Geoffrey W. Sutton PhD, Psychology and Culture

From Cadbury ad   Did you recently quit work or retire? In my recent travels, I've seen a lot of signs saying "Now Hiring." Some offer sign-up bonuses. Yesterday's news reported a drop in unemployment claims. In a recent report, Rosenberg et al. ( 2021 ) reported 4.3 million Americans quit work in August--that's nearly 3% of the US labor force. This phenomenon has been dubbed The Great Resignation . So, what's going on? It's a little early to say and according to Miller ( 2021 ), people offer a variety of reasons. Some, of course, decided to retire during the worldwide 2020 pandemic when some were laid off. Some have weighed the benefits of retiring early vs. later and decided the additional monthly income isn't worth the stress or they'd rather do something else with their time. The Pandemic as Career Crisis So many of us have had our lives significantly affected by the pandemic. I retired early because I wanted to enjoy life more than earn more m...

  On 11 September 2020, in the former slave state of Missouri, a man driving a truck in Springfield slowed by a house. The Black woman looked up, thinking he might want directions. Instead, he hurled that ugliest of racial epithets, "Hey nigger!" He drove off. Racism continues to thrive like a deadly virus. I think it impossible to really understand US slavery or racism from my location in 2020; however, I believe the quest is important for all who live in America and want to create a future that embraces the ideals of liberty and justice for all. As many have said, slavery has been a part of human history for millennia. And it is noteworthy in a nation formed by so many Christian tribes that slavery was a part of Christian history. The 1619 Education Project When trying to set the context for US slavery, it is difficult to know where to set the boundaries of context. The 1619 project of The New York Times focuses attention on the arrival of more than 20 Africans sold to...