Amirah Majid

Research Interests

My research interests lie in the interdisciplinary field of cross-cultural computing. This relatively new field explores areas such as; the exchange of cultural information, constructions of culturally relevant information resources, and core cultural qualities; within social computing spaces. I draw on literature, theories, and concepts from computer-mediated communication and my principal areas of focus are social signaling theory, refugee informatics, and ethics. Examples from my work include an exploratory investigation of the impacts of grammatical gender on transgender Arabic and Hebrew speakers, and a case study of an independent media project created by refugee youth.

My goals are to advance theoretical understandings of cross-cultural interpersonal communication in computer-mediated contexts, particularly where marginalized populations experience sociotechnical barriers. I employ qualitative and quantitative research methods such as interviewing, ethnographic observation, survey, and exploratory data analysis techniques.

Currently, with my advisor Prof. David McDonald, we are using social signaling theory (SST) to unpack the production and consumption of cues and signals in social media by Arabic and English speakers. We completed a pilot study which focused on using SST as a framework for understanding how, and to what degree, people see religiosity in Twitter texts. We have applied for funding to pursue this work further and hope to expand our inquiry to include conflict and intimacy.

Education

University of Washington, Seattle, WA
The Information School, 2013 - in progress
Ph.D. student
Committee members: Prof. David W. McDonald (chair) and Prof. Maria Garrido

University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies
M.A., 2012
Concentration: Middle East Studies
Advisors: Prof. Joel S. Migdal & Prof. David W. McDonald
Paper topics: ethnographic case study, independent youth media in Palestine & social media data analysis of the Syrian uprising

The Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
B.A., 2004
Areas of Concentration: Civil Society and Social Capital
Fieldwork: critical comparative ethnography, Kashmir & Palestine

Authoring

Majid, A., & Spiro E. (2016). Crisis in a Foreign Language: Emergency Services and Limited English Populations. In A. Tapia, P. Antunes, V.A. Bañuls, K. Moore, & J. Porto (Eds.), ISCRAM 2016 Conference Proceedings – 13th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management. Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Majid, A. (2015). Cultural Competence: An Ethical Model for Big Data Research. Proceedings of the Workshop on Ethics for Studying Sociotechnical Systems in a Big Data World held at The 18th ACM conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. Vancouver, BC, Canada
Majid, A. (2015). Grammatical Gender: A challenge to power. Proceedings of the Workshop on Feminism and Feminist Approaches in Social Computing held at The 18th ACM conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing. Vancouver, BC, Canada
Majid, A., & McDonald, D. The Syrian crisis: Methods to assess meta-content indicators in Twitter. Poster presented at: The iSchool Research Fair, University of Washington

Other Stuff I Like To Do:

Meditation & Yoga – I use contemplative practices for my personal benefit and integrate them into my teaching. I hope to pursue some research in these areas as well. I maintain a regular meditation practice and recently completed an eight-week Mindful-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course at the UW Center for Child and Family Well-being with Dr. Elizabeth Lin. I began practicing yoga in the 1980’s in an Ashtanga tradition and continue to practice in Hatha and Ashtanga vinyasa classes. I am currently focusing on learning Pranayama techniques.
Sea Kayaking – I hold American Canoe Association Coastal and Open Water Kayaking Certifications from H20 Outfitters, Orr's Island, ME and particularly enjoy open water touring. I have completed The Wilderness Waterway Trail in the Everglades National Park, a 99-mile long waterway maze through mangrove forest and alligator lined creeks; and the Maine Island Trail, a 375-mile long water trail connecting over 200 island and mainland sites.
Sailing, competitive and recreational – I love racing and studied maritime navigation as an undergraduate. I have raced under PHRF rules on IRC and IOR class sailboats in events such as the Swiftsure Lightship Classic, Cape Flattery Races, and numerous one- and multi-day race series. I worked as shore crew for skipper Bruce Schwab of S/V Ocean Planet during the 2004 Vendée Globe and I have completed deliveries along the west coast of America.