Summer Term 2023 Research Positions

ALL POSITIONS FILLED: Families We Lose Study
Email application to Dr. Rin Reczek at reczek.2@osu.edu

The Families We Lose Study is an in-depth interview study that focuses on people who are estranged or “no contact” with a family member. We have been conducting interviews with people who have experienced estrangement; the Undergraduate RA would be helping with recruitment, transcription, data cleaning, and data analysis.

Requirements:
We would like you to have completed research methods; ideally, you have also had a qualitative methods course (but this is not required).  2-3 students needed.

ALL POSITIONS FILLED: Healthcare Experiences and Trust Among Recently Pregnant Women
Email application to Evangeline Warren at warren.651@osu.edu

This project examines how recently pregnant women understand, experience, and view the medical system. In particular, we will focus on how different groups of women experience medical mistrust. This is a qualitative project and research assistant duties will include assisting with recruitment of participants, monitoring the study email inbox, cleaning interview transcriptions, and managing participant compensation. Students will be expected to complete ethics training and will be provided with some topical background reading during the onboarding process. This project is particularly well suited to students with an interest in Medical Sociology, Qualitative Research, Public Health, and/or Medicine.

Requirements:
Students should have a 3.0 GPA and a passing grade in the appropriate research methodology class for their discipline. Preference will be given to students with qualitative research experience and interest in health related fields. Non-majors are welcome to apply. Please email Eva Warren (warren.651@osu.edu) an up to date resume along with a brief statement addressing (1) why you are interested in this position, (2) how this experience compliments your academic or professional interests, and (3) your previous research experience. Interested students will be interviewed by a member of the research team to confirm fit. 2-3 students would be great.

ALL POSITIONS FILLED: Income-Source Discrimination in Rental Housing Markets
Email application to Madeline Carrola at carrola.1@osu.edu

Housing affordability in the U.S. remains an ongoing challenge, which local and federal strategic planning and policies have attempted to address. Part of this crisis includes income-source discrimination. As its name suggests, “source of income discrimination” involves landlords refusing to rent to individuals based on their source rather than lack of income. Examples include housing vouchers and other non-wage income. This form of housing discrimination exists outside the purview of the Fair Housing Act, leaving states and municipalities to implement and enforce their own source of income protections.

This project explores income source discrimination as a case of class and status discrimination. Eluding federal statutes, source of income discrimination may operate more perniciously to reproduce class and racial inequalities in where people are allowed to live – a starting point for other inequalities. In particular, this research engages the following questions:

· How do income-source discrimination policies shape tenant and landlord strategies in tight rental markets?

· How do variations in policies affect rates and perceptions of income-source discrimination?

Answering these questions will include audit testing, in-depth interviews, and case analysis. I am seeking one to two undergraduate research assistants for Summer 2023 to primarily help with audit testing (2 credit hours). Audit testing will involve preparing rental applications and varying the income source on the applications to see if discrimination is occurring. The research assistant may also assist with interview transcription and literature review. Due to the nature of audit testing, attention to detail is a necessity.

This position would be a great opportunity for those interested in housing, discrimination, or urban environments.

Requirements:
Applicants should be responsive, detail-oriented, able to work collaboratively and independently, and have a growth mindset. A GPA of 3.0 is preferred but not required. Prior research methods training and experience are NOT required. Non-Sociology majors are welcome to apply.

To apply: Please email Madeline Carrola at carrola.1@osu.edu with a copy of your resume and brief responses (2-4 sentences) to the following questions:

1. Why are you interested in working on this project, and what do you hope to gain from working on this project?

2. What would you consider to be one of your strengths?

3. What is one area in which you would like to grow or continue developing?

Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

ALL POSITIONS FILLED: Assessing Religion as a Source of Support for Black LGB Individuals
Email application to Luther Young at young.2734@osu.edu

Religious participation has been identified as a source of social support that is associated with better physical and mental health. A majority of black people in the United States attend religious services regularly; however, the black churches are largely unaccepting of sexual minorities, and homophobia is associated with poor social and health outcomes for sexual minorities. Black lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB+) individuals nevertheless remain largely connected to the Black Church, but few studies have examined why these individuals stay in homophobic religious institutions, and fewer have evaluated the social and health implications of their continued affiliation. Research is needed to understand whether religious participation is a viable source of social support or a source of violence that yields poor social and health outcomes for black LGB+ individuals. Using in-depth interviews, ethnography, content analysis, and survey data, this project seeks to understand why black LGB+ individuals remain connected to or leave homophobic religious communities. Furthermore, this study will evaluate the extent to which religious participation serves as a protective source of social support or a source of harm for black LGB+ persons. Research assistants will assist with scheduling interviews, transcribing qualitative data, and cleaning survey data, all while gaining experience working with a comprehensive mixed-methods study.

Requirements:
A 2.5 GPA or higher is required. It is recommended that students have taken a research methods course or have previous research experience. Please contact Luther Young at young.2734@osu.edu with your resume and a brief paragraph explaining why you are interested in working with this project. One student research assistant will be needed for SU23.

Perceptions of Campus Climate
Email application to vangundy.45@osu.edu

This project focuses on domestic and international colleges and Universities. The project examines the perception of the current campus climate with an emphasis on civility. The project will focus on gathering research on incivility, micro and macro aggressions, bullying, and mobbing behaviors. The project will combine the fields of sociology, psychology, inclusion, diversity, equity and Title IX.

Requirements:
A 3.5 GPA or higher is required. It is recommended that students have taken a research methods course or have previous research experience, although this is not required. Interest in higher education and public policy is a plus. Please contact Alana Van Gundy at vangundy.45@osu.edu with your resume and a brief paragraph of why you may be interested in working on this project. Amount of students requested: 1