Tom VanHeuvelen
@tvanheuvelen.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Minnesota
My blog: https://asocial.substack.com/
My blog: https://asocial.substack.com/
I tend to find "current sentiment" to be a little more helpful than "consumer expectations." The latter tends to have massive partisan swings. Current Sentiment looks ... really bad.
Expectations about as low as the mid 1970s and early 1980s.
Expectations about as low as the mid 1970s and early 1980s.
November 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
I tend to find "current sentiment" to be a little more helpful than "consumer expectations." The latter tends to have massive partisan swings. Current Sentiment looks ... really bad.
Expectations about as low as the mid 1970s and early 1980s.
Expectations about as low as the mid 1970s and early 1980s.
Record low consumer sentiment, according to the Survey of Consumers at the University of Michigan
November 7, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Record low consumer sentiment, according to the Survey of Consumers at the University of Michigan
New blog post
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
An interesting swing at the question, "why does inequality matter," by a philosopher and political scientist.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
An interesting swing at the question, "why does inequality matter," by a philosopher and political scientist.
November 7, 2025 at 12:49 PM
New blog post
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
An interesting swing at the question, "why does inequality matter," by a philosopher and political scientist.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
An interesting swing at the question, "why does inequality matter," by a philosopher and political scientist.
At the blog I wrote about a few interesting new inequality studies:
* Authoritarianism is bad for global inequality measurement
* Aging is bad for subjective wellbeing
* Inequality might be bad for deaths of despair, but we need better studies
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
* Authoritarianism is bad for global inequality measurement
* Aging is bad for subjective wellbeing
* Inequality might be bad for deaths of despair, but we need better studies
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
October 20, 2025 at 10:51 AM
At the blog I wrote about a few interesting new inequality studies:
* Authoritarianism is bad for global inequality measurement
* Aging is bad for subjective wellbeing
* Inequality might be bad for deaths of despair, but we need better studies
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
* Authoritarianism is bad for global inequality measurement
* Aging is bad for subjective wellbeing
* Inequality might be bad for deaths of despair, but we need better studies
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
I tried uploading my online course's first assignment to Claude and to Gemini. I asked them both to do my assignment.
One said: don't cheat!
The other said: Sure. Here you go.
Which of these AI systems do you think the University of Minnesota has partnered with?
One said: don't cheat!
The other said: Sure. Here you go.
Which of these AI systems do you think the University of Minnesota has partnered with?
September 6, 2025 at 10:40 AM
I tried uploading my online course's first assignment to Claude and to Gemini. I asked them both to do my assignment.
One said: don't cheat!
The other said: Sure. Here you go.
Which of these AI systems do you think the University of Minnesota has partnered with?
One said: don't cheat!
The other said: Sure. Here you go.
Which of these AI systems do you think the University of Minnesota has partnered with?
Unionized careers boost up wealth. Very interesting article by Purdue's Alec Rhodes:
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a....
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a....
September 5, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Unionized careers boost up wealth. Very interesting article by Purdue's Alec Rhodes:
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a....
academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a....
New post at the blog - Affluence Consumption is Decoupling: Couples Inherit Parents’ Earnings from their Husbands: Universal Basic Income Doesn’t Do Anything for Child Development: Building Costs Don’t Drive Housing Prices
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Hope you find it interesting!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Hope you find it interesting!
August 4, 2025 at 4:01 PM
New post at the blog - Affluence Consumption is Decoupling: Couples Inherit Parents’ Earnings from their Husbands: Universal Basic Income Doesn’t Do Anything for Child Development: Building Costs Don’t Drive Housing Prices
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Hope you find it interesting!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Hope you find it interesting!
Did you know: in 1941, C.S. Lewis developed a term for how every single person on the internet talks to one another? Bulverism!
August 2, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Did you know: in 1941, C.S. Lewis developed a term for how every single person on the internet talks to one another? Bulverism!
It's coming from all angles now!! I haven't seen this in UMN's canvas yet, but ... not a great sign.
July 24, 2025 at 4:57 PM
It's coming from all angles now!! I haven't seen this in UMN's canvas yet, but ... not a great sign.
Inequality scholars might be intereted in Josh Page and Joe Soss' forthcoming book, Legal Plunder.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Even though I'm not a crim / punishment person, I'm very excited to read this one.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Even though I'm not a crim / punishment person, I'm very excited to read this one.
