How COVID-19 Is Changing People’s Relationships With Houseplants
An anthropologist digs into what the current “botanic boom” reveals about people’s interactions with nature and with one another.
Gideon Lasco
Gideon Lasco is an anthropologist and a physician based in Manila, the Philippines. He obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam and his M.D. from the University of the Philippines, where he currently teaches anthropology. His research includes the chemical practices of young people, the meanings of human height, the politics of health care, and the lived realities of the Philippine “drug war.” Lasco has a weekly column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where he writes about health, culture, and society. Follow him on Twitter @gideonlasco.
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Could COVID-19 Permanently Change Hand Hygiene?
An anthropologist tackles the slippery subject of hand sanitization in a world torn between concerns over contagion and antibiotic resistance.
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Why Face Masks Are Going Viral
As the new coronavirus epidemic spreads, more and more people are wearing surgical masks—despite their questionable effectiveness. An anthropologist explores the reasons why.
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The Double Life of Coca
In South America, countries struggle to protect traditional uses of coca while decreasing its currency in the addiction- and crime-addled cocaine trade.
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Why Are People Who Use Illegal Drugs Demonized?
In many parts of the world, people who take illegal substances are punished with harsh prison sentences or executions that are unjustified. Behind this treatment lie prejudices that have a surprising history.
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The Dark Side of Skin Whitening
A desire for lighter skin tones is deeply entrenched in many parts of the world, but it comes with equally deep risks to health and society.