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Community

Photo of six people sitting on a bench in a waiting area appearing bored or pensive.

Civic life

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Bureaucracy and other civic bullshit can be good for us

No one enjoys waiting in stuffy buildings or on congested roadways, but there’s an upside to our fellowship of frustration

by Joel Cox

People dining at long tables adorned with blue tablecloths in a narrow, lantern-lit street lined with old buildings and blue-and-white flags.

Community

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Take a seat: the long table is an antidote to loneliness

While some consider the long, shared dining table outdated or inconvenient, it is actually a powerful social tool

by Antone Martinho-Truswell

People at a rally holding flags and banners with various languages, advocating for voting rights and unity, standing behind a barrier on a city street.

Community

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Does embracing local customs help immigrants feel at home?

Moving from Belgrade to Toronto, learning the social ‘rules’ fostered my sense of belonging. But there’s an important caveat

by Ljiljana Radenović

A muslim woman in a colourful orange sari reaches up to touch a decorative panel above a shrine

Mental health across cultures

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Why a Sufi approach to healing mental illness is so powerful

In Sufi shrines, rituals offer sufferers a path beyond the fear and isolation of their mental distress

by Bhrigupati Singh

Person wearing an electronic ankle monitor, resting on a floral-patterned sofa with a red cushion and a book beside them.

Stigma and taboo

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The families of people who commit sex crimes need care and support

While they deal with a kind of grief, the relatives of those who harm others sexually are subject to blame and judgment

by Azadeh Nematy

Poetry

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Why spoken word poetry is so much more than a poetry reading

As poetry returns to its roots as a performance art, it’s providing many with a powerful source of healing and community

by Erica Fletcher

As a man holds open one side of a double glass door, another man opens the other side. The glass in the doors is almost opaque

Disability

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Blindness transformed my social world, and I changed with it

One of the biggest challenges in becoming blind late in life has been overcoming sighted people’s negative assumptions

by Jeffry Ricker

Two men near a graffiti-covered wall with chipped paint, one standing and gesturing, the other sitting on the pavement.

Cultural diversity

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Cultural differences are far more nuanced than East vs West

It’s simply not the case that ‘Eastern’ cultures are relationally-minded, while ‘Western’ societies are individualistic

by Matt Huston

Photo of a vibrant street parade with people celebrating amid swirling confetti and waving American flags.

Cooperation and collaboration

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Defining social trust is a first step toward nurturing it

Researchers agree that social trust causes many positive social outcomes. But they differ on its definition and causes

by Kevin Vallier

Photo of people using virtual reality headsets and controllers at a gaming event with a vibrant yellow background.

Play

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A game is not a game without a special kind of conflict

From 5,000-year-old boardgames to last year’s video-game blockbusters, all games feature a kind of collaborative conflict

by Eric Zimmerman

Photo of a person with a backpack silhouetted against a white wall under trees, using a phone on a walkway.

Mental health

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How a feeling that you belong could protect your mental health

Research on young adults at a time of social transition highlights the significance of feeling that you belong to a group

by Janine M Dutcher & Amber Quinn

Ancient fresco depicts a seated figure holding a child, while another figure approaches, accompanied by a young child with wings, on a weathered background.

Civic life

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Can political persuasion be something more than manipulation?

Kant argued that persuasion was a product of manipulation and deception. But it can also be a force for good in civic life

by James Kastely