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Race and ethnicity

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Portrait painting of a large Renaissance family. The mother and father figures look at each other with disdain, the children are unsmiling.

Parenting and families

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DNA testing is easy. It can also turn your family upside down

DNA testing is bringing the era of family secrets to a close. When a surprise is uncovered, lives can change forever

by Libby Copeland

A bustling plant market with numerous people shopping and mingling, surrounded by various stalls and potted plants.

Civic life

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The surprising way to tackle prejudice in the real world

The good news is there are many effective anti-prejudice interventions, but the most promising remains relatively unknown

by Wing Hsieh

A dark-skinned hand with a pulse oximeter on a finger displaying 98% oxygen saturation and 84 bpm on a grey countertop.

Bioethics

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Some medical devices don’t mean to be racist, but they are

Oppression can get built into anything, including medical devices. How do they influence us, and what can we do about them?

by Vanessa Carbonell & Shen-yi Liao

Several men sit in a waiting area, one of them holding a cup and looking pensive, while another reads a book.

Mental health

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Bias in mental health diagnosis gets in the way of treatment

Some groups are at risk of receiving less accurate mental health diagnoses. The expanded use of diagnostic aids could help

by Howard N Garb

Woman walks past an old building with large windows and a wooden door, surrounded by greenery and flowers.

Race and ethnicity

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Fitting in is human: forcing someone to fit in is oppression

We’re all cultural code-switchers, altering how we present ourselves to fit into the world. For some, it’s a losing game

by Arianna Falbo

Woman seated at a cafeteria table reading a book, with her shoes kicked off.

The body and physical health

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In defence of slouching: the bad science behind good posture

The idea that we should all stand straight is widely accepted. But this modern obsession has dubious origins

by Beth Linker

Three rusted iron bars with holes at the ends are displayed against a dark background.

Trauma and PTSD

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Racism has broadened ‘Black time’ to an always and everywhere

As a Black American woman, my life runs to a time embodied in a racist past, a time lost to trauma that I’ll never get back

by Desirée H Melton

Crowd celebrating with vintage car, confetti, and food in foreground; reflections in glass show people, decorations, and American flags.

Race and ethnicity

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If racial identity can be fluid, who changes their race?

Understanding how individuals change their self-described race helps us decode racial dynamics in the US and beyond

by Alexander Agadjanian

Black woman with grey braids and blue lipstick stands next to another in a colourful headscarf and dress, in front of hair posters.

Beauty and aesthetics

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Black beauty doesn’t have to be natural to be powerful and true

Black, beautiful, and fake: ‘natural’ became the byword for Black beauty, but we should celebrate the artificial too

by Robyn Autry

Four children on a carpeted floor eating corn on the cob, with divided plates of pasta, hot dogs, and utensils around them.

Progress and the future

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Over-optimism about racial justice is widespread and harmful

Achieving racial justice takes work, but narratives of ever-unfolding progress can make it seem as if the job is already done

by Michael Kraus