A description, a place name, a disparagement, and a metaphor, the word “ghetto’’ has been part of Western civilization for five centuries, yet its meaning remains dimly understood. Enter Mitchell ...

In their effort to communicate complex thoughts, social scientists have borrowed lay terms with impunity. At times, the practice helps to clarify a difficult theory. Perhaps as often, it muddies the ...

IN THE ANCIENT heart of Rome, some old-fashioned Italian cafes have survived the onslaught of tourists and slick, new, music-thumping pubs. Like the Bar Toto, these are neighborhood haunts where ...

"On March 29, 1516, the city council of Venice issued a decree forcing Jews to live in il geto--a closed quarter named for the copper foundry that once occupied the area. The term stuck. In this ...