Siwar Hasan Aslih

My research interests encompass collective action and social movements, emotions, intergroup relations, and intergroup conflicts. My work centers on the motivations for social movement and political participation as well as the impact of collective action on public opinion and intergroup relations.

 

I have been awarded the Marie Curie fellowship to perform my postdoctoral research with Prof. Robb Willer at the Polarization and Social Change Lab, Stanford University. I obtained my PhD in social psychology from the University of Groningen, in partnership with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, under the supervision of Eran Halperin, Martijn van Zomeren and Tamar Saguy. My doctoral research examined why and when historically disadvantaged groups collaborate with advantaged group members to promote social change. 

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My research is inspired and motivated by my lived experiences of intergroup conflict. As a Palestinian who was born into a reality of ongoing oppression, violence and trauma, I developed an interest in intergroup relations, how groups and individuals construe injustice, and when and why 

they might be willing, or not, to act against it. The overarching aim of my research is to understand the social and psychological factors that contribute to social change toward equality, justice, and liberation. My work carries a daily reminder for me to remain passionate and active in the face of frustration and pessimism.