CULTURE

Who has the Right to Control another Adult's Life Without their Consent? The simple answer to that difficult question is that no one ever has the right to control another person's life. The only control a citizen of any country should experience is to follow the laws of his country, but only if he also has the power to participate in electing legislators who make those laws. Citizens of many countries are now rebelling against what they feel are repressive laws that take away their rights. Ordinary citizens in many countries are rebelling against their autocratic and extreme religious leaders more than they ever have before. In Iran what began as anger at the hijab law grew into a bigger movement as Iranians said they were fed up with the regime's corruption, economic mismanagement, and...

Laughter can communicate a lot more than good humor – people use it to smooth social interactions. Laughter is an everyday reminder that we humans are animals. In fact, when recorded laughter is slowed down, listeners can’t tell whether the sound is from a person or an animal. We throw our heads back and bare our teeth in a monkeylike grin. Sometimes we double over and lose our ability to speak for a moment, reverting temporarily to hooting apes. And just as hoots and howls help strengthen bonds in a troop of primates or a pack of wolves, laughter helps us connect with others. Laughter is evolutionarily ancient. Known as a “play signal,” mammalian laughter accompanies playful interactions to signal harmless intentions and keep the play going. Chimps laugh. Rats laugh. Dogs laugh. Perhaps...

‘Barbie’ is, at its core, a movie about the messy contradictions of motherhood. Editor’s note: This article contains plot spoilers for “Barbie.” The wildly popular “Barbie” movie has been touted for its celebration – and critique – of femininity. As a mother and a media scholar, I couldn’t help but see “Barbie” through an even narrower lens: as a film that, at its core, is about mothers and daughters. The film’s plot centers on a life-size doll, known as “Stereotypical Barbie,” played by Margot Robbie, who begins to malfunction: Her feet go flat, and she can’t stop thinking about death. So she leaves her perfect plastic life to embark on a quest to restore the boundary between the real world and Barbieland. Along the way, she learns that the real world is nothing like her girl-power won...

On the role of collective unconscious in etiquette psychology and the social, cultural, historical and psychological dimensions of etiquette Etiquette is closely related to culture as cultures provide the code of conduct and thus lay the foundation for the basic pattern of social interaction. Etiquette relates to what is socially appropriate and is very socially grounded whereas manners could be more generalized. The psychology of etiquette has to analyze social customs according to psychological principles and how etiquette or codes of behavior have developed from the collective consciousness. Psychologically etiquette is dependent on 1. Culture and Customs of nations 2. Collective Consciousness of the people Culture and customs define the social appropriateness of etiquette and the c...