ES Mentored BEACoN Research Projects 2024
ES Faculty mentored projects: A Decolonial Approach to International Education: Insights from a Cal Poly Global Program in Palermo, Sicily & The Unspoken Journey: Postpartum Mental Health of Black Male Parents
ES student/mentee Iyad Kamal Jamaly, and ES faculty member/mentor elvira pulitano, june 2024 (Photo from cal poly OUDI)
Ethnic Studies Major Iyad Kamal Jamaly and Ethnic Studies Professor Elvira Pulitano recently completed their BEACoN Research project titled, "A Decolonial Approach to International Education: Insights from a Cal Poly Global Program in Palermo, Sicily".
This project aims to produce a study contributing to the current debates about decolonizing international education. Based on the Global Program, “Language and Culture in Sicily”, led by Dr. Pulitano in Palermo, Sicily, offered by Cal Poly in the Summer of 2023, the study focuses on a series of pedagogical activities led by a young group of migrants and refugees who, in the city of Palermo, have come together to form two associations designed and structured to offer new contemporary models of citizenship and belonging. These workshops offered Cal Poly students a tangible lesson of the transformative experience of international education when the power shifts to local experts and communities.
Mentee Iyad Kamal Jamaly, and mentor Elvira Pulitano at the 2024 BEACoN Research Symposium, June 12th 2024
Psychology Major Nailah DuBose and Ethnic Studies Assistant Professor Dan Castilow completed their BEACoN Research project titled, "The Unspoken Journey: Postpartum Mental Health of Black Male Parents".
Their research specifically explores the postpartum physical and mental health outcomes of male partners. Given the well-documented racial disparities in healthcare, this research project seeks to address the causes of these disparities in Black male postpartum healthcare. Their research investigates the impact of socio-cultural stereotypes about Black masculinities, mental health, and access to healthcare. They ask, how do racialized and gendered tropes affect access to mental health treatment for male-identified parents? In what ways do gender scripts and social stigmas present in Black communities contribute to male partners‚ choices to seek mental healthcare? This time, they conducted another literature review to identify any updates in the existing literature surrounding this topic. Ultimately, this project aims to determine if access to postpartum healthcare for Black men not only affects male parents but also whether barriers to healthcare access have implications for child development.
Link to Cal Poly OUDI Page - Jamaly and Pulitano