Dr. Karlyn Adams-Wiggins is currently seeking applicants for the Applied Psychology Ph.D. program and undergraduate research assistants to work on their team on the following project. Contact Dr. Adams-Wiggins directly for more information:
African Diaspora Identity Development in Sociohistorical Context
How do sociohistorical and sociopolitical contexts inform how African diaspora adolescents and early adults come to understand themselves and their relationship with the world? Dr. Adams-Wiggins conceptualizes identity as socially constructed and rooted in interpersonal interactions; regional history, regional politics, and the broader historical and political context of the USA are expected to play important roles. Themes of respectability, gender, sexuality, and social class are of particular interest in understanding agency for Black youth. Study will later be expanded to include regions outside the Pacific Northwest. “Black” here is defined broadly to include African-Americans, Afro-Caribbeans, Africans, and multiethnic/biracial individuals who are part of the African diaspora and self-identify as part of the African diaspora. The project’s special focus is on African diaspora communities living in the Pacific Northwest.
Some Relevant Qualifications to Discuss in Your Application:
- Interest in applied problems related to social justice and/or educational equity issues broadly (e.g. school-to-prison pipeline, mass incarceration, affordable housing, labor exploitation)
- Experience and/or interest in sociocultural and critical perspectives in psychology
- Experience and/or interest in critical theoretical frameworks and/or Black Critical Theory (including but not limited to Afro-pessimist scholarship)
- Background knowledge or personal experience with life and family dynamics of African diasporic ethnic groups in the Pacific Northwest
- Background knowledge related to public education in the Pacific Northwest
- Demonstrated skill in communicating with African diaspora men and teens
- Demonstrated ability to interact with middle schoolers and/or high schoolers
- Demonstrated ability to interact with persons of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations
- Experience and/or interest in qualitative methods (e.g. interviewing, case studies, participatory research) and mixed-methods research
- Fluency in languages spoken by African-descended families in the Pacific Northwest
ISC@PDX: Identity in Sociohistorical Context Research Team 