Confront Different World Views, Climb an Empathy Wall

As I try to make sense of the new presidential administration, my thoughts have reverted to seminal concepts in my development as a social scientist. In the 70s, the developmental psychologists Overton & Reese wrote landmark articles asserting that our world views distinguish our theoretical frameworks and the methodological approaches we take to research. Of late, I'm keenly aware of the different world views Americans form as we consume divergent media and live in lifestyle enclaves.

Arlie Russell Hochschild, a self-described progressive sociologist, whose work I admire, moved from Berkeley to southern Louisiana for five years to climb what she calls "an empathy wall, an obstacle to deep understanding of another person, one that can make us feel indifferent or even hostile to those who hold different beliefs or whose childhood is rooted in different circumstances." In her recent book Strangers in Their Own Land, she interviews, observes, researches, and befriends the people immersed in Tea Party politics to make sense of life on the other side of the empathy wall. It's a great piece of research grounded in history and demographic studies, and I highly recommend it. Take a look and let me know how the findings link to your work, your life.
 

Students Are Naturals with Photos – Now Give 'Em Voice

I'm really excited about a research tool I discovered while setting up a project involving informal science education. It's called "photovoice." It's a qualitative method whereby participants take pictures of settings interesting or important to them and then describe or write about what's meaningful. The method has been used in public health ethnographies, such as the smoking habits of new fathers. Recently, it has surged with the prevalence of smart phones, no doubt. Lots of pockets have cameras in them.

I think middle schoolers, high schoolers, and college students would be naturals. In a recent study, Behrendt & Machtmes used photovoice to evaluate student learning on a field trip. Check it out. I'd be interested to know what uses you find, what successes and pitfalls you encounter. Drop me a line.

Reflections on a Champion of STEM Education

I just completed my last college visit, thank goodness, and now we sit and wait in uncertainty. Will an acceptance letter come from our daughter's top choice, or will she have to reconsider? For now, we do our best to calm nerves and preserve sanity.

As we face the uncertainty brought on by the election, I find myself celebrating President Obama as a champion of education, STEM in particular. From the Educate to Innovate to CS for All initiatives, the Obama White House has promoted STEM education to help all children and youth uncover interests and abilities and prepare for fulfilling careers. He's lead coalitions between government and industry to fund and expand the numbers of students who reap the benefits. As policies of the next administration are uncertain, so is the direction of federally-funded STEM education. These thoughts are sobering when Nate Silver's analysis shows that education differentiated who voted for whom.

By U.S. Navy Photo [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons