Philip N Cohen
@philipncohen.com
Sociologist and demographer, University of Maryland; SocArXiv director.
New book: Citizen Scholar: Public Engagement for Social Scientists https://cup.columbia.edu/book/citizen-scholar/9780231555418
Website: philipncohen.com
Blog: familyinequality.com
New book: Citizen Scholar: Public Engagement for Social Scientists https://cup.columbia.edu/book/citizen-scholar/9780231555418
Website: philipncohen.com
Blog: familyinequality.com
Pinned
Philip N Cohen
@philipncohen.com
· Nov 26
I'm about 18 months and 20,000 words into the "pronatalism" tag on Family Inequality. Surely this means my book is almost done.
familyinequality.wordpress.com/tag/pronatal...
familyinequality.wordpress.com/tag/pronatal...
February 10, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
UNC is close to finalizing its policy which outlines permissible circumstances to *SECRETLY RECORD FACULTY IN THE CLASSROOM.*
UNC-Chapel Hill Preps Policy on Recording Professors
The school aims to clarify guidelines after a secret recording controversy and growing fear of surveillance.
www.theassemblync.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:58 PM
UNC is close to finalizing its policy which outlines permissible circumstances to *SECRETLY RECORD FACULTY IN THE CLASSROOM.*
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
This op-ed goes way beyond the certainty deserved. A new paper estimates work-from-home effects, indirectly (based on occupations that have high WFH rates). She turns it into "Simply put, working from home juices fertility. About 290,000 extra children a year [from] work-from-home opportunities"
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
The Trump administration says it’s worried about declining birthrates. Yet it seems “blind to a proven fix that is right in front of us, one that costs it nothing: hybrid work,” Joanne Lipman writes.
The Trump administration says it’s worried about declining birthrates. Yet it seems “blind to a proven fix that is right in front of us, one that costs it nothing: hybrid work,” Joanne Lipman writes.
Opinion | The Key to Juicing Fertility: Work From Home
About 290,000 extra children a year have been born in the U.S. since the Covid pandemic fueled more work-from-home opportunities.
nyti.ms
February 10, 2026 at 4:39 AM
This op-ed goes way beyond the certainty deserved. A new paper estimates work-from-home effects, indirectly (based on occupations that have high WFH rates). She turns it into "Simply put, working from home juices fertility. About 290,000 extra children a year [from] work-from-home opportunities"
It's funny the scales on the two figures are different but they both show a 6-point change...
February 10, 2026 at 5:10 AM
It's funny the scales on the two figures are different but they both show a 6-point change...
(It was not bad to explain, it was just surprising. Hard ones from the back seat I remember, also from the news, were flogging and capital punishment.)
February 10, 2026 at 5:04 AM
(It was not bad to explain, it was just surprising. Hard ones from the back seat I remember, also from the news, were flogging and capital punishment.)
It's literally the 2020 pandemic baby boom story resurrected as pronatal policy. Interesting research; not ready for this treatment. (Must have been a good pitch.)
February 10, 2026 at 4:39 AM
It's literally the 2020 pandemic baby boom story resurrected as pronatal policy. Interesting research; not ready for this treatment. (Must have been a good pitch.)
This op-ed goes way beyond the certainty deserved. A new paper estimates work-from-home effects, indirectly (based on occupations that have high WFH rates). She turns it into "Simply put, working from home juices fertility. About 290,000 extra children a year [from] work-from-home opportunities"
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com
The Trump administration says it’s worried about declining birthrates. Yet it seems “blind to a proven fix that is right in front of us, one that costs it nothing: hybrid work,” Joanne Lipman writes.
The Trump administration says it’s worried about declining birthrates. Yet it seems “blind to a proven fix that is right in front of us, one that costs it nothing: hybrid work,” Joanne Lipman writes.
Opinion | The Key to Juicing Fertility: Work From Home
About 290,000 extra children a year have been born in the U.S. since the Covid pandemic fueled more work-from-home opportunities.
nyti.ms
February 10, 2026 at 4:39 AM
This op-ed goes way beyond the certainty deserved. A new paper estimates work-from-home effects, indirectly (based on occupations that have high WFH rates). She turns it into "Simply put, working from home juices fertility. About 290,000 extra children a year [from] work-from-home opportunities"
It's funny because our kids knew all about gay parents but somehow not that gay parents had sex. Then we heard the phrase "men who have sex with men" on the radio and the voice from the back seat... "why would they do that?" Things you avoid explaining till they ask, I guess.
