Society and everyday life

Paulina Sotomayor sang in a mariachi band for years, but today she mixes electro with Mexican folk music, cumbia, conga and afrobeats. This is her personal playlist to celebrate female empowerment

The average “chilango”, or resident of Mexico City, spends around one and a half hours a day on public transport. An essay on public and semi-public transport in the Mexican capital

Mexico’s outgoing president launched extensive social reforms, and his successor Claudia Sheinbaum promises to continue his work. What has changed so far? A snapshot of the prevailing mood in Mexico City

For the first time in history Mexico voted for a female president. Following Claudia Sheinbaum’s landslide win, the writer Gabriela Jauregui lists her demands for the new Presidenta

The pressure of social media can quickly become overwhelming. But fitness doesn't have to be expensive, complicated or perfect

Coober Pedy in the Australian outback is considered the world capital of opals. That does not make it a glamorous place, though

The East Asian country has a demographic problem: its population is ageing rapidly but many women have no desire to have children

In Europe, critics consider the Monobloc to be tasteless plastic rubbish. But for many people around the world, it’s the only affordable chair that is actually comfortable

New Plymouth is on New Zealand's North Island, and before the British arrived, the Maori community of Te Ātiawa lived here. Now, finally, they are shaping the cityscape again

Young indigenous women skateboard through Cochabamba wearing traditional dress. Daniela Santiváñez explains what sparked them to form the collective ImillaSkate and how they stop their hats from flying off in the wind

How Susan Murabana inspires Kenya’s children with astrophysics and the wonders of the starry sky

Working long hours and being part of the rat race are part of everyday life in China. But lots of young people are opting out - and talking about it on social media. Photographer Ziyi Le takes portraits of a disillusioned generation

Every year at the beginning of March, extreme sports enthusiasts gather on Lake Baikal to take part in the “Winteriade”. Here, the athletes can also try their hand at disciplines such as ice fishing or ice golf

From the airport to the Sahara: author Saïd Khatibi travelled to the Algerian oasis town of Timimoun. A text about the lure of the desert and the inspiration of emptiness

When screenwriter Cem Kaya reflects on his childhood, he remembers the long car journeys from Germany to Turkey - and the music of the “Aşiks”. On the travelling singers of Anatolia and their links to pop music by immigrant workers in Germany

Speaking Irish has long been controversial. But now the Gaelic language is making a comeback. What’s going on in Ireland?

Anyone who is socially active in Brazil can earn themselves “Muda” tokens. But how does the alternative currency really work? A quick look

In the Georgian capital Tbilisi, there’s a house on a leafy street corner that is like a museum. A visit

Smashing stereotypes: Young women in traditional dress meet to skateboard in the Pacata Alta neighbourhood in the north of Cochabamba

Chinese migrant workers are often denied official residency. Many parents leave their children behind in the villages. Photographer Tami Xiang visited some of them. A conversation

The Siddi ethnic group migrated to India from East Africa centuries ago. Since then, their communities have cultivated their very own culture

Valeriu Pocitari and Valeria Pocitari live over a thousand kilometres apart yet they chat almost daily. A father / daughter conversation between Moldova and Greece.

In her graphic novels, illustrator Liv Strömquist explores the everyday absurdities of being a mother — and the funny side of parenthood

A Paris flat, three daughters and at least as many chosen relatives: The family of 63-year-old widower Mouss Ould Kaci redefines family ties. A visit to France

Between religious fanaticism and sibling love: British author Kit de Waal describes her childhood of extremes – and talks about how it shaped her relationship with her adopted children

Persecution, prison, exile: Life has moved fast for the Ugandan poet Stella Nyanzi since her parents died. So much has changed that she she’s catching up with the past. A farewell letter to Mummy and Daddy.

Judge Abby Abinanti worked for decades in both U.S. state courts and the Yurok Tribal Court. She says many lessons can be learnt from her community’s close-knit approach to justice

Manipulated images, cyberattacks and viral fake news: digital disinformation is commonplace in Taiwan. Ho Hui-An of the Taiwan FactCheck Center on fighting against the tide

Contemporary society has all but eradicated the caste system, right? Far from it, argues U.S. journalist Isabel Wilkerson

In his debut novel, Jakob Guanzon explores the reality of the “working poor” in the US. An interview about fathers and sons, money troubles and the dangerous legacy of the American Dream

Taiwan is often portrayed as a model Asian democracy by the West. But how free and open-minded is the country really? Author Li Ang on a question she’s been asking for decades

How can our homes deal with climate change? This house in the Munshiganj region can simply be moved when the floods come.

