Kwan’s current body of research examines the social psychology of identity, especially how theories of identity explain marginalized social identity and how identity processes shape the experience of marginalization and justice. Kwan understands marginalization as consisting of discrimination (i.e., negative prejudice) against, and subsequent exclusion of, another by others within a social group, often directed by leaders and individuals with power and authority (Blount-Hill, 2020). On the other hand, justice is the satisfaction of a reasonable expectation to which one is entitled (Blount-Hill & Richards, forthcoming). Identifying, understanding, and eliminating unjust marginalization is central to Kwan’s research agenda and policy work.
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Social Identity Theory
Kwan has applied social identity theory to issues in criminal justice and conservation, drawing on theories from social and personality psychology and sociology.
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Affective Architecture
Integrating work from environmental and architectural psychology, human geography, and environmental sociology, Kwan studies how built structures can be designed to elicit affective and behavioral responses to empower or disempower human users.
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Inclusive Criminology and Academic Diversity
From the start of his research career, Kwan was worked toward advancing, in theory and in practice, professional cultures and environments that welcome and include a fuller panoply of human identities, especially those that have been traditionally marginalized, underserved, or underrepresented.
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Broader Research Interests
In addition to his work on identity, architecture, and inclusivity, Kwan has also conducted research in a bevy of other areas, including criminal justice reform and transformation, violence reduction, morality and ethics, and autoethnogaphic methods.