“Politics of Change?!” is the timely topic for the 2016 Research Frontiers Evening Wednesday, Oct. 19, presented by the UC Santa Cruz Social Sciences Division three weeks before the presidential election.
The event at the Santa Cruz Veterans Memorial Building will bring together UC Santa Cruz faculty, students, and community members to learn how social sciences faculty are engaging with key issues of the 21st century. The evening begins with a reception at 5:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public with pre-registration.
Six faculty members in politics, psychology, economics, environmental studies, and sociology will deliver short talks on their research. The speakers will appear in two separate tracks: “The 99 Percent” and “Changing Geographies: Climate, Mindfulness, Youth.”
“In their research and teaching, our faculty are engaged in some of the most important issues we face as a society,” said Social Sciences Dean Sheldon Kamieniecki. “With this pivotal election almost here, these talks will highlight and share their vital and relevant work at a key moment in our history.”
The talks will follow opening remarks from Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor Alison Galloway and Dean Kamieniecki, and a keynote address by Carla Hesse, professor of history, dean of social sciences, and executive dean of the College of Letters and Science at UC Berkeley.
Hesse, a UC Santa Cruz alumna (Cowell, ’79, history and French literature), will addresss “Is There a Revolution in the Social Sciences?"
Speaking on the theme “The 99 Percent” will be:
Heather Bullock, “Chasing the ‘American Dream:’ Beliefs about Poverty and Wealth and the Politics of Rising Inequality.”
Bullock is professor of psychology and director of the Blum Center for Poverty, Social Enterprise, and Participatory Governance. Her research focuses on women’s experiences of poverty, intersections of classism, sexism, and racism, and attitudes toward welfare and anti-poverty policies.
Nirvikar Singh, “The Other One Percent: Indians in America.”
Singh is distinguished professor of economics, Sarbjit Singh Aurora Chair of Sikh and Punjabi Studies, and director for the Center for Analytical Finance. His current research topics include entrepreneurship, information technology and development, political economy, Indian Americans, and the Indian economy.
Elizabeth Beaumont, “The Challenges of Dissent.”
Beaumont is an associate professor of politics and director of the legal studies program. Her research interests include American constitutional development and civic engagement.
Speaking on the theme “Changing Geographies: Climate, Mindfulness, Youth” will be:
Andrew Szasz, “The False Promise of Green Consuming.”
Szasz is a professor of environmental studies. His research interests include environmental justice, the sociology of climate change, and the history of the American environmental movement.
Dean Mathiowetz, “How Might Meditation Foster Democratic Political Engagement?”
Mathiowetz is an associate professor and the chair of politics. His research interests include the history of political thought and contemporary theories of democracy and citizenship.
Veronica Terriquez, “Youth Leadership and the Transformation of California's Political Landscape.”
Terriquez is an associate professor of sociology. Her research interests include social inequality, civic participation, and youth transitions to adulthood.
This will be the fourth Research Frontiers event produced by the UC Santa Cruz social sciences division, and the second to be held in downtown Santa Cruz.
