Search

A two-year-old Pentagon program that assigns social scientists to work with military units in Iraq and Afghanistan has come under sharp criticism from a panel of anthropologists who argue that the undertaking is dangerous, unethical and unscholarly. The committee, which released the report on Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association, the discipline's largest professional group, has been studying the program since its inception in 2007. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the fall of 1982, with a long recession ending but the unemployment rate heading toward 10 percent, The New York Times ran an article titled ''The Recovery That Won't Start.'' It quoted prominent economists who worried that ''the recovery may amount to nothing more than a few quarters of paltry growth -- and possibly not even that.'' The economists, the article noted, had ''growing doubts about whether the mechanisms of economic recovery will -- or can -- operate as they have in other postwar business cycles.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The calendar says we are well on our way to winter, but for many technology companies, orders are starting to bloom like flowers after a spring rain. Strong and steady improvement, economists say, would suggest that the United States is truly emerging from the Great Recession. Yet if tech spending fades, it would mean that recovery is further off. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded on Monday to two American social scientists for their work in describing the numerous relationships within a company or among companies and individuals that shape market behavior. The prize committee cited Elinor Ostrom, 76, at Indiana University, and Oliver E. Williamson, 77, at the University of California, Berkeley, for work done over long careers. Ms. Ostrom is the first woman to receive the economics prize in the 41-year history of the award. She is a political scientist, not an economist, and in honoring her, the judges seemed to suggest that economics should be thought of as an interdisciplinary field rather than a pure science governed by mathematics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

While economists in developed nations are cautiously pointing to the first signs of renewed economic growth, the global financial crisis is slamming some of the working poor around the world, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, said Thursday. ''There is talk of green shoots of recovery, but our data show another picture,'' Mr. Ban told a news conference. ''It is not the chronic poor who are most affected, but the near and working poor whose lives had improved significantly over the past decade.'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Construction was started on more new homes in June than in any month since November, the Commerce Department said Friday, a signal that the housing market was improving despite a mixed outlook. Housing starts unexpectedly rose last month by 3.6 percent, to 582,000 units, a solid gain from 562,000 units in May and far more than the 532,000 figure that economists had forecast. The gains were concentrated in construction starts on single-family homes, which increased 14 percent for the biggest rise since December 2004. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

IF asked to identify the intellectual founder of their discipline, most economists today would probably cite Adam Smith. But that will change. Economists' forecasts generally aren't worth much, but I'll offer one that even my youngest colleagues won't survive to refute: If we posed the same question 100 years from now, most economists would instead cite Charles Darwin. Darwin, renowned for the theory of evolution, was a naturalist, not an economist, and his view of the competitive struggle was different from Smith's in subtle but profound ways. Growing evidence suggests that Darwin's view tracks economic reality much more closely. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

No one argues that the staggering deficits run up by the American government in a bid to rescue the economy are desirable, healthy or even sustainable -- not if the national debt continues to swell at its current pace. But considerable debate centers on when and how vigorously to start easing off Washington's borrowing habit, with substantial risks at both extremes. Pull back on government spending now, the argument runs, and condemn an already hobbled American economy to years of mass joblessness and anguish. Indeed, some economists are already arguing that with unemployment near double digits, the government must consider giving another dose of stimulus spending now, despite the fact that this will add to the deficit. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Could it be that humans are not quite as gullible as advertised? For a couple of decades now, social psychologists and behavioral economists have been amusing themselves manipulating consumers into doing odd things. They've delighted in debunking the notion of homo economicus, that theoretical creature who rationally seeks maximum economic utility. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The economic downturn is forcing a return to a culture of thrift that many economists say could last well beyond the inevitable recovery. This is not because Americans have suddenly become more financially virtuous or have learned the error of their free-spending ways. Instead, these experts say, Americans may have no choice but to continue pinching pennies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For decades, psychologists have warned against giving children prizes or money for their performance in school. ''Extrinsic'' rewards, they say -- a stuffed animal for a 4-year-old who learns her alphabet, cash for a good report card in middle or high school -- can undermine the joy of learning for its own sake and can even lead to cheating. But many economists and businesspeople disagree, and their views often prevail in the educational marketplace. Reward programs that pay students are under way in many cities. In some places, students can bring home hundreds of dollars for, say, taking an Advanced Placement course and scoring well on the exam. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Orders to factories fell for a record fifth month in December, closing out the worst year for American manufacturers since 2002. Analysts say the deepening recession will mean further weakness in coming months. The Commerce Department said on Thursday that orders dropped by 3.9 percent in December, an even bigger decline than the 3 percent that economists had been expecting. The weakness was widespread with a range of industries, including autos, heavy machinery and computers, reporting big declines in demand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Being considered for: Education secretary Would bring to the job: A 30-year career as an education professor, currently at Stanford, and as a social scientist. She is an authority on school reform, educational equity and teacher quality, the last because she directed the work of a national blue-ribbon panel on teaching and founded a charter school that specializes in teacher training. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A few months ago I found myself at a meeting of economists and finance officials, discussing -- what else? -- the crisis. There was a lot of soul-searching going on. One senior policy maker asked, ''Why didn't we see this coming?'' There was, of course, only one thing to say in reply, so I said it: ''What do you mean 'we,' white man?'' [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

