Please complete a research application and choose one of the research positions listed below (research applications available on the Undergraduate Research link or in Townshend Hall 141). Please return your completed applications to the contact person listed for the project via email.
Below are the research projects that are available for students to work on for SOCIOL 4998 credit Spring Semester 2023. SOCIOL 4998 is one of the options that students can use to fulfill the major Experiential Learning Requirement - PLEASE NOTE, you may only count 3 hours total of research credit towards the SOCIOL-BA and CRIMINO-BA majors and 6 hours total of research credit towards the SOCIOL-BS major. Also, remember that research experience is especially important if you are planning on applying to graduate school!
Please read the requirements for each project carefully, as some require either specific coursework or specific GPA.
ALL POSITIONS FILLED: African Immigrant Identity and Perception of Black- and Immigrant-Justice Movements
Email application to Ashley Ostroot at ostroot.3@osu.edu
This research project examines the racial and ethnic identities of young adult African immigrants in Columbus, OH and the ways in which they relate to racial- and immigrant-centered social movements in Columbus, OH. This is a qualitative research project, and research assistants will help with transcription of interviews and literature review. All students will receive research, ethics, and compliance training through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative prior to working with human subjects data.
Requirements:
Applicants are encouraged to have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and to have taken research methods, but this is not required. Non-majors are welcome. 5-6 students will be needed for this project
Trauma and (In)Justice
Email application to Alana Van Gundy at vangundy.45@osu.edu
This project is focused on examining the relationship between trauma and involvement within the criminal justice system. Those who experience trauma at a young age often end up in the criminal justice system. They experience additional trauma via contact with police and corrections and often make poor witnesses at trial due to trauma related brain injuries. This project will focus on gathering information on trauma and injury, examining how trauma impacts how individuals experience or attain justice, and finding policy and legislation that has addressed this issue. This project will combine the fields of sociology, intersectionality, psychology, law, and public policy.
Requirements:
A 3.0 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 criminal justice, mental health and trauma, and public policy is a plus. Amount of students requested: 1-2. 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.
The Role of Race and Ethnic Identity in the Process of Artistic Recognition
E-mail application to Victor Espinosa at espinosa.24@osu.edu
In the last two decades the mainstream art world has taken a growing interest in the art produced by a socially marginalized and self-taught producers called Outsider artists. There is also a recent growing recognition of Latinx and other minority artists in the United States. This project is following the artistic trajectory of the most recognized Outsider Masters and some Latinx and immigrant artists to explore how gender, race, ethnicity, class, and social stigma affect the process of recognition in the contemporary art world. This study will contribute to our understanding of the struggles by members of racialized groups to construct an identity as artists and how ethnic identities add extra layers of complexity and conflict to the politics of artistic recognition. The research assistant will assist with literature search and collect qualitative data on the internet. Basic familiarity with Excel is required.
Requirements:
GPA of 3.0 or higher. Non-majors are welcome. Preference will be given to those students interested in art, Latinx culture, race, ethnicity, or immigration. Please email Victor Espinosa with your resume and a brief description of why you are interested in this project.
Making It in the Midwest: Second Generation Racialization and Incorporation in and Emerging Immigrant Destination
Email application to Courtney DeRoche, deroche.12@osu.edu
How are the young adult (aged 18 to 23) children of Mexican and Central American immigrants navigating segregated school and neighborhood contexts in Columbus? This mixed-methods project incorporates both administrative and interview data to assess how space (schools, neighborhoods, workplace) and place (the Midwest) shape ethno-racial identity formation and socioeconomic mobility trajectories for the first major cohort of Latiné second generation in Columbus. Spring 2023 Research Assistants will help transcribe and analyze in-depth interviews with 50 Columbus-area young adults with Latin American immigrant parent(s). Accordingly, all research assistants must be detail-oriented and interested in qualitative methods. Training and guidance will be provided throughout the semester by Courtney, and there may be opportunities to continue with the project in future semesters. You should apply for this opportunity if you are interested in sociological perspectives on immigration, racial/ethnic inequality, school and neighborhood segregation, and education.
Requirements:
Sociology students with a 2.5 GPA and/or students with immigrant or Hispanic/Latiné backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Students who have completed the Sociological Research Methods (SOC3487) course will be given priority. If you are interested, please send Courtney DeRoche an email at deroche.12@osu.edu with a brief message that addresses the following information: a) your major and expected semester of graduation, b) why you are interested in the project, c) your previous experience(s) working with quantitative or qualitative data, and d) how many hours you are available to work each week.
ALL POSITIONS FILLED: The Criminological Link between Human and Animal Cruelty
Email vangundy.45@osu.edu
This project is focused on examining the relationship between human and animal cruelty. Humans who harm animals are statistically more likely to also harm children, the elderly, and intimate partners. This project will focus on gathering research studies that have examined this link and creating and piloting a survey to examine aspects of the link. This project will combine the fields of sociology, criminology, psychology, and animal law.
Amount of students requested: 1
Requirements:
Students are required to have an interest in animal welfare, criminological theory, and research methodology. 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.