SURF Mentoring

Potential projects/topics: I am interested in the social consequences of changing one's political position, especially in the contemporary United States. What it means to be a Democrat or a Republican has changed significantly over the past 15 years (although admittedly I am a bit more interested in Republican's rejection of important neoliberal positions). Sometimes changing your mind politically has social consequences, sometimes it doesn't -- I am curious about when it does, and what the consequences are. I have two possible approaches to this, and could use help on either one. First, I am interested in politically mixed families (extended families) and how family members respond to these changes. For this, I want someone to collect media reflections on this -- Reddit, magazine articles, pop psychology pieces, etc. Second, I am interested in collecting life histories of how older Republicans involved in the party reflect on their lives and changes in their party. For this I would like someone to map out who has been active locally in the Republican party for the past 20 years, along with collecting publicly available life histories.

Alternative topic: nature of roommate contracts at Rice (and at college in general)

Potential skills gained: learning to apply anthropological/social analysis to contemporary concerns

Required qualifications: None listed

Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I.