Heavy metal star - and politician - Freddy Lim knows Taiwan's music scene inside out. A conversation about Taiwanese music and the ten songs you need to decipher it

Students, a fish farmer, a beautician and an activist: we asked eight Taiwanese people what’s on their mind

German media outlets are often indifferent when it comes to reporting from outside Europe. German journalist Mohamed Amjahid has realised that writing about sex helps break down barriers

Beethoven, bubble tea and vertical cemeteries: life in Taiwan is often funny, sometimes strange, never boring. Don't believe us? Read on ...

Our author drifts through the city, meets people in nightclubs and drinks sweetened soy milk with a date at dawn. A story about being young in Taiwan

The Kuomintang and the Democratic Progressive Party are the only two political parties in Taiwan. What do they stand for? Two delegates give us the low-down on their political hopes, dreams and aspirations

Kuwait City locals flood the desert landscape to fly kites of all shapes and sizes on their national day

Projector offers creative courses in Ukrainian. After the Russian invasion, they halted all operations. But it turns out that demand is on the rise, not least because many Ukranians need a new job now, says Head of Product Anna Chernysh

What do you need in life? From Canada to South Africa to Pakistan, people around the globe explain what they can’t live without. Here Fatma Aydemir and T. C. Boyle say what is indispensable

In search of people who have had enough of big city life, the French photographer Antoine Bruy has traveled through Europe and North America. The result is the visually stunning photo series “Scrublands,” in which he documents people who opt out of society, depicting their everyday lives

In Taiwan, the digital world is displacing the physical one. Even tradition is migrating to the cloud. Our author sets out in search of a lost era

On the social media platform TikTok, #celibacy has become a global trend. Why are more and more young people voluntarily abstaining from sex?

Sweden has long stood for cosmopolitanism and tolerance. But now a shift to the right is sweeping through the country - and its colourful image is crumbling. How could this happen?

What once seemed significant for author Serhij Zhadan - irony, coolness, status symbols -  became irrelevant overnight when war broke out in his homeland. Now, collective solidarity and the fight against “evil” is what counts. How are the people in Ukraine affected by this sudden shift?

The scientist Maria Teresa Escalas lives in Mallorca, overlooking a rocky bay called Cala Santanyí. It is a modernist structure with sharp angles and clear lines but it also blends into the colour scheme of the local coastline.

Our author reports on a dangerous and high-adrenalin stunt show that has gripped him since childhood. The “Well of Death”, where cars race around a near-vertical track, is part of an annual religious festival  

South Africa's passion for barbecuing unites all social classes. The award-winning writer Dalmon Galgut talks us through the social gathering which has deep cultural roots

Even before the Taliban seized power, health care for Afghan women and girls was sub-standard. Now it is catastrophic: a visit to the provinces

Remember, remember the fifth of November! Writer Will Self on why effigies of Guy Fawkes and contemporary villains go up in flames all across the UK

Linear, efficient and punctual: that's how the Western world ticks. But can't time be understood and used differently, for example as it is in Sudan?

When the Taliban came to power, women in Afghanistan lost almost everything overnight: their rights, their jobs, their dignity. What are their concerns today? We asked Afghan women for a selfie, and asked the question: how are you doing?

Girls scavenging in piles of rubbish and scarcely any cars on the streets: the Afghan capital has changed. An author takes us for a stroll in her neighbourhood

French dancer Maïmouna Coulibaly took to African dance to process experiences of sexual violence and a conservative upbringing. Now she helps others do the same with her “Booty therapy”

Billionaires like Elon Musk dream of travelling to far-flung planets. But is that even an option? A conversation about striking a work-life balance on Mars and concerns about cosmic colonialism

Giving people equal opportunities sounds like a no-brainer. But the common-sense idea is not properly put into practice today, argues Spanish sociologist César Rendueles

Why pizza is more important to people in Gothenburg than the NATO accession negotiations

Ahmed Soura lost his family in Burkina Faso and suffered racism in Europe. When he danced to Händel’s “Messiah” in Berlin, he understood: those who really want to be free must redeem themselves

The ocean doesn’t care about skin colour or origin: A surfer’s life in South Africa

How does it feel to jump into a lake of melted snow in the South American summer?

