It is expected that by 2044, the United States will become a majority-minority society, with Non-Hispanic Whites comprising less than half of the U.S. population. In 2020, children will be a majority-minority population in the United States. As the nation prepares for this transition, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) has launched an annual Lecture Series entitled Child Development in a Diverse Majority Society.
The idea for the SRCD Lecture Series grew out of discussions of the SRCD Ethnic and Racial Issues Committee on ways that SRCD could seize on this unique and historical opportunity to lead the conversation by sharing research on child development that will help children, and their families and caretakers, navigate this transition. The goal is to foster positive, inclusive approaches through research to engender self-respect and respect for others, increasing opportunities for healthy development and success in all children and youth.
Each year, SRCD invites a distinguished scholar who is researching this critical topic to deliver this annual lecture.
Annual Lectures
2024
Centering Strengths to Promote Indigenous Youth Well-Being
Indigenous communities and scholars continue to call for strengths-based approaches to research, interventions, and programs. This webinar will review ways that centering Indigenous strengths can promote well-being among Indigenous youth, families, and communities. This year, we highlight Dr. Victoria O’Keefe and her work on Indigenous children and youth.
When: Thursday, March 14, 2024, 1-2 p.m. ET.
Presenters:
- Dr. Victoria O’Keefe, Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of International Health; Associate Director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health
Moderated by:
- Dr. Monica Tsethlikai, Associate Professor, Arizona State University T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics
2023
Innovations in Inquiry: Implications for Practice and Policy
How has innovation in theory development, conceptual frameworks, and epistemological orientations informed research design, methodological approaches and analysis? Researchers from Arizona State University, the University of Illinois, Chicago, and the University of Memphis will present on innovation within the context of inquiry, practice, and policy, and reflect on how they have come to such innovation as a scholar within the field of developmental psychology. This includes their perspective on the implication for how we engage in team science/collaborative inquiry.
When: Wednesday, January 18, 2023, 1:00-2:30pm ET.
Presenters:
- Dr. Josefina Bañales, Ph.D., University of Illinois, Chicago
- Dr. Brandon Yoo, Ph.D., Arizona State University
Moderated by:
- Dr. Alexandra R. Golden, Ph.D., University of Memphis
2020
Constructing the ‘Other’: Two Complementary Perspectives on Discrimination, Social Exclusion, and Inequalities
Co-organized by SRCD’s Ethnic & Racial Issues Committee and the co-chairs of the SRCD Special Topic Meeting, “Construction of the ‘Other’: Development, Consequences, and Applied Implications of Prejudice and Discrimination.”
This lecture will be held virtually on December 10, 2020.
Featured Speakers:
- When the Goal is Racial Justice: Learning from Youth, Families, and Educators
Presented by Deborah Rivas-Drake, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Education at the University of Michigan
- Developing Inclusive Youth: Harnessing Social Cognition about Exclusion to Reduce Prejudice and Bias
Presented by Melanie Killen, Ph.D., Professor of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, Professor of Psychology (Affiliate), and Program Director for Human Development at the University of Maryland
- Lauren Christine Mims, Ph.D., (Discussant and Moderator) Assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at Ball State University
Introduction by:
- Martha (Marty) Zaslow, Ph.D., SRCD’s Interim Executive Director
- Cynthia García Coll, Ph.D., Universidad de Puerto Rico
2019
Preparing Racial-Ethnic Minority Children for STEM Opportunities: Promoting Identity and Efficacy in Community Afterschool Programs
Co-hosted with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia.
This lecture was held on April 2, 2019 at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, USA.
Featured Speaker:
- Emilie Smith, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Family Science
Introduction by:
- Laura L. Namy, Ph.D., Executive Director, Society for Research in Child Development
- Linda Kirk Fox, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Family & Consumer Sciences, The University of Georgia
2018
"The Transformative Power of Diversity in Education is Enormous": Challenges and Opportunities in the 21st Century
Co-hosted with the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.
This lecture was held on July 18, 2018 at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Featured Speaker:
- Joanna Lee Williams, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Virginia
Panelists:
- Natalia Palacios, Ph.D., Associate Professor, University of Virginia
- Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University