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Richard Williams

@richard-williams.bsky.social
1.2K followers 1.5K following 53 posts

Richard Williams is a Professor of Sociology, University of Notre Dame. His work has appeared in ASR, Social Forces, Social Problems, Stata Journal, and Sociological Methods & Research. He is a co-editor of the 10-volume Sage Research Methods Foundations.

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Reposted by Richard Williams
Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
I wrote a column responding to Ezra Klein’s eulogy for Charlie Kirk, and argued that democracy depends not just on civil disagreement, but on the civic equality that Kirk passionately opposed. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Charlie Kirk’s killing was a tragedy. But we must not rewrite his life | Moira Donegan
In the wake of horror, honest accountings of his life have not only become rare – they have also become dangerous
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 24/08/2025
My course AI policy is at academicweb.nd.edu/~rwilliam/AI... Major points: * Research shows that AI can be inferior to more traditional learning approaches * AI frequently and sometimes dangerously hallucinates * AI can harm the environment * Nonetheless, there is hope for AI in the classroom
academicweb.nd.edu
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Why I hate AI Reason # 1,723
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
I'll add that neither Grover Cleveland nor his presidential library kept the Statue of Liberty after he left office.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
Powerful. Very powerful. www.facebook.com/robert.aluka...
facebook.com
Robert Aluka
A real question from a Trump supporter: ‘Why do liberals think Trump supporters are stupid?’ THE SERIOUS ANSWER: Here’s what the majority of anti-Trump voters honestly feel about Trump supporters en....
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Reposted by Richard Williams
Patheos.com @patheos.com · 10/04/2025
Is organized religion obsolete? ✝️ Sociologist Christian Smith says yes—and backs it with data. ⛪ Church decline isn’t just local, it’s cultural. What’s next for faith in America?🇺🇸 #Faith #ChurchDecline #FaithTrends #Christianity #GenZFaith #SpiritualShift #Patheos ✍️ www.patheos.com/blogs/closet...
patheos.com
Sociologist Wonders If That Old-Time Religion Is Now Extinct
If church isn't the same experience as your parents, well...it isn't. People are leaving, but there's a book saying now that it doesn't matter at all.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 28/03/2025
The world would be so much better off if Hillary had won in 2016. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Hillary Clinton: This Is Just Dumb (Gift Article)
The Signal group chat is only the latest in a string of self-inflicted wounds by the new administration.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 20/03/2025
Trump has done so many terrible horrible awful things. But right now, I think this has to be near the top of the list. slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
We’re Finally Seeing the “Evidence” Against the Migrants Deported by Trump. It’s Unbelievable.
The Trump admin said a soccer player had a gang tattoo. It’s a tattoo of Real Madrid’s logo.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
This is heartbreaking. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. (Gift Article)
A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 16/03/2025
This is heartbreaking. Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3 hechingerreport.org/proof-points...
hechingerreport.org
Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3
Acting stats chief booted after only 15 days in the job; fate of the Nation’s Report Card unclear
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | A Reminder of What Pre-Vaccine America Was Like (Gift Article)
The worst manifestations of preventable diseases have faded from public memory.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Interesting summary of the research on the impact of the Covid pandemic. Unfortunately, some of the good things that came out of the pandemic have since been rolled back. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
15 Lessons Scientists Learned About Us When the World Stood Still (Gift Article)
The pandemic gave researchers a rare opportunity to study human behavior. Their work offers lessons about loneliness, remote work, high heels and more.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Paul Krugman: "All in all, what we’ve just witnessed is a stunning display of incompetence, dismissal of critical federal workers by people with no idea of what they do and why it matters." open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
open.substack.com
An Explosion of Lies
The Musk Administration chokes on the truth
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Reposted by Richard Williams
elijahplovejoy.bsky.social @elijahplovejoy.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
The very definition of evil.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
“In interviews, scientists… described agonizing choices: violate the stop-work orders and continue to care for trial volunteers, or leave them alone to face potential side effects and harm.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...
nytimes.com
Dozens of Clinical Trials Have Been Frozen in Response to Trump’s USAID Order (Gift Article)
The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
www.populationassociation.org/blogs/paa-we...
populationassociation.org
Statement on Federal Data Access
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
There are a lot of contenders but this may be the most horrible thing Trump has already done www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/w...
nytimes.com
How the World Is Reeling From Trump’s Aid Freeze (Gift Article)
President Trump’s order to halt most foreign aid has intensified humanitarian crises and raised questions about the United States’ reliability as a global leader.
