The scientific study of society.
Questions tagged [sociology]
103 questions
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Are suicide rates higher during week-ends and holidays?
In the ever growing series of questions about time or weather dependencies of crime or other kinds of behavior, I have heard several times people pretend that the suicide (and attempted suicide) rate is higher during the week-end and the holidays,…
ogerard
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Are beggars in the Nordic countries cities typically part of organised networks?
In Sweden and other Nordic countries, the presence of beggars on the streets is a relatively new phenomenon, with many beggars originating from new EU member states. There are frequent claims that those beggars are part of organised networks, and…
gerrit
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Are young liberal women more likely to have a mental health condition?
Evie Magazine reports on a 2020 Pew Research study, in an article titled Over 50% Of Liberal, White Women Under 30 Have A Mental Health Issue. Are We Worried Yet?
Conservatives label younger liberal generations as snowflakes or as having Trump…
Lambert macuse
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Is job experience a poor predictor of job performance?
I was shocked by an implicit claim in an HBR article.
The most shocking part to me there is that job experience came dead last among those predictors of job performance. Alas the graph is from a talk, so it won't be that easy to see exactly what it…
Fizz
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Did 800 people estimate the weight of an ox within 1% in 1906?
According to Wikipedia,
At a 1906 country fair in Plymouth, 800 people participated in a contest to estimate the weight of a slaughtered and dressed ox. Statistician Francis Galton observed that the median guess, 1207 pounds, was accurate within…
fi12
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Did food industry make their instant cakes harder to cook in the '50s?
In a video against animal cruelty, a woman talks about the tricks food industry has been using for decades. One subject in particular intriges me.
In the 1950s there was a very important innovation in food, the instant mix cake. One of my personal…
Einenlum
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Do casinos have a negative economic and social impact on the neighborhoods they are located in?
In a recent article of the Toronto Sun that discusses a proposed waterfront casino for the city of Toronto, the author Christopher Hume makes the following statement:
Experience around the world shows that casinos are the kiss of death for the…
Brian M. Hunt
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Are one-third of teen suicides homosexuals?
The media and government officials have often claimed that the rate of teen suicide for homosexuals is vastly higher than the suicide rate of heterosexual teens. The figure they often use is that an estimated 1/3 of all teen suicides are homosexual.…
user1873
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Are food deserts a real phenomenon?
According to Wikipedia, a food desert is a low income area where people there cannot access high quality or nutritional food, due to either a lack of transportation or a lack of real grocery stores.
My question is, are food deserts statistically…
TheEnigmaMachine
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Did a disproportionate number of celebrities die in 2016?
There is a general claim being made that 2016 has had an unusually high number of celebrities pass away.
While the past few days may have had a cluster of celebrity deaths, is 2016 really an unusual year?
I realize there are some subjective…
Larian LeQuella
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Is Bhutan an extremely happy country?
Supposedly Bhutan consistently ranks as one of the happiest countries in the world. Bhutan seems to have a reputation as a eco-friendly liberal paradise, and pages like this claim that their environmental and spiritual outlook makes them less…
Malper
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Are discussions about suicide themselves suicide triggers?
Several online forums I've frequented have had discussions removed when suicide methods are mentioned. The reasoning have been that discussion about suicide themselves are suicide triggers. While it sounds plausible, and it's not that hard to find…
Zano
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Are children from divorced families more likely to become divorced themselves?
I've heard people making this claim both in real life and on TV; but I think one can also argue that children growing up with separated parents are more likely to be careful when getting married, and therefore increase the chances of a divorce-less…
Mihai Rotaru
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Does "power posing" affect testosterone and cortisol levels?
Social psychologist Amy Cuddy gave a TED talk in which she claims that adopting certain postures:
can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain.
Business Insider Australia summarised it this way:
Her research showed that standing or…
Steven
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Are these claims about what reduces abortion correct?
This post on tumblr currently has more than 77,500 "notes", so I'd consider it notable. The numbers and letters are mine:
Things that lower abortion rates:
A1: Better access to condoms
A2: Accessible birth control
A3: Accessible Plan - B…
ike
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