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Society + Culture

Black-and-white portrait of a woman with long hair leaning against a wall and looking over her shoulder towards a tree
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
Heidi Amin-Hong

Refugee studies meets environmental justice in new special journal issue

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photo of Tsimane people, left, and photo of Hadza people, right
Photo Credit
Michael Gurven; iStock
Though separated by an ocean for millennia, the rural Tsimané of lowland Bolivia, left, and Hadza people of Tanzania, right, share a remarkable number of gut microbiome species, many of which have disappeared from the microbiomes of people in urbanized societies

Microbiome study reveals ancient gut connections between Africa and South America
woman sharing food with her children in a bright setting
Photo Credit
iStock

Young infants infer the closeness of social relationships via saliva sharing interactions
color photograph of a group of college students in discussion

Speaker series and graduate seminars explore academic freedom
color photographic portrait of teaching professor Tim Dewar
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
California Writing Project director and UC Santa Barbara teaching professor Tim Dewar, September 2026

California Writing Project wins Library of Congress literacy award
a woman smiling while writing in her journal
Photo Credit
iStock

The benefits of gratitude interventions vary based on where they are practiced, and by whom
Tsimané fishing with bows and arrows
Photo Credit
Michael Gurven
Compared to industrialized counterparts Tsimané people of lowland Bolivia have less food availability and must expend more effort to get it

New study adds nuance to the understanding of dementia in the Tsimané and Mosetén of lowland Bolivia
color photographic portrait of professor shelly lundberg
Photo Credit
Matt Perko
UC Santa Barbara economist and demographer Shelly Lundberg, September 2026

Economist Shelly Lundberg wins prestigious Mincer Award, releases book on gender economics
A woman in blue blouse and green blazer with long brown hair, standing on a beach with greenery in the background
Photo Credit
Courtesy
Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics Leah Stokes

Leah Stokes brings urgency, optimism to fight to save the planet
photo of a man delivering a food to a woman at her home
Photo Credit
iStock

AI-enabled tools may help disabled workers close the wage gap
Mother and child in her lap
Photo Credit
Michel Chaplin
A mother and child in Bangladesh, where UCSB anthropologist Kathrine Starkweather conducted field research.

For working mothers, flexibility may not be enough
A truck unloads waste on a landfill as a landfill compactor moves material nearby.
Photo Credit
Djedzura via iStock
Despite the known problems with plastic, society produces more of it every year. Scientists hope that mandatory measurement and reporting can help us address the issue.

Want a solution to plastic pollution? Scientists urge UN to require global reporting
The sun bursts through the trees on UC Santa Barbara's campus
Photo Credit
Matt Perko

New fund supports student projects connecting Indigenous studies and environmental action
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