School of Social Sciences Humanities and Arts

Depression Due to Politics: the Quiet Danger to Democracy

July 7, 2025

UC Merced Professor Christopher Ojeda and his book "The Sad Citizen"

On laptop screens, televisions and social media feeds across the nation, images and words fueled by a fractured political landscape spout anger, frustration and resentment. Clashing ideologies burst forth in public demonstrations, family gatherings and digital echo chambers. Red-hot rhetoric and...

UC Merced political science Professor Christopher Ojeda displays a slide showing people say they feel depressed in polls taken after elections.

Stressed Out by the Election? Political Scientists Explain Why and Offer Tips

If it seems anxiety around elections is at an all-time high, then political groups have done their jobs. "It's very conscious, it's very calculated," said UC Merced political...

Public Health Grad Student Selected for Prestigious Award

Second-year public health Ph.D. student Sarina Rodriguez was named as a Health Policy Research Scholar by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The HPRS program supports doctoral students from...

Spendlove Prize winner Tsitsi Dangarembga

Zimbabwean Filmmaker, Activist Chosen for Spendlove Prize

Tsitsi Dangarembga, a renowned Zimbabwean filmmaker, novelist and cultural activist, was selected as the 16th recipient of the Alice and Clifford Spendlove Prize in Social Justice, Diplomacy and...

Illustration for UC Merced home price database research

Interactive Database Tracks 116 Years of U.S. Housing Prices, Offers Insights for Future

A groundbreaking database that tracks 13 decades of annual changes in U.S. home sales and rental prices provides a clearer picture of economic shifts through the 20th century and will be a...

Ph.D. Student Named as 2024 Dole Caregiver Fellow

Karla Seijas is one of 14 individuals selected from across the nation as an Elizabeth Dole Foundation Caregiver Fellow. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation supports a community of more than 5.5 million...

New SSHA Dean Thanks Helping Hands Along a Remarkable Journey

He studied in hallowed halls of academia. His highly respected research takes him halfway around the globe into societies both foreign and familiar. In his newest role, he leads the largest school of...

A colorful piece by artist Gronk, depicting a figure standing in front of a wall, is pictured.

UC Merced Curates Sweeping Chicano Art Exhibit at 3 Galleries

A three-site exhibit is celebrating Chicano art in a collaboration between a university and a community - the culmination of a professor's nine years of effort. "Alma, Corazón, y Vida:...

UC Merced arts season silkroad train station trios

UC Merced Arts Opens Season with LitFest, Musical Tribute to Railroads

A celebration of stories and a concert highlighting the history of San Joaquin Valley’s railroads are the opening acts of the 2024-25 UC Merced Arts season . Merced LitFest and Train...

Enthusiasm High for Debut of Environmental Humanities Major

More than 170 students have enrolled this fall for classes in UC Merced’s new environmental humanities major, a degree that will prepare them to be advocates and storytellers for the living...