More than any other element, water is charged with meaning in many societies and religions. These beliefs and practices continue to shape people’s day-to-day around the globe. An overview

Who has the right to speak and what can be said? The philosopher Svenja Flaßpöhler and the sociologist Naika Foroutan discuss inclusive language, and the fight for equality. A conversation.

Songs that break down walls: Poet Fury Young and musician BL Shirelle run a record label for people behind bars.

For years, Haiti has been slipping from one crisis into the next. The international community has looked away from the Caribbean nation and the Haitian government no longer cares for its own people.

Power outages, lack of young talent and scarce materials: In Damascus, arts and crafts struggle to survive

All over the world, language is changing. Gender politics are a big talking point and in order to name new non-binary and other gender identities, all sorts of linguistic experiments are being undertaken. These include returning to historical forms and creating completely new variants. Some examples:

The Mata brothers’ hamburger stand is buzzing during Domingo Rociero, one of the holidays of the annual Feria in July in La Línea de la Concepción

Why the Tiwah of Borneo bury their dead twice

Not everyone is equal before the healthcare system in New Zealand. Maori are now to receive better care

Have we forgotten how to argue? Racism researcher Ibram x. Kendi on polarized debates, personal hostility and his own prejudices. A conversation

Threatened from all sides, the young author Lale Gül is paying a high price for her self-determinat­ion

With liberal positions on abortion and diversity, I became a congresswoman in Mexico - and a target of hatred

In Beijing, some people on low incomes dwell in basements beneath the city. Photographer Sim Chi Yin depicted them in her photo series “The Rat Tribe”. A conversation

Twenty years ago, the historic Taipei neighbourhood of Treasure Hill was going to be demolished. Today, it is an enclave for both international and Taiwanese artists

We know only a fraction of what lies beneath our feet. Yet we are more closely connected to the depths than we realise

The world around you starts to vibrate – that only happens elsewhere, you think. Until it happens to you. Reflections on an extraordinary day

From a symbol of prosperity to a lawless space: New York’s underground has changed with the city. A journey through its history

Historian Frauke Heard-Bey moved from Berlin to Abu Dhabi in 1967 for love. More than fifty years later, she calls the Emirates her home - and has helped build up an entire national archive.

Four kilometres below the earth’s surface lies the deepest mine in the world. A worker tells of his day-to-day life in South Africa’s Mponeng gold mine

In Quechua culture, life above ground is closely linked to the subterranean. From birth to after death, the Pachamama plays a vital role

Going vegan seems to be an answer to many problems – from health to climate change. But who can even afford a vegan lifestyle? Barbara Miranda discusses indigenous perspectives

Today, people with disabilities have access to more spheres of life than they did a generation ago. However, ableist attitudes are still pervasive, observes Andy Marso

Very convenient: when someone moves house, everyone helps. About a special parade in the Philippines

Whether shares, ETFs or cryptocurrencies: During the corona pandemic, young people have flocked to investing. Will this lead to a rude awakening - or a secure pension?

Bjeen Alhassan, born in Qamishli, Syria, now lives in Germany. In her Facebook group “Learning with Bijin” she helps refugee women, earning her the German Integration Award 

Church congregation numbers in Romania beat those of all other European countries. And the popularity of the Romanian Orthodox Church is second to none. But since the advent of the pandemic, its image has started to show cracks.

Polish photographer Natalia Kepesz travelled to her hometown of Złotoryja in southwestern Poland for her latest works. She also documented a new Polish trend, military summer camps for local children 

Auma Obama is a German scholar, sociologist, author - and Barack Obama’s sister. She doesn’t like to discuss her famous brother, preferring to talk about her work between Germany and Kenya

For many children, school provides not just education but a healthy meal. The United Nations report “State of School Feeding Worldwide 2020” reveals how the pandemic has hit those who have the least the hardest.