2024 MODULES FOR THE ETHICS CENTER MENTORING PROGRAM:
July 15th, 2024 - August 9th, 2024
Each summer, the UCI Ethics Center selects a few promising students for a mentoring program. We plan a full online program again in 2024, open to all qualified college, graduate, and high school students worldwide. Applications are now open, and students may apply to our online program by completing the application (below). There is no cost for this intense mentoring program. No recommendations are required. You need only to (1) complete the short form at the end of this announcement and (2) pay a small processing fee. Students for whom the fee presents a financial hardship may request a waiver by contacting Andrada Costoiu, Associate Director for the Summer Program at andradac@uci.edu.
LINK TO APPLICATION:
Online program. While we initially accepted only local students, with the advent of COVID-19, we went online and quickly realized there is an international demand for the personal mentoring we provide. The 2024 summer mentoring program thus will again be online and we will accept students from all over the world for a virtual mentoring program during the weeks of July 22nd, 2024 – August 9th, 2024. Students will meet twice a week, in groups of 15-30 students, as part of a mentoring program that will provide hands-on experience in various forms of research. The research activities will teach many different skills, from basic library research that might be used in a literature review to skill sets such as SPSS or other computational programs and introduction to data analysis of various kinds, from archival data, aggregate data, interviews, survey data, and narrative-interpretive analysis. No prior experience with ethics is required. All that we ask is that students be interested in working with a university faculty member or a graduate student mentor. (This year, we are fortunate that David Rosten will offer a module on what everyday people can do to further the cause of peace. We also are introducing a new program with distinguished faculty from around the world, most of whom are past presidents of the International Society of Political Psychology. They will focus on the different aspects in which universities can foster more productive, civil dialogue and analysis of hot-button political issues, especially those centering on how we deal with “the other.” Discussions will range from the contemporary conflict in the Middle East to racism, genderism, nationalism, homophobia, and the North-South divide.
No charge for the program, a modest processing fee. There is no charge for the program itself. To handle the increased demand and to keep the mentoring experience a high-quality one, small enough to retain its personal aspect, we have been forced to ask a modest processing fee ($250). Students for whom this fee poses a financial hardship can request a fee waiver from the Associate Director of the Mentoring Program at andradac@uci.edu. Anyone who wishes to contribute further to the Ethics Center to defray costs for other students who may have financial constraints may do so here: Donate Now We appreciate all your support, which is vital in keeping this program available at no cost.
Modules. We begin by offering six modules this year. Students will be allowed to participate in only one module but may register on a waitlist for a module that is over-subscribed. We will try to assign each student to their preferred module. We will add extra modules if demand requires it in order to keep the numbers below 30 for each module. (If demand is high for one particular module, then we will try to offer more than one session of that particular module.) We will begin reviewing applications and send out the first acceptances by January 1st, 2024. Thereafter, admissions will be rolling, with acceptances sent on the 1st and the 15th of each month until May.
Waiver. Participants in the program who are under 18 on July 22, 2024, will need to have a waiver signed by their parents before they can begin the program. Waivers will be sent out by June 1 via email and must be received before the program begins on July 22nd. In the past, Andrada Costoiu has contacted people who forget to submit their waiver. The size of the program makes this unfeasible so it is the responsibility of the students to make sure their parents submit the waiver before July 22nd. Students not yet 18 cannot be admitted to the program until the waiver has been signed and submitted.
Application form. The application process is a simple one and requires no recommendations. Please complete the application (below) and indicate your first and second choice of a module at that time. Students are allowed to take only one module.