February 10, 2026 at 4:31 AM
It's funny because our kids knew all about gay parents but somehow not that gay parents had sex. Then we heard the phrase "men who have sex with men" on the radio and the voice from the back seat... "why would they do that?" Things you avoid explaining till they ask, I guess.
This is a simple test of knowledge, an empirical matter, treated, as we do, as an opinion
Extremely or very confident Donald Trump acts ethically in office
White evangelicals 40%
US adult avg. 21%
Unaffiliated 10%
Black Protestants 7%
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/09/white-evangelicals-remain-among-trumps-strongest-supporters-but-theyre-less-supportive-than-a-year-ago/
White evangelicals 40%
US adult avg. 21%
Unaffiliated 10%
Black Protestants 7%
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/02/09/white-evangelicals-remain-among-trumps-strongest-supporters-but-theyre-less-supportive-than-a-year-ago/
February 10, 2026 at 4:27 AM
This is a simple test of knowledge, an empirical matter, treated, as we do, as an opinion
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
My hot take: don’t ban books.
Canadian publishers condemn Alberta's decision to proceed with its discriminatory book ban. The ban restricts access to literature, undermines professional expertise & diverts public resources away from actual learning. @lpgcanada.bsky.social @youralberta.bsky.social publishers.ca/alberta-book...
Canadian Publishing Industry Condemns Implementation of Alberta Book Ban - Association of Canadian Publishers
publishers.ca
February 10, 2026 at 2:01 AM
My hot take: don’t ban books.
It's so helpful! No, not like that. Or that. Actually, just read the manual
February 10, 2026 at 12:32 AM
It's so helpful! No, not like that. Or that. Actually, just read the manual
Oh no, how will UMD people access the Enterprise Resource Planning Services Workday Human Capital and Finance Virtual Agent without new AI products?!
This guy oversaw two CEO replacements for himself, and undermined both of them. Failure to develop AI products is his fault. This is bad news for Workday. www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc...
Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach is stepping down, co-founder Aneel Bhusri to take over
The company's co-founder, Aneel Bhusri, who has previously served as chief executive, will replace Eschenbach.
www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org
February 10, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Oh no, how will UMD people access the Enterprise Resource Planning Services Workday Human Capital and Finance Virtual Agent without new AI products?!
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
Fellow #demographers - coming to #PAA2026? 🤓
💫 Please save the date for the Feminist Demography Pre-Conference Workshop!
Wednesday 5/6/2026
9-5pm CST in-person at PAA!
Flash talks! A moderated panel discussion! And a social hour to connect with fellow feminist demography colleagues!
💫 Please save the date for the Feminist Demography Pre-Conference Workshop!
Wednesday 5/6/2026
9-5pm CST in-person at PAA!
Flash talks! A moderated panel discussion! And a social hour to connect with fellow feminist demography colleagues!
February 9, 2026 at 8:32 PM
Fellow #demographers - coming to #PAA2026? 🤓
💫 Please save the date for the Feminist Demography Pre-Conference Workshop!
Wednesday 5/6/2026
9-5pm CST in-person at PAA!
Flash talks! A moderated panel discussion! And a social hour to connect with fellow feminist demography colleagues!
💫 Please save the date for the Feminist Demography Pre-Conference Workshop!
Wednesday 5/6/2026
9-5pm CST in-person at PAA!
Flash talks! A moderated panel discussion! And a social hour to connect with fellow feminist demography colleagues!
We punish people for crime. How bad would the crime have to be for banishment to be a reasonable punishment? What is wrong with people
Also, don't accept the premise that people who have committed crimes should be deported. We have a criminal justice system that is supposed to punish and protect us from crime. There's no reason it can't work for immigrants. Unless someone has evidence this practice reduces total human crime
The BDN obtained and reviewed more than a thousand pages of federal court documents filed throughout New England, conducted interviews, attended court hearings and more. www.bangordailynews.com/2026/02/09/m...
February 9, 2026 at 8:36 PM
We punish people for crime. How bad would the crime have to be for banishment to be a reasonable punishment? What is wrong with people
I lack the imagination to see a colony surviving on the moon when everyone on Earth is dead. Just not getting the species survival insurance aspect of this.
