Past Events/Speakers
Fall 2024
“How the Heartlands Went Red” with Dr. Stephanie Ternullo
September 19th, 2024
For CRISES’s first fall speaker event in September 2024, Dr. Stephanie Ternullo, Professor of Government at Harvard University, discussed her new book, How the Heartland Went Red. This new work examines the political evolution of three predominantly White towns in the post-industrial Midwest. Through in-depth fieldwork and analysis, she highlights the roles that race, class, and religion play in towns changing, maintaining, or rejecting conservative values. Dr. Ternullo’s work underscores how local contexts – the importance of place – can influence political affiliations, specifically for “cross-pressured voters” who navigate multiple social identities.
Constituting Race” with Dr. Dina Okamoto
October 10th, 2024
Dr. Dina Okamoto, Professor of Sociology at Indiana University and author of Redefining Race: Asian American Panethnicity and Shifting Ethnic Boundaries, joined us in October 2024. The Harvard community gathered for Dr. Okamoto’s presentation of new research using amicus briefs filed to the U.S. Supreme Court (between 1970-2021) to examine the evolving relationship between 11 major Black, Asian, and Latino civil rights and advocacy organizations. The comparison of when civil rights organizations co-signed amicus briefs vs submitting opposing statements showed that cooperation between Black, Asian, and Latino organizations is more frequent than conflict, highlighting increased Latino-Asian cooperation rates over time. While the reach of grassroots coalition organizing has been the focus of Dr. Okamoto’s previous work, her recent avenue of inquiry frames historic and current panethnic collaboration in a new way.
Spring 2025 Speaker Series
“Don’t Go” with Tonika Johnson and Maria Krysan
February 5th, 2025
CRISES kicked off the Spring series in February with Dr. Maria Krysan, Professor of Sociology at the University of Illinois Chicago, and Tonika Lewis Johnson. This academic and artist duo recently published Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt It, which details hidden ‘don’t go’ messages discouraging people from visiting Chicago’s South Side. Ms. Johnson began the presentation by asking, “Have you ever heard that the South Side of Chicago is dangerous?” The room filled with raised hands, although only a fraction had ever visited Chicago. Krysan and Johnson explained how this message is propagated and the harm it inflicts on South Side residents. Drawing on 30 interviews and over 70 email correspondents with Chicago residents, they share the impact of neighborhood segregation. They ended the talk by noting that they hoped that “this book helps people understand how much they don’t understand.”
Upon Further Review: Frontline Conversations with Dean Bobo is a podcast hosted by Lawrence D. Bobo, Dean of Social Science in the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Harvard University. Each episode features a discussion with Harvard faculty in the division of social science about their latest research.
Selected publications by Dean Larry Bobo:
Books
- Bobo, Lawrence D.; Tuan, Mia (2006). Prejudice in Politics: Group Position, Public Opinion, and the Wisconsin Treaty Rights Dispute. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674013292.
- Bobo, Lawrence D. (ed.) (2003). Race, Racism, and Discrimination. Social Psychology Quarterly special issue 66(4).
- Bobo, Lawrence; O’Connor, Alice; Tilly, Chris (eds.) (2001). Urban Inequality: Evidence From Four Cities. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 9780871546517.
- Bobo, Lawrence; Oliver, Melvin L.; Johnson, James H.; Valenzuela, Abel (eds.) (2000). Prismatic Metropolis: Inequality in Los Angeles. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. ISBN 9780871541307.
- Bobo, Lawrence D.; Sears, David O.; Sidanius, James (eds.) (2000). Racialized Politics: The Debate about Racism in America. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226744070.
- Bobo, Lawrence D. (ed.) (1997). Race, Public Opinion and Society. Public Opinion Quarterly special issue 61(1).
- Bobo, Lawrence D.; Krysan, Maria; Schuman, Howard; Steeh, Charlotte (1997). Racial Attitudes in America: Trends and Interpretations. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674745698.