LINK TO APPLICATION:
MODULES
Module 1. There is always something you can do! Citizen Peace Building Initiatives. David Rosten, UCI Graduate, degree in International and Comparative Law from the University of San Diego, former co-chair of the Dean’s Council at UCI, and Lana Lee. Tuesday & Thursday 10-12 p.m. PST
Module description: A mediator, independent investor, and one of UCI’s first college graduates, Rosten is superbly networked and remarkable for bringing together people from all sides of hot-button issues. In this module, he brings together people to talk about what everyday people can do, from Paula Garb and the Kugelmans, who established UCI’s Citizen Peace Builders, to Gershon Baskin, an Israeli who negotiated the release of prisoners between Israel and Hamas. We will try to bring in speakers from diverse communities and help students learn how to assess their analysis of the flexibility in the situation. These might include people Rosten knows and can invite personally, from experts such as David Makovsky (the Washington Institute for Near East Policy) to Marwan Muasher (Vice-President of the Carnegie Institute for International Peace). In this module, we will explore ethical considerations in conflict resolution, with a focus on empowering individuals to contribute to peacebuilding efforts in hot conflict areas. Through engaging discussions and guest speakers from diverse communities, students will gain insights into practical strategies for promoting peace and understanding amidst conflict. Emphasis will be placed on fostering critical analysis skills to assess the nuances and complexities of conflict situations.
Learning Objectives:- Understand the ethical dimensions of conflict resolution.
- Explore practical approaches to promoting peace in hot conflict areas.
- Analyze the role of individuals and communities in fostering reconciliation and understanding.
- Develop critical thinking skills to assess the flexibility and adaptability of conflict resolution strategies.
- Apply ethical principles to real-world conflict scenarios.
Instructor's Short Bio:
Hello! I’m David Rosten. Thanks for looking at my bio! I have been on the board
of directors for the Center for Citizen Peacebuilding at UC Irvine for 22 years and
a former co-chair of the dean’s leadership council at UCI. I am also on the board
of an academic program called Center for International Experiential Learning, taking
students on educational trips to Vietnam, Cambodia, Northern Ireland, Israel, Jordan,
Mexico, Columbia.
Personally, I have many interests. I’m currently taking a master class in classical piano at Orange Coast College. I enjoy boating, tennis, spending time with my college-age children, classic cars, writing, and movies. In 2022, I was executive producer of the feature movie called “The Falconer” movie.
My hope is that every one of you enjoys the class and can take away important lessons in life. This is an integral part of your educational journey and I strive to make each class interesting and challenging.
Module 2. Peace in the Mideast. Danny Bar-Tal, Education and Political Psychology, Tel Aviv University. Branco Weiss is a professor of research in child development and education at the School of Education, Tel Aviv University. Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m.- 1 pm PST.
Module Description: The module aims to explore the nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from its beginning to today. The students will be asked to search for and compare different narratives for different major processes and events. Each meeting will be devoted to a different period and discussed in class.
Instructor's Short Bio:
Branco Weiss Professor of Research in Child Development and Education at School of
Education, Tel Aviv University, Bar-Tal served as a Director of the Walter Lebach
Research Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education from 2002 through
2005. He was a Co-editor in Chief of the Palestine Israel Journal from 2001 through 2005 and ISPP President 1999-2000. In 1991, his paper "The Israeli-Palestinian
Conflict: A Cognitive Analysis" won the Otto Klineberg Intercultural and International
Relations Prize of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI).
In 2002, his paper, titled, “Why does Fear Override Hope,” won second place in the
same competition. In 2006, Stereotypes and Prejudice in Conflict received the Alexander George Award of the International Society of Political Psychology
for the best book in Political Psychology. In 2006, he also received the Peace Scholar
Award of the Peace and Justice Studies Association. In 2009, his paper “Reconciliation
as a foundation of culture of peace” won the Otto Klineberg Intercultural and International
Relations Prize of SPSSI. Bar-Tal will bring his lifetime experience in this field
to discuss the current conflict in the Middle East, with special attention to reconciliation
after the Gaza-Israeli conflict.
He published extensively on the subject. His recent book Bar-Tal, D. (2023). Sinking into the honey trap: The case of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Washington, DC: Westphalia can be ordered from Amazon.
Module 3. Mental Health, Resilience, and Peace Building in the Contemporary Mideast. Lina Kreidie, Lebanese American University, and UC, Irvine, and Chloe Lampros-Monroe, George Washington School of Public Health, Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00 am to 11:00 am PST.
