Essentialist beliefs about gender modality, which conceptualize being transgender as an inherent and unchanging aspect of an individual, stand in contrast to perspectives that emphasize the social construction and fluidity of gender identity. These contrasting beliefs about the transgender identity are meaningful, as they shape the attitudes and behaviors among and towards trans individuals, who historically and currently face discrimination. To understand how trans people make sense of both cisgender and transgender individuals’ beliefs about the trans identity, I am conducting 12 semi-structured interviews with University of Washington students ages 18-25 who identify as transgender and/or non-binary. I analyze how specific assumptions, expectations, and cognitive worldview perspectives impact experiences and identity formation through a double consciousness perspective, a concept that has adapted from the writings of W.E.B. Du Bois about the impacts of racism. Double consciousness is an instinctive social awareness to uphold two identities, one that is “true” to oneself, and one that is constructed to conform in accordance to societal expectations in an act of self-protection. This can lead to feelings of inauthenticity and loneliness in a society that has rigid expectations for how gender should be represented. Therefore, certain assumptions and essentialist explanations about the social category of transgender, may motivate trans people to hold an additional social awareness to anticipate how cis people will react to their identities under the cis gaze. My data provides insight into the forces behind trans prejudice and offers transphobia mitigation recommendations, while centering transgender and non-binary voices in the research. Additionally, this research provides theoretical contributions, important for understanding the processes motivating essentialism and double consciousness. I conclude with directions and suggestions for future research.

Taiwan’s agricultural sector faces systemic challenges rooted in colonial and post-war strategies, prioritizing short-term growth at the expense of local adaptability, leaving producers vulnerable to market dependency, environmental instability, and knowledge erosion. As global trade pressures and climate risks escalate, farmers need to adapt new flexible approaches to be sustainable. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives have emerged as potential solutions to promote sustainable practices and empower primary producers. Government and private-sector efforts provide resources and collaborative platforms, helping producers diversify beyond raw produce sales, aiming to foster innovation, reduce dependency, and promote long-term self-sufficiency. Despite some success in stabilizing agricultural industries during crises, government-led CSR initiatives, such as subsidies and export promotions, often overlook structural issues that drive dependency. This raises critical questions about power dynamics, producer agency, and the sustainability of CSR-driven innovation. This study investigates the impact of CSR on power dynamics, resource distribution, and producer agency within Taiwan’s agricultural sector, focusing on three successful case studies: pineapple export diversification, Milksha’s dairy innovation, and pomelo value-added products. The methodology uses process tracing to identify critical turning points through data from semi-structured interviews, policy documents, and corporate reports. Additionally, interactive timeline activities during interviews allow participants to illustrate key events and decision-making processes, supported by a codebook for iterative data analysis. This research contributes to the investigation of CSR by offering practical recommendations for policymakers to improve existing frameworks and explore new models that prioritize long-term sustainability and producer agency. The findings underscore the importance of equitable resource distribution, shared decision-making, and social network engagement in achieving sustainable agricultural development in Taiwan. 

Cyberbullying is repeated, intentional harm inflicted through digital platforms, including social media, messaging apps, and online forums. Most researchers focus on cyberbullying in adolescence, but it continues into adulthood. Young adults (ages 18–25) undergo major life changes and use social media frequently, which increases their risk of experiencing cyberbullying. LGBTQ+ individuals, especially transgender and non-binary people, face higher rates of online harassment. Cyberbullying can lead to severe mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and social isolation. While existing research focuses on cyberbullying among LGBTQ+ individuals as a broad group, few studies examine its specific impact on transgender and non-binary people. This study employs a mixed-methods approach to investigate cyberbullying in transgender and/or non-binary emerging adults. A survey of transgender and/or non-binary participants aged 18–25 will be conducted using a modified Cyberbullying Victimization Scale to measure three types of victimization: Verbal/Written, Visual/Sexual, Social Exclusion/In-Person Bullying. Participants will report experiences in public online spaces and private online spaces. The study will collect demographic data such as gender identity, racial or ethnic background, level of outness, and social media usage to examine correlations between these factors and cyberbullying experiences. By integrating statistical trends and personal narratives, this research will provide a deeper understanding of cyberbullying in transgender and non-binary communities. The findings will inform social media policies, platform safety measures, and mental health support efforts for LGBTQ+ individuals navigating online harassment.

