![[Virtual] Psychology Edwards Seminar with Jaclyn Lisnek, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford University](https://www.trumba.com/i/DgAlpgmtcbI28JsBHEyR%2A53v.jpg?w=400)
- When
- Friday, Feb 6, 2026, 12:30 – 1:30 pm
- Event interval
- Single day event
- Accessibility contact
- chairpsy@uw.edu
- Event types
- Lectures/Seminars
- Event sponsors
- Department of Psychology
- Description
- Bridging Individual and Structural Racism to Increase Awareness and Motivate Change
Jaclyn Lisnek, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford University
Despite growing public discourse on structural racism, many people continue to struggle with understanding how individual actions and institutional systems perpetuate racism in tandem. In this talk, I examine whether explicitly highlighting this mutually reinforcing relationship increases perceived responsibility at both the individual and institutional levels, heightens frustration, strengthens motivation to take action, and increases support for anti-racist policies. Across studies, findings suggest that people often treat individual- and structural-level racism as competing explanations rather than interconnected forces. However, when the link between these levels is made explicit, understanding improves. I will also share ongoing work examining how people perceive racist incidents across levels, investigating how judgments and attributions shift when individual- and institutional-level racism are presented simultaneously.
This virtual lecture is via Zoom.
These lectures are made possible by a generous endowment by Professor Allen L. Edwards
Faculty hosts: Clara Wilkins & Cynthia Levine