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Research

I am keenly interested in the implementation of humane technologies. It’s just that I understand “technology” very broadly–not only in terms of computers and communications, but also the cognitive processes of our brains. Indeed, I view race as socio-cognitive technology, and I view my work as a sort of academic “hacking” of the system.

Jerry Kang 2015

As suggested on my home page, my broad interest is about “technologies,” understood in a very broad sense.   Much of my writing concerns communication technologies and the social impacts of new information structures.  More specifically, I have focused on information privacy and pervasive computing (when the Internet is embedded everywhere).

My other research interest is race and race relations.  My work falls within the broad category of critical race studies, which critically examines how race and law help constitute each other.  Some of this work focuses on Asian Americans, with respect to hate crimes and affirmative action.  I’ve also written extensively on the internment of Japanese Americans. I’m probably best known for translating the vocabulary, findings, and insights of implicit social cognition (e.g. implicit bias) into legal analysis. This work is guided by a commitment to “behavioral realism,” which insists that the law revise itself in light of better understandings of human behavior.

Most of my work is available in full text on-line, listed below chronologically.

Reading Guide

Articles