Although 911 is a universally accessible emergency service for anyone in the United States, civilians utilize the service at different rates. Some people are quick to call over minor issues better suited for the non-emergency line, whereas others are hesitant to call 911 even if a crime has occurred. Existing research suggests that comfort with using 911 and other emergency services varies by social and neighborhood factors, yet the mechanisms shaping this variation remain underexplored. Additionally, social disorganization theory, a theory in the criminology field that hypothesizes that community factors contribute to crime,  suggests that socially disorganized neighborhoods, characterized by low economic opportunity, high residential mobility, and ethnic heterogeneity, contribute to crime and deviance. Drawing on 911 dispatch data from the City of Seattle and neighborhood-level socioeconomic indicators from the American Community Survey (ACS), this study empirically tests the relationship between median neighborhood income and 911 call rates, with homeownership as a potential moderating factor. Using regression analysis, this research evaluates whether social disorganization influences emergency service use in a way that mirrors its impact on crime, with an expected pattern of higher reporting rates in both lower- and middle-income neighborhoods This study is crucial because findings can inform police reform, improve community outreach in Seattle, and provide the basis for future research to further inform the relationship between report rates and neighborhood characteristics in other major metropolitan cities in the United States.

My research is focused on the question of "Why do first-generation Indian Sikh immigrants return back to their origin country?" I am researching about why some migrants return and others do not, specifically the factors that influence the decision-making. My initial research showcased economic motivations being parallel to initial migration as well as return to one's origin country, along with the the influences of the labor market. I hypothesize that return migration in India is driven by the same realities that drive emigration, namely opportunities to develop economically. I conducted qualitative interviews with Indian Sikh immigrants, both those who had returned back to India along with those currently living in a destination country. The subjects were identified through established social personal networks and participants were screened through questions about their migration journey and if they identified as Sikhs. My project is still in progress, however I have completed more than half of my intended goal for qualitative interviews. My preliminary findings suggest that the primary reasons for migration out of an origin country and returning back relates to economic motivations. However social factors, such as conflicts within the origin country and discrimination in the destination country also impact the decision-making processes and intentions of return. The findings of this research are impactful within migration studies, especially as return migration is a relatively new field that is constantly developing. The case study of Sikh Indian Immigrants has not been researched extensively in the past, showcasing why identifying the various factors influencing motivations and intentions is crucial when understanding the patterns of migration. 

LGBTQ+ populations face increased vulnerability to natural disasters due to factors including exclusion from aid structures, loss of healthcare, outing and harassment in shelters, and pre-existing poverty and stigma (Dominey-Howes et al, 2013; Yamashita et al, 2017). However, there is limited information specifically concentrating on transgender people's access to resources, experience with aid, or unique needs. This literature review aims to assess the current available information on transgender people's experiences of natural disasters and where there is still room for further inquiry. What does available research currently say about how transgender people perceive, prepare for, and live through natural disasters? This review will be conducted by searching through research databases and grey literature for studies on natural disasters that explicitly mention transgender people. The literature will be characterized and relevant findings, recommendations, and gaps will be summarized. We anticipate finding the amount and types of literature published, as well as information on the resources transgender people access, effectiveness of existing disaster interventions, factors affecting preparedness, and potential areas for further research. Understanding the current state of information on transgender people's experience prior to, during, and after natural disasters can inform more inclusive research and disaster planning.

Historically, prosecutors have been elected into office based on their “tough on crime” policies. More recently, there has been a rise in the election of “progressive” prosecutors who run on commitments to criminal justice reform. As these prosecutors have been elected, they have faced extensive opposition due to the surmise that progressive prosecutors lead to higher crime rates. While contemporary research has aimed to investigate whether “progressive” prosecutors lead to rising crime, this literature does not address a vital sociological principle: crime is a social construct. Crime, like other social constructs, are recognized and made meaningful through peoples’ shared beliefs, behaviors, and interactions. Previous research explores the media’s role in constructing crime, but does not address its influence on perceptions of prosecutors and their role in fluctuating crime rates. Our research aims to fill this gap. We do so by analyzing media narratives about a sample of “progressive” and non-progressive prosecutors (our categorization is based on Fair and Just Prosecution, a “progressive” prosecutor membership organization). We did two rounds of flexible, inductive qualitative coding to code the ten “most relevant” articles about each prosecutor based on Google News searches. We found that whether jurisdictions with “progressive” prosecutors truly have higher crime rates is less meaningful to the political implications of prosecutors than the public perception of higher levels of crime. The findings from our study hold implications towards the importance of understanding how media-based perceptions influence political consequences for prosecutors or other actors seeking to advance criminal justice reform. Such points to needed shifts towards more accurate, unbiased portrayals of prosecutors and crime within the U.S., ensuring prosecutors who are desired to represent districts are able to do so.

