Michael W. Kraus
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mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus
@mwkraus.bsky.social
7.8K followers 2.1K following 660 posts

Not the German handball player or the historian. The other one. Berkeley Psych alum and social psychologist. | he/him

www.csinequality.org

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Psychology 34%
Political science 30%
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mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · Aug 21
It's publication day for our first paper out of the www.csinequality.org lab completed entirely at NU. To write it, we asked: what research in the social psychology of inequality do we like and why do we like it? The answer is this paper:
natrevpsychol.nature.com Nature Reviews Psychology @natrevpsychol.nature.com · Aug 21
A functional approach to the psychology of inequality

Perspective by Michael W. Kraus (@mwkraus.bsky.social‬), Daniel J. Sanji, Megan E. Burns, Aline da Silva Frost, Iseul Cha-Ju, A. Chyei Vinluan, LaStarr Hollie & Cydney H. Dupree (‪@cydneydupree.bsky.social‬)

go.nature.com/4fMVfVV
a, An example of the deficit-based model of the psychology of inequality, in which psychological processes related to cognition, emotion and motivation influence desirable behavioural patterns that sort people and groups into different levels of resources and opportunities in society. b, An example of a functional model of inequality as domination and resistance. Psychological processes that arise from the structural context promote actions that either support and reproduce structures of inequality or dismantle those structures.

Reposted by Nandita Sharma, Brendan Nyhan, Philip N. Cohen , and 13 more

phillewis.bsky.social
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 3d
I just uploaded @jasonparis.bsky.social 's recording of the segment CBS News pulled from "60 Minutes" to YouTube:
WATCH: Segment CBS News Pulled From "60 Minutes"
YouTube video by Phil Lewis
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Anders Nilsson, Trevon D. Logan, Robert C. Richards , and 2 more

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

heidikitrosser.bsky.social
Heidi Kitrosser @heidikitrosser.bsky.social · 3d
The Daily Northwestern reports on @gowder.io & my legal concerns over NWern's "deal" w Trump admin.

And take note, Bari Weiss: the intrepid student journalists sought comment from the U & the Trump admin. but did NOT spike the story when neither responded.

dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/21/c...
Pritzker professors claim NU funding deal violates federal law
Since it was announced in November, Northwestern’s deal with the Trump administration has caused some students, faculty and alumni to express concern surrounding NU’s autonomy after it gave into feder...
dailynorthwestern.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

aaup.org
AAUP @aaup.org · 3d
The Trump admin's appeal of AAUP Harvard v. DOJ is "just a continuation of their shameless campaign to halt critical research funding in an attempt to chill universities & faculty from engaging in any speech, teaching & research that Donald Trump disfavors.”

- Todd Wolfson, AAUP President
Trump administration will appeal judge's order reversing federal funding cuts at Harvard
Harvard has been Trump's top target in a campaign to leverage federal control of research funding to push for reforms at elite colleges.
www.boston.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus, Nathan P. Kalmoe

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 4d
now seems like a good time to remind you all to support independent, worker run, billionaire free, and/or reader funded news how and where you can.
60minutes.bsky.social 60 Minutes @60minutes.bsky.social · 4d
An Editor’s Note from 60 Minutes
The broadcast lineup for tonight’s edition of 60 Minutes has been updated. Our report “Inside CECOT” will air in a future broadcast.

Reposted by Kim L. Scheppele, Steve Peers, Daniel W. Drezner , and 5 more

bencollins.bsky.social
Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · 6d
ICE whistles work.
The horns and whistles work
What it's like to watch community activists stand up to a Border Patrol raid.
www.motherjones.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

ghawinriver.bsky.social
Q. McLamore @ghawinriver.bsky.social · 7d
One thing re: bans on gender-affirming care is that for all the hand-wringing about procedural expense, capacity, and physical safety, these bans explicitly allow and encourage similar procedures to be used without consent on intersex kids. We wrote about this:

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
US Laws Restricting Medical Care for Transgender Minors
This Special Communication analyzes US legislation seeking to prohibit gender-affirming medical care for transgender and gender-diverse minors to determine the extent to which such legislation contain...
jamanetwork.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

aaup.org
AAUP @aaup.org · 8d
"We can’t build the vision of higher ed that we all want without first standing up to fascism. We are going to have to scale up our organizing to build with other sectors, all under attack in different ways. We need to make militant moves if we’re going to win in this moment."

— Todd Wolfson
In an Attempt to Cause Fear and Demobilize, the Trump Administration Increases Threats on Higher Education
Educators and organizers from the AAUP how the Trump administration is systematically dismantling higher education as we know it.
inthesetimes.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

unraveledpress.com
unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 8d
Currently watching CBP agents intimidate Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss in a Home Depot parking lot.

