Why we throw coins in fountains: a cultural explanation
by Peter Wogan Why do so many of us get pleasant, uncanny sensations when we throw a coin in a fountain and see it resting in the water…
Tag: guest posts
The ‘wall of virtue’ that surrounds followers of Isis will not be broken down by bombing Syria
by Sean Carey Source: The Tablet “Sectarianism involves strong feelings, deep resentment, a searing sense of injustice, above all, anger,” explained renowned British social anthropologist …
Time for tobacco-state politicians to make ‘adult choice’ on Pacific trade agreement
By Gerry Everding If Republican senators from tobacco-growing southern states believe in social responsibility, they would fully explore the TransPacific (TPP) trade agreement’s potential impact on co…
Fear of Falling
By Sean Carey Remember when your mother or other responsible adult told you as a small child to tie your shoelaces so you would not trip and fall?…
Kinship has consequences: Ben Affleck not so different from British Bangladeshis
By Sean Carey Hollywood star Ben Affleck’s attempt to suppress a story about a slave-owning ancestor of his has caused something of a furore, especially in the U.S.…
Pepper water and protests in Haiti
By Scott Freeman Tear gas is not uncommon in Port au Prince. Over the past decade, whether it has been protests over food shortages, controlling political demonstrations, or…
A shift in the business environment that ethnographers can’t ignore
Ken Anderson (@kxande2) manages the Cultural Transformations Lab at Intel. He is an iconoclast by nature and a symbolic anthropologist by training. Over the last 20 years, his…