No one likes bad news, but for some people, no news is worse. People who are mildly neurotic are stressed by uncertainty even more than by bad news, a new study finds. Psychologists have long known that bad news grabs attention, making its recipients take notice, while good news often is given short shrift in the brain. Scientists have explained the phenomenon as a survival mechanism, a part of the brain's wiring adapted to warn of dangers or threats. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

More suicides? Fewer male births? Less back pain? More laxative sales? Data points litter the landscape as economists, sociologists, psychologists and marketers examine the societal changes, big and small, trivial and traumatic, that accompany a bad economy. And with this particular version of a troubled economy -- a stock market that goes into convulsions at 3 p.m., a looming global recession, a $700 billion bailout plan that may or may not work, and a jittery public wondering what is coming next -- changes should flow as freely as profits in good times. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A measure of American manufacturing activity contracted more than expected in September as new orders slowed sharply. The reading of 43.5 from the Institute for Supply Management was down from 49.9 in August. It also was worse than economists' prediction of 49.5, according to the consensus estimate of Wall Street economists surveyed by Thomson/IFR. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

NEARING A DEAL The Bush administration and Congressional leaders have moved closer to an agreement on a $700 billion bailout for financial firms, but lawmakers in both parties voiced anger over the steep cost and skepticism about the plan's chances of success. HELP, BUT WHAT KIND? Most economists say the nation's financial crisis is so perilous that an expensive intervention is required. Considerable disagreement centers on how to go about it. [A1.] [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

After climbing for months, the price of consumer goods and services fell in August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said on Tuesday. Economists noted, though, that prices were still much higher than they were a year ago, and that the one-month decline might not provide any lasting relief. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The economy expanded at a 3.3 percent rate from April through June, far faster than first thought, the government said on Thursday. But the outlook for the remainder of the year remained grim. Even as investors celebrated with a rally in the stock market, pushing the Dow up more than 200 points, economists cautioned that consumer spending and foreign demand would probably dry up in the months ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The unemployment rate in Russia fell in July to 5.3 percent, a lower rate than expected by economists. The rate dropped from 6.2 percent the month before, the Federal Statistics Service said. The median forecast of 15 economists surveyed by Bloomberg was 6.1 percent. The jobless rate in Russia, the world's largest energy exporter, has declined from a high of 12.4 percent in 1999. The average monthly wage increased at an annual rate of 11.6 percent in July to 17,538 rubles ($718), the report said. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Eager to embrace eggheads and ideas, the Pentagon has started an ambitious and unusual program to recruit social scientists and direct the nation's brainpower to combating security threats like the Chinese military, Iraq, terrorism and religious fundamentalism. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has compared the initiative -- named Minerva, after the Roman goddess of wisdom (and warriors) -- to the government's effort to pump up its intellectual capital during the cold war after the Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

For insights into healthy marriages, social scientists are looking in an unexpected place. A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships. Most studies show surprisingly few differences between committed gay couples and committed straight couples, but the differences that do emerge have shed light on the kinds of conflicts that can endanger heterosexual relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This city has passed a grim demographic milestone: More people are dying here than are being born. What demographers call a natural decrease has been occurring for years in tiny rural towns and in some retirement meccas in the South. But the phenomenon is relatively new in metropolitan areas in the Northeast, the Rust Belt of the Middle West and Appalachia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents information about a group called Research Partnership for New York City schools, which has been formed by mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York City. This partnership involves social scientists from New York University, Teachers College of Columbia University and City University of New York, who have already started researching on issues like school financing and high school choice.

