Outreach

Members of the Intergroup Relations and Social Justice (IRSJ) Lab study how people from different social groups see, feel toward, and engage with one another, and the implications of cross-group engagement for addressing social division, building social trust, promoting social policy, and fostering social change.

We have a strong track record of examining socially relevant research questions and creating effective partnerships with civil society and non-governmental organizations to address them — both within the United States and in many other countries around the world.

Along with conducting scientific research in laboratory and field settings, members of our research lab also seek to share academic insights with practitioners, policymakers, and the public, to maximize their impact. Below are some key examples:

The cover of the Renewing American Democracy report, blue and black with an illustration of a human brain.

Renewing American Democracy: Navigating a Changing Nation

Renewing American Democracy was developed in partnership with Beyond Conflict, to identify key drivers of social division in the United States and strategies that may be used to ease cross-group tensions and rebuild the social fabric of American society. The content of the report grew from intensive working group conversations among academics from multiple social science disciplines, and from sharing academic insights with policy advocates, political strategists, public intellectuals to gain their input on analysis and proposed strategies for intervention.

Designing, Implementing, and Evaluating the Impact of Social Mixing Programs: A Toolkit

This toolkit was developed in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), with input from staff in many national and regional IOM offices engaged in program implementation. Designed to complement IOM’s report, The Power of Contact, this toolkit has been used to train staff through IOM-sponsored workshops and a globally accessible e-course.

The cover of the Social Mixing Programs toolkit, with a multi-colored illustration of abstract face profiles.

The cover of the Cultivating Contact guide, with illustration of people of diverse backgrounds, ages, and abilities

Cultivating Contact: A Guide to Building Bridges and Meaningful Connections Between Groups

The Cultivating Contact guide was developed in partnership with the Center for Inclusion and Belonging of the American Immigration Council and Welcoming America, growing from extensive discussions with practitioners and civil society organizations, from which we learned first-hand about the challenges they face when seeking to envision, design, and implement bridging programs in local communities.