Culture

Home Culture
Scandinavians’ Little Linguistic Hat Trick
Post

Scandinavians’ Little Linguistic Hat Trick

Linguist Dave Kush at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s Department of Language and Literature has been studying a phenomenon in which Norwegian, Swedish and Danish stand out. This language peculiarity has to do with the order of words, or the syntax. The basic point of the study is to better understand the grammatical...

How Humans Learnt to Dance; from the Chimpanzee Conga
Post

How Humans Learnt to Dance; from the Chimpanzee Conga

The evolution of human dance has been studied by psychologists in chimpanzees Researchers from the University of Warwick, Durham University and Free University of Brussels found two chimpanzees performed a duo dance-like behaviour, similar to a conga-line Behaviours displayed by the chimpanzees forces an interest in the evolution of dance as humans are no longer...

Financial Infidelity: Secret Spending Costs Couples and Companies
Post

Financial Infidelity: Secret Spending Costs Couples and Companies

Along with sexual dalliances and emotional dishonesty, add “financial infidelity” to the perils of the modern relationship, according to Boston College Assistant Professor Marketing Hristina Nikolova and fellow researchers who undertook the first systemic investigation into the secretive spending of romantic partners. As retailers enter the holiday shopping season, the new study identifies “financial infidelity”...

Social Media Contributes to Increased Perception of Food Technology as Risky Business
Post

Social Media Contributes to Increased Perception of Food Technology as Risky Business

When it comes to food technology, the information shared on social media often trumps the facts put out by the scientific community and food experts, leading to the dissemination of disinformation, “fake news” and conspiracy theories. Nowhere is this more evident than consumers’ mistrust of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), despite assurances from the scientific community...

Unemployment Encourages Men to Try Traditionally Female-Dominated Work
Post

Unemployment Encourages Men to Try Traditionally Female-Dominated Work

Unemployment significantly increases the odds of men entering jobs traditionally performed by women. And, notably, some men find real job advantages as a result. The U.S. labor market has been in the midst of significant changes for decades, and some traditionally male-dominated work sectors have been shrinking. Accordingly, many men in these fields risk unstable...

Love, Lies and Money: Study Introduces, Defines and Measures Financial Infidelity
Post

Love, Lies and Money: Study Introduces, Defines and Measures Financial Infidelity

Romantic relationships are built on trust — yet when it comes to money, even faithful partners are not always honest about their spending and saving habits. New research from the University of Notre Dame introduces the concept of financial infidelity — engaging in any financial behavior likely to be frowned upon by a romantic partner...

Helicopter Parents and ‘Hothouse Children’ — Exploring the High Stakes of Family Dynamics
Post

Helicopter Parents and ‘Hothouse Children’ — Exploring the High Stakes of Family Dynamics

True helicopter parents talk a good game in making their actions all about their children, but according to one West Virginia University researcher, what they’re doing is reaping–and heaping–the rewards for themselves. Kristin Moilanen, associate professor of child development and family studies, said the phenomena of helicopter parenting most often occurs in middle- to upper-class families where stakes...

How Religion Can Heighten or Help with Financial Stress
Post

How Religion Can Heighten or Help with Financial Stress

Churchgoers who are strapped for cash may experience a spike in anxiety when the donation plate is passed. However, knowing they have a church family to support them in times of need may help ease their money worries. A new study by University of Arizona researcher Ashley LeBaron illuminates the ways in which religious involvement...

How Much Credit Should Corporations Get for the Advancement of LGBTQ Rights?
Post

How Much Credit Should Corporations Get for the Advancement of LGBTQ Rights?

Gay pride parades increasingly include marchers representing corporations, from defense contractor Raytheon to telecommunications conglomerate Comcast. During the most recent Pride Month, Starbucks unveiled its “Pride Cup,” while Target released a Pride line of clothing and accessories. It’s easy to view these gestures through a lens of cynicism – that they’re a way for companies...

How Steak Became Manly and Salads Became Feminine
Post

How Steak Became Manly and Salads Became Feminine

When was it decided that women prefer some types of food – yogurt with fruit, salads and white wine – while men are supposed to gravitate to chili, steak and bacon? In my new book, “American Cuisine: And How It Got This Way,” I show how the idea that women don’t want red meat and...