Sociology in Oaktown

Because LAND faculty collaborator Dr. Patricia Drew is a sociologist who is an active member of the Pacific Sociological Association (PSA), the lab presented at their first sociology conference, which happened to be held nearby in Dr. Chin-Newman's hometown, Oakland! The PSA conference was small, laid-back, and friendly. In a refreshing change of pace from the typical psychology conference, qualitative research abounded, and there was also a general awareness of oppression and privilege. In addition to giving a talk sharing our findings related to collaborative student learning experiences of LAND participants, we learned from other presenters about college student barriers and success, and from Dr. Drew about her research on women who have undergone breast reduction surgery. Dr. Chin-Newman appreciated the opportunity to learn about very recent research on the hardships facing immigrants who cannot obtain healthcare and/or who are separated from family members.