Suggested Readings: Obamacare, Zooplankton, and a Controversy over Coconut Oil
Well-researched stories from around the web that bridge the gap between news and scholarship. Brought to you each Tuesday from the editors of JSTOR Daily.
Why Have Whales Come to New York City?
What brought whales to the city? It’s a tale of water quality, plankton, and an unassuming but vital fish called the menhaden.
London Has Always Been Multicultural
The conventional story is that "black Britain" came about after World War II, but London has been a multicultural capital for centuries.
Why Stonewall?
The Stonewall riot in June, 1969 is generally remembered as be the beginning of the gay liberation movement. But there was precedent for the event.
How Barbed Wire Changed Farming Forever
On June 25, 1867, Lucien B. Smith of Ohio received the first patent for barbed wire. Within a few decades, barbed wire transformed the American West.
How The “Fag Hag” Went From Hated to Celebrated
At its core, the relationship between single women and gay men has longstanding historical roots.
How The Espionage Act Became a Tool of Repression
The Espionage Act of 1917 marked the beginning of the one of the most repressive periods in American history, with 2000 dissenters prosecuted.
The Gender Gap Is Even More Insidious Than You Thought
Women are more likely to be excluded from key networks, less likely to have had managerial experience, and have fewer mentors to signpost the way forward.
A Precedent for Today’s Political Violence
Illegal violence has always been a political tool, often serving the interests of the powerful. A historian looks at the case of 1930s Birmingham, Alabama.
How Do Fish Schools Work?
Fish schools turn, contract, expand, even part and come back together all without missing a beat. Yet fish are individuals, not a hive mind.