Module Description: The instructors draw on their research and experience to explore various aspects of mental health in the context of peacebuilding in the Middle East.
Lina Kreidie, with 30 years of experience interviewing individuals involved in the sectarian conflict in the Middle East, examines the worldviews of Islamic fundamentalists and analyzes the constructed identity boundaries of perpetrators of violence. Her research also explores the prevalence of PTSD among individuals facing multiple traumas and tests the impact of Drama Therapy intervention in empowering socioeconomically disadvantaged and refugee women with PTSD, GAD, and depression. The primary goal of most of her studies is to examine the correlation between mental health and peacebuilding.
Kreidie, a Ph.D. student at UCI, brings contemporary students in Lebanon together with students in the USA to discuss strategies for fostering peace and recovering from political trauma. She presents valuable data from interviews with individuals who committed massacres in Lebanon and with Syrian refugees and those who assist them. One notable figure is Kuwaiti Sheikha Intisar Al Sabah, who founded the Intisar Foundation to provide mental health services to women impacted by trauma and violence.
Chloe Lampros-Monroe, a graduate student at GW specializing in mental health issues of mothers and children, supplements Kreidie's work with her insights.
Instructor Short Bio:
Dr. Lina Haddad Kreidie is an accomplished academic specializing in political psychology,
gender studies, and women's empowerment. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from
the University of California, Irvine, with a concentration in political psychology.
Not only is she the academic director of the TLS-gender program at the Lebanese American
University (LAU), but Dr. Kreidie also passionately leads the MA in Interdisciplinary
Gender Studies and the TL Gender Scholars Program. Dr. Kreidie's influential work
extends beyond academia. She is a Jerome and Hazel Tobis Senior Fellow at the Interdisciplinary
Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality, University of California,
Irvine, where she explores the ethical and moral dimensions of wars and conflicts.
Dr. Kreidie served for ten years ( 2012-2022) as an advisor to the Harris School of
Public policy at the University of Chicago promoting student exchange in the field
of Public policy. Currently, Kreidie is a faculty affiliate at the Harris Pearson
Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. Additionally, her involvement
as a research consultant for the Intisar Foundation-NGO showcases her dedication to
advancing women's rights and human development. Throughout her career, Dr. Lina Haddad
Kreidie has remained committed to research focused on the Middle East region, encompassing
gender studies, international relations, conflict management, peacebuilding, and human
development. Her expertise has contributed significantly to the understanding of complex
societal dynamics and has inspired positive change in various spheres.
Module 5. For the adventurous and independent: Using social media to combat hate. Kristen Monroe, Political Psychology and Ethics, UCI Ethics Center Director with Max Razmjoo and Jessica Zhang. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1-3 p.m. PST.
Module description: Academics are not great at publicizing scholarly work. This module will attempt to do this, on the assumption that academics occasionally discover something useful that might help people decrease hate in the world. Students in this module will distill findings from scholarly works about how to combat the hate that results in prejudice, discrimination, and violence against the other. This violence may be directed against members of different ethnic, social, racial, gender groups or, indeed, against members of any minority class. Students will be asked to select 1-2 legitimate scholarly books, summarize the key findings, and discuss what those books taught them and how that changed how students think about the question at the heart of ethics: how we treat each other. If students wish to design an independent input to social media to disseminate scholarly knowledge about ethical issues, they may do so individually or working with other students. Prior reading for the module is not required but, for those who wish to know more about Professor Monroe’s work, please consult The Heart of Altruism: Perceptions of a Common Humanity (Princeton U Press, 1996), The Hand of Compassion: Portraits of Moral Choice during the Holocaust (Princeton U Press, 2004), Ethics in an Age of Terror and Genocide (Princeton U Press, 2012), When Conscience Calls (U of Chicago Press, 2023) and A Darkling Plain: Stories of Conflict and Humanity after War (Cambridge U Press 2016).
