Social Studies

In Indonesia and the Philippines, explosive growth and rapid modernization test religious belief and attitudes toward family planning.

Tajikistan is chronically unstable and corrupt—and now bracing for more chaos from Afghanistan. Its president is staking his country's future on the biggest dam in the world.

Chile's coastal waters are among the richest in the world, but years of exploitation have exacted a toll on resources. As Congress debates a solution, fishing outfits scrap for their survival.

China's investment in Zambia holds promise: billions of dollars and thousands of jobs. But after violent conflict between Zambian miners and their Chinese supervisors, does it also pose a threat?

The story of 1,000 days–the vital period from the beginning of a woman's pregnancy to her child's second birthday. The fate of individuals, families, nations–and the world–depends on it.

“Too Young to Die” is a long-term exploration of the tragedy gun violence exacts on Chicago’s streets. Although over 100 children and young people died in 2012, their deaths are often overshadowed.

Armed militias running illegal poaching and mining rackets and backed by a powerful army general come into conflict with conservation efforts—and the local population bears the brunt of the fallout.

Jerusalem, the meeting point of three major religions, is always set aside as the final item to be resolved in any discussion of Israeli-Palestinian peace. Have we waited too long?

In northern Mali, far from Western eyes, a powerful Al Qaeda affiliate has managed to carve out what is effectively a new country. What they do with it will determine the future of the war on terror.

Due to cultural preferences for sons, 100 million girls are missing worldwide. Carl Gierstorfer looks at India, a country with a highly skewed sex ratio that threatens to destabilize its society.

The Russian Federation confronts two devastating epidemics: widespread heroin abuse and HIV/AIDS. It appears to be losing the battle against both.

Shale gas is an energy phenomenon not just in a broad swath of the United States but in places like eastern Europe, too. In both regions there is a tangled mix of hopes, hype, and concern.