Humanities and the Arts

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Preventing Civilian Casualties, Drinking During the Pandemic, Vaccination Equity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how to reform the Pentagon’s policies on civilian casualties, secondary school principals’ well-being, alcohol use in the COVID-19 era, and more.

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U.S.-Russia Diplomacy, Citizen Science, America's Blood Supply: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on U.S.-Russia diplomacy in the context of the Ukraine crisis, the value of citizen science, strengthening the America's blood supply, and more.

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What Sounds Do a Million Random Digits Make?

The title of RAND's 1955 classic, A Million Random Digits with 100,000 Normal Deviates, doesn't exactly dance off the page. But Paul Dunham, a sound artist in New Zealand, thought the work could make its own kind of music.

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U.S. Failure in Afghanistan, Critical Race Theory Bans, Income Inequality: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on how early mistakes led to America's failure in Afghanistan, the potential effects of critical race theory bans, an art installation that breaks down RAND data on income inequality, and more.

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Veteran Journeys: Where Mental Health Research Meets Opera

Kenneth Wells, a psychiatrist, librettist, and composer, has written a documentary disguised as an opera. He drew on Partners in Care, a 10-year RAND-UCLA study that was one of the first to use a multisite collaborative primary care approach to treat veterans and others experiencing depression.

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RAND Art + Data, 'Gray Market Care,' Supply Chains and Cyberattacks: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on RAND's new artist residency program, Art + Data; the prevalence of "gray market care" in the United States; supply chains' cyber problem; and more.

commentary

Arts Policy During the Pandemic: What Are We Measuring, and What Can We Know?

Few data sources exist for the labor market for artists. Of the sources that do exist, each measures a different piece of a larger puzzle. Those studying the arts labor market will have to grapple with which data source to use and how “the arts” should be defined before undertaking any analysis.

James V. Marrone, Susan A. Resetar, et al.

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Industry Mix in L.A. Area Helps Explain Recent Record Unemployment Rates

The Los Angeles Combined Statistical Area reported more than 270,000 job cuts between March and early August. Considering which industries have cut jobs may provide a window into the area's unique labor market and help explain how the area currently has among the highest unemployment in the nation.

Jason M. Ward @jason_m_ward

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The Pandemic Is a Disaster for Artists

The arts as we know them are likely to be shut down for the foreseeable future, and the vast majority of artists have likely lost some or all of their income. How many artists are out of work, and what could be done to help them?

James V. Marrone, Susan A. Resetar, et al.

commentary

Arts and Cultural Workers Are Especially Vulnerable to the Pandemic

Workers in the arts and cultural industries could be especially vulnerable to the economic shocks of COVID-19. As the United States reopens and decides its future, it should recognize these vulnerabilities, as well as the benefits that the arts and cultural industries offer.

Susan A. Resetar, James V. Marrone, et al.

commentary

We're Just Beginning to Grasp the Toll of the Islamic State's Archaeological Looting in Syria

During the Islamic State's rise, looted artifacts were said to be a significant source of income for the group. But no one had identified the value, using empirical data and systematic calculations, of the artifacts that were known to exist in Syria's archaeological sites. Until now.

Fiona Greenland, Oya Topçuoğlu, et al.

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RAND's Got Talent

Two RAND singers, Allison Elder and Jennifer Prim, performed with the Angel City Chorale on America's Got Talent. The choir earned a standing ovation and a “golden buzzer” from the judges on its way to the semifinals.

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Why the Walls of RAND Are Filled with Contemporary Art

RAND's art collection is part of a culture that, not dissimilar to the art world, fosters creativity, inquisitiveness, and thinking outside the box.

announcement

Donald B. and Susan F. Rice Support Pardee RAND's 'Be the Answer' Campaign with $1 Million Gift

Longtime RAND supporters Donald B. and Susan F. Rice, for the third time, have established an endowed scholarship at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. Their most recent gift of $1 million was generously donated as part of Pardee RAND's Be the Answer campaign, which Don Rice chairs and which has thus far raised in excess of $19 million.

announcement

Pardee RAND Graduate School Receives $1 Million Gift, Establishes Lynda and Stewart Resnick Endowed Scholarship

A $1 million gift from philanthropists Lynda and Stewart Resnick will help Ph.D. candidates at the Pardee RAND Graduate School receive exceptional training today to embark on careers in public service.