The Institute for the Study of Societal Issues (ISSI) is UC Berkeley's hub for interdisciplinary social justice research. Since 1976, the Institute has been fostering qualitative and quantitative interdisciplinary research on the issues central to social stratification and inequality while training and supporting new generations of social change scholars.

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Call for Applications: Graduate Fellows Program

Graduate Fellows Program

Current UCB doctoral students - apply by Monday, March 30

Call for Applications: CER Summer 2026 Qualitative Methods Workshop

Call for Applications: CER Summer 2026 Qualitative Methods Workshop

May 25 - July 2, 2026 > In Person: May 25 - June 18 in Berkeley; Virtual: June 23 - July 2 Undergraduates and beginning graduate students are encouraged to apply!

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Recent Stories

Expecting Inequity: How the Maternal Health Crisis Affects Even the Wealthiest Black American

March 18, 2026

A new book by Berkeley Center for Social Medicine faculty affiliate Khiara Bridges explores the persistence of racism in reproductive healthcare in the US—and why even affluent Black women are imperiled by substandard care. Expecting Inequity (MIT Press) reveals that not only are black people three to four times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause, but racial disparities in maternal mortality persist across income levels. Bridges, whose previous work exposed how...

Carceral networking and penal liminality: A case study of a security NGO

March 18, 2026

A new article by ISSI graduate student Xavier Durham in Punishment and Society highlights how more than 600,000 people leave U.S. jails and prisons annually and how security NGOs (non-governmental organizations) hire formerly incarcerated people, pushing the boundaries of how we conceptualize and measure the (re)production of socio-economic...

New Leadership Role for Lisa Hirai Tsuchitani

March 18, 2026

Asian American Research Center faculty affiliate Lisa Hirai Tsuchitani has been appointed to serve as co-chair of the UC Office of the President (UCOP) systemwide Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) Initiative Advisory Board. The UC AANAPISI Advisory Board provides critical guidance, expertise, and insights into the diverse needs and experiences of AANHPI students across the UC system. Tsuchitani's scholarship in the fields of Asian American Studies and educational equity, as well as her demonstrated leadership and commitment...

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