RESEARCH
IDENTITY POLITICS
IN THE UNITED STATES
RESPONSIBLE INNOVATION IN TECHNOLOGY
Amidst growing diversity in the United States, assessing the political preferences of groups has become an increasingly complex task. In my current book project, I argue that a key to understanding politics lies in distinguishing identity from group membership. I develop measurement strategies to demonstrate that political attitudes respond to self-categorization and provide support using survey experiments and in-depth interviews. Though past research has relied on “checked boxes” and comparisons across social categories such as race, class, and gender to demonstrate what groups want from government, my work brings intersectionality to the fore and highlights the role that subjective identity plays in influencing political preferences. Taken together, these alternative measurement strategies reveal additional information about the links between identity and political preferences that have profound implications for representation in American politics.
Spry, Amber D. (2024). Measuring Identity: Social Groups, Political Attitudes, and Design Strategy (under peer review).
My work in the area of responsible innovation bridges academic insights with practical application in the technology industry. I employ computational social science methods to approach technological challenges — including those specific to responsible AI — as socio-technical problems that require human-centered solutions. I use my background as a political science scholar, my experience as a technologist, and my skills in measurement to establish best measurement practices in socially responsible innovation. Understanding who is having an optimal experience — and who is not — requires using the right kind of data to evaluate outcomes. I am passionate about a future of technology that is responsible, safe, accessible, and inclusive, and my work is motivated by a commitment to creating that future through the application of careful measurement strategies.
Spry, Amber D. (In progress with Meta Social Impact Research). “Your product may not be working for everyone. Here’s what you can do about it.”
Spry, Amber D. (In progress with Meta Social Impact Research). “From Principle to Practice: A Representation Framework for Generative AI Agents.”
Spry, Amber D. (In progress with Meta Social Impact Research). “Co-design at Scale.”
REPRESENTATION AND INEQUALITY
My work on representation and inequality focuses on minority constituents in the United States and the ways groups and individuals assert their political voices through voting, protest, and other forms of civic engagement. I have written on the effectiveness of minority legislators in representing constituent interests, the political implications of protest, and the conditions under which states have adopted direct democracy as a means to either help or hinder the advancement of policies to benefit minorities.
Bonilla, Tabitha and Amber D. Spry. (2024). “Promises and Identity: How votes interpret the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation.” (In progress).
HATE CRIME AND PREJUDICE REDUCTION
I have worked extensively on the topic of hate crimes and strategies for prejudice reduction, focusing especially on the ways bias-related issues affect minoritized groups. I have also provided expertise as a consultant to the United States Department of Justice and as an advisory board member to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services.