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Nina Jankowicz, Cathy N. Davidson , and 8 more

npr.org
NPR @npr.org · 10d
Less than 48 hours after the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach that left more than a dozen dead, Australian authorities announced proposals for sweeping new gun laws. n.pr/48UTa7g
Australia announces strict new gun laws. Here's how it can act so swiftly
Less than 48 hours after the deadly attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach that left more than a dozen dead, Australian authorities announced proposals for sweeping new gun laws.
n.pr

Reposted by Laia Balcells, Michael W. Kraus

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 10d
guys is it happening??

www.mediaite.com/politics/two...

Reposted by Céline Bessière, Dustin Mulvaney, Fabián Muniesa , and 2 more

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 12d
"Faculty and staff—who have given decades of their lives to the university—have been given less than two weeks to accept insulting “offers” and pack up as early as January 2, 2026."

Please support our colleagues at @newschoolaaup.bsky.social

actionnetwork.org/letters/stop...
Stop the Cuts at the New School
The restructuring proposed by the New School’s upper administration will harm faculty, students and the larger New School community. Faculty and staff—who have given decades of their lives to the univ...
actionnetwork.org

Reposted by Nancy T. Ammerman, Michael W. Kraus, Nathan P. Kalmoe

victorerikray.bsky.social
Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 13d
@hebagowayed.bsky.social on Trump’s rhetoric and policy of ethnic cleansing.
The ethnic cleansing of the US will destroy it | Heba Gowayed
Trump’s racist remarks on Ilhan Omar and Somali immigrants reveals his vision for the US as a white Christian nation
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders, Brendan Nyhan , and 14 more

reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 13d
WOW. @haleaziz.bsky.social with a new scoop: ICE now gets a running list of every person who is going to be taking a domestic flight inside the United States from the TSA and runs it through their database looking for targets. This explains the Babson College student's arrest.
Immigration Agents Are Using Air Passenger Data for Deportation Effort
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus, Daniel Kuehn, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò , and 4 more

phillewis.bsky.social
Phil Lewis @phillewis.bsky.social · 14d
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Senate Republicans reject new congressional maps in defiance of Trump’s redistricting push.

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

washingtonpost.com
The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 15d
A new study shows brain development isn’t as linear as expected.

After analyzing nearly 4,000 scans from ages 0–90, researchers found major structural shifts at ages 9, 32, 66, and 83 — dividing life into five distinct phases.
New study shows how your brain changes at four key ages: 9, 32, 66 and 83
New research finds that brain development is not linear. There are distinct phases with unique characteristics.
wapo.st

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Steve Peers, Bonnie Honig , and 4 more

bradlander.bsky.social
Brad Lander @bradlander.bsky.social · 16d
I’m running for Congress because we need leaders who will fight, not fold. I recognize this moment, and I’m ready to meet it. #FightDontFold #LanderForNYC #LanderForCongress

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus, Lisa Diedrich, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò , and 1 more

thrasherxy.bsky.social
Dr. Thrasher wants you to pre-order The Overseer Class @thrasherxy.bsky.social · 17d
Coming May 19, 2026 from Amistad Books and HarperCollins

THE OVERSEER CLASS:
A Manifesto

by Steven W. Thrasher

cover art by Jamaal Barber

Available for pre-order now www.harpercollins.com/products/the...
Cover art of the book "The Overseer Class: A Manifesto" by Steven W. Thrasher. The cover is a black and white woodcut, with the title appearing over the images of three African American faces. To the left, is a face without eyes, in profile. To the right, is a man in a suit with no eyes looking forward. In the center is a police officer with eyes. Inside of him is a Black man on his knees, appearing to have been whipped. They all tower over raised fists.

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

aclu.org
ACLU @aclu.org · 17d
NEW: We sent a letter demanding that ICE end immigration detention at Fort Bliss, the same facility used to intern people of Japanese descent during World War II.

People detained at this facility are denied adequate food, medical care, and are physically and sexually abused by the guards.

mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · 18d
Well shit.

