Early career research award to inequality researcher
Senior Lecturer of political psychology Danny Osborne from the University of Auckland has been awarded the inaugural Te
Apārangi early career research award in social sciences from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Senior Lecturer of political psychology Danny Osborne from the University of Auckland has been awarded the inaugural Te
Apārangi early career research award in social sciences from the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Dr Osborne joined the University’s School of Psychology as a lecturer in 2011 after completing a PhD at the University
of California, Los Angeles.
His research looks at the ways in which inequality and injustice are reproduced in society and his work is aimed at
advancing understanding of the psychological barriers to collective action including political protest.
Dr Osborne is an advisory board member of the Vote Compass project, a available during the previous two general elections where voters can compare their political values and
beliefs with the public policy positions of political parties.
He is also a member of the central management team for the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study examining changes in New Zealanders’ attitudes on a wide range of
social and economic issues over time.
His specific interest is in political psychology including beliefs about our ability to change social policy or
influence contemporary socio-economic conditions.
“Inequality and injustice around the world show no signs of abating and in fact it could be argued are actually on the
rise,” Dr Osborne says.
“So it’s increasingly important to understand why people do not engage in collective effort to address these issues.
“I’m delighted and honoured to receive this inaugural award and the support it provides for my work, helping increase
understanding of how we might make the world a fairer a more equitable place.”
The Royal Society Te Apārangi Early Career Research Award in Social Sciences is awarded to emerging researchers in
social sciences in New Zealand.
ENDS