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Reposted by Richard Williams
Salomé Viljoen @salome.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
don't threaten me with a good time
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
This currently ranks #1 on my list of terrible horrible awful things Trump has already done. But, I fear his immigration sweeps could soon take over the top spot. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump’s Opening Act of Contempt (Gift Article)
To open his term with such an act of contempt toward the legal system is audacious, even for Mr. Trump.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
As a Notre Dame fan, I am trying to look at the bright side: At least the Irish football team won’t be getting invited to Trump’s White House.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
Let us hope it succeeds. www.forbes.com/sites/emilyb...
forbes.com
How Jay Graber Is Making Sure Bluesky Never Turns Into Elon Musk’s X
Since Elon Musk torpedoed Twitter, Bluesky has seen a stunning surge. CEO Jay Graber is working on “billionaire-proofing” social media against any similar takeover.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
A great tribute to a great man. www.nytimes.com/2024/12/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Jimmy Carter Deserved Our Thanks and Respect, Not Our Sneers (Gift Article)
We in the media and chattering class jeered at a man who probably improved more lives over a longer period than any other recent president.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 05/12/2024
I had a question about the 2018 General Social Survey so I Googled it. AI responded. The answer seemed plausible but I couldn't confirm it. I asked GSS and they said the answer was completely wrong. I think AI may have been drawing from a 1986 paper and the state of the art has changed since then.
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Reposted by Richard Williams
notredamescience.bsky.social @notredamescience.bsky.social · 18/10/2024
Annie Hamilton is a junior studying Chinese and sociology. She also has Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare disease that impacts around 15,000 people. At Notre Dame, she feels seen as a person, not as a patient: bit.ly/4dHwPuv
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
Thirty+ years ago Marilyn vos Savant roiled the nation with the Monty Hall Problem. Critics overwhelmingly denounced her. Here is my analysis. I am proud to report that my then 8-year-old daughter Bethy is the only person in the world to prove vos Savant was wrong. www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/st...
www3.nd.edu
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
I have told my demography stidents many times: You never want to be identified as the world’s oldest living man or woman. Stories like this inevitably follow only months later. www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...
usatoday.com
World's oldest man, John Tinniswood, dies at 112, Guinness World Records announces
John Tinniswood became the world’s oldest living man in April 2024 at age 111, after 114-year-old Juan Vicente Pérez from Venezuela passed away.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 23/11/2024
Wonderful book. Addresses many interesting questions, e.g. in a straight relationship the guy is the one who usually proposes. But in a gay relationship how do you decide who asks who?
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
So, if I'm interpreting this correctly, a Trans Man (i.e. classified female at birth) is supposed to use the women's bathroom. I would think that would be even more upsetting to people who worry about this sort of thing! Especially if it isn't at all obvious that the person is trans.
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Reposted by Richard Williams
Yourqueerprof @drcompton.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
This skeet is for the Sociology folks! Sociology has officially arrived. In an effort to re-live the early days of academic twixxer we now have a 3 volume starter pack(s) posted below. Feel free to add any areas of interest starter packs to this feed too and reqs to be added! Here We Go!
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 20/11/2024
The WWE is once again headed to the federal government. I can't wait to see what job Hulk Hogan eventually ends up with. www.cnn.com/2024/11/19/p...
cnn.com
Linda McMahon expected to be named Education Secretary, sources say | CNN Politics
Trump transition co-chair Linda McMahon is expected to be named as secretary of the Department of Education, four sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
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Reposted by Richard Williams
Yourqueerprof @drcompton.bsky.social · 18/11/2024
go.bsky.app/3B2XXcX
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 17/11/2024
I think this is one of the best articles I have ever read about why everybody who can has an obligation to vaccinate. www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | For the Herd’s Sake, Vaccinate (Published 2011)
Being vaccinated against a disease protects everyone else through herd immunity.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
A question for all the teachers out there: How concerned are you about students using AI to cheat? The worst exam answer I've ever seen was written by AI. But, I fear other AI-written answers could slip by. I can see using AI as an aid to research but not as a substitute for it.
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Richard Williams @richard-williams.bsky.social · 15/11/2024
Notre Dame recently announced that it will have a loan-free need-blind admission policy. I think it is one of the best things ND has done in my nearly 40 years here. This resolution that I co-sponsored with Kyle Jaros unanimously passed the ND Faculty Senate. facultysenate.nd.edu/assets/59401...
facultysenate.nd.edu
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