Discrimination is a long-studied aspect of the minority social experience. For minoritized individuals, it influences mental and physical health, access to resources, economic opportunities, and the internal process of creating and understanding identity. Government anti-discrimination laws provide protections and pathways for minorities to seek justice when they face discrimination. However, current literature critiques the effectiveness of anti-discrimination laws because the burden to prosecute is on the marginalized person, who is more likely to face barriers in doing so. Since anti-discrimination laws are not fully protective, minoritized individuals turn to their community for support. The availability of a supportive community is a vital part of collectively fighting discrimination and providing marginalized groups with resources. This study addresses the influence anti-discrimination laws have on transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals in their community engagement. I will compare the impact of anti-discrimination laws in Washington and Idaho on TNB adults’ engagement in their community, measuring the type, frequency, and knowledge of local community events. I will conduct a survey of TNB adults in Washington and Idaho asking about knowledge of state and local anti-discrimination laws. I will combine this with data from the Movement Advancement Project which provides state-by-state anti-discrimination law documentation. I predict that the influence of anti-discrimination laws on varying types of TNB community involvement will depend on the state context. In Washington, with well-rounded protections, there will be a decrease in political advocacy and an increase in community-focused activities. In contrast, in Idaho, with limited protections, I predict an increase in political advocacy and a decrease in community-focused activities. Understanding the influence of anti-discrimination laws on community engagement and how TNB individuals seek support will illuminate potential flaws in anti-discrimination policy, improve policy, and insight into how to better support TNB individuals broadly.

Even among the most progressive liberation groups, hierarchies persist. Since transgender identities were long seen as the "more sexually deviant" margin of gay collective identity, sociological transgender studies are relatively new compared to research on gay identities and cultures which had already reached maturity. This results in a disparity in cultural recognition, public image, and scholarly knowledge between LGB and TQ+ communities. Additionally, research on sexualities and gender identities typically runs parallel in past scholarly work, instead of showing the intersections of sexuality and transness. While there's a significant discourse around trans lesbian women in lesbian communities, trans gay men among gay communities remain neglected. The invisibility experienced by gay trans men could offer us a new perspective on understanding the more subtle, underlying tension within queer communities. Trans gay men's experiences of going through gender transition significantly influence how well they can fit into gay spaces, which are primarily populated by cis gay men. My project focuses on the experiences of trans men engaging in predominantly cis gay men's spaces, such as gay bars and social clubs. The study specifically asks: How does the transition status of trans men who identify as same gender loving affect their inclusion among gay spaces and communities? To address this question, I employ a qualitative methodology using in-depth interviews of 7 participants who are adult same gender loving trans men, out for more than 1 year, and have experience engaging in gay communities and spaces. The results indicate that although blatant transphobia is rare in most gay spaces, it's common for cis gay men to draw an invisible line between trans men and themselves. Alienation and microaggression from cis gay men toward trans men happen often in both public spaces and interpersonal romantic relationships.

Developments in data-driven technology have been targeted at large-scale produce farms in Washington state, leaving out small farms from what is being called “Agriculture 4.0”. This agri-tech revolution seeks to leverage data technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) for efficiency and profitability, but small farmers are largely excluded. This pattern echoes the Green Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, where technological advancements primarily benefited large farms, increasing output while forcing small farmers out of business and into consolidation. Consequently, advancements in data-driven technology may create similar agricultural monopolies and decrease food resilience through longer supply chains. Alternatively supporting small farmers, with annual sales of less than $250,000, can be integral to regulating agricultural monopolies and increasing food resilience. To promote the inclusion of these farms, this study investigates how small produce farmers perceive data-driven technologies in the context of “good” farming practices. I will conduct semi-structured interviews with small produce farmers in Western Washington, a region with a diverse farming population, employing an inductive analytical approach to understand how farmers’ values and morality shape their openness to technological adoption. This research is critical because findings will contribute to more inclusive AI development accounting for the needs and perspectives of small-scale farmers in Washington, mitigating agricultural monopolies and increasing food resilience.