2025 MODULES FOR THE ETHICS CENTER MENTORING PROGRAM:

July 21^st, 2025 - August 15^th, 2025

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The UCI Ethics Center selects a few promising students for a mentoring program each summer. We plan a full online program again in 2025, open to 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, Director of the Summer Program, at andradac@uci.edu.

 

LINK TO APPLICATION:

APPLY NOW

 

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 2025 summer mentoring program thus will have a few hybrid modules, but most will be exclusively online. Thus, we will accept students worldwide for a virtual mentoring program from July 21st, 2025 – to August 15th, 2025. 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. We ask that students be interested in working with a university faculty member or a graduate student mentor.

There is no charge for the program, just 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 for a modest processing fee ($250). Students for whom this fee poses a financial hardship can request a fee waiver from the 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. Students will be allowed to participate in only one module but may ask to be waitlisted for an over-subscribed module. We will try to assign each student to their preferred module. We will add extra modules if demand requires it 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 specific module.) We will review applications and send out the first acceptances by January 30^th, 2025. Thereafter, admissions will be rolling, with acceptances sent on the 1^st and the 15^th of each month until May.

TA Applications: We highly value the dedication and expertise of our Teaching Assistants (TAs), prioritizing applicants who have previously completed our course or who come highly recommended by their mentors or instructors. Due to the competitive nature of the position and our commitment to maintaining a high-quality learning environment, we accept only a limited number of TAs each summer session. Currently, our summer program is fully booked for Teaching Assistants, and we are not accepting any additional TA applications for this session. For future opportunities, please monitor our website for updates on application periods and requirements.

Waiver. Participants in the program who are under 18 on July 22, 2025, must have a waiver signed by their parents before they can begin the program. Waivers will be sent out by June 1^st via email and must be received before the program begins on July 21^st. In the past, Andrada Costoiu has contacted people who forgot to submit their waivers. The program's size now makes this unfeasible, so the student must make sure their parents submit the waiver before July 21^st. Students under 18 cannot be admitted to the program until the waiver is signed and submitted.

Application form. The application process is simple and requires no recommendations. Please complete the application (below). Students are allowed to take only one module.

 

LINK TO APPLICATION:

APPLY NOW

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MODULES

 

Module 1. Political Resilience, Political Trauma and the Death of Democracy. Kristen Monroe, Political Psychology and Ethics, UCI Ethics Center Director, UCI and Sunny Sun, Stanford University, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (PST).

In this module, students will learn how to (1) craft a literature review and (2) analyze narrative-interpretive interview data. We do so by working on a book about Jewish emigres from the Third Reich, people who left their homeland because their lives were threatened and their country was changing from a republic to a totalitarian state. Extensive interviews have been completed and will be analyzed to ask what this unique group of people has to tell us that is relevant today about (1) what causes the politics of hate, (2) how democracies die, as the Weimar Republic did, (3) how they forged amazing lives in the new world, despite significant trauma they encountered in leaving. Students will prepare a literature review of the scholarly work on the demise of democracy. They will then be taught how to analyze an interview to understand how the speaker views the world and what that person can tell us that is relevant to our understanding of democracy and political resilience.

Instructor's Short Bio. Professor Monroe is the founding director of the UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality and Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science. She has published 22 books, the latest with students from the summer mentoring program: Politics, Principle and Standing up to Donald Trump: Moral Courage in the Republican Party. She loves working with the summer students!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Module 2: Social Justice and Social Categories: Understanding Difference and Its Impact. Andrada Costoiu, Director, UCI Ethics Center Summer Mentoring Program. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

This module will explore the construction of social categories, including race, class and gender. We will examine how these categories are created, implemented, and perpetuated through policies, societal structures, and individual behaviors. By analyzing real-world examples from both the United States and around the world, students will develop a deeper understanding of social justice issues and the role of social categories in shaping inequality. The module will incorporate a combination of lectures, discussions, readings, case studies, and films to engage students and encourage critical reflection.

