MTS is the department’s Mind, Technology, and Society speaker series. It is hosted by a different faculty member each semester. Founded by a generous gift from Professors Robert Glushko and Pamela Samuelson, MTS brings researchers and industry professionals from across the globe to present a variety of interdisciplinary work in cognitive science. See our UCMerced CogSci youtube channel for videos of past MTS talks!
CIS graduate students, faculty, and staff, and all who are interested are invited! Members of other departments at UC Merced as well as the general public are encouraged to attend. (Note: current CIS Ph.D. students are required to attend MTS each semester in residence, to fulfill their COGS 250 course requirement).
Dr. Alexandra Paxton's talk "Affording Good: Opportunities for the Ecological-Dynamical Approach to Social Dynamics: will be from 2-3:30pm in SSM 104
Abstract: In this talk, I discuss ways in which the ecological-dynamical approach can help promote social good. The ecological-dynamical approach provides a theoretical framework that respects the fundamental interconnectedness of organisms and their environment. This framework situates organisms specifically within their spatio-temporal-social context in a way that resonates with and is validated by lived experience. I argue that the ecological-dynamical approach is poised to stand with and work alongside those pushing for social change on issues ranging from the epidemic of loneliness to the climate crisis. By joining communities of action, ecological-dynamical scholars can advance scientific theory while realizing affordances for social good.
Bio: Alexandra Paxton is an Associate Professor of Psychological Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She is delighted to be coming back to visit the Cognitive and Information Sciences Program at UC Merced, from which she earned her doctorate in 2015. Her research program seeks to describe the quantitative patterns of social interaction, find ways of improving the lived experience of those engaged in it, and enrich the ecological-dynamical framework that grounds our theoretical understanding of it.
For more information or to sign up for email announcements, please contact the talk series organizer: cis-mts-lead@lists.ucmerced.edu.
