Third Space Lab – Research Assistants – Recruitment

We are looking for 4 undergraduate research assistants to support research projects and events sponsored by the Third Space Lab.

Preference will be given to those who are interested in the following fields: intercultural communication, international education, sociolinguistics (language, culture, and society), conflict resolution, and applied linguistics (focus on language learning), and who are interested in developing a Signature Work out of their work as student-researchers of the lab or out of their own Third-Space story-building and storytelling.

Please refer to the following information about current lab projects. Send your CV or resume to the corresponding principal investigator(s) with a short cover letter with a description of yourself and a short statement of interest explaining: 1) why you want to work on this part of the project, and 2) why you think you are a strong candidate for the position (what your skills and qualifications are, and what personal experiences may prepare you and help you to enrich this research project). You are encouraged to mention the name of a reference who can attest to your skills (no letter of recommendation needed).

Note: Given the current pandemic, the projects described below are subject to change and are based on the geographical location of students.

Please send your application materials via email by April 26th.

Current Lab-sponsored Research Projects:

Led by Dr. Chiocca, Dr. Zhang, and Dr. Naghib, the project investigates the transformation of students’ identity in multicultural environments, with a focus on international education contexts. By treating identity as something fluid, dynamic, diverse, contextual, and never complete, “liquid crystals” (Derwin & Jackson, 2018, p. 67) that can be affected and modified, the purpose of this project is to explore changes in identity through story-building and storytelling.

  • Negotiating Third Space Personae: Foreign Professionals in Modern Chinese Workplace
    Contact: Dr. Zhang (xz261@duke.edu)

What does it entail to be able to function in a Chinese workplace, which many Chinese learners claim to be their motivation and ultimate goal of learning Chinese language and culture? How does the Chinese discourses and ideologies of “foreigners” impact how they are perceived in modern professional settings in China?  Led by Dr. Xin Zhang, this project examines learners of Chinese as a Second Language at the most sophisticated level in a range of professional contexts in which Mandarin serves as the working language. We focus on how these foreign professionals utilize varying linguistic and cultural resources to negotiate who they are (i.e., their Third Space personae) and reposition themselves in the emergent power dynamics at work. Dr. Zhang is looking for 1-2 RAs who take a special interest in exploring the Third Space framework to conceptualize intercultural encounters, and who envision their future selves as professionals in multilingual environments in China and around the globe.

Preference will be given to students who: (1) are conversational and literate in Chinese and English, or aspire to reach an advanced level of proficiency in a foreign language that is not their native language; (2) have established relationship, or are interested in forming such connections with foreign professionals who fit the subject profile; and (3) have prior training or experience in qualitative research such as discourse analysis and multimedia analysis, or computational tools. Students who feel they would be strong candidates but do not strictly meet these criteria are still encouraged to apply.

  • Conflict Management & Personal Transformation in Intercultural Contexts
    Contact: Dr. Naghib (sln20@duke.edu)

What types of study abroad experiences pose or predict identity and/or social conflicts for international students? How do students deal with the challenges of acculturation and the differences and conflicts that arise during study abroad? In this three-tiered project, Dr. Naghib focuses on 1) identifying significant predictors of identity and/or social conflict during the study abroad experience 2) examining how students use supportive conflict resolution tools, if at all,  to manage identity and/or social conflicts 3) analyzing student narratives (journals, vlogs, interviews, different modes of reflecting and storytelling, etc.) to understand the influence of conflict and conflict management on personal transformation during study abroad. The RA(s) that would make a suitable fit for this project would be interested in gaining experience in the conflict resolution/management field, and the varying components of carrying out qualitative research, case study, and critical discourse analysis.

I am looking for 1-2 research assistants who are interested in learning about research in conflict resolution in an intercultural context. The RA(s) will help me collect data from their peers before, during, and after their international experience (at DKU and during study abroad). The RA(s) will learn some qualitative research principles, including how to interview and how to analyze qualitative data from interviews and artifacts (students’ journals, forum posts, papers, vlogs, etc.).

The ideal candidate is a student who will be studying at DKU over Fall 2020. They should have taken or be taking intro to research methods in social sciences and therefore be familiar with some qualitative research principles. The research assistant will be identifying and reading materials starting in the summer months. Students who feel they would be strong candidates but do not strictly meet these criteria are still welcome to apply.

  • Fostering perspective transformation in intercultural spaces
    Contact: Dr. Chiocca (ec249@duke.edu)

What does it mean to be transformed? How do people make sense of their transformation and what do they attribute their transformation to?

My part of the project revolves around the types and perceived causes of transformation of students resulting from their international education experiences. I am interested in 1) investigating whether students perceive they were transformed by understanding student experiences abroad and how they interpret and understand their international sojourns, 2) exploring what they perceive contributed to their change, and if they used Third Space Lab tools and workshops, and 3) assessing their learning and growth. I am particularly interested in the effects of the Third Space Lab workshops on students’ meaning-making of their experiences.

I am looking for 1-2 research assistants who are interested in learning about research in international education and the ways students change (transformative learning and intercultural competence). The RA(s) will help me collect data from their peers before, during, and after their international experience (at DKU and during study abroad). The RA(s) will learn some qualitative research principles, including how to interview and how to analyze qualitative data from interviews and artifacts (student journals, forum posts, papers, vlogs, etc.), but also how to interpret survey results.

The ideal candidate is a student who will be studying at DKU over Fall 2020. They should have taken or be taking ‘introduction to research methods in social sciences’ and therefore be familiar with some qualitative research principles, although this is not a strict requirement. The research assistant will be identifying and reading materials starting in the summer months. Students who feel they would be strong candidates but do not strictly meet these criteria are still welcome to apply.