Entries by Jeffrey Ian Ross

A police union’s endorsement of Trump is not a happy one

Last week during a campaign event, held in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after former President Donald Trump’s xenophobic rant, James Tignanelli, head of the Police Officers Association of Michigan (representing 10,000 members) announced that the organization which he leads, was endorsing the former President’s bid for reelection. Historically this kind of support, should come as no […]

Inner city hospital emergency department waiting rooms as places of power and contestation

Similar to bustling transportation hubs, concert venues, and sporting arenas, the waiting rooms of large inner-city hospital emergency departments in the United States, and many other advanced industrialized countries, can be chaotic and challenging environments to navigate. More specifically, beyond their role as places of healing, these urban public spaces are environments where power dynamics […]

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 […]