Student Spotlight – Abeeha Hussain

/in /by

Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Abeeha Hussain!

Abeeha Hussain majors in Political Science and Labor Studies, and participates in our Undergraduate Research Scholars Program! The title of her project is “Measuring Impacts of Immigration on Levels of Observed Linked-Fate: Immigrant Communities Los Angeles After 2016 (ILOL: Los Angeles).” Her work explores how critical race theory applications of Linked Fate and Group Consciousness can be reflected in a non-racial identity like being an immigrant. Her best advice is if you notice a particular subject constantly excites you to find out more, speak to someone at URC, your professors, TAs, or peers because someone is bound to be curious about the same topic!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

Going back home to Pakistan used to be my favorite time of the year. I would anxiously wait the entire 26 hours of flights and travel to get hit with the warm (120-degree) smell of cigarettes and gasoline upon my exit from the airport. For a good amount of time, I couldn’t understand why my parents would ever want to leave the food, the culture, and the family of home for the United States, where they didn’t have the support system I could tell energized them to be proud Pakistanis. As I moved back and forth between the two disparate countries, I began my journey toward the appreciation of the immigrant experience. It struck oddly to me that I was learning about the American Dream and the wide variety of opportunities up for grabs in the U.S. but politics had convinced me that being non-American (as defined by citizenship status) ultimately meant your experience was going to be underscored with the idea that you simply aren’t from here. My parents and their friends always joked about how they lived in America longer than their kids (myself included), but would never be truly American like them. I wanted to know how this outlook on immigration in society affected immigrant communities both large and small, together and separate, historic and recent. This is how I became interested in my current research topics, looking into how critical race theory applications of Linked Fate and Group Consciousness can be reflected in a non-racial identity like being an immigrant. Immigration has been significantly racialized since the turn of the century, and as we begin to become increasingly conscious of identity-based impacts, I want my research to prove how our systems deliberately and disproportionately impact those who are most vulnerable in American society and culture.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

What probably excites me the most is that I feel like I’m serving a community that has really gifted me the ability to live with the benefits of their hard work and sacrifices. Like many of my peers, my parents made the move to the States with the understanding that they wouldn’t be able to go to k-12 or university in America the way I could, having English be my first language or the tons of other privileges of being born in America. I feel like my research can one day bring justice back to them, proving their disparate treatment based on their identity as momentum for change and deviating away from the xenophobia raging in public opinion.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

I have likely been the most shocked by the amount of support I have from UCLA! When I transferred to this school, I was a little nervous to pursue research because I wasn’t sure if anyone would be as curious about my topic as much as I would be. Not even a couple weeks into being here, I already had found people who wanted to help me reach my goals and desire to do original research. My faculty mentor, Dr. Natalie Masuoka, pushed me to apply to my major’s Honors Thesis program, and Dr. Jackie Ardam is constantly looking for additional resources and funding to help me out, not to mention my friends who were also going through a similar situation as me and pushed me on. It means a lot to me to have others believe in me, and I think a research institution like UCLA really provides the perfect infrastructure for curiosity to thrive. Furthermore, being here and doing my research has coincidentally given me a better view into the career of research, and empowers me to pursue a future in which original research is something in that I’m actively participating.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

A lot of us have heard the “if you have a question, there are probably a dozen others who have the same one” but it is so true. Research and its public access is the source of the answers to the questions we have about the world we live in. If you are curious about something, or you notice a certain subject just constantly gets you excited to find out more, speak to someone at URC! Talk to your professors, TAs, peers, or anyone, someone is bound to be curious about the same topic. You are in the birthplace of such groundbreaking and life-changing knowledge that it cannot hurt to at least try to find the answer at UCLA while you have access to resources like your department, URC, the UC Library, etc!

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I poked at this earlier, but I want my research to bring eventual justice to the immigrant community in America. The millions of folks who are active members of communities and society deserve to not have their immigrant status used against them in labor practices, policies, or just everyday living. They should not feel burdened because of the media and political portrayals of immigrants. They should be able to thrive and cultivate their culture even when away from home, not fear their deportation, or take the hit for world events out of their hands. If I can help prove the existence of group consciousness and linked fate in immigrant communities in Los Angeles, it can be used to influence corrective civil rights legislation to increase protections for immigrants from these fears.

Student Spotlight – Rachel Peterson

/in /by

Meet UCLA undergraduate researcher Rachel Peterson!