Instructor Short Bio:
Kristen Monroe is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at UC Irvine and founding
Director of its Ethics Center. With over 22 books on politics, ethics, and psychology,
Monroe is best known for her award-winning trilogy on altruism and moral choice. Her
scholarly honors include numerous awards from the International Society of Political
Psychology (past president) and the American Political Science Association (past vice-president),
plus fellowships to The American Academy in Berlin, and Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute
for Advanced Study. Her most recent books are On Ethics and Economics (with Nobel Laureate Kenneth Arrow), The Unspoken Morality of Childhood (2022), and When Conscience Calls: Moral Courage in Times of Confusion and Despair (2023). Politics, Principle and Standing Up to Donald Trump: Moral Courage and the Republican
Party, written with students in the Ethics Center mentoring program, is due out in 2024
Teaching Assistants’ Bio:
Hi, everyone! My name is Jessica Zhang, and I am a rising junior at Sage Hill School.
I love playing tennis and hanging out with my friends and family. It was a pleasure
working with Professor Monroe last year, and I can’t wait to work with all of you
this summer!
Module 6. Ethics and Economics. Sofia Franco, Economics assistant teaching professor UC Irvine. Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00- 11:00 a.m., PST.
Module Description: The price of a good or service plays an important role in how well it sells. An ethical pricing strategy goes beyond simply following the law. Similarly, not all unethical pricing strategies are fraudulent or illegal. Ethical decisions are difficult sometimes because there isn’t a defined line for morally right and wrong decisions. Producers and retailers practice, for the most part, ethical pricing strategies to earn profits without defrauding competitors or consumers. This module introduces students to the ethical and (anti)competitive aspects of different pricing strategies in business using graphical analyses and newspaper articles. Topics covered include price match guarantees, price-fixing, and price discrimination.
Instructor's Short Bio:
Economics assistant teaching professor, Sofia Franco earned her Ph.D. in environmental
science and management with a specialization in urban and environmental economics
at UC Santa Barbara. She’s an applied microeconomist who has worked as a consultant
to the World Bank and the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education
in Maryland on urban development and zoning policies. She comes to UC Irvine following
a professorial post at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal.
Module 7: Social Constructs that Unnecessarily Divide Us. Andrada Costoiu, Associate Director, the UCI Ethics Center Summer Mentoring Program. Monday and Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
Module Description: Social categories are exceedingly complex constructs transcending disciplines, coloring everything from our daily lives to policy making. In this module, you will learn how social categories are created and used to excuse discrimination against our fellow American citizens. How does public policy treat social categories, and what makes some categories more deserving than others? Do these categories change, and if so, how? In Weeks 1 and 2, we discuss how social categories are created through human interaction and scientific explanations. We focus on implicit bias and try to understand how humans socially categorize and how implicit social cognition can lead to prejudice and stereotyping. We then disentangle the scientific construction of race and discuss the development of scientific thought about human genetic diversity, social Darwinism, and the eugenics movement. Weeks 3 and 4 move the discussion to social categorization through policymaking, with a focus on United States immigration policy regarding Mexican immigrants and their treatment since 1920. Students will be divided into teams. One team will examine how Mexican immigrants were portrayed in the early years when they emerged as temporary laborers in the United States (1920-1950). A second team will consider Mexican immigrants in the context of immigration policy under Obama and Trump. Each team will write a literature review on their time frame (a simple summary of the sources and a synthesis of their main findings), and then we will compare the results. The ethical components of this module are clear and powerful. This module should increase your awareness about how social categories are imbued with meaning through scientific justifications and public policy. It should make us reflect on how we can bring people together at the micro-scale in our own communities, and at a macro scale by creating policies that would promote equality instead of difference.
Instructor's Short Bio:
My name is Andrada Costoiu and I have background and experience in academics and business.
