Social Sciences
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Russians get the blues: new book chronicles rise of the blues in postcommunist Russia
Like jilted lovers easing their heartache, Muscovites in the postcommunist era flocked to nightclubs to hear the blues. The soulful music spoke to their struggles following the breakup of the Soviet Union. The blues has a unique power to ease suffering and give hope to the downtrodden, says political scientist–and lifelong blues fan–Michael Urban, author…
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New master’s program in social documentation at UC Santa Cruz
A new master’s program in social documentation at the University of California, Santa Cruz, will teach students to translate academic knowledge into visual, audio, and print media that will have an impact on the world outside academia. The program, approved by UC President Robert C. Dynes, is a first in the University of California system.…
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Dutch drug policies do not increase marijuana use, first rigorous comparative study finds
In the first rigorous study comparing marijuana use in the Netherlands and the United States, researchers have found no evidence that decriminalization of marijuana leads to increased drug use. The results suggest that drug policies may have less impact on marijuana use than is currently thought. The findings appear in the May issue of the…
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Sweet limes, apple trees, and salad bowls debut at UCSC Plant Sale May 1-2
Psst! Here’s a hot tip for gardeners: Whether your summer tastes lean toward limeade or margaritas, you’ll want to pick up a Bearss lime tree at the annual UC Santa Cruz Farm & Garden Spring Plant Sale. The sale, which features a dazzling array of organically raised vegetables, annual flowers, perennials, and herbs, will take…
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EDITOR’S ADVISORY: Journalists invited to attend April 30 meeting on global outsourcing
Headlines that decry the outsourcing of U.S. jobs are missing the point, according to economists who say the United States faces a far greater long-term economic threat if it doesn’t keep pace in innovation and knowledge work. The impacts of global sourcing on regions of innovation will be the focus of a daylong public workshop…
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April 13 speaker pursues social justice through community organizing
Called “the most effective Latino grassroots organizer in the country today,” Ernesto Cortes Jr. knows how to energize and empower people to fight for issues that matter to them, whether its bringing drinking water to poor communities in south Texas or increasing the minimum wage in California. Awarded a MacArthur “genius” award for his work,…
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UC Santa Cruz hosts American Indian Colloquium Series in February
Merrill College at the University of California, Santa Cruz, is hosting the Merrill American Indian Colloquium Series 2004 during the month of February, and the public is invited to attend a series of free events that highlight this year’s theme, “Service to Native American Communities.” Guest speakers will address ways to serve the needs of…
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700 educators to attend Sixth National New Teacher Symposium February 2-3 in San Jose
More than 700 educators will descend on the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose on February 2-3 to learn the latest about what new teachers need to be successful in their work. The Sixth National New Teacher Center Symposium on Teacher Induction, “Soaring to New Heights,” will focus on three themes central to teacher induction: quality…
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World of an anthropologist subject of Sigma Xi lecture on January 28
A public lecture on the UC Santa Cruz campus on Wednesday, January 28, will address some of the myths that have emerged about the profession of forensic anthropology. The UCSC Sigma Xi Lecture, which will begin at 8 p.m. in Classroom Unit 2, will feature Alison Galloway, of UCSC’s Anthropology Department and chair of the…
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Preventing Columbine: Psychologist Elliot Aronson delivers UCSC Faculty Emeritus Lecture February 11
Award-winning social psychologist Elliot Aronson will deliver a free public lecture entitled “The Elephant in the Parlor: How the Columbine High School Massacre Could Have Been Prevented,” on Wednesday, February 11, at 8:15 p.m. in the Media Theater at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Aronson, a professor emeritus of psychology at UCSC, is author…
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Psychologist Barbara Rogoff to deliver UC Santa Cruz faculty research lecture February 5
Barbara Rogoff, a leading developmental psychologist, will deliver the annual faculty research lecture at the University of California, Santa Cruz, on Thursday, February 5, at 8 p.m. in the Music Recital Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Rogoff, whose talk is entitled “Learning through Intent Participation in Cultural Activity,” has spent…
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Organic agriculture at a crossroads: Prof says goals of ecological sustainability and social justice may require subsidies
Thirty years after the birth of organic agriculture in California, the industry looks more than ever like the agribusiness model it set out to oppose. The early dream of producing food in ecologically sustainable ways has withered under multiple pressures, but an analysis by a geographer at the University of California, Santa Cruz, suggests that…