Rachel Peterson is a Keck Fellow majoring in Sociology and enrolled in the UCLA Sociology Departmental Honors Program. The title of her project is “Faith and Fact: Evangelical Christian Networks and Belief Compatibility with Conspiracy Theories.” Her work explores the potential belief compatibility of Christian doctrine and conspiracies in conjunction with social networks. Rachel’s best piece of advice is to go for it because there is no better way to learn than just doing it!

How did you first get interested in your research project?

As a Sociology major, I am fascinated by reification. The idea is that if humans believe something is real, it is real in its consequences. This concept is especially relevant to conspiracy theories. In recent years, I became aware of increased theories surrounding American politics and the pandemic. While conspiracy theories range in extremity and may seem harmless, they have the power to motivate human action which can produce dire consequences. I began to be interested in researching the spread of conspiracies when finding out that people I knew ascribed to these theories as facts. They believe powerful conspiring agents hide the truth that only a select few uncover. Additionally, I saw religion being used to support conspiracy worldviews. As I became aware of conspiracies spreading among my own Christian acquaintances, I knew this was a topic I wanted to research. While not all conspiracies are directly religious in nature, some scholars have found a positive correlation between Christian religiosity and the endorsement of conspiracy theories. My research expands on existing scholarship by examining the potential belief compatibility of Christian doctrine and conspiracies in conjunction with social networks.

What has been the most exciting aspect of your research so far?

One of the most interesting aspects of my research has been conducting ethnographic fieldwork and interviews in an evangelical community. For three months I attended a small church where I documented interactions with church members and transcribed the sermons. This was a nerve-racking but rewarding experience. After my initial apprehension of being undercover for the sake of research, I found a way of being in a space that felt true to myself. Being immersed in the world I was researching provided me with essential insight into the social network of the church. The sermons and conversations also gave me the context to frame my future interview questions. The people I met at church seemed more open to interviews because of my fieldwork. While I used to think interviewing was straightforward, the process of facilitating a good interview is more work than it may seem. To collect relevant data the interviewer must prepare while also improvising when things don’t go to plan. Not only is preparation involved but one must be sure not to lead participants in any direction through expression, tone, or the questions asked. It has been an exciting process of honing my interview skills and seeing the results. I have found that even if I think I know where the interview is going, so often I’m surprised. Humans are complex beings. That’s part of the fun of studying the social world.

What has surprised you about your research or the research process?

I didn’t expect my own experience to be essential to my research. Throughout the research process, I have been very aware of my own connection to conspiracies and religion. My project was birthed out of seeing people I knew become consumed by conspiracy theories. Additionally, I grew up in a Christian household. When conducting my research I wanted to be aware of any biases and assumptions I had so that they would not interfere. Yet, as I was doing ethnographic fieldwork and interviews I realized I had an important insight into the mindsets of those I was studying. I can decipher what might seem incomprehensible to those outside of a religious context because that used to be my reality. Additionally, I have the framework to ask unassuming yet critical questions in my interviews. Rather than deluding myself into thinking I could be completely unbiased, I have come to understand that my lived experience is an asset to my research. Furthermore, I have been able to gain various perspectives on my data from my graduate student and faculty mentors. I am no longer afraid of researching a topic that connects to me.

What is one piece of advice you have for other UCLA students thinking about doing research?

I would advise students thinking of doing research to go for it. I was apprehensive to undertake a year-long independent research project because I didn’t think I had enough pew-requisite knowledge. Many students limit themselves because of self-doubt. One of the main purposes of undergraduate research is to equip students with the skills needed. There is no better way to learn than just doing it. You are not alone. I would also recommend asking many questions and being persistent in advocating for the help and resources you need.

What effect do you hope your research has in your field, at UCLA, in your community, or in the world?

I hope that my research can bring a more intricate understanding of a complex topic. While conspiracies are not new, with easy access to information via the internet, conspiracy movements have gained traction. These ideologies are not just relegated to ideas but influence action. This is evident in the indecent known as “Pizzagate” where a man broke into a pizzeria with an AR-15 because he thought kids were being imprisoned by a covert group of traffickers for satanic sacrifice. Explanations for events like these can not be reduced to one characteristic or affiliation. My work can add to scholarship surrounding the spread of conspiracies which can be useful for preventing misinformation. Though my research focuses on a specific community of people, much can be learned about ideologies propagated by Christian institutions that may be compatible with conspiracy beliefs. Sociologists have found that people are more likely to accept new beliefs if they are compatible with previously held worldviews and if they are shared by someone that person is closely connected to. My research is investigating how a close-knit religious network, with shared spiritual and often political views, could be conducive to conspiracy beliefs. I hope that my work adds to existing scholarship on conspiracy theories and be a launching point for further investigations.