Thomas Carter (Brighton): Wading Through the Mangroves: Thoughts on Theorising the Coast. Andrew N. Rubin (Georgetown): Orientalism and the History of Western Anti-Semitism: The Coming End of an American Taboo. Tony Ballantyne (Otago): Strategic Intimacies: Knowledge and Colonization in Southern New Zealand. From Qualitative Sociology Review, Medora W. Barnes (John Carroll): Our Family Functions: Functions of Traditional Weddings for Modern Brides and Postmodern Families; Marina D’Agati (Torino): “I Feel Like I’m Going to Win”: Superstition in Gambling; and Gregory M. Hall (SUNY): Tension in the Field of Art: The Practical Tattoo Artist and Perceptions of the Fine Art Community. The powerful authority of cute animals: Beatrice Marovich on the mechanism of the beckoning cat and other talismans. Want to spot the next bubble?: The more Harvard grads that head for Wall Street, the worse a sign it is for markets. Matthew Hutson on why we enjoy chili peppers, S&M, gruesome movies, and other unpleasant experiences. Distrust your data: Jacob Harris on six ways to make mistakes with data. Weird suburbia: Ken Hollings on how atomic bombs and UFOs created modern America. Deborah Cohen on why we look the way we look now: The modern style of clothes emerged in the Depression, and so did the focus on the figure beneath the fabric — with a startling result; as Americans' wardrobes became more similar, bodies diverged along class lines. With the narrowing of the political class, don't we need more politics rather than less? David Runciman on politics or technology — which will save the world?
