A choice was made to include each word in this sentence. Every message, even the most mundane, is crafted with a specific frame in mind that impacts how the message is perceived. The study of framing effects is a multidisciplinary line of research that investigates when, how, and why language influences those who receive a...
Culture
Gift-Giving Was Practiced by Early Humans in Africa – How It Spread and Evolved
For many countries around the world, December is an intense, commercialised period of gift-giving. Not just within families but across all sorts of relationships, such as gifts between buyers and service providers. Gift-giving, the act of presenting someone with a gift is intended to convey thoughtfulness, appreciation, or goodwill. The gift can be a tangible...
Bob Dylan and the Creative Leap That Transformed Modern Music
The Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothée Chalamet, focuses on Dylan’s early 1960s transition from idiosyncratic singer of folk songs to internationally renowned singer-songwriter. As a music historian, I’ve always respected one decision of Dylan’s in particular – one that kicked off the young artist’s most turbulent and significant period of creative activity....
Study Finds Parents More Open to Racially Diverse Media for Children Than Previously Thought
New research from the University of Kansas has found that most parents recall watching media with diverse racial and ethnic portrayals of characters with their children and that their own racial-ethnic identity predicted their attitudes toward such content, but not necessarily their beliefs. Judy Watts, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at KU, led...
Study Examines How Culture, Family and Identity Shape Body Image Challenges for Hispanic Women
While culture is intertwined with values surrounding food and body image, cultural differences have historically been overlooked by researchers and clinicians seeking to identify and treat eating disorders. The lack of culturally relevant approaches has been huge barrier for Hispanic, or Latine, women in accessing care, said Sarah Johnson-Munguia, a sixth-year University of Kansas graduate...
Is Masculine Anxiety Spurring Support for Trump Among Gen Z?
For the past few years, right-wing media have argued that the U.S. is plagued by a masculinity crisis, whether it’s former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson warning of collapsing testosterone levels in his 2022 documentary “The End of Men” or Sen. Josh Hawley decrying what he called the left’s project to “deconstruct” men and “define...
Emoji Use May Depend on Emotional Intelligence and Attachment Style
Higher emotional intelligence is linked to more emoji use with friends, while avoidant attachment is associated with less emoji use with friends and dating or romantic partners, according to a study published December 4, 2024, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Dr. Simon Dubé, Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, U.S., and colleagues. This...
Gold Star Medal Taken from an Ethiopian War Hero Surfaces at Auction
The grandchildren of Ras Desta Damtew, an Ethiopian general and noble, are seeking to recover the piece, listed in the online auction catalogue as coming from the estate of an Italian soldier who was present at Desta Damtew’s execution The family of an Ethiopian war hero, Ras Desta Damtew, is seeking to recover his gold...
France Returns Prehistoric Artifacts to Ethiopia in Diplomatic ‘Handover’
A French government official recently said the return of three artifacts to Ethiopia was a diplomatic handover rather than a restitution. On November 30, France‘s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot handed over two prehistoric stone axes, bifaces, and a stone cutter to Ethiopia’s tourism minister Selamawit Kassa during a symbolic ceremony at the National Museum of Ethiopia in the...
A Blind Beetle Named Hitler? the Case for Changing Offensive Names of Animals and Plants, and How It Can Be Done
Taxonomy is the science of describing, classifying and naming organisms. It organises the vast diversity of life on Earth. Species are grouped based on shared characteristics, providing a system that allows scientists to understand and communicate about the natural world. Naming species is no simple task: a scientist doesn’t just assign a name and call...