Breaking the Exclusion Cycle: How to Promote Cooperation between Majority and Minority Ethnic Groups (monograph)

In this book I develop a theory of how individual behaviors contribute to the persistence of social exclusion. I illustrate that theory by examining the behaviors of Roma and non-Roma, which I captured through an original video game.  I then explore how Roma-led NGO action can help break the vicious cycle of social exclusion. (OUP, Amazon, Google Books)

​Reaching the Individual: EU Accession, NGOs, and Human Rights (article)

Can human rights institutions influence individual behavior?  This article examines discrimination against the Roma and the ground level effectiveness of two strategies that aim to eliminate it.  I find that the EU accession process may not substantially reduce individual discrimination, but that NGO action aimed at improving Roma/non-Roma relations might.  (appendix)

​​Human Rights Abused? Terrorist Labeling and Individual Reactions to Call to Action (article) 
with Amanda Murdie

​​What leads individuals to act for human rights causes? We find that when governments respond to human rights organizations’ claims by labeling the abused as a terrorist, people are much less likely to be spurred into certain types of action, like signing a petition. 

Is Sexism for White People? Gender Stereotypes, Race, and the 2016 Presidential Election (article) 
with Mackenzie Israel-Trummel and Allyson Shortle

Did sexism affect presidential vote choice in the 2016 general election?  We find that a politically defined measure of sexism—the belief that men are better suited emotionally for politics than women—predicts support for Trump in vote choice as well as favorability, particularly among White voters. 

Gender Attitudes, Support for Teacher's Strikes, and Legislative Elections (article) with Mackenzie Israel-Trummel, Sarina Rhinehart, and Allyson Shortle

Did the Oklahoma teacher walkout activate gender attitudes? We explore the 2018 midterm elections and find that even though education is a public good primarily benefitting children, sexism can play a role in whether voters support funding it.  

For Better Science: The Benefits of Community Engagement in Research (article)

How can community engagement lead to better science?  Members of the researched community can correct dominant, but incorrect, interpretations; they can help us fine-tune a test to better fit the local context; and they can help us adjust the method of delivery to ensure comfortable participation.​

Exit Polling: Field Research and Pedagogical Benefits of Community Engagement (article)
with Mackenzie Israel-Trummel and Allyson Shortle

​What can students learn in the field?  This article discusses the pedagogical benefits of involving students in research.   It is based on a 2016 Election exit poll we conducted in Oklahoma City, with 61 students from the University of Oklahoma.  For more, see OU CEEL.

​Discrimination in action: the value of experiments in human rights (post)
openDemocracy

In this blog post I discuss how experiments can help us capture discrimination in challenging settings.  I present the videogame I created to capture discrimination against the Roma and discuss how experiments help us gain insight into race and gender discrimination, human trafficking, and violence against women. 

Discrimination, cooperation, and building communities (post)
openDemocracy

What happens when people experience discrimination? I find that Roma who have experienced discrimination are less likely to contribute to a public good. Mistreatment can severely constrain community-building strategies of marginalized populations.

Exclusion and the European project: building trust with Roma communities (post) Politikon

In this blog post I write about hate crimes and open bigotry in the wake of Brexit.  I discuss how NGO-led promotion of intergroup contact and dialogue can help us build inclusive communities.
(trust game description here)​

To discredit victims, call them terrorists
openDemocracy
with Amanda Murdie 

​What happens when a repressive government attempts to discredit a prisoner of conscience? When a government labels a human rights activist imprisoned for his Tweets a terrorist, people are less likely to support a campaign to drop the charges against him.

How to reduce discrimination: Getting to know the Roma 
​Monkey Cage

How do we reduce discrimination against the Roma? In this post I note that the EU accession process, commonly considered a strong mechanism of rights change, does not appear to substantially reduce ground-level discrimination.  NGO-led efforts to promote contact and dialogue, however, might.

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bracic@msu.edu  
301 821 5887