BREAKING: “in my 24th year of my quest to settle the planet Mars, I have just been informed of a basic fact of celestial mechanics.”
February 9, 2026 at 6:48 PM
I lack the imagination to see a colony surviving on the moon when everyone on Earth is dead. Just not getting the species survival insurance aspect of this.
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
On Friday, I wrote about what SRH care access advocates should know about Heritage's new insidious plan for "saving" (read: breaking) the U.S. Today, @jessicavalenti.bsky.social published a piece that offers a great big picture look at the plan: jessica.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
February 9, 2026 at 2:52 PM
On Friday, I wrote about what SRH care access advocates should know about Heritage's new insidious plan for "saving" (read: breaking) the U.S. Today, @jessicavalenti.bsky.social published a piece that offers a great big picture look at the plan: jessica.substack.com/p/theyre-com...
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
In the US, pronatalism is only nominally about birth rates. It's actually about anti-feminists finding an issue that could be packaged in a way to build a widespread coalition believing *something* must be done. Eventually, when nothing else works, that *something* is rolling back women's autonomy.
February 9, 2026 at 3:37 PM
In the US, pronatalism is only nominally about birth rates. It's actually about anti-feminists finding an issue that could be packaged in a way to build a widespread coalition believing *something* must be done. Eventually, when nothing else works, that *something* is rolling back women's autonomy.
You can say it's normal, you can say it's politically expedient, but I don't think you can say it's right.
February 9, 2026 at 3:01 PM
You can say it's normal, you can say it's politically expedient, but I don't think you can say it's right.
Even if they weren't a child when they came - we apparently failed to prevent the crime, and we apparently are powerless to punish it adequately or prevent future bad acts. Why is this another country's responsibility? Should their citizens be the next victims, or pay for the incarceration?
February 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Even if they weren't a child when they came - we apparently failed to prevent the crime, and we apparently are powerless to punish it adequately or prevent future bad acts. Why is this another country's responsibility? Should their citizens be the next victims, or pay for the incarceration?
If someone comes here as a child, grows up here, and then commits crime - by what ethical standard should they be deported? It's one thing to say, "I wish this person were gone," but why should their ancestral country be involved? Do you want the criminal to do crimes there instead of here?
February 9, 2026 at 3:00 PM
If someone comes here as a child, grows up here, and then commits crime - by what ethical standard should they be deported? It's one thing to say, "I wish this person were gone," but why should their ancestral country be involved? Do you want the criminal to do crimes there instead of here?
Makes sense. If you were 126 years old I wouldn't expect you to remember your birthday
February 9, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Makes sense. If you were 126 years old I wouldn't expect you to remember your birthday
Reposted by Philip N Cohen
Worth remembering this from Pitirim Sorokin who in many ways founded the modern study of social mobility.
February 9, 2026 at 1:18 PM
Worth remembering this from Pitirim Sorokin who in many ways founded the modern study of social mobility.
It's important information that they are lying, and not really protecting anyone from harm, so thank you. But fighting on this point is like, "They're hurting citizens!" It threatens to make people collaborators or negotiators with these nazis.
February 9, 2026 at 1:44 PM
It's important information that they are lying, and not really protecting anyone from harm, so thank you. But fighting on this point is like, "They're hurting citizens!" It threatens to make people collaborators or negotiators with these nazis.
Also, don't accept the premise that people who have committed crimes should be deported. We have a criminal justice system that is supposed to punish and protect us from crime. There's no reason it can't work for immigrants. Unless someone has evidence this practice reduces total human crime
The BDN obtained and reviewed more than a thousand pages of federal court documents filed throughout New England, conducted interviews, attended court hearings and more. www.bangordailynews.com/2026/02/09/m...
ICE said it was arresting ‘the worst of the worst’ in Maine. We only found a few criminals.
The BDN used court records and other sources to identify 67 of roughly 200 people arrested in Maine during last month's surge.
www.bangordailynews.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:44 PM
Also, don't accept the premise that people who have committed crimes should be deported. We have a criminal justice system that is supposed to punish and protect us from crime. There's no reason it can't work for immigrants. Unless someone has evidence this practice reduces total human crime