Nineteen North Park students enrolled in Methods in Social Research are heading to the 2017 Illinois Sociological Association meeting on November 17th, 2017. The students will share seven presentations based on original research ideas developed in the course and as part of activities conducted through the Urban Peace Lab— established and run by their instructor, Dr. Peter K. B. St. Jean, Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of Criminal Justice at North Park. Seven research abstracts were accepted for presentation on one panel and one roundtable.
On the panel, Dr. St. Jean will present a paper entitled, “Conducting Better News Research,” which will provide the general conceptual framework for the students’ research. Dr. St. Jean will also introduce the students presenting on the following topics:
- I AM NOT GOING BACK: Recidivism and Social Environment in Chicago
- REVENGE WITHOUT VIOLENCE: How Residents of Chicago’s High Crime Neighborhoods Avenge Victimization Without Violence
- PEACE WITHOUT GUNS: How Chicago Residents Within High Gun Violence Neighborhoods Resolve Conflicts Without the Use of Guns
- THE UPRISE: Youth and Gang Avoidance in Chicago
- POVERTY AND PEACE IN CHICAGO: Voices on the Ground
- IN SPITE OF IT ALL: Triumph After Human Trafficking
Also attending and presenting papers on Visual Urban Peaceology are North Park alumnus and current University of Chicago graduate student, Eirik J. Berger, and current NPU Theatre and Communications student, Seanna Wong. The panel will be led by Dr. St. Jean’s presentation entitled “Introduction to Peaceology and Urban Peaceology: Findings from Multi-methods Research in Chicago.” Eirik J. Berger and Seanna Wong will then present their papers respectively:
- VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Understanding and Amplifying Peace Intelligence in the Urban Context Through the Use of Visual Tools, Ethnography, Qualitative Data, and Media Research
- THE ROLE OF THEATRE IN VISUAL URBAN PEACEOLOGY: Findings from Ground-Breaking Ethnographic Research and Activism in Chicago
“I’m happy that these students get this opportunity to make history by being part of the research team that collectively introduces Peaceology, Urban Peaceology, and Better News Research for the first time to an academic conference. They have been working hard to conduct the best presentations, and I am confident that they will do well,” said Professor St. Jean, chairperson of the Sociology Department at North Park.