikipedia] (wikipedia.org)
German collective guilt (German: Kollektivschuld) refers to the notion of a collective guilt attributed to Germany and its people for perpetrating the Holocaust and other atrocities in World War II.[2][3]
History, Germany, Holocaust, Sociology
6 points by axiologist 94 days ago | 0 comments
The Six Codes of Nonverbal Communication (2019) (reporter.rit.edu)
You’ve likely been able to tell whether or not your mom is actually upset with you by analyzing her tone of voice, and chances are she knows your reaction by reading the look on your face.
Nonverbal Communication, Psychology, Communication, Sociology
8 points by yamrzou 95 days ago | 1 comments
How to Stop Worrying and Learn to Love Lynn's National IQ Estimates (astralcodexten.com)
Richard Lynn was a scientist who infamously tried to estimate the average IQ of every country. Typical of his results is this paper, which ranged from 60 (Malawi) to 108 (Singapore).
Intelligence, Psychology, Sociology, Research, Criticism
10 points by tontonius 101 days ago | 2 comments
Flynn Effect (wikipedia.org)
The Flynn effect is the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores that were measured in many parts of the world over the 20th century, named after researcher James Flynn (1934–2020). [1][2]
Intelligence, Psychology, Research, History, Sociology
14 points by yamrzou 104 days ago | 9 comments