I enjoy teaching classes in human rights, social justice, and equality. In my free
time, I like to write, and my latest novel, Under the Iron Curtain, set in communist Romania, was published by Niculescu Publishing House, Bucharest,
in July 2021. Outside of academic life, I had the opportunity to be part of different
governmental agencies and international organizations. I am one of the founding members
of AIESEC Bucharest (International Association of Students in Economics and Business
Management). About a decade after the Romanian revolution, I worked for the Romanian
Foreign Trade Center in Bucharest, where I analyzed market forecasts, worked to establish
goals and strategies for the Ministry of Commerce, and worked on evaluation committees
for projects funded by the European Union. In the past year, I have started following
one of my lifelong passions: flying. I am taking flying lessons, and I have become
a pilot. I am currently flying a Cessna 172, and I am working on my ratings to be
able to fly commercially and, of course, the big jets!
Module 8. Genocide and ethnic conflict: Causes, legacies, and memories. Kiyaan Parikh, with the assistance of Melissa Hua. Mondays and Wednesdays, 4 pm-6 pm PST.
Students will discuss generational trauma, victimhood, perpetration, and collective memory. Together, we ask how violence is remembered and processed in a community and the politics surrounding and informing those processes. The module aims to explore broad theories while developing writing skills, critical thinking, and contention with texts in context. This topic space will expose students to critical research skills such as hypothesis development, synthesizing theories, and putting ideas into dialogue. We will also discuss inference, research design, and the strengths of various methodologies in answering our big idea questions. Readings will be fairly interdisciplinary across social science and humanities, providing a sampling platter of how various traditions research, define, and unpack these questions. But most importantly, we will look at not just the nature of violence, or violence as a “natural” phenomenon, but contend with the actual impacts of conflict on people's lives and the long-term legacies they carry forward. Genocide is an emotionally difficult topic to research, so bear that in mind as you choose your modules.
Kiyaan Parikh is a rising 5th year in the PhD program at UCI. This is his third year working as a summer mentor and we are delighted to have him back. Kiyaan’s primary research focus is on the legacies of violent conflicts, political trauma, and the persistence of hateful mobilization. Most specifically, he asks how the memory of violence is politically mobilized in subsequent generations to help nationalist political groups come to power. Kiyaan was born and raised in Long Beach, California, did his undergrad work at UC Berkeley. He enjoys cooking, board and video games with friends, and basketball. Students will also likely see Kiyaan’s cats make guest appearances during group video meetings. He is excited to work with everyone and looks forward to a great summer.
Teaching Assistant's Bio:
Hi everyone, I’m super excited to meet you all this summer! My name is Melissa and
I’m currently a first-year undergraduate student at UCLA studying Environmental Science.
I have an interest in ethics of nature, bioethics, and political philosophy. I was
actually a student for this very module two summers ago and it really helped me hone
my research and critical thinking skills. Outside of my academic interests, I enjoy
watching Kdramas and playing random trivia games.
Module 9: Embedded Power: Global Value Chains and the United States’ Global Power. Paa-Kwesi Heto, Ph.D.; 2 to 4 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Module Description: Embedded Power project examines the evolution of American power and its effectiveness in the 21st century. Talk of the decline of American power abounds. There is no consensus on what is in decline and its implication for the United States’ role in the world. Some people use the phrase to mean the potency of America’s power is in decline. It could also mean the United States’ empire is in decline. Some also use it to mean the conduits of American national power, economic centrality, military scale, sole possession of a global navy, nuclear superiority, and global surveillance architecture are collapsing. In other instances, proponents say the United States-led global order is decaying. Some people use the phrase to mean all these things. Notwithstanding the United States’ domestic challenges, there are reasons to doubt the argument that the preponderance of American power is in decline. How are we to understand American power in the age of the globalization of production? Research Interns will explore different aspects of this topic. They will learn to survey the literature on this topic by searching for, reading, and synthesizing relevant publications. The project deliverables are a series of annotated bibliographies.
Instructor's Short Bio:
Dr. Paa-Kwesi Heto is a distinguished political economist, international security
expert, and educationist. He is a Soka University of America Graduate School visiting
professor. Paa-Kwesi is a transdisciplinary scholar with five master’s degrees in
behavioral mathematics, demography and social analysis, political science, education,
and international affairs. He is a recipient of the 2023 Easton Family Mentors of
Distinction, the 2020 Etel Solingen Outstanding Paper in International Relations Award,
the 2020 UCI Inclusive Excellence Ambassador Award, and the 2018 Global Citizens Awards.
