- 17
- Episodes
- 2024
- First episode
- 111K
- YouTube views
About The Abstract
The Abstract is a podcast from the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research highlighting the best and brightest speakers sharing their work in all fields of the social sciences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
- Publisher
- Institute for Social Research
- Category
- education · science · science
- Language
- en
- Explicit
- No
- First episode
- 11 Mar 2024
- Latest episode
- 19 Mar 2025
Latest episodes
17 episodes in the feed.
19 Mar 2025
15 - Nick Camp on evaluating institutional interactions
The way we interact with the institutions that govern our lives can have a profound effect — look no further than the justified scrutiny of police interactions with the public over the last decade or more. But how do we measure and study those interactions? ISR's Nick Camp explores that process in this episode of The Abstract. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), X (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
26 Feb 2025
14 - Kira Birditt on concordant drinking
Alcohol consumption is a complicated topic, but it has some surprising twists and turns, too. Among them, the revelation from ISR researcher Kira Birditt that couples who have similar drinking habits may have stronger relationships and better marriages. But why? In her December 2024 talk at ISR, Birditt explained some of the research behind these phenomena and what it means for alcohol consumption in America. To view the entire presentation on which this episode was based, click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkLxLj-F-EE). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), X (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
5 Feb 2025
13 - Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan on partisan politics
Why are American politics the way they are? And what are the consequences of political hostility? Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan, both of the Institute for Social Research's Center for Political Studies, are diving deep into those and other questions about the realities of American political life. In October 2024, they presented on their findings as a part of ISR's Insights Speaker Series, and on this episode of The Abstract, we take a look at a few of Krupnikov's remarks. To view the full presentation from which this podcast was excerpted, click here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqrFe_vphk0). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), X (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
22 Jan 2025
13 - Julie Maslowsky on abortion
In the 18 months since the Supreme Court's decision on abortion in America, a lot has changed — and no one has felt the impact more than adolescents. ISR's Julie Maslowsky has followed the unfolding effects of the Supreme Court's ruling, tracking how attitudes and behaviors have shifted in its wake. In September 2024, she shared some of her findings in a presentation at the Institute for Social Research as a part of ISR's Insights Speaker Series. On this episode of The Abstract, we'll take a look at some of what she had to say. For more from Julie Maslowsky, see her profile on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9rPBhCQAAAAJ&hl=en). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), X (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 Dec 2024
12 - A fireside chat with Kate Cagney and Laurie McCauley
ISR director Kate Cagney and University of Michigan provost Laurie McCauley discuss quantifying global impact and ISR's evolving role in social sciences with crucial insights for the field's future.
19 Nov 2024
11 - Mike Traugott and Grace Noppert on ISR's 75th Anniversary
The Institute for Social Research is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2024. In October, ISR held a symposium in honor of the occasion, and Mike Traugott and Grace Noppert played key roles in preparing and leading that event. Today, Mike and Grace join The Abstract for a discussion about the symposium, ISR's history, and what's next for ISR as we look to the future. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
18 Jun 2024
10 - Elizabeth Tibbetts on paper wasps and animal communication
What can paper wasps teach us about animal communication? A lot more than you might think. Wasps of all varieties are a fixture of summer life across the United States, but the paper wasp stands out for its unique communication skills. Dr. Elizabeth Tibbetts of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts explained more about this interesting insect at the Institute for Social Research in January 2024. Read more from Dr. Tibbetts on her faculty page (https://lsa.umich.edu/eeb/people/faculty/tibbetts.html) and on Google Scholar. (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=hA7ADOUAAAAJ&hl=en) View the presentation on which this episode of The Abstract was based here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyzIcUKosZg). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
4 Jun 2024
9 - James Gibson on the resilience of American political institutions
The United States government relies on the strength of its political institutions to govern effectively. But what if Americans lose faith in those institutions? Many political commentators have argued that the 2020 election gave us the chance to see that question play out, given the actions of Donald Trump and his supporters. But Dr. James Gibson isn't so sure. In the 2024 edition of the Miller-Converse Lecture series, he argues that Americans actually haven't lost much faith in their political institutions, if any. Read more about Dr. Gibson here (https://polisci.wustl.edu/people/james-l-gibson). Watch Dr. Gibson's full presentation here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKwe8rB8oyU). Learn more about Dr. Gibson's book here (https://www.russellsage.org/publications/democracys-destruction#:~:text=offers%20rigorous%20analysis%20of%20the,endurance%20of%20American%20political%20institutions.). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
21 May 2024
8 - Phil Converse on the growth of ISR
Every story has a beginning, and every story that lasts has something that sets it apart from others like it. According to Phil Converse, who joined the Institute for Social Research in its early days and went on to become its director, ISR's differentiating factors were evident very early on. In this archival audio, the fourth director of ISR shares how he came to ISR, what he learned while he was here, and how ISR sets itself apart int he world of social research. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
7 May 2024
7 - Warren Miller on the history of ISR
