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As Darwin pointed out in the The Origin of Species (1859), species often exhibit enormous variation. Darwin was a pigeon breeder and described at length the astounding variation that, with the help of artificial selection, pigeon breeders had succeeded in cultivating in…

It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fine. No, really I do. I know a lot of people might be a little anxious and nervous, but I see mostly good things ahead if, that…

One can hardly broach the subject of free will or human agency without acknowledging the long-standing and unresolved philosophical debate regarding agency vs. determinism (Campbell, et. al., 2004). To provide an illustration of the extent of disagreement over this dualism,…

Here is an assignment/essay by a student in my Sociology 460 Technology course. I’m including it here because of the great way this student highlights the ambivalent impact of technology on our lives. As he clearly identifies, it is not…

Fate is the most potent weapon in a the arsenal of determinists like Stephen Hawking. To contend, as determinists plainly do, that the outcomes of events are pre-determined is essentially the same as saying that the ebbs and flows of…

by Lysa Taylor for English 306 A distraught girl lay helplessly on the psychiatrist’s mustard yellow couch. She was shaking as tears stained her milky white skin. The psychiatrist, Dr. Wilbur, picked up a tiny sculpture of a horse and…

Hi there. Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I was born into a Catholic family and when I was a young, defenseless, trusting child needing lots of love, attention, and positive regard, I had to listen to…

Of interest to Sociologists and students is the possibility of technology to break down class barriers. Here’s an interesting paper from the journal IRRODL that discusses the revolutionary potential of “technology enhanced learning” in developing nations. Food for thought, especially…

Here is a basic demographic breakdown of you, our reader. As you can see, you are about equally male and female. You are also highly educated and (since the Socjourn is critical, controversial, and innovative), critical, controversial, and innovative.You’re looking…

Ah the power of the media. The power itself is not a problem. The problem is the “masses” often don’t get just how powerful it is. Here is a student essay providing evidence of the incredible power of the media…