My research interests are focused broadly on race and racial dynamics, including identity development, group relations, and beliefs about the in-group in both immigrant and minority populations (see my co-authored book on the Russian-Jewish diaspora on left). In the past few years, I have become very interested in restorative justice, especially a restorative practice developed in Brazil called Restorative Circles. My current work is focused on supporting the development and spread of this practice in a variety of contexts (presently at the Juvenile Detention Center). More information about both current and previous projects can be viewed by selecting the appropriate link on the left.

 

Undergraduate students: Interested in Psych 290 credit?

I am currently continuing my own learning of the Restorative Circle process and also starting to teach and evaluate this practice at the Juvenile Detention Center. The project just started in Fall, 2011, and we are still in the process of developing the evaluation protocol. I am not actively recruiting 290 students, but students interested in this work are invited to participate in this process of developing the evaluation protocol and may potentially be involved in the actual evaluation. A brief summary of Restorative Circles is available here. Interested students should contact me via email: lyubansk@illinois.edu