The article focuses on views of social scientist Charles Murray on Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) who belies that it should be eliminated. Murray described SAT as a harmful symbol of privilege which is meant to favor rich people. The social scientist said that universities and colleges should replace SAT with some other standardized tests which evaluate knowledge in specific disciplines like history or chemistry.

The article presents information on the classification of travelers made by social scientist Stanley C. Plog. According to Plog, travelers tend to fall into one of six categories and knowing one's type can prevent disappointments in travelers. The largest four classes are Midauthentics, Centric-authentics, Centeric-venturers, and Midventurers. Midauthentics, who form 17 percent of all travelers prefer watching TV to reading and would rather drive than fly.

The article presents an interview with Robert N. Butler, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and president and CEO of the International Longevity Center. When asked about the report of his organization on ageism, he said that they did a literature review. Butler stated that he never thinks about his own ageing. Butler said that after the death of his wife, he has become quite protective of himself.

The article reports on a study which has found that women, both in the developed and developing world, as well as in rural and urban areas, face greatest threat of violence at home. The study, which is the most comprehensive and scientific international study on the topic, has been conducted by researchers from the World Health Organization.

The article evaluates the value of life in the economics of war as studied by economists in the U.S.

Reports on the efforts of Microsoft Corp. in hiring social scientists to study the attitudes of natives who uses the company's software products in the U.S.

Reports on the obscure disappearance of the theory of consumer behavior made by economist James S. Duesenberry, which argued that families look not only to their own living standards of others but also to their own past experience, from modern economics textbooks.

Reports on relationships among the members of the New York Yankees baseball team. Suggestion by social scientists that it is decentralized groups like the Yankees that prove more resilient than strongly connected ones like the Boston Red Sox; Reference to a higher capacity to weather outside criticism and internal quarrels; Results of studies of group performance under pressure; Evidence from personality profiles and from studies of military, corporate and space flight crews; Possibility that looser ties between group members can be a strength, if the team include individuals who can generate collective emotion when needed.

Discusses the nature of "evil" from the perspective of social scientists. Views of psychiatrists and forensic examiners regarding predatory killers; Development of a "depravity scale" by a group at New York University; Work of Dr. Michael Stone, a personality expert at Columbia University, in publishing a 22-level hierarchy of evil behavior; Views of Dr. Robert I. Simon, clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown Medical School, who wrote the book "Bad Men Do What Good Men Dream"; Idea of neuroscientists that psychopathy scores result from physical differences in brain function; Mention of serial murderers John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Theodore R. Bundy; Concern that the concept of evil cannot be used judiciously in courtrooms.

Observes that young Latinos in the U.S. are deciding to have smaller families. Views of sociologists who study Hispanic trends; Example of California, which has the largest Hispanic population; Why the decline in family size is significance, according to demographers; How assimilation into the American lifestyle is fueling the trend; Importance of quality of life for Latina women in their quest for smaller families.

Discusses how political anger can literally make you heartsick. Issue of treating patients with political rage problems; Fury of many Democrats following the 2004 presidential election; Comments of psychologists and anger specialists; Finding by medical studies that anger can lead to heart disease; Ways to deal with negative emotion, including deep breathing; How anger may feel justified and to a degree righteous after a political loss; Why anger specialists believe Democrats ought to redirect their rage and negative emotion toward constructive action.

Discusses how revenge reflects a biologically rooted sense of justice. View of researchers that acts of personal vengeance are primed in the genes; Role of the brain in inspiring socially beneficial acts of retaliation and punishment as well as damaging ones; Comments of psychologist Michael McCullough on understanding retaliatory acts; Reference to Alexander Hamilton's fatal duel with Aaron Burr on the Hudson River; Implications for stable communities; Overview of the research; Views of sociologists and philosophers; Ways that some people exact revenge on themselves; How researchers have found ways people can peaceably satiate their hunger for revenge.

Interviews Fredy A. Peccerilli, a forensic anthropologist and director of the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation. Career background; Job description of a forensic anthropologist; Challenges associated with being a a forensic anthropologist.

Presents an article about the effort of several Arab social scientists in detailing just how far the Arab world has fallen behind due to the deficits of freedom, education and women's empowerment.

Reports that the area of Matlab in Bangladesh has been studied by countless doctors, demographers, epidemiologists, sociologists and anthropologists seeking simple, inexpensive solutions to the problems of the developing world.

Reports the award of a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science to Canadian-born economist Robert A. Mundell of Columbia University. Recognition for his contributions to international economics, demonstrating how the international flow of capital could affect an individual country's ability to manage its own economy; Career and biographical information.