Political studies have a long and storied history at ISR. The correct prediction of the 1948 outcome in which Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas Dewey, despite many popular opinions to the contrary at the time, was a seminal moment in that research. Since then, political studies have been at the core of ISR's identity, and Warren Miller, the former director of the Center for Political Studies, was a crucial part of that identity. In the late 90s, Miller spoke with a historian as a part of an oral history compiled for ISR's 50th anniversary. On this episode of The Abstract, we're thrilled to share a part of that interview as Miller explores his early role at ISR and the growth of the Institute throughout the years. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube, or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
23 Apr 2024
6 - Mike Mueller-Smith on Age and the Criminal Justice System
Interactions with the criminal justice system can mean a lifetime of complications. How can they affect people entering retirement? Dr. Mike Mueller-Smith of the Institute for Social Research's Population Center addressed that topic in a presentation as a part of ISR's Insights Speaker Series in October 2023. Mueller-Smith, who is also the director of the Criminal Justice Administrative Records System (CJARS), researches how interactions with the justice system affect the American population at different stages and says it's crucial to consider how such interactions could affect the quality of life for an aging country. Connect with Mike Mueller-Smith at CJARS (https://cjars.org/mike-mueller-smith-page/) or via his page on Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=x6bHWK8AAAAJ&hl=en). View the full presentation on which this episode of the Abstract was based via the ISR YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nn-mzQUwlxA). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
9 Apr 2024
5 - Sarah Patterson on Aging and Dementia Care
The population in the United States is aging, and an aging population is statistically likely to have a larger number of people with dementia. How should we care for the aging population generally and the population with dementia specifically, especially when the burden for that care typically falls to families? In today's episode of the Abstract, ISR's Dr. Sarah Patterson takes on those questions in a presentation originally given at ISR in September 2023. View Patterson's Google Scholars page here (https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=ruC6veMAAAAJ&hl=en) and connect with her ISR faculty profile here (https://isr.umich.edu/about/faculty-profiles/pattersonsarah-elizabeth/). Her full presentation on aging and dementia care is available through the ISR YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@umisrsurveyresearchcenter2538). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube, or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
26 Mar 2024
4 - Sangeetha Madhavan on Maternal Mental Health
Marriage, motherhood, and mental health are three topics studied intensely on their own but rarely together. However, work by Dr. Sangeetha Madhavan of the University of Maryland could change that. Dr. Madhavan recently presented her research on the combined topic of maternal mental health and marriage as a part of the Population Studies Center's Brown Bag Series, sharing her data and in-depth approach to examining many questions connected to these topics. View the full presentation here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mKZ6HwtORk). Read more from Sangeetha Manhavan here (https://aasd.umd.edu/facultyprofile/madhavan/sangeetha). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@UMISR), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Mar 2024
3 - Louis Penner on Health Disparities in America
Black and white Americans have vastly different experiences with the American healthcare system. Why? And how did this come to be? Lou Penner, Ph.D., of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research addressed those and other questions in a recent presentation. Based on his book of the same name, "Unequal Health: Anti-Black Racism and the Threat to America's Health" explores the deep-rooted issues that led to today's healthcare inequities and the solutions that may exist to fix them. Listen to Lou Penner's full presentation here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOUtSuvhxqg). Follow Lou Penner on Google Scholars here (https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=jZdlKjgAAAAJ&hl=en). Find "Unequal Health: Anti-Black Racism and the Threat to America's Health" via Cambridge University Press (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/unequal-health/CD51675E530FDF6D614EECDBC4AD7994). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Mar 2024
2 - Charlotte Cavaillé on Income Inequality
With the gap between the rich and everyone else growing ever wider, why don't more people support policies that will result in wealth redistribution? That's the central question of Charlotte Cavaillé's book, around which she based her presentation at the Institute for Social Research in January 2024. "Fair Enough? Support for Redistribution in the Age of Inequality" explores important questions on polling, policy, and why common sense doesn't always result in the answers you'd guess. Hear Charlotte Cavaillé's full presentation here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJhqNpgGlPs). Follow Charlotte Cavaillé on Google Scholars here. Find "Fair Enough? Support for Redistribution in the Age of Inequality" via Cambridge University Press (https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/fair-enough/9BB655F58998343134AFD58CB2E2A2E9). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Mar 2024
1 - Ola Rostant on Hearing, Dental Health, and Cognition
Can our hearing and dental health affect the way we think? According to research investigator Ola Rostant, it can. Hear her explain how these two important factors can affect the way our brains age. Listen to Dr. Rostant's full presentation here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrqA7qG-PA4). For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
11 Mar 2024
Trailer
Welcome to the Abstract, a new podcast from the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research. What is this show and why does it exist? Allow us to show you. For more from the Institute for Social Research, visit our website (https://isr.umich.edu/) or connect with us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/umisr/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/umisr), or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/19137587/admin/feed/posts/). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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- YouTube views
- 110,866
- Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
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- Quality
- 26
- Social presence
- 0
- YouTube
- 86
- Engagement
- 27
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