The Hip Hop Anthropologist

    Social and behavioral scientists may not recite a Hippocratic Oath, but their ethical compass points unmistakably toward a duty to prevent harm. Their mandate is not merely academic—it is moral, civic, and urgent. Like psychologists who are legally bound to report suicidal or homicidal ideation, social scientists are ethically compelled to sound the alarm when societal structures begin to fracture.    This responsibility transcends the ivory tower. It demands that scholars engage with the world as it is—messy, polarized, unequal—and use their tools of inquiry to illuminate paths away from harm. Whether analyzing the corrosive effects of disinformation, the widening chasm of economic disparity, or the erosion of democratic norms, their findings must be communicated not just to peers, but to the public, policymakers, and communities who stand to suffer the consequences of inaction.    Du Bois and the Moral Imperative of Applied Sociology   ...

   Linkedin is a professional social networking platform that is usually considered sacrosanct: a safe haven, typically off-limits for discussions of a political, religious, or social nature, which can lead to recriminations, declinations, or even disciplinary actions, for members posting objectionable, provocative, or antagonistic content. The fact that so many members have chosen to not merely dip in their big toe, but take a deep dive into the issues surrounding the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on Memorial's Day (ironically a day when newly freed slaves, dug up the remains of Union soldiers killed in action, that the Confederates buried unceremoniously in mass graves, and properly reburied in marked - if unnamed graves - in gratitude for the Union soldiers having fought for their freedom) demonstrate that the fragile facade of civility has been irreparably ripped off the social contract. People are boldly and publicly taking sides – unconcerned about the conseque...