Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

Navigating Authenticity and Curation in a Digital Age

We live in a rapidly changing world, where we are increasingly exposed to both AI-generated content and human manipulated images/documents (i.e., photoshopping, deep fakes, airbrushed photos, etc.), as well as curated social media feeds and carefully crafted personal brands. Meanwhile individuals are constantly navigating this complex landscape in search of genuine experiences, spaces, and relationships. […]

Are most academic departments, schools, and colleges of Criminology or Criminal Justice cop shops?

Many academic departments (schools and colleges) of Criminology and Criminal Justice, at least in the United States, are often disparagingly called “cop shops.” What does this mean? This label is often affixed to academic units that are disproportionately staffed by instructors and professors who are former criminal justice practitioners (here after practitioners), and there is […]

How do democracies slip into authoritarianism?

The prospect of a second Trump term, the current composition of the supreme court, and the rise of the MAGA movement, has prompted not just elected and stalwart democrats and political commentators, but former leaders and members of the Republican Party to suggest that the United States risks the possibility of becoming an authoritarian state. […]

Gas stations and random acts of urban incivility

As long as people drive gas powered cars, they are going to need a steady supply of this fuel, and most individuals purchase this at gasoline stations. Recently the empty sign light on my car’s dashboard instrument panel went off, and after close to 24 hours or so, I finally decided to buy gas. But […]