University Forum: V is for Veracity

Featuring Professor of Sociology Jenny Reardon with introductions and Q&A moderation by Assistant Professor of Sociology James Doucet-Battle. Metaphors of war and battle in fighting COVID-19, now commonplace, can have their own problematic effects on how we imagine and act in the face of the pandemic. The “us vs. them” imagery that war metaphors promote pulls us away from veracity—“trustworthy truths” that foreground human (and nonhuman) relations and interdependencies. The pandemic provides an opportunity to mobilize veracity for a more just post-COVID-19 future.

Last modified: Jan 28, 2026