Paa-Kwesi was part of a team that advised the African Union and the Common Market
of Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) on their trade and investment policy. He also
worked on a World Bank project that evaluated: one, the efficiency of trade gateways
in the countries where Trade Facilitation Facilities operated, and two, COMESA countries’
ability to implement the 2013 World Trade Organization Bali Trade Facilitation Agreement.
In addition, as the Secretary-General of the West Africa Youth Leaders Conference,
he championed youth empowerment and capacity-building projects in order to build peace
in West Africa.
Module 10: The Ethics and Politics of Community Organizing. Yiwen Huang, Ph.D. student in political science at the University of California, Irvine; Mondays and Wednesdays, 4 pm -6 pm PST.
Module Description: Why and how is ethical inquiry important to political and social movements? While conventional social justice discourses focus more on morality, recent scholarship on activism has increasingly emphasized the central role that ethics plays in the success of political mobilization. This module looks at the ethics, theory, and practices of community building in various contexts of political insurgency. We will explore the following questions: why is the ethics of community building political? How do modernity, colonialism, and capitalism arrange and limit our everyday relationality? What are the dangers of ignoring the ethics of community building in social movement activism and scholarship? What are the difficulties and challenges in building communities for political resistance for the long haul? To concretize our discussion, we will combine our theoretical discussions with historical and contemporary examples of community organizing. Through exposures to materials on indigenous relationality, black fugitivity, mutual aid, socialist communes, anarchist practices, art activisms, and more, we will invite each other to imagine, embody, and enact alternative ways of relating to the world. In this module, interns will be asked to read the required materials, actively participate in discussions, and (optionally) complete a theoretical reflection on the ethics of community organizing informed by their own field-work or readings.
Instructor Short Bio:
My name is Yiwen; I am a fourth-year Ph.D. student in political science. As a scholar,
I am primarily interested in the relationship between feelings and historical writings.
My current project unpacks how interpreters of contemporary political movements in
China exhibit an affective attachment to past revolutions, and how this attachment
in turn impacts their epistemological projects. More generally, I work on political
theory, narratives and memories, affect theory, and labor politics. Outside of academia,
I am also a cat mom who loves to draw, make zines, hold film nights with friends,
and explore the great cuisines that Southern California offers.
Module 11: Culture of Democracy: Community, Norms, and Technology in the United States. Liz Muehlmann, Political Science PhD candidate at the University of California. Tuesday/Thursday 2 pm -4 pm PST.
Module Description: All healthy democracies share similar requirements, including free and fair elections,
the peaceful transition of power, and a set of political and civil liberties, such
as free speech and freedom from arbitrary discrimination. These characteristics distinguish
constitutional democracies from other forms of governments. In addition, there are
social and democratic norms that define how individuals should behave as members of
society and as members of a democracy. When these norms are violated, democracy is
threatened through higher levels of polarization, partisanship, and an increased threat
of fascism (Bergan, 2021). Indeed, events like the January 6th insurrection and the
partisan reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic serve as examples of the fragility of United
States democracy.
Traditionally, community has played a vital role in creating and maintaining social
and democratic norms (Heclo, 2011; Putnam, 2000; Reich, 2018). As people interact
with one another, they form affective attachments to others, and new patterns of behavior
emerge as a result. Yet, over the last 20 years, significant social, political, and
technological changes have fundamentally altered how people connect with one another
and how they create community. This project will collect, analyze, and process mass
survey data. Students will learn to download and use R for regression analysis. We
will also discuss norms and the media's role in norm formation.
