Lisa Wade, PhD

Bio

Dr. Lisa Wade is a cultural critic and sociologist based in Los Angeles, California. A professor at Occidental College, her research involves discourses about race, gender, sexuality, and the body. She is widely-known for her work on the popular blog Sociological Images, and appears frequently in print, radio, and television news and opinion outlets.
The One Graph That Proves Stand Your Ground Laws Help Jurors Let White Defendants Go Free
By Lisa Wade, PhD
On Saturday, a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder. While the decision was ultimately based on self-defense, it is widely argued that Florida’s Stand Your Ground statute – which was initially considered by the defense, and…
Asiana Flight 214: Flight Attendants Are Unsung Heroes in the San Francisco Crash
By Lisa Wade, PhD
Like many people, I’ve been following news about Asiana flight 214's crash landing in San Francisco. It’s a frightening reminder of the risks that come with air travel, but also an uplifting story thanks to the small number of deaths. The mayor of…
9 Things Two Professors Wish You Would Understand About the Real World
By Lisa Wade, PhD
Editor's note: This post was co-authored by Lisa Wade and Gwen Sharp.  Happy graduation, seniors! What’s next? Below is some out-of-the-box advice for new grads from the two of us.  1. Find a job you like. College graduates are often told “follow…
2 Out Of 3 College Students Say They're Going to Save the World While At Work
By Lisa Wade, PhD
Writer Peg Streep is writing a book about the millennial generation, and she routinely sprinkles great data into her posts at Psychology Today. Recently, she linked to at study by Net Impact that surveyed currently-enrolled college students and…
Occidental College Lawsuit: A Professor Reports On New Sexual Assault Lawsuit At the College
By Lisa Wade, PhD
A group of Occidental College students and sexual assault survivors held a press conference on Thursday to announce that Gloria Allred will be representing them in a legal case against the college. One of the most powerful civil rights attorneys in…
Tax Day 2013: What Taxes On the Rich Mean For Every American
By Lisa Wade, PhD
I recently came across two really fascinating figures. The United States has a system of “progressive taxation.” This means that the richer you are, the more you pay in taxes. This first figure, found at the American Prospect, shows the percentage…
100 Iconic American Companies Exploiting Prisoners to Sell You Products
By Lisa Wade, PhD
American companies that once looked to places like Mexico and China for cheap labor are bringing those jobs back to the U.S. Why? Because prison labor is much, much cheaper. Paid between 93¢ and $4.73 per day, and collecting no benefits, prisoners…
Is Outing Prop 8 Supporters On the Internet OK?
By Lisa Wade, PhD
Political donations are by law public. With this information, someone has put up a website which shows, on Google maps, which households (in the Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Orange and L.A. Counties) donated money to Proposition 8 (California’s…
Internet Porn: Everything You Never Knew About Adult Entertainment Online
By Lisa Wade, PhD
John Millward, a self-described "ideas detective," has done something intriguing.  He cracked the Internet Adult Film Database (IAFD) and used a sample of 10,000 porn stars to tell a story about porn.  Here are some of his findings. Demographics The…
Why Some Middle Class Blacks Can't Get Ahead
By Lisa Wade, PhD
The gap between the household wealth of black and white families is massive. Today the median wealth held by white households is 20 times that of black households. There are lots of reasons for this difference, and a new study offers great data on…