Week 1: Introduction to Social Categories and Social Justice. Week 2: The Historical Roots of Social Categories and Inequality. Week 3: students will be divided into groups and assigned one of the following films. Each film explores important social justice themes, such as racial inequality, gender issues, and systemic oppression. After watching the movie, students will prepare a group presentation discussing the film's social justice themes and their relevance today. Week 4: students will be divided into groups, and each group will choose one of the following themes to write a paper on. The paper should explore the social justice issue in depth, examining its impact on different social categories (such as race, gender, class, or disability), historical context, and current relevance.

Themes:

1. Immigration Policy and Colonialism: The Impact of the U.S. Border Policies on Latinx Communities
2. LGBTQ+ Rights in the U.S.: Progress and Challenges in Achieving Equality
3. Environmental Justice in the U.S.: The Fight for Equitable Access to Clean Air, Water, and Land
4. Disability Rights in the U.S.: Advocacy for Accessibility and Inclusion
5. The #MeToo Movement: Combating Sexual Harassment and Gender Inequality in the U.S. Workplace

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. Not long ago, I 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 fly commercially and, of course, the big jets!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Module 3: Genocide and ethnic conflict: Causes, legacies, and memories. Kiyaan Parikh, Grad Student, Political Science, Mondays and Wednesdays, 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

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 explores broad theories while developing writing skills, critical thinking, and contention with texts in context. This topic space will expose students to essential skills of research 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.

Instructor's Short Bio: Kiyaan Parikh is a rising 5^th 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.

 

 

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Module 4. 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, Monday & Wednesday 1 p.m. -3 p.m.

Instructor's Short Bio. 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).

 

 

 

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Module 5: Populism, Power and Civil Society: The Case of Contemporary Israel. Tom Lourie, PhD in Political Science, UCI, Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:30 am - 1:30 pm (PST).

Populism has been one of the most influential political phenomena in Western politics over the past decade, exemplified by the election of Donald Trump as President and the 2016 Brexit referendum. Israel, too, has experienced the profound effects of populism, making it a compelling case for deeper examination. In this module, we explore key questions surrounding populism: What does the term actually mean? What are the primary drivers of populism? How does populism interact with democracy? Once we establish a solid understanding of the concept, we focus on populism in Israel—investigating when and why it emerged and its impact on Israeli politics and society. Building on this foundation, students will actively participate in my research, examining how populist politics influence state bureaucracy and civil society. Specifically, we analyze the effects of recent events, such as the judicial overhaul and the October 7th attacks on Israel’s civil service and societal dynamics. While the study of populism has advanced significantly in recent years, the relationship between populism and bureaucratic institutions remains underexplored. This module presents a unique opportunity for students to contribute to a cutting-edge research project. Participants will engage in literature reviews, data collection, analysis, and even the development of theoretical insights on this novel topic.

Instructor's Short Bio: Tom Lourie holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on Israeli politics, with a particular emphasis on populism. His latest publication, “From Begin to Netanyahu: The Rise of Populism in Israel,” is featured in the January 2025 issue of Israel Studies Review. “The Decision Calculus of Donald Trump,” examining President Trump’s foreign policy decision-making, received the Best Author Contribution award in 2019 from the book’s publisher.

 

 

 

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Module 6: Understanding the Development of Attitudes Toward Wealth Inequality. Jacqueline Beck, PhD Student | Department of Cognitive Sciences, UCI, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Although wealth inequality has been a topic of ethical debate for a long time, attitudes about wealth disparities still vary. For instance, supporters of the meritocracy system believe that there is equal opportunity for all and that extreme wealth is fair. In contrast, critics of the meritocracy system argue that there is unequal opportunity for many and that extreme wealth is unjust. To understand the root of these differing fairness beliefs, this module will examine how attitudes about inequality develop and discuss factors that may shape such attitudes. Specifically, in the first two weeks, we will familiarize ourselves with current literature on moral development around resource inequality. Then, we will brainstorm research questions students wish to investigate. In the final two weeks, we will learn how to perform a literature search and efficiently read papers to answer the research questions. By the end of the module, students will learn how to extract information through secondary research and think about the literature's limitations.