July 23, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Inequality scholars might be intereted in Josh Page and Joe Soss' forthcoming book, Legal Plunder.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Even though I'm not a crim / punishment person, I'm very excited to read this one.
press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/bo...
Even though I'm not a crim / punishment person, I'm very excited to read this one.
Agreed. It's pretty disappointing that AI now has institutional backing.
I also think I'll need to include a pledge in my syllabus from now on that I will NOT be using any form of AI in my instruction, despite the university's new suggestions for how instructors may use AI.
I also think I'll need to include a pledge in my syllabus from now on that I will NOT be using any form of AI in my instruction, despite the university's new suggestions for how instructors may use AI.
July 16, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Agreed. It's pretty disappointing that AI now has institutional backing.
I also think I'll need to include a pledge in my syllabus from now on that I will NOT be using any form of AI in my instruction, despite the university's new suggestions for how instructors may use AI.
I also think I'll need to include a pledge in my syllabus from now on that I will NOT be using any form of AI in my instruction, despite the university's new suggestions for how instructors may use AI.
Over at the blog, I write about a few interesting articles.
Top tax cuts make inequality
Top tax cuts grow the financial sector
Cognitive skills - use them or lose them
Surprisingly frequent housing instability
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Top tax cuts make inequality
Top tax cuts grow the financial sector
Cognitive skills - use them or lose them
Surprisingly frequent housing instability
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
July 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Over at the blog, I write about a few interesting articles.
Top tax cuts make inequality
Top tax cuts grow the financial sector
Cognitive skills - use them or lose them
Surprisingly frequent housing instability
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Top tax cuts make inequality
Top tax cuts grow the financial sector
Cognitive skills - use them or lose them
Surprisingly frequent housing instability
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Over at the blog, I write about a few interesting articles about place. Features of place matter for suicide rates. Features of place are really changing.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
June 9, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Over at the blog, I write about a few interesting articles about place. Features of place matter for suicide rates. Features of place are really changing.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
At the blog I focus on a few recent articles by the one and only Deirdre Bloome.
One of them: be careful about interpreting trends in absolute mobility (the % of people who outearn their parents). This measure tends to privilege trends of higher income kids.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
One of them: be careful about interpreting trends in absolute mobility (the % of people who outearn their parents). This measure tends to privilege trends of higher income kids.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
June 3, 2025 at 10:44 AM
At the blog I focus on a few recent articles by the one and only Deirdre Bloome.
One of them: be careful about interpreting trends in absolute mobility (the % of people who outearn their parents). This measure tends to privilege trends of higher income kids.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
One of them: be careful about interpreting trends in absolute mobility (the % of people who outearn their parents). This measure tends to privilege trends of higher income kids.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
V. glad you're pursing this! Like @davebrady72.bsky.social said, what folks mean by inequality prob really important. To what extent does sociology emphasize term to broadly mean "disparity"?
For example, compare variation of ineq. in sociology, and LACK of ineq. in Autor's very-inequality paper.
For example, compare variation of ineq. in sociology, and LACK of ineq. in Autor's very-inequality paper.
June 2, 2025 at 4:17 PM
V. glad you're pursing this! Like @davebrady72.bsky.social said, what folks mean by inequality prob really important. To what extent does sociology emphasize term to broadly mean "disparity"?
For example, compare variation of ineq. in sociology, and LACK of ineq. in Autor's very-inequality paper.
For example, compare variation of ineq. in sociology, and LACK of ineq. in Autor's very-inequality paper.
At the blog I wrote about a new paper by @natewilmers.bsky.social , @zparolin.bsky.social , and @lukaslehner.bsky.social .
We're living in a novel era of inequality discordance. What's going on?!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
We're living in a novel era of inequality discordance. What's going on?!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
May 27, 2025 at 11:09 AM
At the blog I wrote about a new paper by @natewilmers.bsky.social , @zparolin.bsky.social , and @lukaslehner.bsky.social .
We're living in a novel era of inequality discordance. What's going on?!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
We're living in a novel era of inequality discordance. What's going on?!
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
It sure is! This one's probably better. Ratio of home ownership rates across the CPS and SCF. My hunch is that since (1) housing wealth is so important for younger wealth (2) we'd expect massive imbalance of housing wealth across groups we'd expect a change from 0.9 to 0.8 to be pretty sig.
