02-20-12

Policy news from the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues

News from the SPSSI Policy Blog

A pick of the best coverage of the Prop 8 repeal

Event report: Is this Alabama? at CAP

Event report: Discrediting “Self-Deportation” as an Immigration Control Strategy

New roles for women in the U.S. military

On the Hill: A look at News from the US Congress

February 9: Senate Budget Committee hearing to examine assessing inequality, mobility, and opportunity. Watch the webcast here.

Introduced on February 9: H.R. 4011: American Anti-Torture Act of 2012. More on H.R. 4011.

February 15: House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement hearing entitled "Safeguarding the Integrity of the Immigration Benefits Adjudication Process". Watch the webcast here.

Introduced on February 15: H.Res. 549: Calling for democratic change in Syria. More on H.Res. 549 here.

February 15: Senate Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe hearing to examine violence against Roma in Europe, focusing on violence in the region, and human rights violations. Watch the webcast here.

February 16: House Oversight and Government Reform hearing entitled "Lines Crossed: Separation of Church and State. Has the Obama Administration Trampled on Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Conscience?" Watch the webcast here.

February 16: House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, hearing entitled "DHS Monitoring of Social Networking and Media: Enhancing Intelligence Gathering and Ensuring Privacy". Watch the webcast here.

February 16: House Foreign Affairs Committee, hearing entitled "Egypt at a Crossroads". Watch the webcast here.

Coming up on February 28: Joint hearings to examine a legislative presentation from the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Watch the webcast here.

Coming up on March 8: House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security hearing on FY 2013 budget request Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Watch the webcast here.

Coming up on March 14: Senate Veterans' Affairs hearings to examine ending homelessness among veterans, focusing on Veterans' Affairs progress on its five year plan. Watch the webcast here.

Psychology and Social Issues in the News

Small Groups Make Women Stupid
In Brainblogger, member Claude Steele's work is considered in the context of a new study of cognitive differences in small-group settings.

Is Jeremy Lin Like Jackie Robinson?
Member Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton looks at the power of stereotypes in sports in Psychology Today.

The Situation of Social Justice
Member John Jost reviews the book The Fair Society by Peter Corning in The Situationist and the American Scientist.

ILO to play active role in new U.N. Fund for disability rights
The ILO helps set up a fund for data-collection and policy on disability needs.

International prize for research on benefits of diverse, multicultural societies
The University of Kent covers Professor Richard Crisp's winning the Gordon Allport Intergroup Relations Prize.

PsyCh Journal
The Institute for Psychology in China launches its first international journal.

Behavioural Insights Team publish paper on fraud, error and debt
The UK's Cabinet Office uses psychological research to further its policy goals.

How Emotions Jump from Face to Face
A new study from member Steven Neuberg on gender differences in responding to emotional expresstions in SciAm.

Leadership positions for women are often atop a glass cliff
New work from member Michelle Ryan on why female leaders seem to frequently be appointed to companies in crisis in BPS Occupational Digest.

Further Resources

Find out what other organizations are doing on these issues

Academic Freedom and human rights
>> AAAS
>> Amnesty International
>> Union of Concerned Scientists
>> The Human Rights Council

LGBTQ Issues
>> Center for American Progress
>> National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
>> The Human Rights Campaign

Immigration Issues
>> Immigration Policy Institute
>> Immigration Policy Center
>> Center for American Progress

SPSSI fact sheets and policy statements
>> Immigration and Minorities
>> Statement on the Psychological Consequences of Unemployment
>>Other Issues