Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

No Soul in the New Hotel?

I’ve stayed in everything from budget hostels to luxury hotels—and, most recently, so-called smart hotels. With this last type of accommodation most interactions with the hotel and the room are either automated, and/or customers can do this through their smartphone or computer.  Guests are usually given a code to check in and out and to […]

Seven Popular Myths About Contemporary Street Culture

Street culture has received considerable attention in the popular press, on social media, and increasingly in scholarly circles. One of the things where less attention is spent is on a reasonably acceptable definition. In short, Street Culture can be defined as “the beliefs, dispositions, ideologies, informal rules, practices, styles, symbols, and values associated with, adopted […]

Stairwells Are More Than Passageways

The built environment has numerous underappreciated liminal spaces, and stairwells are among them. If we examine these structures more closely, we notice many types. They vary based on their placement in a building (e.g., internal versus external), how many sides are surrounded by walls (e.g., open versus closed), their design (e.g., monumental, spiral, split scissors, […]

The Proportionality of Positionality Statements

Over the past few decades, several critical theories (e.g., Colonialism/Anti-Colonialism, CRT, Gender, Intersectionality, etc.), research methodologies (e.g., Reflexivity, Lived Experience, etc.), and intellectual discourses have significantly shaped scholarship, pedagogy, and, public debate. When applied thoughtfully and in their intended manner, these theories, methods, and discourses can be powerful tools for understanding complex and sensitive topics […]

Why the Fun Lovin’ Criminals Matter

My taste in music is eclectic. I like selected songs, musicians, and bands from almost all genres of music, and sometimes, I find myself hating songs that I used to enjoy. That being said, one of my longstanding favorite bands is Fun Lovin’ Criminals. How did the Band Form, and how have they Evolved Fun […]