May 19, 2025 at 3:44 PM
It sure is! This one's probably better. Ratio of home ownership rates across the CPS and SCF. My hunch is that since (1) housing wealth is so important for younger wealth (2) we'd expect massive imbalance of housing wealth across groups we'd expect a change from 0.9 to 0.8 to be pretty sig.
Some quick inequality hits at the blog today.
One of them: be skeptical of claims that young cohorts are unusually wealthy. They may actually be unusually living at home and locked out of homeownership.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
One of them: be skeptical of claims that young cohorts are unusually wealthy. They may actually be unusually living at home and locked out of homeownership.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
May 19, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Some quick inequality hits at the blog today.
One of them: be skeptical of claims that young cohorts are unusually wealthy. They may actually be unusually living at home and locked out of homeownership.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
One of them: be skeptical of claims that young cohorts are unusually wealthy. They may actually be unusually living at home and locked out of homeownership.
asocial.substack.com/p/inequality...
Quoth the American consumer:
May 16, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Quoth the American consumer:
Michigan Surveys of Consumers: Current economic conditions month-to-month down ~4%, down 17% from May 2024. Future expectations down 37% from May 2024.
www.sca.isr.umich.edu
www.sca.isr.umich.edu
May 16, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Michigan Surveys of Consumers: Current economic conditions month-to-month down ~4%, down 17% from May 2024. Future expectations down 37% from May 2024.
www.sca.isr.umich.edu
www.sca.isr.umich.edu
Apparently, John Levi Martin wrote a very funny and thoughtful set of reviewer guidelines for @amjsoc.bsky.social
I tend to be a bit overly skeptical of "how to" checklists for manuscript reviews, but JLM's guidance is really good.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/ajs...
I tend to be a bit overly skeptical of "how to" checklists for manuscript reviews, but JLM's guidance is really good.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/ajs...
May 6, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Apparently, John Levi Martin wrote a very funny and thoughtful set of reviewer guidelines for @amjsoc.bsky.social
I tend to be a bit overly skeptical of "how to" checklists for manuscript reviews, but JLM's guidance is really good.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/ajs...
I tend to be a bit overly skeptical of "how to" checklists for manuscript reviews, but JLM's guidance is really good.
www.journals.uchicago.edu/journals/ajs...
Good q. Here's the NY Fed data this graph's from.
If u look at the bad times for recent c. grads, unemployment is roughly similar to what it looked like in the 90s or 00s.
Contrast to big declines among all young and all unemp. AND contrast to no changes in col unemployment.
My gut says ...
If u look at the bad times for recent c. grads, unemployment is roughly similar to what it looked like in the 90s or 00s.
Contrast to big declines among all young and all unemp. AND contrast to no changes in col unemployment.
My gut says ...
May 1, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Good q. Here's the NY Fed data this graph's from.
If u look at the bad times for recent c. grads, unemployment is roughly similar to what it looked like in the 90s or 00s.
Contrast to big declines among all young and all unemp. AND contrast to no changes in col unemployment.
My gut says ...
If u look at the bad times for recent c. grads, unemployment is roughly similar to what it looked like in the 90s or 00s.
Contrast to big declines among all young and all unemp. AND contrast to no changes in col unemployment.
My gut says ...
At the blog I wrote about five cool new articles on gender inequality:
inappropriate engineering job talk intros
physician culture
demographic inequalities in health degrees --> health jobs
care work trends
tax policies
Very neat articles this week.
asocial.substack.com/p/mondays-go...
inappropriate engineering job talk intros
physician culture
demographic inequalities in health degrees --> health jobs
care work trends
tax policies
Very neat articles this week.
asocial.substack.com/p/mondays-go...
April 28, 2025 at 10:52 AM
At the blog I wrote about five cool new articles on gender inequality:
inappropriate engineering job talk intros
physician culture
demographic inequalities in health degrees --> health jobs
care work trends
tax policies
Very neat articles this week.
asocial.substack.com/p/mondays-go...
inappropriate engineering job talk intros
physician culture
demographic inequalities in health degrees --> health jobs
care work trends
tax policies
Very neat articles this week.
asocial.substack.com/p/mondays-go...