Instructor's Short Bio: Jacky Beck (she/her) is a doctoral student in the Cognitive Sciences department at UCI. Her research focuses on how children think about the inequalities that exist in the social world. Specifically, her projects examine children’s beliefs and attitudes about the social constructs that result from wealth inequalities. She is passionate about understanding the human mind—how it shapes behaviors and decisions—and using those insights to make meaningful impacts. She is a serial hobbyist, and recently she’s been into jigsaw puzzles and knitting. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about pursuing a graduate degree in psychology!

 

 

 

 

 

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Modules 7A and 7B. Ethics and Economics. Sofia Franco, Economics assistant teaching professor UC Irvine. Module 7A meets Mondays and Wednesdays, 9.30 a.m.-11 a.m.; Module 7B meets Mondays and Wednesdays 11:10 a.m. -12.30 p.m.

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 came to UC Irvine after a professorial post at the Nova School of Business and Economics in Portugal.

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Module 8. Crafting Constructive Dialogues across Deeply-held Political Divides. Professor Kristen Renwick Monroe. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (PST).

For students who are technologically adept and sophisticated, we offer an opportunity to edit interviews with top scholars who have devoted their lives to understanding how to work to minimize conflict. Danny Bar-Tal has worked with Palestinian and Jewish Israeli scholars to bring peace to that troubled area. Ervin Staub, a Holocaust survivor saved by Raul Wallenberg, has developed techniques for reconciliation after genocide and ethnic violence involving the Khmer Rouge, the Hutus, and Tutsis in Rwanda-Burundi and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Orla Muldoon studies the Northern Irish situation and its oscillating movement toward peace. The goal will be to produce videos that can be shown to students/scholars worldwide. Please do not apply unless you have some basic skills, are highly motivated and able to work creatively with your fellow students, and are dedicated and willing to imagine/create new techniques to use mass media to further ethical aims.

Instructor's Short Bio. Professor Monroe is the founding director of the UCI Interdisciplinary Center for the Scientific Study of Ethics and Morality and the Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Although technologically inept, she loves working with the summer students and learning from them!

 

 

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Module 9: Surviving High School and College Applications while Maintaining a Modicum of Sanity: Young People and Mental Health. Chloe Lampros-Monroe, George Washington School of Public Health, Tuesdays/Thursdays from 11 AM to 1 PM PST.

This module will focus on learning more about the youth mental health crisis, exploring concepts of stigma and factors that contribute to declining mental health in young people, including social media, COVID-19, etc. The module will also involve discussions of mental health in high school and discussions of how to preserve your mental health during high school and college applications. The class will involve practical information about college options, applying, etc. Topics relevant to mental health in young people can be added based on student interest. Modules will involve some discussion of difficult topics, such as suicide, self-harm, etc. Specific trigger warnings will be given in advance.

Note: Please do not sign up for this module if you cannot attend most of the meetings. While, of course, there will always be flexibility around sickness, extenuating circumstances, etc., please do not sign up for this module if you know in advance that you double-booked or will have to miss two or more meetings.

Instructor's Short Bio: Chloe Lampros-Monroe is a graduate student finishing her MPH degree at George Washington University, where she specializes in Maternal and Child Health.

 

 

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Module 10: Beyond Yellow: Interpreting Radical Asian American Movements in History. Christina Ong, PhD. Asian and Asian American Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30-12:30 p.m. PST.

This module will explore the history of Asian America’s political organizing from the perspective of Asian American activists in New York City. Students will learn about how historical movements from the 1960s to the 1980s continue to impact the present day. Through readings, guest speakers, and workshops with the instructor, students will develop a better understanding of how Asian Americans came to be, how activists are influenced by their geographic surroundings, and how coalitional politics has influenced Asian American history. Through the module, students will learn how to (1) evaluate academic sources and compile reading lists, (2) craft a literature review, and (3) familiarize themselves with two types of qualitative data: narrative interviews and archival data.

