Tania Israel

Tania Israel of The Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) at UC Santa Barbara’s Gevirtz School will give the talk “Social Justice and the Culture of Outrage” on Tuesday, January 13 at 4 pm. In this presentation, Professor Israel, author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work will draw on psychological research to tackle these questions and offer a blueprint for dialogue-based social justice advocacy. The talk is free and will be presented on Zoom; register online for it in advance. A Q&A after the presentation will be moderated by Laury Oaks, Professor and Chair of UCSB Department of Feminist Studies.

“If you’re not outraged, you’re not paying attention” is a rallying cry in social justice circles. Indeed, there is plenty to be outraged about–income inequality, police use of force, lack of health care, treatment of refugees, violence against transgender people, to name a few. When is outrage beneficial, and what toll does it take? Can science guide social justice advocates to harness outrage effectively?

Tania Israel is a Professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Israel teaches about helping skills, leadership, and community collaboration, among other things. She has facilitated educational programs and difficult dialogues about a range of topics, including abortion, law enforcement, religion, and sexual orientation.

Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work (APA, 2020) grew out of Dr. Israel’s skill-building workshop that she developed and delivered to hundreds of participants following the 2016 election. It draws on her strengths as a psychologist and community organizer to prepare people to engage in dialogue across political lines.

This event is part of UCSB Reads 2021 and Pacific Views: Library Speaker Series. Now in its 15th year, UCSB Reads continues to bring the campus and Santa Barbara communities together to read a common book that explores compelling issues of our time. The 2021 UCSB Reads book is When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Cullors and asha bandele. The Pacific Views: Library Speaker Series is an opportunity for UCSB faculty and graduate students from diverse disciplines to speak about their current research, publications, or creative work.