By Stephanie Doucette
The summer grant from the Security Studies Program allowed for me to attend the International Society of Political Psychology’s annual summer academy and conference, which was held this year in Warsaw, Poland. The summer academy included thought-provoking seminars, including a lecture on the socio-psychological macro analysis of intractable conflict and a discourse analysis workshop on understanding prejudice and xenophobia. At the conference I had the opportunity to network with political psychology professors and students from all over the world, as well as attend a variety of presentations on the psychological perspectives of terrorism and conflict.
How did you come up with this project (attending this conference) and why does it interest you?
Prior to entering into the Security Studies Program, I studied in the political psychology program at The George Washington University. For years I have had not only a strong interest in security studies, but the psychology of security studies, specifically the psychology of terrorism. By attending this academy and conference for the first time, I have been able to expand my knowledge in this interdisciplinary field, knowledge I will no doubt use when applying political psychology in SSP.
Why did you choose this specific country?
Attending the International Society of Political Psychology’s summer academy and conference while it was in Poland afforded me an additional opportunity to conduct research on the Holocaust and the history of the Jewish people in Poland. I was able to visit various sites of both the Krakow and Warsaw ghettos, Kazimierz the Jewish quarter of Krakow, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Have you changed as a result of this experience?
Not only did I gain a great deal of knowledge from this trip, the academy and the conference, but it was truly an enlightening experience. I think what changed me most about this experience was visiting various Holocaust sites, prior to learning more in-depth about psychological aspects of the Holocaust and genocide. Only a few days after visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, I attended lectures of obedience and disobedience during genocide, looking more specifically about collective resistance during the Holocaust.
How did you come up with this project (attending this conference) and why does it interest you?
Prior to entering into the Security Studies Program, I studied in the political psychology program at The George Washington University. For years I have had not only a strong interest in security studies, but the psychology of security studies, specifically the psychology of terrorism. By attending this academy and conference for the first time, I have been able to expand my knowledge in this interdisciplinary field, knowledge I will no doubt use when applying political psychology in SSP.
Why did you choose this specific country?
Attending the International Society of Political Psychology’s summer academy and conference while it was in Poland afforded me an additional opportunity to conduct research on the Holocaust and the history of the Jewish people in Poland. I was able to visit various sites of both the Krakow and Warsaw ghettos, Kazimierz the Jewish quarter of Krakow, Oskar Schindler's Enamel Factory, POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Have you changed as a result of this experience?
Not only did I gain a great deal of knowledge from this trip, the academy and the conference, but it was truly an enlightening experience. I think what changed me most about this experience was visiting various Holocaust sites, prior to learning more in-depth about psychological aspects of the Holocaust and genocide. Only a few days after visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau, I attended lectures of obedience and disobedience during genocide, looking more specifically about collective resistance during the Holocaust.