RESEARCH INTERESTS
[Tentative] Prospectus Topic: "Complements and Substitutes to Voting: Dimensionality in Models of Political Participation"
Abstract: The 1990 American Citizen Participation Study is arguably the most comprehensive survey on political behavior, enabling scholars to move beyond voting models of political participation. Much of the research using this data aggregates multiple modes of participation into one-dimensional scales. Such approaches underestimate the importance of racial identity in political engagement by pooling together different types of participation on which Blacks and Whites differ. My dissertation research seeks to disentangle racial differences in political participation. I suggest that an instrumental step to explaining the participation gap between Blacks and Whites is to examine the various of modes of participation available to, and utilized by, each group. My dissertation will analyze (1) how different types of political acts relate to one another and (2) how different racial and ethnic groups make use of these participation styles. Results from this analysis may challenge conventional findings and inform the debate over the participation gap in American politics.
Conference Papers:
"Racial Profiling or Racist Profiling: Perception and Opinion on the Profiling of Arabs and Blacks." Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the American Political Science Association, Boston, MA, 2002 (with Thomas E. Nelson, Javonne A. Paul, and Khalilah L. Brown-Dean).
“Black Density and the Confederate Flag.” Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Midwest Political Science Association, Chicago, IL, 2002 (with D’Andra Orey).
"Complements and Substitutes to Voting: Heterogeneity in Models of Political Behavior.” Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the National Conference for Black Political Scientists, Atlanta, GA 2002.
“Crisis-Related Imagery and Public Opinion about Racial Profiling." Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the National Conference for Black Political Scientists, Atlanta, GA , March 2002. (with Khalilah L. Brown-Dean and Javonne A. Paul).
“Heterogeneity in models of Race and Political Behavior.” Paper presented at the Annual Meetings of the Student of Color Rakham Conference, Ann Arbor, MI, January 2002.
“The Effects of Alienation and Group Consciousness on Black Political Participation.” Paper presented at the National Conference for Black Political Scientists, Richmond, VA, March 2001.
“The Puzzle of Black Political Participation.” Poster Presented at the American Political Science Association Annual Conference, Boston, MA, September 1998.
“An Analysis of Alienation, Income, and Political Efficacy on Black Community Activism.” Paper Presented at the Ronald E. McNair Annual Research Conference, Delevan, WI, October 1998.