SRCD Members in the News: Dr. Melanie Killen
SRCD member, Dr. Melanie Killen (University of Maryland, College Park), contributes her expertise in morality, intergroup relationships, and social exclusion to American Educator Magazine and the SUPER AWESOME SCIENCE SHOW! Podcast.
Dr. Melanie A. Killen, a Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland, College Park and SRCD member, provides insight into promoting inclusivity in childhood in the American Federation of Teachers' American Educator Magazine article, "How to Reduce Social Exclusion and Foster Equality and Equity in Childhood."
In the past two decades, psychologists, educators, and economists have shown that social stratification creates social inequalities that have long-term detrimental effects on children’s physical, emotional, and academic development. The segregation of social networks, as well as experiences of social inequality in the form of prejudice and bias, contributes to negative developmental outcomes for children over and above unequal access to material resources. Unfortunately, hate and bias crimes have increased significantly over the past decade, turning the clock back on progress toward just and fair treatment of individuals. For the past 25 years, my colleagues and I at the University of Maryland have researched the emergence of children’s conceptions of fairness and equality, their experiences of prejudice, and children’s likelihood to perpetuate bias, to help us understand how to improve children’s lives.
Dr. Killen was also interviewed for the Super Awesome Science Show (SASS), a podcast hosted by researcher Jason Tetro devoted to the exploration of modern science through discussions with experts. In this episode, Tetro talks to Dr. Killen about how morality is developed in kids.
