The Civitas Lab is a research incubator at the Henry Institute. Every year, a number of Calvin students known as the Civitas Scholars partner with Calvin professors to explore the public role of faith through discipline-based research. The students also build a research community by meeting together regularly to discuss their work, share project insights and challenges, and divide labor when necessary.
The 2020-21 Civitas Lab
Critical Information Needs in Underserved Communities: Yejae Kim is working with Professor Jesse Holcomb on a research project supported by the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation. The two-part study, consisting of a public opinion survey and media content analysis, explores how communities of color stay informed about schools and education, and seeks to understand the role that media play in sharing education-related information to these communities.
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| Yejae Kim Senior, majoring in International Relations and Data Science from Bogotá, Columbia |
Jesse Holcomb Calvin University English and Communication Department |
Perspectives on Patriotism and Nationalism: Lauren Baas and Rich Mouw are focusing on the topic of love of one's nation, with the goal of clarifying how affection for a particular nation -- the one in which a Christian is a citizen -- relates to obedience to the will of God and participation in a global Christian community drawn from every "tribe, tongue, and nation." The investigation draws upon resources in political theory, history, and theology.
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| Lauren Baas Senior, majoring in Political Science and History from Sioux Center, IA |
Rich Mouw Henry Institute Senior Research Fellow |
Rustbelt Religion: Elias Jesus and Professor Mark Mulder are using an ethnographic study of a small town in Central Wisconsin to explore the notion of "rural identity" and how it might intersect with religious identity.
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| Elias Jesus Junior, majoring in Religion and Sociology from Plano, TX |
Mark Mulder Calvin University Sociology Department |
A Cultural History of White Christian Womanhood: Karalyn Aardema and Karolyn DeKam are working with Calvin History Professor Kristin DuMez on a project that traces the recent history (1970s to the present) of the ideal of white Christian womanhood, exploring its religious, cultural, and political manifestatons.
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| Karalyn Aardema Sophomore majoring in History, minor in Global Development Studies from Holland, MI |
Karolyn DeKam Senior, majoring in Sociology, minors in Gender Studies and Communications from Muskegon, MI |
Kristin Kobes DuMez Calvin University History Department |
Mapping Applications for Re-entry: Alaina Kwiatkowski and Yejae Kim are working with Jason VanHorn and Kevin den Dulk to continue the expansion of the user-friendly intuitive map as efforts to provide state-wide information about facilities and organizations that would be indispensable to new parolees and individuals returning from incarceration in Michigan. (additional information about the project work)
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| Alaina Kwiatkowski Sophomore majoring in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics (PPE) from Hudsonville, MI |
Yejae Kim Senior, majoring in International Relations and Data Science from Bogotá, Columbia |
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| Kevin R. den Dulk Calvin University Associate Provost of Calvin Global Education; Political Science Department |
Jason Van Horn Calvin University Geology, Geography, and Environmental Studies Departments |