In the last five years, about 20 U.S. states have passed laws authorizing the use of cameras in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. CSDE Affiliate Clara Berridge’s (Social Work) socio-legal analysis and survey research about cameras in these facilities were both cited in a recent New York Times article on the issue. She states that she views camera as “a symptom, not a solution,” which provides a Band-Aid for residents who have someone to surveil their care but can distract from the work of ensuring quality long-term care for everyone. Read the full article here.

The Max Planck – University of Helsinki Center for Social Inequalities in Population Health is currently seeking to appoint one or more full-time post-doctoral researchers. We welcome applications from researchers with a PhD in demography, sociology, statistics, epidemiology, public health, economics, computer science, and allied fields. The successful candidate(s) will work on one or several of the four research themes of the Center: [1] the links between family and health, [2] the role of genetic factors in shaping health inequalities, [3] international comparisons of health and health inequalities, and [4] developing new methods, in particular longitudinal modelling approaches, methods for causal inference, and techniques leveraging genetic data. Learn more and apply here.

We are also open to applicants interested in other topics covered in the Department Social Demography at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR), including fertility, mortality and morbidity, and labor markets. The successful candidate(s) will develop their own agenda within the Center, and they will contribute their skills and knowledge to other projects in the Center and to the MPIDR. We are seeking creative, self-driven, and collaborative scholars. Good knowledge of quantitative methods and statistical software such as R, Python, or Stata is required.

Following tradition, we are also co-hosting a reception for affiliates, trainees, alumni, friends, and more! We will be joined by Population Center Studies and Training Center at Brown University, the Institute for Social Research Population Studies Center and the Inter-University Consortium for Political & Social Research at University of Michigan, the California Center for Population Research at UCLA, and the Center for Demography and Ecology and the Center for Demography of Health and Aging at the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Please join us on Friday, April 11th from 6:00pm – 8:30pm at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, Beer Lab Room. Refreshments and light appetizers will be served. Come enjoy some time with old friends and make some new friends too. See the event flyer here and scan the QR code to RSVP!

Bone remodeling is the process by which old bone is broken down and rebuilt, helping to maintain bone mineral density (BMD) and overall bone health. Chronic dysregulation of this process can lead to osteoporosis, lower mineral reserves, and increased fracture risk. In a recent study published in the American Journal of Human Biology, CSDE Trainee Cristina Gildee and Professor Patricia A. Kramer (Anthropology) explore how parity (the number of live births) affects BMD in different anatomical regions. Initial results showed that higher parity was linked to lower BMD in most areas, but also suggest that more rigorous statistical modeling and selection of variables that proxy reproductive cost, socioeconomic status, and other lifestyle factors could help advance future research on relevant mechanisms. Read the full study here.

Advocates on both sides of the minimum wage debate have claimed that recent wage increases would lead to dramatic effects in the local labor market. In a recent article from KNKX, CSDE Research Affiliate Jacob Vigdor (Evans School) and External Affiliate Mark Long (UC Riverside) were quoted about the nuanced effects of recent policy changes. Both researchers emphasized how the costs and benefits of minimum wage increases differ for workers of different experience levels. Read the full article here and click here for more results from the Evans School Minimum Wage Study.

Monetary sanctions (also referred to as legal financial obligations, or LFOs) are a common form of punishment in criminal convictions. Despite their prevalence, little research has examined how different court actors such as judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and clerks understand their use. In a recent study published in Criminology, CSDE Affiliates Alexes Harris (Sociology) and Karin Martin (Evans School) along with several co-authors present evidence from guided interviews with 447 court actors across eight states focused on this topic. Among other findings, the article presents evidence of competing – and sometimes conflicting – penal and fiscal explanations for the use of monetary sanctions. Read the full article here.

The Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), in collaboration with other NIH institutes, centers, and offices, is seeking applications to support the development of short courses focused on cutting-edge methodologies and analytics in behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR).

This request for applications aims to enhance education and training in innovative data collection and analysis techniques, big data applications, and underutilized research designs that are essential for advancing BSSR but are not widely available through existing programs. Learn more here.

The proposed educational programs should:

• Integrate transdisciplinary skills and approaches, ensuring broad applicability across various BSSR domains.
• Provide knowledge and skills essential for advancing BSSR and/or integrating BSSR with other scientific and technological fields.
• Focus on widely applicable research methodologies and analytical techniques rather than specific disease areas to support broader advancements in BSSR.