crowd of farmers in Asia

Active Learning and Research

Providing opportunities to participate in creative activity and the discovery of new knowledge is a hallmark of a Clark education. In these pages you can read about faculty and student endeavors throughout a broad range of disciplines.

Many stipends, fellowships and other sources of funding are available to undergraduates for research and creative projects. Learn more


Government

The money trail: tracing the impact of campaign finance reform
We Americans clamor for campaign finance reform, but would it make a difference? Government professor Robert Boatright and his research team examines the impact of the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act on the 2004 Gore vs. Bush presidential election. Read more

Psychology

Time for your marriage checkup
How can marriages in trouble be identified and strengthened before reaching the stage of divorce? Psychologist James Cᣯva and his team hope that their intervention research will lead to the availability of regular "marriage checkups." Read more

Geography

Flamenco fever: when local culture goes global
How are the art forms characteristic of local cultures impacted by the global marketplace? Geographer Yuko Aoyama uses the flamenco music and dance of southern Spain as case study. Read more

Urban Development and Social Change (UDSC)

Interning with a Worcester City Councilor
From empowering local businesses to railroad rights and responsibilities, Abby Crowley's summer internship with Councilor Barbara Haller is introducing her to many of the stakeholders and issues in an urban environment. Read more

International Development and Social Change (IDSC)

English literacy for women in Zambia
International Development and Social Change major Luke Pekrul travels to Zambia to research the feasability of implementing an English literacy program in a small rural community. Read more

Economics

Crossing Borders: The Advantage of Trade
Would your standard of living be better or worse if you were only able to buy products made in the United States? Economist John Brown examines the case of 19th century Japan to see if access to goods and services from other countries improves a country's standard of living. Read more

Sociology

Suiting yourself: fashion politices in the global marketplace
How is what we wear affected by a rapidly globalizing economy? Does the global economy threaten our cultural identity? Can we demonstrate our politics through our choice of fashion? In her recent book, Dangerous Designs, sociology professor Parminder Bhachu illustrates how cultural and gender identities are transformed as different ethnic and racial groups, once separated by geography, increasingly meet and interact as consumers and entrepreneurs in a rapidly globalizing economy. Read more

Psychology

Understanding depression in children
Psychology professor Esteban Cardemil is particularly interested in understanding the development of depression in low- income and racial/ethnic minority populations, and in developing innovative ways to either prevent or treat depression in these populations. In 2002 Cardemil published the results of a study that were intriguing: the prevention program was clearly beneficial for the Latino children, although it seemed to provide little benefit to the African-American children. Read more