Instructor Short Bio:
Liz Muehlmann is a fifth-year Political Science Ph.D. candidate at the University
of California, Irvine. Her dissertation focuses on how technology has changed how
people communicate and, by extension, how they create, maintain, and internalize democratic
norms. When people use social media, text apps, or internet forums to connect with
their friends, family, and communities, they must abide by the platform's rules. Each
platform is different and ultimately impacts what norms are adopted. Furthermore,
little is known about whether these sites encourage the adoption of democratic norms,
like the peaceful transition of power. In an era of increasing political polarization,
Liz investigates whether technology can be used to promote a deeper democratic culture.
Module 12: Ethics of Space Exploration. Hae-Seo Kim, PhD Candidate Anthropology, University of California, Irvine; Tuesdays & Thursdays 10 am-12 pm PST.
Module Description: This module will explore the ethics of space exploration. As powerful nation-states and private corporations lead the exploration of outer space, the discourse of space “colonization”, space-mining, and space debris raise complex questions about the ethics of entering outer space and developing it for human needs. Does outer space exploration intensify existing inequality on Earth? Who shoulders the burden of space exploration, such as the fallout from rocket launches and electromagnetic radiation from satellites? Is it ethical to enter a place where there may be other beings that we don’t know about? What are the different indigenous beliefs around the world of outer space, and is it ethical to ignore these beliefs? Who should get to explore outer space/who gets access to outer space? Are there ways of exploring outer space that are ethical? I propose the first half of the module to explore the current discourse and debates on space exploration and encourage students to think about the ethics of space development led by billionaires and a few powerful nation-states. I propose the second half of the module to explore alternative, or ethical, ways of exploring outer space. For example, I want to encourage students to think about different ways they felt connected to outer space, and if there are ways of “caring” for outer space in an ethical way. I want to encourage students to think about whether there is a way that space exploration can happen in ways that center ethical questions about the diversity of human imagination and beliefs, indigenous cosmologies, and racial and gender equality.
Instructor Short Bio:
My name is Hae-Seo Kim, and I’m a 5th year PhD student in Anthropology. My dissertation
research is about South Korea’s relationship to outer space. I examine the sociopolitical
environment in which outer space is explored in South Korea, where shamanist and scientific
cosmologies co-constitute the material and social relations of South Korea’s space
exploration. Specifically, I work with Korean shamans, astrology readers, political
activists, and science practitioners who make up South Korea’s “Space Age.” I am interested
in learning about different cosmologies and folk stories of outer space from around
the world. In my broader academic work, I work with feminist, postcolonial, and indigenous
theories of science and technology. In my personal life, I enjoy cooking, board games,
video games, and reading sci-fi, fantasy, and detective novels. I live with two cats.
Module 13. College Decision Making Processes. Julybeth Murillo, Sociology M.A. and PhD Student at the University of California Irvine. Tuesday’s & Thursday’s 8:30AM-10:00AM PST.
Module Description: This module will explore the decision-making process and perceptions of college among middle school and high school students. Previous research shows that educational attainment is a significant indicator of economic mobility and progress. In the United States, leveraging a college degree at a prestigious institution affords access to comprehensive resources and social networks and guarantees greater earning potential and career opportunities. Furthermore, meritocracy in education fuels the American dream for many students- if you work hard enough, you can achieve it. The reality for many students is that they are entering an educational system that is not equipped to produce equitable and equal outcomes for all. For Latinx students, deciding to attend college and navigating post-graduation pathways is affected by institutional barriers, lack of mentorship and guidance, and familial constraints.
In the first half of the module, we will dive into the early research process by constructing a literature review, creating research questions, and identifying hypotheses. By the second half of the module, you will be equipped to write an early draft of an interview guide, practice recording, and transcribing interviews, and use artificially intelligent software to find patterns and index codes.
Instructor Short Bio:
Julybeth Murillo is a fourth-year Sociology PhD. Student at the University of California-Irvine.
Her positionality as a first-generation college student and second-generation immigrant
informs her research interests in the intersection of immigration, race, and education.
Currently, her research project focuses on Latinx high school students' decision-making
and educational outcomes. Through mixed methods, her research seeks to uncover the
social and institutional factors that inform college choice and educational trajectories.
Her research contributes to the literature on educational inequality and immigrant
incorporation and mobility.