Instructor's Short Bio: Dr. Christina Ong (she/her) is a postdoctoral scholar in Asian and Asian American Studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She obtained her PhD in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024 and her BA in Political Science from UCI in 2014. Her research uncovers how diasporas create community through place-based activism and art production. Her current work chronicles the impact of the Basement Workshop (1969-1986), the first pan-Asian political and arts organization active in Manhattan’s Chinatown. In her spare time, she writes novels and watches a ton of romantic comedies & reality TV.

 

 

 

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Module 11: The Ethics and Politics of Community Organizing. Yiwen Huang. UCI Grad student, Mondays and Wednesdays, 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

Why and how is ethical inquiry an important part of 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 does 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 exposure to materials on Indigenous relationality, black fugitive, 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's Short Bio: My name is Yiwen, I am a fifth year PhD student in political science. As a scholar, I am primarily interested in the relationship between feelings and historical writings. My current project unpacks the ways in which 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.

 

 

Teaching Assistant's Bio:

My name is Kameron Pham, and I am a rising senior at University High School. I had the pleasure of attending Ms. Yiwen Huang’s “The Ethics and Politics of Community Organizing” this past summer. This was such a valuable experience for me, as I got to learn more about grassroots political movements and how marginalized groups, like my own Vietnamese community, can navigate the political process and gain political traction. This summer, I am excited to assist Ms. Yiwen Huang in teaching and facilitating meaningful group discussions.
 

 

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Module 12: Guilty before proven innocent. 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, Tuesday and Thursday 1-3.

Week 1: Foundations of the Presumption of Guilt; Historical Roots of “Guilty Until Proven Innocent”- Ancient and Medieval Origin

Week 2: Media and Public Opinion: Creating Criminals Before Trial

Week 3: The “Code of Blue” — Police Culture and Misconduct; Police Misconduct and the Shield of Impunity

Week 4: Reimagining Justice — Criminal Justice System Reforms

For a complete syllabus: Guilty before proven innocent syllabus.

 

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Teaching Assistant's Bio:

Hello, I’m Zuraj Abraham, a rising Junior at Woodbridge High School. My journey with the UCI Ethics Center Mentoring Program began last year as a part of the cohort guided by Mr. Rosten, igniting my passion for ethical decision-making, citizen peacebuilding, and the imperative to act on our moral convictions. I’ve also been nominated for the prestigious Lampros Award. Thanks to Andrada Costoiu's ongoing invitations, I have continued engaging with the UCI Ethics Center through in-person sessions led by Professor Kristen Monroe. These encounters have deepened my understanding of ethics through diverse guest speakers series and panel discussions, and offering invaluable insights into college life, advanced learning, and networking. As a board member of my school's Green Team and Debate Club, I have found practical applications for ethical principles. My plan to major in economics and finance aligns perfectly with this ethical foundation, as these fields demand strong moral compasses. The UCI Ethics Center Mentoring Program played a critical part in shaping my worldview and future aspirations. It offers a unique opportunity to explore complex ethical dilemmas and develop critical thinking skills. I’m enthralled to continue this journey and encourage others to join this enriching experience.
 

 

 

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Module 13: Education and Human Flourishing in An Uncertain World. Dr. Paa-Kwesi Heto, Ph.D. Political Science, University of Irvine, California. Wednesday and Friday from 12 p.m. to 3 p. m. (PST).

Education is a powerful tool that can unite people and act as a catalyst for transforming society. However, in recent times, political leaders have weaponized education, turning educational spaces into the frontline of cultural wars. They have banned books, pressured school leaders to teach history selectively, and threatened to gut and/or close the United States Department of Education. Attacks on education, particularly higher education, have cast aspersions on the term and all associated with the term. These incidents raise questions about the nature and value of education in the contemporary world. I ask, what is education? What is the role of education in an increasingly fraught and polarized world? This module will grapple with these questions, examine timely ethical dilemmas, and explore past and current literature. We will work individually and in groups to advance our shared objective of understanding education’s crucial role in the new age.

