Politics & Society

New Major Teaches How to Tackle Questions of Ethics in Science, Tech

January 8, 2026

Should a scientist who sees signs of global catastrophe sound an early alarm or wait until more conclusive evidence is in? Does going public lead to swifter action or give naysayers more time to discredit the message? Students in Professor Dan Hicks’ course in science, technology and...

Sociology Professor Contributes Research to Mexican Journal of Foreign Policy

Department of Sociology Professor Paul Almeida is one of the coordinators, along with Professor Jorge Cadena-Roa of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), of a recent issue of the...

Organizers give a presentation during Worker Week of Action.

Report Makes Case to Provide Unemployment Benefits for Undocumented Workers

Tens of thousands of undocumented immigrant workers in California could receive aid from an unemployment benefit system if the state approves the program. UC Merced's Community and Labor Center...

Research Week Offers Both Virtual and In-person Events This Year

Research Week, the annual showcase of UC Merced’s important explorations into some of the world's most pressing challenges, kicks off Monday with the Sierra Nevada Research Institute’...

Three people featured in the film walk together

'Letters2Maybe' Explores Struggle for Stability and Happiness Among Immigrants

“Letters2Maybe,” the latest film by Professor Yehuda Sharim with UC Merced’s Department of Global Arts Studies, premiers next week at the New Jersey International Film...

Survey: Fresno Voters Concerned with Pandemic, Spending Priorities, Basic Needs

A representative sample survey of Fresno voters, now in its second year, is giving area policymakers insight into the opinions and concerns of the people they represent. The UC Merced Community...

Honduras Elects First Female President; Study Shows How Protests Affect Change

Hondurans cast their votes in the presidential election over the weekend, and the majority decided to elect opposition candidate Xiomara Castro to lead the Central American country. Nasry Asfura, the...

Study: Many Immigrants Perceive Racial Discrimination at Work, in Health Care

In recently published reports, Department of Public Health Professor Maria-Elena Young, Public Health doctoral student Sharon Tafolla and colleagues at UCLA discovered that Latino and Asian...

Community and Labor Center Accurately Forecasts Voter Preferences in Fresno Within 1 Percentage Point

A partnership among UC Merced's Community and Labor Center and several Fresno area community groups was able to predict accurately the Fresno results for the gubernatorial recall election held...

100 Sociology Undergraduate Students Trained in Survey Research

More than 100 sociology undergraduate students got the opportunity to conduct research about social movements and civic engagement in Central America. A UC Merced professor, along with...

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