Culture & Traditions

Today's version of marriage looks very different from the unions enjoyed by our ancestors. For most of human history, marriage was more akin to a business deal between men, and the bride in question had very few rights or other options. So how did marriage become associated with love?

By Molly Edmonds

Sure, someone can quit smoking. But if that person still yearns to light up a cigarette every day for the rest of his life, has he really changed? What does it take to alter behavior?

By Charles W. Bryant

The L.A. Ink posse is counting down the top five mistakes people make when getting a tattoo. Get their advice for what not to do the next time you get a tattoo.

Getting your first tattoo is a rite of passage. But before you get your guitar gently inked on your bicep, it's important to do your research and know what you're getting into. Here are 10 tips for the tattoo virgin.

By Emilie Sennebogen

The oldest examples of tattooing yet found were discovered on a corpse dating back to 3300 BC. Learn about this and more in this history of tattooing.

By Meghan E. Smith

Religious worship can serious and somber, but it can also be joyous and celebratory -- in the correct context, of course. Here are 10 deities, like that infamous Dionysus, who command their followers to party.

By Josh Clark

Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the whole year ... unless your man totally drops the ball. What's so hard to remember about picking up a dozen red roses and a bottle of wine on the way home from the office? Here's what he doesn't want you to know.

By Chris Obenschain

The table is cleared and everybody's full, so gather around because we've found the 10 best Thanksgiving movies to watch with friends and family this November.

By Laurie L. Dove & Suzie Dundas

Does waving your arms around while you talk affect how people perceive your words? Yes, it does. In fact, you may not need to "choose your words" at all.

By Charles W. Bryant

Traditionally, men have served as the breadwinner for a family while women governed the domestic sphere. But have the tables turned? And is the recession behind it?

By Molly Edmonds

Dreadlocks have been worn for thousands of years and in countries across the globe. Anyone with any hair texture (and a lot of patience) can grow them. Find out more about the hairstyle and the people who wear it.

By Matt Sailor & Yves Jeffcoat

Economists have long argued that women play a key role in lifting a nation out of poverty, yet the traditions and religions in the developing world have often blocked their progress. How do we break the cycle and find the path to gender equality?

By Molly Edmonds

Since ancient times, people have turned to courageous, larger-than-life champions as sources of inspiration. And even in today's more cynical culture, we still seek them out. Why?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Since ancient times, societies and nations have depended upon those willing to go to war. In the 21th century, we still do. How have warriors evolved and why do we look up to them?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Do you ever wonder whether your morning meeting was necessary? After all, why should it take six people to decide on a new coffee machine for the break room? Perhaps a pair could have handled this decision better than a group.

By Charles W. Bryant

In the rush to come up with a creative and inexpensive Halloween costume idea in a hurry, don't make the mistake of confusing unique for tasteless or timely for tacky. It can be hard to draw the line between a costume that's clever and one that's inappropriate.

By Sara Elliott

Love -- is it really all we need? Scientists and songwriters agree that love is one of the most important aspects of being human, but why do we get that familiar head rush when we meet someone we like? As it turns out, most of the fun of falling in love lies in the pursuit of that special someone.

By Josh Clark

Polygamy: Explore the practice of marrying multiple spouses across cultures and time.

By Julia Layton

Is being normal all about thinking inside the box? It's all about matching up to what society considers standard, but where did the criteria come from in the first place?

By Tom Scheve

It's almost impossible to strip personal beliefs away from the idea of personhood. But debates over controversial topics like corporate personhood and abortion rights inspire many people to try to find a definition everyone can agree to. Is there such a thing as a universal definition of personhood?

By Tom Scheve

In kindergarten, it may have been the girl who always gave you the frosting from her cupcake. As an adult, it may be the guy who will answer the phone at 2 a.m. when you need to talk. How do you define a friend?

By Alia Hoyt & Molly Edmonds

"Individual commitment to a group effort -- that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." So said legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, but how do these words help us understand society?

By Molly Edmonds

When Pandora opened the box she wasn't supposed to open, all of the evils of the world flew out: hate, pain, destructiveness, starvation. When she saw what she'd done, she closed the box before the last thing in there could escape. What was it?

By Molly Edmonds

You can get a pretty good idea of how American society interprets gender by walking through the children's section in a typical clothing store. But not everyone fits into these ideas of what boys and girls should be. What do sex and gender even mean?

By Molly Edmonds

You're scanning your friend's baby shower registry and find all the usual suspects: diapers, onesies, rattles and pacifiers. But what's with the Spanish language DVDs and Mandarin vocabulary flash cards? When is the perfect time to start learning another language?

By Molly Edmonds