Instructor's Short Bio: Dr. Paa-Kwesi Heto is a project policy analyst at The Institute of Meaningful Engagement at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). He has taught as a visiting professor at the Soka University of America Graduate School. Paa-Kwesi also worked as a fellow at the UCI Ethics Center. Before that, he served as a Vice President at Morgenthau Stirling and Director of Operations at Manchester Trade. In these two roles, Paa-Kwesi served clients such as the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property.

Organization, USAID, the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and CARICOM. He is a recipient of the Fulbright scholarship, the International Studies Association (ISA) dissertation completion grant, the 2020 Etel Solingen Outstanding Paper in International Relations Award, the 2020 University of California Irvine Inclusive Excellence Ambassador Award, and the 2018 Global Citizens Award from the Global Connect Program. Paa-Kwesi has five master’s degrees in educational leadership and societal change, behavioral mathematics, demography and social analysis, global studies and international affairs, and political science. His Ph.D. in Political Science is from UCI.

 

 

 

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Module 14: Trump and the Law. R. G. Wilmot (Wil) Lampros and Monica DeRoche, JD/PhD student, UCI Department of Politics. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 17.00-19.00 p.m. PST.

Eminent legal scholars and lawyers speak candidly in response to students’ questions about the current state of affairs regarding Trump’s executive decisions and the law. Participants in this module should be prepared to take the lead in posing questions for lawyers who can lend insight into the constitutional and legal issues involved in Trump’s executive orders. The format for this module will be different, consisting of four separate panel discussions in which students will pose questions to the lawyers. Possible topics include birthright citizenship and the 14th Amendment, whether undocumented immigrants have legal rights, equal protection for transgender individuals in the military, the constitutionality of a third term, and the consequences of a possible Trump refusal to comply with judicial decisions.

 

 

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Module 15: Solace in times of trouble. Kristen Renwick Monroe, Political Psychology and Ethics, UCI Ethics Center Director. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (PST).

What do we do when disaster strikes and our world seems to fall apart? We all have our dark nights of the soul. We lose people we love to death. Romances fail, we don’t get the job we wanted or fail to be admitted to medical, law, or graduate school. Where do we turn in such times? What bridge do we craft over our troubled waters, to paraphrase Simon and Garfinkel? Religion helps some people. Others find solace in great literature, while still others find it in music or nature. What do you turn to? This module will ask students to produce a document—perhaps a book manuscript—that contains such pieces, either written descriptions by the student of the things that bring them comfort—such as nature, religion, or friendship—or written works that help them regain balance in times of crisis. Alternatively, students may speak with people they respect to ask them about the sources they turn to when seeking solace or at least the feeling of not being alone in the world. Possible readings: E. B. White’s “The Second Tree from the Corner.” Joan Didion’s Blue Nights. Leo Tolstoy’s “What Men Live By” and Kristen Monroe’s The Unspoken Morality of Childhood: Essays on Self-Esteem, Friendship, and the Wisdom of the Everyday. Students who wish to join this module must send an email to KRMonroe@UCI.Edu describing one of the sources of comfort they find.

 

 

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Module 16: Handling the uncertain future: fear of the unknown, conspiracy theories and avoiding dangerously simplistic solutions. Helen Haste, University of Bath, UK helhaste@aol.com.

Time of module:
Please note differences in week 1.
Week 1; Wednesday and Thursday at 3pm PCT
Week 2-4: Wednesday and Thursday at 10 am -12pm. PCT.

Student should think of Thursday as Haste’s ‘input’ day, and Wednesday (apart from Week 1) as a session where largely, the students report back/share the results of their activities (such as interviews, reviews of readings, media materials, etc.) that Haste will set them the previous Thursday.

