The Racialized History of “Hysteria”
Even three decades after “hysteria” was deleted from the DSM-III, some of the word’s diagnostic power obviously still remains.
The Psychology Behind Why Clowns Creep Us Out
For several months in 2016, creepy clowns terrorized America, with sightings of actual clowns in at least 10 different states.
Can Makeup Be Feminist?
Makeup has become a huge industry. Is it possible to enjoy the practice of beautification and be feminist at the same time?
Charlottesville Syllabus: Readings on the History of Hate in America
The history of racism and ethnic hate in America is long and deep. What are the cultural, economic, and political currents that led us here?
What Really Happened to Easter Island?
Did Easter Island's inhabitants degrade their ecosystem to the point that the island could no longer support them? Or is there more to the story?
The Books that Taught the Seventies to Have Sex
What can 1970s sex manuals tell us about the height of the Sexual Revolution? The 1970s was a distinctive sexual decade that’s well worth studying today.
Who Runs the Running of the Bulls?
In Spain, peñas (male recreation associations) control the safety of the annual Running of the Bulls and are responsible for much of the rowdy behavior.
How Consumerism Created Bigfoot
People have long told stories about wildmen, creatures who straddled the line between human and animal. But Bigfoot himself first appeared in the 1950s.
A Short History of the Condom
Dating back to at least medieval times, the condom has taken a winding path to social acceptance.
What Really Made 1950s Housewives So Miserable
Where did the image of the quietly desperate stay-at-home mother come from?