Tag: sociology

Houston Matters

Black, White, Male, Female, Gay, Straight — How Do Labels Define You?

Posted on · Identity and labels have been at the heart of a lot of our political and social discourse in recent years. From identity politics to racial strife to equal rights and religious liberty, there are any number of major issues and ideas affecting Greater Houston that tend to begin with labels about race, ethnicity, gender and sexuality– […]

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Pre-K Funding, Labels, and Restaurant Weeks: Wednesday’s show (August 3, 2016)

Posted on · Back in 2015, lawmakers set aside some $130 million over two years for some pre-K programs in the state. But did House Bill 4 go far enough? The Austin-based think tank the Center for Public Policy Priorities recently suggested that, while research shows positive results for state-supported pre-K programs, Texas regularly receives low marks for […]

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Dueling Visions for Houston’s Pensions: Tuesday’s Show (June 28, 2016)

Posted on · Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has thus far insisted that however the city’s pension woes are resolved won’t include changing from a defined benefits to a defined compensation system. On this edition of Houston Matters, we explore the differences between the two structures. We also consider what each means for city employees and why the mayor […]

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City Regulations and Flooding: Wednesday’s Show (May 4, 2016)

Posted on · A local activist group called Residents Against Flooding lays blame for our recent woes not on Mother Nature but on bad permitting, variance approvals and other decisions. On this edition of Houston Matters, we explore the role city regulations and policies might play in flooding. Houston Matters‘ Paige Phelps talks with Ed Browne and Cynthia Neely from […]

Houston Matters

Why Were Racial Categories Created And Why Do They Persist Today? 

Posted on · Schools, surveys and other institutions often ask participants to check off a box on how they identify themselves. These racial categories include Black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian and White. But Al Martinez argues these categories are outdated and should be modified. He’s a history professor at the University of Texas at Austin, and he recently […]