The Grand Challenges of Blind Spatial Cognition: What Is Needed for Solutions in 2020 and Beyond

In this talk I will discuss three of the ‘big’ issues related to spatial cognition and blindness: education, employment, and navigation. I will describe why solutions have not been forthcoming and argue for a holistic approach involving several paradigmatic shifts in how we think and conduct research that are needed in order to make true advances.

Power and Ideology: What Sexism Tells Us about Negotiating Power

Humans are deeply dependent on others, creating a constant negotiation of power. Power determines whether people can satisfy their own needs and goals or whether they must prioritize the needs and goals of others. Using the high-stakes context of couple and family relationships, I will outline when power leads to inhibition, aggression, or manipulation, and when power leads to accommodation, protection, or neglect. Using gender ideologies, I will reveal how competitive and cooperative strategies emerge to negotiate dependence, divide power, and sustain power asymmetries.