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Black and white headshot of author Livia Gershon

Livia Gershon

Livia Gershon is a freelance writer in Nashua, New Hampshire. Her writing has appeared in publications including Salon, Aeon Magazine and the Good Men Project. Contact her on Twitter @liviagershon.

A cruise ship docks at a tropical location

Who Wants Cruises To Come to Town?

The benefits and consequences of cruises.
Bowls of various superfoods

The Decline of Malnutrition: How The World Eats Now

There are still strides to be made in nutrition development.
Protestor holding up a sign reading, "Today we march...tomorrow we vote."

Immigrants and Politics in the 1890s and Today

A comparison between immigration policies in the 1890s and today.
Older photo of Donald Trump waving to the public

Donald Trump and the American Celebration of the Wealthy

A look into how wealth can transfer into fame.
The Ashley Madison website sign-up window

Adultery and Secret Lives Way Before Ashley Madison

Long before Ashley Madison, married people found ways to cheat.
High school students run down the corridor of their school

What Students are Forgetting this Summer

The gap between students when it comes to educational achievement may come down to more than schools.
Close-up of a dial pack of birth control pills

Birth Control’s Slow Path to the Mainstream

A look at changing public opinion of birth control.
A father kisses his toddler on the cheek

Gender Roles in Early Parenthood

Parenting roles have changed enormously over a generation, but gender roles are still being propped up in some ways.
Homeless person with blank cardboard

Panhandling and Other Jobs

A ban on panhandling simply ignores the issues behind the practice.
Neon signs at a strip club

Money and Power at Strip Clubs

A new viewpoint on who holds the money and power in strip clubs.
Two suited partners exchanging rings

What Gay Marriage Looked Like in the ’70s

In 1979, sociologist Joseph Harry took a look at what that era's marriage-like relationships between gay men were like.
Euro coins

The Divisive Euro

In 1997, an economist looked at divided opinions about the Euro years before the currency was introduced.
Contemporary mansion

The Richest Places in America

What do the richest places in America look like?
Schoolgirl writing in classroom.

What Works to Keep Kids in School?

With national graduation rates still low, this article examines the best ways to keep kids in school.
A tired employee receives more work to complete

Who Suffers in Rude Workplaces?

Not everyone is impacted equally when it comes to workplace bullying and incivility.
Engraving of Bristol, England from 1881

Six Hundred Years of Government Intervention in the Labor Markets

A Harvard law professor argues that the laissez-faire era in the 19th century represented a blip in a long history of powerful labor regulations.
Volunteers happily clean up a park

Why Do People Support Charities?

A paper explores the reasons why people give to charities.
Young man facing a hiring committee

Hiring, Cultural Fit, and Discrimination

Executives make hiring decisions more by markers of social class than by actual qualifications.
A crowd holding up American flags in front of the U.S. Capitol Building

Is Negative Political Campaigning Really So Bad?

The conventional wisdom about negative political campaigning is that it's ugly and destructive. But is it effective?
zookeeper operating on a monkey

What Makes Work Meaningful? Ask a Zookeeper

In interviews with zookeepers, researchers found that good feelings about work ran deeper than a standard survey metric like job satisfaction could capture.
A teacher calls on a student who has raised her hand

Teaching White Kids Anti-Racism

Teachers can take a step toward helping white kids overcome racial prejudice simply by addressing historical examples of racism.
A woman in a hospital gown sitting on a hospital bed with a doctor behind her

What Mid-20th Century Gynecologists Were Taught About Female Sexuality

Gynecologists of the past would be shocked by today's insights on female sexuality.
A row of telephone poles alongside a street

Before Broadband, Seeking Universal Access to the Telephone

Today's debates about low-income subsidizes for broadband echo early fights for universal access to telephone lines.
Japanese students

Japan, the U.S, and the Perils of International Education Comparisons

Current comparisons of U.S. and Chinese educational systems echo earlier comparisons to Japan.