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Author Archives: Laura Akers, Ph.D.
The WWE model of American politics
Way back in the day, my Grandpa Ben was a big fan of Portland Wrestling. A quiet man otherwise, he’d cheer on Dutch Savage and boo Bull Ramos. I was maybe 10, and I didn’t see the appeal. Looking back, … Continue reading
Hacking your mood with a Strawberry Letter
A couple of weeks ago, I popped into the First National Taphouse to pick up the dinner we’d ordered, and on their sound system was a song I hadn’t heard, or thought about, in years. It was the Brothers Johnson, … Continue reading
Fairness and the “R” word
Last week I shared my concern that efforts to hold the United States accountable for what our society has done to handicap some population groups could lead to some very negative side-effects. That is, our discussions of collective responsibility could … Continue reading
Posted in US politics
Tagged authoritarianism, collective responsibility, complicit, politics, social change
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One freedom may be the biggest threat to democracy
Today I want to talk about a perverse incentive that some Americans may have for preferring a more authoritarian government – it can give them a certain type of freedom that we don’t have in a democracy, the freedom to … Continue reading
Whose Law? Whose Order?
The shocking, yet not at all surprising, events in the U.S. Capitol this week revitalized a question I’ve been asking myself lately: How do we reconcile a president’s repeated call for “law and order” with his obvious delight in sheer, … Continue reading
Postcards from my Istrian “stay-cation”
If I were to step outside here in Eugene, in the final days of 2020, I’d find rainy, windy, winter. Thankfully, I’ve had an alternative – I’ve spent much of the past week or two in sunny, cheery, Trieste and … Continue reading
Category Fun with Fiske and Pepper, Part 2
Welcome back! It’s time for more ideas about ideas. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about Alan Page Fiske’s way of categorizing human relationship types. In our social worlds, there may be contexts where people are essentially the same … Continue reading
Posted in category science
Tagged authenticity, categories, contextualism, social cognition
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Category Fun with Fiske and Pepper, Part 1
Here’s a post for those of you who like playing with ideas. It’s not politics or history, and it’s not narrative psychology, exactly – rather, it’s about some of the ways that are sometimes used in social science for organizing … Continue reading
