News from the Chronicles - January 2026

photo of yellow police tape at night scene
New study examines relationship between market integration, reductions in violence

A new study from the University of Georgia sociologists suggests countries with a stronger market orientation may experience lower rates of homicide. Market orientation and market integration refer to how freely a nation’s economy functions within a framework of legal rights and freedoms such as enforcing contracts, protecting property and ensuring equal opportunity: Countries that allow buying, selling, working and investing with fewer…

group photo under oaks and pines with Spanish moss
Mellon Foundation adds $1 million to public humanities partnership

The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts has received a $1 million grant from the Mellon Foundation for a second phase of its public humanities partnership with the historic Penn Center on St. Helena Island, South Carolina. The grant-funded project, Culture and Community at the Penn Center National Historic Landmark District, launched in 2021 with an initial $1 million award from Mellon to build and implement programs…