Description. Predicting the future is difficult, so we fail to prepare for it effectively. COVID-19, increasing awareness of accelerated climate change, the rise of extremism, backlash against ‘wokeness,’ and the second presidency of Donald Trump - all have ruptured our faith in progressive, manageable change that we can control. This faith rested on a longstanding post-Enlightenment model of change as gradual and ultimately progressive. Shattering that model, recent ruptures force us to recognize a radically uncertain future and that both lay and scientific ‘future stories,’ predictions, and prescriptions are deeply flawed by deep-rooted anxiety and avoidance of uncertainty. They reveal that we often make less-than-rational decisions and fail to use evidence effectively. They expose how a deep fear of the uncertain leads to seeking simple and comforting explanations and solutions - conspiracy theories being just one. There are significant implications for both education and policy. How do we equip young people – and the experts of tomorrow – to be effective in an uncertain world? How do we manage uncertainty and ambiguity productively and creatively? How do we avoid the seduction of the neat - but dangerously simplistic – solution? Education must not only teach how to avoid flaws in information processing but also equip people to manage, rather than flee, ambiguity and uncertainty. This module examines specific examples of recent ‘ruptures,’ including failures of prediction resulting from outdated or limited models, cognitive biases that distort the effective use of information, and ethical or political perspectives whose objectives skew judgment and perception. The module draws on Haste’s work over several decades on social movements and social change, ethics, and education for effective citizenship.

Instructor's Bio. Helen Haste is Professor Emerita in Psychology at the University of Bath, UK, and was a Visiting Professor at Harvard Graduate School of Education from 2003-2018, where she was director of the Spencer Foundation-funded New Civics Early Career Scholars' 39 Program, which supported doctoral students researching civic education and civic engagement. For five decades, she has been working on the development of young people’s moral, civic, and political beliefs, identity, and behavior. Her work is based on a theory of culture. She has also worked on cultural factors in science and society. A strand in this work has also been the role of gender and feminist theory. Her research on civic and moral engagement and education includes questions about ethics, moral, social, and civic understanding, and the relationship between values, activism, and citizenship. What promotes and what inhibits youth civic participation? Her current work is on the implications of social change for education, ethics, and competencies, especially on the management of uncertainty. Haste is the author or editor of eight books and over 200 scholarly papers. She was co-editor of the journal Political Psychology (2010-2015) and was President of the International Society of Political Psychology in 2002. She has held a number of international visiting appointments, including in China. She is a recipient of the International Society of Political Psychology’s Sanford Award and Knutson Award, as well as the Association for Moral Education’s Kuhmerker Award for her contribution to the field of moral development. She is a Fellow of the British Academy of Social Science, the British Psychological Society, and the Royal Society of Arts. For many years, she had leadership roles in the British Association for the Advancement of Science. She has been a frequent contributor to broadcasting and public media.

 

 

 

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Module 17: The State of American Foreign Aid: Where Ethics Meets Foreign Policy. Alexis Kim, Security Studies Graduate Student, Georgetown University, Mondays/Wednesdays from 5 PM to 7 PM PST.

This module will examine the Trump administration’s gutting of USAID and other American foreign aid infrastructure through an ethical, international relations, economics, security, and historical lens. Students can expect to gain an understanding of the nuances of foreign aid, especially in the United States, and learn to contextualize broad claims through statistical analysis. The module will begin with a week of lectures on key concepts in international relations, economics, and development, as well as an overview of best research practices. In the following weeks, students will be divided into five groups based on their interests and conduct literature reviews and research through their chosen lens. By the end of the module, students will collectively write a working paper examining the state of American foreign aid.

Instructor's Short Bio: Alexis Kim is a graduate student in the Security Studies Program at the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. She has three years of experience with the UCI Ethics Center and has worked for various government entities, including the White House and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her research focuses on the intersection of national security, gender, and economics, and she has conducted research on foreign aid through the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.