Social Sciences Division
Four Harvard Affiliates Awarded Guggenheim Fellowships
Four Harvard affiliates were among the 184 recipients of the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship, an annual award recognizing exceptional scholarly and artistic achievement, the Guggenheim Foundation announced Thursday.
Democrats and Republicans Live Segregated Even within Neighborhoods, Harvard Researchers Find
Harvard researchers found that partisan sorting occurs not only on the regional, state, and county level, but even within cities and neighborhoods.
Political Scholars Analyze Trump’s Legacy on Global Populism
The Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies gathered three political scholars Thursday to discuss the effects of Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2020 United States presidential election on global populism.
Amid Cornel West’s Tenure Dispute, Faculty and Students Clash Over Harvard’s Treatment Of Black Scholars
In light of the threatened departure of Professor Cornel R. West ’74, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Claudine Gay said that Harvard is “unequivocally” committed to supporting an environment in which faculty of color can thrive.
Cornel West Threatens Second Departure from Harvard
Harvard professor and outspoken political activist Cornel R. West ’74 has threatened to leave Harvard — again — after he said the University dismissed his request to be considered for tenure.
Harvard History Professor Presents Life and Legacy of John F. Kennedy '40 at IOP Event
Harvard History professor Fredrik Logevall presented his research on the political development of former President John F. Kennedy ’40 while he was a student at Harvard College at a virtual Harvard Kennedy School forum Tuesday.
Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Named Don M. Randel Award Recipient
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences named University Professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr. a recipient of its Don M. Randel Award for Humanistic Studies on Wednesday, making him the seventh honoree since the award’s inception in 1975.
Government Department Revives Women in American Politics Lecture Course, Following 2019 Climate Report Recommendation
The Government department is reviving a lecture course on women in American politics for the spring semester, responding to a recommendation from its 2019 report on departmental culture.
Panelists Discuss Social and Racial Tensions in South Florida in the Wake of Cuba’s 1980 Mariel Boatlift
Three professors spoke at a lecture Thursday on the effects of the April 1980 Mariel Boatlift — which brought over 15,000 Cubans to Miami in a matter of weeks, and about 125,000 refugees by October of that year — on the politics of southern Florida.
Government Dept. Chair Apologizes for ‘Pain and Hurt’ in Wake of Gov 50 Allegations
Government department chair Jeffry A. Frieden acknowledged a history of student mistrust in the department and reiterated the concentration’s commitment to inclusion in a Friday email to colleagues, in the wake of allegations that Government 50: “Data” preceptor David D. Kane made racist blog posts under a pseudonym.
Students Allege Harvard Instructor David Kane Made Racist Posts on Blog
Harvard undergraduates allege David D. Kane, Government preceptor and Government 50: “Data” instructor, authored racist posts over the course of several years under the pseudonym “David Dudley Field ’25” on his website EphBlog.
Social Science Faculty Transform Their Courses for Online Learning
During an unprecedented semester of virtual learning, Social Sciences professors teaching large lecture courses say they are working hard to keep their classes as engaging and interactive as possible.
Economics Professor Emmanuel Farhi, Who Wielded His Intellect for Public Good, Dies at 41
Economics Professor Emmanuel Farhi died unexpectedly on July 23 at the age of 41.
College Will Require All Fall Courses to Guarantee Students Two to Four Hours of Live Interaction
Though all courses will be virtual this fall, Harvard College expects professors to guarantee every student — regardless of time zone — between two and four hours of live interaction with course staff or peers each week, according to official College guidelines.
Danielle Allen Awarded Kluge Prize by Library of Congress
The Library of Congress named University Professor Danielle S. Allen as the 2020 recipient of the John W. Kluge Prize Monday, an international award for scholarly achievement in disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prizes.
Harvard Economists Find Political Bias Skews Americans' Perception of Verifiable Facts
According to a recent paper from a team of Harvard economists, not only do partisans see things differently, but their political views distort their basic understanding of the issues — even when reality may be contrary.
Harvard, University of Michigan Professors Discuss the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effect on Prisons
Heather Ann Thompson, a Pulitzer prize-winning author and University of Michigan professor, discussed the relationship between pandemics and prisons in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic during a virtual event on Thursday.
Coronavirus Disrupts Writing, Research for Harvard Faculty on Leave
While the novel coronavirus pandemic has uprooted the lives of many faculty working on campus this year — forcing them to switch to remote teaching and ramp down laboratory research — it has also disrupted the work of many faculty currently on leave.
Music Department Chair Suzannah Clark Named Director of Harvard's Mahindra Humanities Center
Music department chair Suzannah E. Clark will serve as the next director of Harvard’s Mahindra Humanities Center, the University announced in a Wednesday press release.
Harvard Celebrates 50 Years of African and African American Studies
Harvard’s African and African American Studies department celebrated its 50th anniversary at a two-day symposium Friday and Saturday, which boasted a global guest list of pre-eminent scholars in the field.
High-Profile History Prof. Hinton to Depart for Yale
Associate professor Elizabeth K. Hinton will depart for Yale this summer after six years in Harvard’s History and African and African American Studies departments.
Students and Faculty Flock to Discussion on the Relationship Between Humans and Whales
Graduate students, professors, and whale enthusiasts gathered to hear Brown University Professor Bathsheba Demuth discuss the history and ethics of humanity’s relationship with whales Wednesday at the Center for Government and International Studies.
Stephen Marglin
Stephen Marglin, the Walter S. Barker Professor of Economics, has dedicated his professional career to expanding and complicating mainstream views of economic thought.
Harvard University Professor Danielle Allen Receives Governor’s Award in the Humanities
University Professor Danielle S. Allen received a 2019 Governor's Award at the annual Massachusetts Humanities Dinner Sunday evening.
More Than 800 Institutions Sign Harvard Letter Calling on Brazil to Fund Philosophy, Sociology
Scholars from more than 800 institutions worldwide have signed an open letter — written by two Harvard graduate students — in response to Brazil’s plan to disinvest in philosophy and sociology at public universities.