Women and AIDS in Africa: Strategies for Hope

The statistics on the spread of AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa are staggering--nearly 30 million people living with HIV/AIDS, with 3.5 million newly infected in 2002. The images of human suffering in the media make the problem seem daunting, even hopeless. "Every time the news paints the misery, most people's reaction is, 'What can we do?' It's overwhelming," says Graduate Center Professor Ida Susser. "It's also de-humanizing. You don't see the daily humanity." In the midst of this atmosphere of despair, however, Susser--a self-described "activist anthropologist"--has been conducting research to define strategies for prevention and survival. She has chosen to focus on the plight of women, who are now contracting the disease at higher rates than are men. More >

A Talk with William Kornblum

Sociology professor William Kornblum has been a leading scholar in the area of urban studies at The Graduate Center for three decades. As a researcher, he wears many hats, focusing on issues that include public housing, disadvantaged youth, neighborhood redevelopment, and human interaction with the natural environment. He is also an avid sailor. His recent book, At Sea in the City: New York from the Water's Edge, takes the reader along as Korblum sails through and around his home town, offering a wealth of historical and sociological insights along the way. Folio talked to Kornblum about the book and his research interests. More >