So-called honor killings take the wind out of a form of cultural relativism that I refer to as absolute cultural relativism. According to absolute cultural relativism, anything that goes on in a particular culture, and is justified within that culture, cannot be questioned or changed by insiders or outsiders. For insiders, such questioning is cultural [...]
The attempt on Christmas day of the so-called underwear bomber to blow up a plane on its way to Detroit has raised worldwide concern about passenger no-fly lists, increased airport security checks, and civil liberties. Two recent survey-based studies conducted in the United States before the Christmas day event shed light on Americans’ attitudes toward [...]
Virtual worlds research can provide insights into important social questions such as racism and ethnic discrimination. An exploratory study of a “Muslim” avatar in Second Life provides intriguing findings that beg for more in-depth research.
Methal Mohammed teaches English as a second language in the Department of Teaching, Learning and Culture at Texas A&M University. [...]
