A Report on Identity in Politics in the Summer Research Initiative

*In 2016, the SOL program pivoted for the year to focus on political engagement in what was then called the “Political Engagement Pilot Project,” or PEPP. This was an alternative version of SOL that laid the groundwork for the development of the PEP program as it currently exists.

The Identity in Politics Summer Research Initiative was created to address the relationship between identities and policies. In the current 2016 election alone, many issues such as immigration, racial inequality and LGBTQ rights have arisen within the political sphere. The goal of this program was to challenge women to think critically about their own identities and to understand how the effects of policies and laws have shaped the lived experiences of individuals within certain communities and spaces. By the end of the program, the goal was that students had a better understanding of their own identity and the components that made it intersectional. Additionally, by using their own experiences as a starting point, the students developed critical thinking skills which allowed them to research, write and present a current policy or political topic and how it effected specific communities based on the elements of their identity.

The program lasted six weeks from June 20th  to July 21st with classes meeting 8:30 to 12 noon Monday through Thursday. Classes consisted of lessons, individual work, film screenings and field trips to Bryant Park and the Brooklyn Museum. Five students in total participated in the program, all women. A majority of the students were AP/Honors rising seniors while only one was a rising sophomore. A majority of the women were women of color with backgrounds ranging from Pakistani-American, African-American and Albanian and four out of five of the students identified as Muslim. Many of the students self identified as liberal and were in favor of many left leaning politicians and political agendas. While I was unsure of their financial situations, many of them lived within different boroughs of Brooklyn and expressed that they’d be first generation college students. Many of the topics such as public opinion, current political candidates and institutionalized racism were topics that resonated personally with many of my students. Some of the students reported blatant encounters with racism and Islamophobia so these topics were taught in relation to their own experiences rather than just a theoretical approach since their identities resonated so greatly with the material. Knowing the background of my students is essential in understanding the context of this program because many class facilitated discussions and activities were heavily shaped by the identities and lived experiences of my students.