October 23, 2015
Small Conversations, Large Impact: Psychology Research and Social Change
Social identity is a sense of self based on a multiplicity of groups with which an individual may identify. Why are social identities important, and how might they influence educational experiences and success? Access to education can be explored in myriad of frameworks - from resource allocation to policy to best practices. By using psychological social identity research to explore the relationships between students and advisors, we can better support the experiences of students who are underrepresented in academia and the academic literature. Through engaging with multiple research projects this summer, I developed my knowledge of the qualitative research process. This opportunity supported the advancement of my impending thesis on nontraditional students, a fast-growing population of students in the U.S. that comprises nearly 40% of all college students (U.S. Department of Education, 2002, 2012). This presentation will focus on the significance of this social identity research, the nuts and bolts of engaging with the work, tips to explore the field, and how my summer guided me to further focus on using psychology as part of a multi-tiered approach to social justice.
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