Clik here to view.
The real meaning of “back to school”
These late days of August have an unmistakable whiff of Autumn. Like many other times of year, Autumn has a distinct social significance: back to school. But like many other social phenomena, “back to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Autumn Rituals: Buying Jeans
Autumn Rituals: Buying Jeans Ritual plays an important role in our lives. Emile Durkheim noted in The Elementary Forms of Religious Life that ritual bookends our experience of time: The division into...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Malcolm Gladwell Is Wrong About Social Media
Gladwell sparked quite the social media flare when he claimed recently that social media pundits greatly overestimate social media’s ability to effect social change. He compared the famous civil-rights...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Proposed research project on mobile phones: comments needed!
I am currently writing a grant proposal for a research project on mobile phones. This is the (very) short version: All too often, technology designers create systems that unwittingly expose social...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Spring rituals: the cultural significance of spring cleaning
Canadians love spring. If you’re not Canadian, I bet you’re thinking, “Of course they do; everyone does.” Ah but you do not “verstehen” Canada if you say such things. Indeed, I didn’t even “verstehen”...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why should social scientists work in business?
My column in University Affairs has finally been published. In it, I argue that social scientists have both practical and moral reasons to seek out work in the business world: Social scientists can...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mobile Insights: what do people do with their phones?
I’m thrilled to be managing a research project on mobile technology use through a fellowship at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University. I’ve assembled a research team and we have...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Domestic mobile phone use: initial findings
In our work with Ryerson University, we are uncovering some interesting findings about domestic mobile phone use. For example, mobile phones are affecting family management: Smartphones bind families...
View ArticleClik here to view.
News flash: men shop in grocery stores!
The LA Times is reporting a shocking finding: men are doing the grocery shopping! In other news, they also apparently buy clothes, change diapers, and book swimming lessons. Will wonders never cease....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Designers are not researchers: the difference between design and social research
I am not a designer. I do not claim to be. Sure, I’ve done a few wire frames in my life (no, I will not provide screenshots). I even found myself designing a logo once. Here was someone who almost...
View Article
/fit-in/580x348/filters:format(webp)/english-betterindia/media/media_files/2026/09/17/balaghat-4-2026-09-17-19-01-31.png)
