The Abstract

The way we interact with the institutions that govern our lives can have a profound effect — look no further than the justified scrutiny of police interactions with the public over the last decade or more. But how do we measure and study those interactions? ISR's Nick Camp explores that process in this episode of The Abstract. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website or c...

Alcohol consumption is a complicated topic, but it has some surprising twists and turns, too. Among them, the revelation from ISR researcher Kira Birditt that couples who have similar drinking habits may have stronger relationships and better marriages. But why? In her December 2024 talk at ISR, Birditt explained some of the research behind these phenomena and what it means for alcohol consumption...

Why are American politics the way they are? And what are the consequences of political hostility? Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan, both of the Institute for Social Research's Center for Political Studies, are diving deep into those and other questions about the realities of American political life. In October 2024, they presented on their findings as a part of ISR's Insights Speaker Series, an...

ISR's global impact is large and growing — but how can it be quantified? And what role does ISR play in the ongoing evolution of the social sciences? Kate Cagney, director of ISR, and Laurie McCauley, the provost of the University of Michigan, explored those topics and many other questions during a fireside chat at ISR's 75th anniversary symposium in October 2024. Moderated by Arthur Lupia, U-M's...

The Institute for Social Research is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024. In October, ISR held a symposium in honor of the occasion, and Mike Traugott and Grace Noppert played key roles in preparing and leading that event. Today, Mike and Grace join The Abstract for a discussion about the symposium, ISR's history, and what's next for ISR as we look to the future. For more from the Institute f...

What can paper wasps teach us about animal communication? A lot more than you might think. Wasps of all varieties are a fixture of summer life across the United States, but the paper wasp stands out for its unique communication skills. Dr. Elizabeth Tibbetts of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts explained...

The United States government relies on the strength of its political institutions to govern effectively. But what if Americans lose faith in those institutions? Many political commentators have argued that the 2020 election gave us the chance to see that question play out, given the actions of Donald Trump and his supporters. But Dr. James Gibson isn't so sure. In the 2024 edition of the Miller-Co...

Every story has a beginning, and every story that lasts has something that sets it apart from others like it. According to Phil Converse, who joined the Institute for Social Research in its early days and went on to become its director, ISR's differentiating factors were evident very early on. In this archival audio, the fourth director of ISR shares how he came to ISR, what he learned while he wa...

Political studies have a long and storied history at ISR. The correct prediction of the 1948 outcome in which Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas Dewey, despite many popular opinions to the contrary at the time, was a seminal moment in that research. Since then, political studies have been at the core of ISR's identity, and Warren Miller, the former director of the Center for Political Studies, was a...

Interactions with the criminal justice system can mean a lifetime of complications. How can they affect people entering retirement? Dr. Mike Mueller-Smith of the Institute for Social Research's Population Center addressed that topic in a presentation as a part of ISR's Insights Speaker Series in October 2023. Mueller-Smith, who is also the director of the Criminal Justice Administrative Records Sy...

The population in the United States is aging, and an aging population is statistically likely to have a larger number of people with dementia. How should we care for the aging population generally and the population with dementia specifically, especially when the burden for that care typically falls to families? In today's episode of the Abstract, ISR's Dr. Sarah Patterson takes on those questions...

Marriage, motherhood, and mental health are three topics studied intensely on their own but rarely together. However, work by Dr. Sangeetha Madhavan of the University of Maryland could change that. Dr. Madhavan recently presented her research on the combined topic of maternal mental health and marriage as a part of the Population Studies Center's Brown Bag Series, sharing her data and in-depth app...

Black and white Americans have vastly different experiences with the American healthcare system. Why? And how did this come to be? Lou Penner, Ph. D., of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research addressed those and other questions in a recent presentation. Based on his book of the same name, "Unequal Health: Anti-Black Racism and the Threat to America's Health" explores the deep-...

With the gap between the rich and everyone else growing ever wider, why don't more people support policies that will result in wealth redistribution? That's the central question of Charlotte Cavaillé's book, around which she based her presentation at the Institute for Social Research in January 2024. "Fair Enough? Support for Redistribution in the Age of Inequality" explores important questions on...

Can our hearing and dental health affect the way we think? According to research investigator Ola Rostant, it can. Hear her explain how these two important factors can affect the way our brains age. Listen to Dr. Rostant's full presentation here . For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , or LinkedIn . Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...

Welcome to the Abstract, a new podcast from the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. What is this show and why does it exist? Allow us to show you. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website or connect with us on Facebook , Twitter , or LinkedIn . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.