Congratulations to Dr. Sari van Anders on being named a 2023 Fellow of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. Founded in 1936, the SPSSI is one of the oldest societies for psychology research.
According to their website: “SPSSI is a group of over 3000 scientists from psychology and related fields and others who share a common interest in research on the psychological aspects of important social and policy issues. In various ways, SPSSI seeks to bring theory and practice into focus on human problems of the group, the community, and nations, as well as the increasingly important problems that have no national boundaries. SPSSI affords social and behavioral scientists opportunities to apply their knowledge and insights to the critical problems of today's world.”
“SPSSI highlights how social justice is not a new concern for psychology or other scientific disciplines,” Dr. van Anders explains. “If anything, denying or objecting to the importance of social concerns in science is what's new - and objectionable! So, it means a lot to me to be named a SPSSI Fellow.”
“SPSII focuses on how the discipline can be useful for thinking about social issues and help to move our world towards more social justice. So, while scientists often argue ‘but justice has nothing to do with science!’ (even as science has been and is used to uphold injustice), SPSSI has been front and centre in highlighting the ways that science and social justice can and should go together, for almost a century.”
“It's a real honour to be recognized for outstanding contributions to psychology and to the study of social issues alongside some of Psychology's founders and most active contemporary practitioners", Dr. van Anders concludes.