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

louiseseamster.bsky.social
Louise Seamster @louiseseamster.bsky.social · 19d
The university-surveillance component of this piece is !!! I had missed the Qualtrics shift and acquisition and wow.
We really need an ed-tech key players power-map, does anyone know if this exists?
text: "Qualtrics XM is a Software As A Service (SaaS) platform (mayday, mayday) which markets heavily to colleges and universities. According to their website, Qualtrics XM is “trusted by over 1,200 Higher Education partners.” Qualtrics started primarily as a digital survey tool, utilized by both non-academic staff and social science researchers, but in 2018, at the same time Qualtrics XM was launched, Qualtrics rebranded themselves as an “experience management company” (that’s what the XM stands for). In other words, they became a technofeudal surveillance operation. Qualtrics still provides survey tools, but the XM platform also delivers dynamic multimedia that measures and metricizes user engagement. Qualtrics XM quickly became the company’s signature product, and Qualtrics became a trendy tech brand, with investors circling. Among them was a private equity firm focused on technology, Silver Lake Partners, who took a $500 million stake in Qualtrics upon its IPO in 2021. That purchase qualified for a seat on Qualtrics’ board of directors, which would be occupied by Silver Lake’s current co-CEO, Egon Durban. Within two years, Durban would help convince his fellow board members to accept a leveraged buyout led by Silver Lake to take Qualtrics private again. By the Summer of 2023, Silver Lake owned outright what was then probably the largest and most powerful privately-owned platform for aggregating HigherEd data. At $12.5 billion, the Qualtrics buyout was, briefly, the largest deal in Silver Lake’s history, but it was a lower valuation than the 2021 IPO and part of a trend of Silver Lake directors, particularly Durban, converting board seats at…"

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

aaup.org
AAUP @aaup.org · 20d
Higher ed workers at the University of Virginia demand:

Democratize the campus!

Out with the Rector and Vice Rector!

In with student, faculty, and staff power!

Collective bargaining and a living wage NOW!

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

mskellymhayes.bsky.social
Puff the Magic Hater @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 20d
I know so many great people who are doing so much. If you are isolated from people who are trying their best, I can understand feeling like no one's doing anything, but really, you just need to find the people who are trying and try with them — or maybe encourage some new folks to try alongside you.

mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · 21d
To the non academics i talk to about our deal shock is definitely the first reaction

mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · 21d
I think we can agree that fighting back was also an option

Reposted by Jennifer A. Richeson, Jacob Montgomery

mwkraus.bsky.social
Michael W. Kraus @mwkraus.bsky.social · 21d
Important for people to know the $75 mil payout from Northwestern to the government didn't turn on canceled grants that broaden participation in stem, physics, promote diversity etc... what this communicates about uni priorities is clear: dailynorthwestern.com/2025/12/03/c...
Northwestern NSF grant terminations leave researchers stuck
Although Northwestern struck a deal with the Trump administration to restore federal research funding, National Science Foundation grants terminated in accordance with executive orders remain unchange...
dailynorthwestern.com

Reposted by Michael W. Kraus

gowder.io
Paul Gowder @gowder.io · 21d
The awfulness of the northwestern/Trump deal, described on NPR yesterday will.illinois.edu/21stshow/sto...
Breaking down Northwestern University’s $75 million settlement with the Trump administration | Illinois Public Media
Northwestern University will pay $75 million to the federal government, and make commitments to comply with Trump preferences in admissions, hiring, campus protests policies, and trans health care. In...
will.illinois.edu

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Michael W. Kraus, Michael D. McDonald , and 4 more

chanda.blacksky.app
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 22d
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/03/e...
Evanston church’s Nativity depicts baby Jesus zip-tied by ICE agents
Lake Street Church of Evanston depicted baby Jesus’ hands zip-tied, Mary with a gas mask and ICE as centurions in its Nativity scene.
www.chicagotribune.com

Reposted by Efrén O. Pérez, Erika Franklin Fowler, Melanie C. Green , and 4 more

stewartcoles.bsky.social
Chokely Carmichael🥋 @stewartcoles.bsky.social · 22d
🚨New pub alert!🚨 Now available open-access in @journal-of-comm.bsky.social, we (w/ @dkreiss.bsky.social, @danlane.bsky.social, & @shannimcg.bsky.social) critique political communication's "Identity Turn" and offer instead a foundation for studying #polcomm from a *group* perspective. 🧵
Abstract: Recent political communication scholarship finds that groups and identities play a central role in the crises faced by political and media systems globally, particularly in democracies. Yet an individualist orientation in the literature has resulted in key theoretical and conceptual limitations, preventing a broader group-centric theoretical framework from emerging. We synthesize disparate bodies of theory on groups, politics, and communication to offer three basic propositions underlying a group theory of political communication. First, it is the group—not the individual—that is the fundamental organizing unit of social and political life. Second, groups are constituted through communication, which is central to how they define their politics. Third, groups and politics are reciprocally influencing forces through political communication, oriented around power. We offer a framework for studying the role of groups in political communication at the micro, meso, and macro levels, providing a concrete agenda for the study of groups in political communication.