The Meanings of Democracy Lab is pleased to announce our Spring 2022 Undergraduate Research Assistants!
The team brings a diverse mix of research skills and interests, and will be sharing the results of their work together throughout the semester through the Lab’s website and social media channels, so stay tuned!
During Fall 2021, our Research Team analyzed the debate surrounding the use of “taxpayer money” to fund abortion. From debates about whether the Hyde Amendment should be repealed to whether Planned Parenthood should be defunded, Americans across the political spectrum have turned their attention to this question. While Americans’ opinions on the matter map closely onto their more general positions on whether abortion should be legal, they often think differently about the question of whether it should also be publicly funded, or as some think of it, funded using “their tax dollars.”
Most Americans do not give much thought to the myriad ways in which their tax dollars are spent, yet the question of how to spend public money is at the heart of what it means to live in a pluralistic democracy. Our dollars are an extension of our moral selves, and do work in the world that we feel at least some moral responsibility for — think about calls for ethical consumption or divestment campaigns. This is no less true of our tax dollars. But in a society that is both diverse and deeply divided on many moral issues, this creates a conundrum. Put plainly, should people who have grave moral concerns about something be required to contribute to it with their tax dollars; or inversely, should public services reflect the moral values of only some citizens?
In the coming months, we will be posting short research briefs produced by members of the Research Team, in which they explore how Americans think and write about this issue. They explore this question from multiple angles, by analyzing social media hashtag campaigns, newspaper opinion articles, and the newsletters of advocacy organizations. Follow along to see what we found!
The Meanings of Democracy Lab is thrilled to announce the winners of the 2021 Meanings of “America” Multimedia Contest. We received a large number of high-quality submissions, but these finalists distinguished themselves with their originality, creativity, and the overall quality of their work. We invite all members of the UConn community to join us in congratulating them, and to stay in touch with us on Twitter and Instagram for updates on future events where we will be sharing their wonderful submissions.
First Place Prize
Nicholas Xenophontos, “Meanings of America”
Honorable Mentions
Srivani Agnihotram, “America”
Emma Kathryn Parente, “A Student in America”
Lisbeth Peguero, “Everything but Apple Pie”
Rianka Roy, “Coming to America”
Jenna Trott, “Because of the Brave”
Exhibition Finalists
Kyra Arena, “Fly Away”
Cassandra Barrow, “Envy”
Matthew S. Dentice, “American Hope”
[DEADLINE: Friday, December 10, 2021]
The Meanings of Democracy Lab, directed by Professor Ruth Braunstein of the Sociology Department, is offering five research assistantships for interested, high-achieving undergraduate students in Spring 2022. Research Assistants will work with Dr. Braunstein on research related to the contested moral and cultural foundations of American democratic life, including on ongoing projects on the moral meanings of taxpaying and on battles over American history and identity.
Students’ activities could include collecting and analyzing data and reviewing existing research, as well as disseminating information through social media and podcasts. No specialized research skills are required, but extra consideration will be given to students with the following skills/interests:
We will meet virtually on Mondays from 11:00am-12:30pm during Spring 2022.
Students will receive three units of 3000-level independent study credit.
The positions are open to rising sophomores and juniors. Preferred GPA is 3.6 or higher. Students from any campus are welcome to apply.
To apply, please fill out this application: https://forms.gle/xEWpXxAbaZscRRKw7.
Call for Submissions: Meanings of “America” Multimedia Contest Open to Current UConn Students — $500 prize
Submission deadline: November 28, 2021
The Meanings of Democracy Lab under Dr. Ruth Braunstein (Sociology) invites all current UConn undergraduate and graduate students to participate in the Meanings of “America” Multimedia Contest. Submissions may include but are not limited to: short essays (800 words max), creative writing, poetry, photography, or other forms of original artwork that answer the following question: What does “America” mean to you?
In 1937, Harper’s Magazine published a call for participants in a similar contest entitled “The American Way.” They wrote, “Our American traditions and ideals need to be restated and reinterpreted in the light of new economic and social conditions…They are often misinterpreted by people who have axes to grind, political or otherwise. Words and phrases like ‘democracy,’ ‘liberty,’ … and ‘constitutional government’ mean different things to different people.”
Sound familiar? While much has changed since 1937, those living in the United States today are facing a similar moment of reckoning, reflection and reinterpretation. Spurred by political division, economic transformation, and catastrophic events, people across the political spectrum are offering competing visions of what it means to be an “American” today. It is the mission of the Meanings of Democracy Lab to take stock of such moments, and use them as opportunities for community reflection on the failings of the past and the ideals that will guide the country into the future. And who better to steer us toward the future than today’s college students?
We encourage submissions that respond to our call “simply and freshly and explicitly, and if possible so as to rally enthusiasm,” as the 1937 contest put it. We are not looking for submissions that merely restate national mottos, but rather those that complicate or rework prominent symbols and ideas in light of new knowledge, personal experiences, and the like.
The first place winner will receive a $500 prize, and up to five honorable mentions will each receive a $100 prize. The winning submission will also be displayed in a public exhibition on the Storrs and Stamford campuses, alongside those of other finalists, and will be submitted for publication in the Daily Campus.
Instructions for Contestants: Please access the submission form where you can upload a pdf copy of your submission no later than November 28th. The results of the contest will be announced at the end of the semester. Please contact Dr. Ruth Braunstein (ruth.braunstein@uconn.edu) with any questions or concerns.
Selection Committee
Selections will be made by a committee of judges including Professor Susan Herbst (Political Science), Professor Ruth Braunstein (Sociology), and the Fall 2021 Meanings of Democracy Lab Undergraduate Research Team. Many thanks to the UConn Humanities Institute and the Sociology Department for their support for this project.
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Interested in running a Meanings of “America” Multimedia Contest at another institution?
We would love to partner with you! Contact Dr. Ruth Braunstein at ruth.braunstein@uconn.edu.
This Fall, the Meanings of Democracy Lab welcomes its first class of Graduate Research Fellows and Undergraduate Research Assistants!
Sociology PhD candidates Amy Lawton and Nabil Tueme join the Lab as Graduate Research Fellows.
Six Undergraduate Research Assistants — Gvantsa Ambokadze (Major: Political Science); ; David de Siqueira Campos McLaughlin (Major: Computer Science); Colin Sullivan (Major: Applied Mathematics and Statistics); Owen Silverman (Major: Philosophy/Human Rights); Rebekah Wesler (Major: Political Science); and Mary Wirpel (Major: Political Science) — comprise our inaugural Research Team.
The team brings a diverse mix of research skills and interests, and will be sharing the results of their work together throughout the semester through the Lab’s website, so stay tuned!
The newly formed Meanings of Democracy Lab, directed by Professor Ruth Braunstein of the Sociology Department, is offering five research assistantships for interested, high-achieving undergraduate students. Research Assistants will work with Dr. Braunstein on research related to the contested moral and cultural foundations of American democratic life, including on ongoing projects on the moral meanings of taxpaying and on battles over American history and identity.
Students’ activities could include collecting and analyzing data and reviewing existing research, as well as disseminating information through social media and podcasts. No specialized research skills are required, but extra consideration will be given to students with the following skills/interests:
We will meet virtually on Mondays from 11:00am-12:30pm during Fall 2021.
Students will receive three units of 3000-level independent study credit.
The positions are open to rising sophomores and juniors. Preferred GPA is 3.6 or higher. Students from any campus are welcome to apply.
To apply, please fill out this application: https://forms.gle/dw8JfT8w5pEXotmq5