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Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories (MCRC) Project

The Mourning the Creation of Racial Categories (MCRC) Project offers students opportunities to engage in research that advances its mission. MCRC is a highly collaborative initiative that uses dance, music, theater, poetry, and visual art to tell the human stories of how racial categories such as Asian, Black, and White were invented in the U.S. and how they were used to divide people. Our nation cannot have a meaningful conversation about race without a shared understanding of how these divisions were historically accomplished. The MCRC Project pays special attention to the lived experiences of being divided by race, taking its audiences on a journey back in time to vicariously experience these initial separations.

We invite students from all disciplines to join us, with a particular interest in sociology majors, minors and focus.  Opportunities include:

  • Conducting Interviews: Engage with people of all racial identities to learn about their contemporary experiences of racial division.
  • Participating in Focus Groups: Provide feedback on MCRC art, films, and presentations to assess their effectiveness in conveying the stories of racial division.
  • Participating in Collaborative Projects: Work alongside artists and researchers in dance, music, theater, poetry, and visualization to bring the project's stories to life.

Students will receive a stipend commensurate with the time required to complete their tasks. This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a significant project, gain valuable research experience, and make a meaningful impact.

Contact Joan Ferrante at ferrantej@nku.edu.

Opportunities to Conduct Research Projects

Sociology 320 (Research Methods) and Sociology 319 (Managing and Analyzing Databases) offer students opportunities to conduct research studies, analyze data, and present results. With a completed research project, students will be well-prepared to present their findings at the Celebration of Student Research and Creativity and submit papers for consideration at prestigious sociology conferences, such as the Anthropologists and Sociologists of Kentucky, Northern Central Sociological Association, and Society for the Study of Social Problems. These research experiences showcase research, data analysis, and writing skills that can be shared with potential employers.

Contact Joan Ferrante at ferrantej@nku.edu.

Brockman Collaborative Small Research Grant

This grant exists to give students a research opportunity that will lead to a second-authored article either listed as in-progress, submitted, revise and resubmit, or published on their CV. The overarching goal is to augment students’ applications for graduate school or other research career paths. Students are able to choose a project of interest to them and collaborate on it in a way that is interesting to them for approximately 10 hours total. Students who participate will earn a stipend of $200.

In order to qualify, students must be a sociology major and have taken a course in the past with Amanda. To express interest, students should send an email to brockmana4@nku.edu and fill out the form found at .