This month, we are delighted to introduce Dr. Dalal Katsiaficas (she/her/hers; dalalkat@uic.edu), as our member in the spotlight. Dalal is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Any particular advice or tips to someone starting out in the field who is doing work in your area?
I appreciate this question so much. For folks who are just starting out, I always suggest staying close to what you are genuinely curious about. It is easy to feel like you will need to “fit in” to the traditions laid forth by those who came before you. But it is absolutely vital that you bring your fresh eyes and experiences to developmental science to help the field evolve. Psychology often gets a bad rap for being a science that states the obvious. The way to get beyond that is to look to answer questions that you genuinely don’t know the answer to. Your unique social positions and life experiences can inform these questions in vital ways. Great places to start are: How have your experiences been shaped by the broader socio-political climate? What injustices do you see in your communities? What are the most pressing issues for developmental science to tackle?
A short paragraph describing a particular recent finding, current study, or recent publication and what makes you excited about it. Feel free to describe its importance from any one or more of these lenses: a) research contribution; b) our knowledge about Asian or Asian American populations; c) our knowledge about other [understudied?] populations; d) practice or policy relevance.
I am very excited about the work that my students are taking up right now.
Haeyoon Chung, doctoral student in Educational Psychology
Conceptualization of Civic Engagement among Asian American Emerging Adult Women in College
We investigated the ways in which Asian American emerging adult females’ intersectional identities between ethnicity/race and gender impact civic engagement through pluralistic methods. A pluralistic qualitative method where visual and verbal narratives were used. While verbal narratives provided multiple texts, visual narratives offered a subconscious meaning of self. Through the pluralistic method, we found that race/ethnicity and gender play a critical role in emerging adults’ identity development that further shapes civic engagement. This study provided an understanding of the complexity of civic engagement and helped to shed light on the unique conceptualization of participants through in-depth person-centered analysis. Specifically, it is meaningful to researchers to expand our understanding of civic engagement with respect to distinct cultural influences.
Racial Stereotypes and Racial Discrimination among Asian American Emerging Adults
I am working on my dissertation study with mixed-method research to better understand the relationships between Asian American emerging adults’ experiences of discrimination and ethnic-racial identity development during COVID-19. I used surveys to identify the relationship among stereotypes, COVID-19 racial discrimination, ethnic-racial identity, and psychological well-being through a structural equation modeling, followed by an interview to explain the relationship through a reflexive thematic analysis. By integrating rich data from quantitative and qualitative data, the preliminary results identified the inseparable relationship between longstanding racial stereotypes and overt COVID-19 racial discrimination that impact Asian American emerging adults’ psychological well-being with an emphasis on the complex role of ethnic-racial identity. Overall, this study will provide a deeper understanding of Asian American emerging adults’ invisible discriminatory experiences and collectivistic trauma during COVID-19 that contribute to increasing racial and ethnic inequality.
Syeda Raza, doctoral student in Educational Psychology
Life stories of South Asian/Desi Muslim Emerging Adults
I am currently working on a pilot study aimed at exploring the life stories of South Asian/Desi Muslim emerging adults to better understand how they negotiate their intersecting identities and navigate multiple contexts. I hope to employ a transnational lens especially as continual changes in global migration, conflicts over national identity and belonging, and shifts in technology are impacting how immigrant-origin emerging adults are creating new imagined lives that transcend traditional borders. I’m excited to explore this particular population as they are a rapidly growing demographic in the U.S. and their experiences are important to consider as the War on Terror, subsequent policies, and media narratives have impacted how these young adults experience (and respond to) anti-Muslim racism and develop a cohesive identity.
Your reflections on your interactions with the Asian Caucus would be highly appreciated. Please feel free to share your thoughts, whether it’s a simple message for the Caucus community or more.
I appreciate the diversity within the Asian caucus so much. As an Arab-American researcher it has not always been easy to find a place of belonging within the current structures of SRCD. The Asian caucus has been a wonderfully supportive space to connect with like-minded scholars engaging with some of the most pressing questions of our time. I appreciate the comradery, community, and embrace of the caucus.
Any upcoming talks or presentations we should know about?
You will likely catch me at the upcoming 2024 Toward an Anti-Racist Developmental Science Summit, and the conference on Emerging Adulthood and SRCD in 2025.
I also am a member of the Science and Social Policy Committee at SRCD and you will hear more from us soon about upcoming events.