Richard Williams
@richard-williams.bsky.social
Richard Williams is a Professor of Sociology, University of Notre Dame. His work has appeared in ASR, Social Forces, Social Problems, Stata Journal, and Sociological Methods & Research. He is a co-editor of the 10-volume Sage Research Methods Foundations.
Reposted by Richard Williams
I wrote a column responding to Ezra Klein’s eulogy for Charlie Kirk, and argued that democracy depends not just on civil disagreement, but on the civic equality that Kirk passionately opposed.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Charlie Kirk’s killing was a tragedy. But we must not rewrite his life | Moira Donegan
In the wake of horror, honest accountings of his life have not only become rare – they have also become dangerous
www.theguardian.com
September 14, 2025 at 1:32 PM
I wrote a column responding to Ezra Klein’s eulogy for Charlie Kirk, and argued that democracy depends not just on civil disagreement, but on the civic equality that Kirk passionately opposed.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
My course AI policy is at
academicweb.nd.edu/~rwilliam/AI...
Major points:
* Research shows that AI can be inferior to more traditional learning approaches
* AI frequently and sometimes dangerously hallucinates
* AI can harm the environment
* Nonetheless, there is hope for AI in the classroom
academicweb.nd.edu/~rwilliam/AI...
Major points:
* Research shows that AI can be inferior to more traditional learning approaches
* AI frequently and sometimes dangerously hallucinates
* AI can harm the environment
* Nonetheless, there is hope for AI in the classroom
academicweb.nd.edu
August 24, 2025 at 12:56 AM
My course AI policy is at
academicweb.nd.edu/~rwilliam/AI...
Major points:
* Research shows that AI can be inferior to more traditional learning approaches
* AI frequently and sometimes dangerously hallucinates
* AI can harm the environment
* Nonetheless, there is hope for AI in the classroom
academicweb.nd.edu/~rwilliam/AI...
Major points:
* Research shows that AI can be inferior to more traditional learning approaches
* AI frequently and sometimes dangerously hallucinates
* AI can harm the environment
* Nonetheless, there is hope for AI in the classroom
Why I hate AI Reason # 1,723
Of the books named on this reading list, Brit Bennet, Isabel Allende, Andy Weir, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Min Jin Lee, Rumaan Alam, Rebecca Makkai, Maggie O'Farrell, Percival Everett, and Delia Owens' titles are all books that DO NOT EXIST!!!
See Alt Text for more detail.
Image by @tbretc.bsky.social
See Alt Text for more detail.
Image by @tbretc.bsky.social
May 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Why I hate AI Reason # 1,723
I'll add that neither Grover Cleveland nor his presidential library kept the Statue of Liberty after he left office.
Let’s have Congress vote on it. I’d like to get some Republicans on record before the midterms.
May 14, 2025 at 1:53 AM
I'll add that neither Grover Cleveland nor his presidential library kept the Statue of Liberty after he left office.
Reposted by Richard Williams
Is organized religion obsolete? ✝️ Sociologist Christian Smith says yes—and backs it with data. ⛪ Church decline isn’t just local, it’s cultural. What’s next for faith in America?🇺🇸
#Faith
#ChurchDecline
#FaithTrends
#Christianity
#GenZFaith
#SpiritualShift
#Patheos
✍️
www.patheos.com/blogs/closet...
#Faith
#ChurchDecline
#FaithTrends
#Christianity
#GenZFaith
#SpiritualShift
#Patheos
✍️
www.patheos.com/blogs/closet...
Sociologist Wonders If That Old-Time Religion Is Now Extinct
If church isn't the same experience as your parents, well...it isn't. People are leaving, but there's a book saying now that it doesn't matter at all.
www.patheos.com
April 10, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Is organized religion obsolete? ✝️ Sociologist Christian Smith says yes—and backs it with data. ⛪ Church decline isn’t just local, it’s cultural. What’s next for faith in America?🇺🇸
#Faith
#ChurchDecline
#FaithTrends
#Christianity
#GenZFaith
#SpiritualShift
#Patheos
✍️
www.patheos.com/blogs/closet...
#Faith
#ChurchDecline
#FaithTrends
#Christianity
#GenZFaith
#SpiritualShift
#Patheos
✍️
www.patheos.com/blogs/closet...
The world would be so much better off if Hillary had won in 2016. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/o...
Opinion | Hillary Clinton: This Is Just Dumb (Gift Article)
The Signal group chat is only the latest in a string of self-inflicted wounds by the new administration.
www.nytimes.com
March 28, 2025 at 9:19 PM
The world would be so much better off if Hillary had won in 2016. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/28/o...
Trump has done so many terrible horrible awful things. But right now, I think this has to be near the top of the list.
slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com/news-and-pol...
We’re Finally Seeing the “Evidence” Against the Migrants Deported by Trump. It’s Unbelievable.
The Trump admin said a soccer player had a gang tattoo. It’s a tattoo of Real Madrid’s logo.
slate.com
March 20, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Trump has done so many terrible horrible awful things. But right now, I think this has to be near the top of the list.
slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com/news-and-pol...
This is heartbreaking. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. (Gift Article)
A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.
www.nytimes.com
March 17, 2025 at 1:14 PM
This is heartbreaking. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
This is heartbreaking. Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3 hechingerreport.org/proof-points...
Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3
Acting stats chief booted after only 15 days in the job; fate of the Nation’s Report Card unclear
hechingerreport.org
March 16, 2025 at 3:41 AM
This is heartbreaking. Chaos and confusion as the statistics arm of the Education Department is reduced to a skeletal staff of 3 hechingerreport.org/proof-points...
Interesting summary of the research on the impact of the Covid pandemic. Unfortunately, some of the good things that came out of the pandemic have since been rolled back.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
15 Lessons Scientists Learned About Us When the World Stood Still (Gift Article)
The pandemic gave researchers a rare opportunity to study human behavior. Their work offers lessons about loneliness, remote work, high heels and more.
www.nytimes.com
March 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Interesting summary of the research on the impact of the Covid pandemic. Unfortunately, some of the good things that came out of the pandemic have since been rolled back.
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Paul Krugman: "All in all, what we’ve just witnessed is a stunning display of incompetence, dismissal of critical federal workers by people with no idea of what they do and why it matters."
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
An Explosion of Lies
The Musk Administration chokes on the truth
open.substack.com
February 20, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Paul Krugman: "All in all, what we’ve just witnessed is a stunning display of incompetence, dismissal of critical federal workers by people with no idea of what they do and why it matters."
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
open.substack.com/pub/paulkrug...
Reposted by Richard Williams
The very definition of evil.
The world's richest man is taking food and medicine from the world's poorest children
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/o...
Opinion | The World’s Richest Men Take On the World’s Poorest Children
I’ve seen U.S.A.I.D. operate around the world, and it’s not woke — it’s lifesaving.
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2025 at 4:36 AM
The very definition of evil.
“In interviews, scientists… described agonizing choices: violate the stop-work orders and continue to care for trial volunteers, or leave them alone to face potential side effects and harm.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...
Dozens of Clinical Trials Have Been Frozen in Response to Trump’s USAID Order (Gift Article)
The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.
www.nytimes.com
February 7, 2025 at 12:39 AM
“In interviews, scientists… described agonizing choices: violate the stop-work orders and continue to care for trial volunteers, or leave them alone to face potential side effects and harm.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...
There are a lot of contenders but this may be the most horrible thing Trump has already done www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/w...
How the World Is Reeling From Trump’s Aid Freeze (Gift Article)
President Trump’s order to halt most foreign aid has intensified humanitarian crises and raised questions about the United States’ reliability as a global leader.
www.nytimes.com
February 2, 2025 at 10:51 PM
There are a lot of contenders but this may be the most horrible thing Trump has already done www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/w...
Reposted by Richard Williams
don't threaten me with a good time
January 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
don't threaten me with a good time
This currently ranks #1 on my list of terrible horrible awful things Trump has already done. But, I fear his immigration sweeps could soon take over the top spot.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/o...
Opinion | Trump’s Opening Act of Contempt (Gift Article)
To open his term with such an act of contempt toward the legal system is audacious, even for Mr. Trump.
www.nytimes.com
January 21, 2025 at 2:53 PM
This currently ranks #1 on my list of terrible horrible awful things Trump has already done. But, I fear his immigration sweeps could soon take over the top spot.
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/o...
As a Notre Dame fan, I am trying to look at the bright side: At least the Irish football team won’t be getting invited to Trump’s White House.
January 21, 2025 at 4:28 AM
As a Notre Dame fan, I am trying to look at the bright side: At least the Irish football team won’t be getting invited to Trump’s White House.
I had a question about the 2018 General Social Survey so I Googled it. AI responded. The answer seemed plausible but I couldn't confirm it. I asked GSS and they said the answer was completely wrong. I think AI may have been drawing from a 1986 paper and the state of the art has changed since then.
December 5, 2024 at 1:37 PM
I had a question about the 2018 General Social Survey so I Googled it. AI responded. The answer seemed plausible but I couldn't confirm it. I asked GSS and they said the answer was completely wrong. I think AI may have been drawing from a 1986 paper and the state of the art has changed since then.
Reposted by Richard Williams
Annie Hamilton is a junior studying Chinese and sociology. She also has Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare disease that impacts around 15,000 people.
At Notre Dame, she feels seen as a person, not as a patient:
bit.ly/4dHwPuv
At Notre Dame, she feels seen as a person, not as a patient:
bit.ly/4dHwPuv
October 18, 2024 at 8:05 PM
Annie Hamilton is a junior studying Chinese and sociology. She also has Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare disease that impacts around 15,000 people.
At Notre Dame, she feels seen as a person, not as a patient:
bit.ly/4dHwPuv
At Notre Dame, she feels seen as a person, not as a patient:
bit.ly/4dHwPuv
Thirty+ years ago Marilyn vos Savant roiled the nation with the Monty Hall Problem. Critics overwhelmingly denounced her. Here is my analysis. I am proud to report that my then 8-year-old daughter Bethy is the only person in the world to prove vos Savant was wrong. www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/st...
www3.nd.edu
November 27, 2024 at 4:10 PM
Thirty+ years ago Marilyn vos Savant roiled the nation with the Monty Hall Problem. Critics overwhelmingly denounced her. Here is my analysis. I am proud to report that my then 8-year-old daughter Bethy is the only person in the world to prove vos Savant was wrong. www3.nd.edu/~rwilliam/st...