McKenzie Gallagher '20

What “wicked problem” did you study?

Mixed-race identity.

Why IDS?

When prioritizing only one discipline, it can become intuitive to view everything in the world through a single lens and disregard the possibility of other perspectives. On the other hand, an interdisciplinary approach utilizes the perspectives of multiple disciplines to address elaborate societal issues. Every discipline has distinct approaches and perspectives through which to view the world. Through the lenses of sociology, communication, and art, I studied the complexities of living with a mixed-race identity in the context of the United States.

What do you value about the IDS program at Wheaton College?

I valued the emphasis on learning and exploring rather than simply grades. Because I got to intentionally choose classes to create my program of study, I was naturally more passionate about learning. I could take a philosophy class on Critical Race Theory, make connections to my sociology class on Racial & Ethnic Relations, and further connect it to a communications class on Media, Influence, and Culture.

What would you say to someone who is considering the IDS major?

If you want more freedom in your studies, then IDS is great for seeing the overlap and connection between different fields.

What is your final project title?

Communicating Mixed-Race Identity in a Racialized Society.

What is your final project abstract?

In the 21st century, many romanticize the growing mixed-race population as evidence of a post-racial United States. Yet, because mixed-race existence has deep roots in United States colonialism, the persistence of structural, economic, and political problems tied to being mixed-race cannot be easily erased. These problems extend to everyone in the United States as the social construction of race benefits or disadvantages people depending on their social location. Mixed-race people will not solve these societal issues in the United States, but they can help to reveal the way we have been socialized to racialize ourselves and others. The illusion that mixed-race people are proof of a post-racial United States generates harmful rhetoric and inaccurate perceptions of mixed-race people, further sustaining the country's systemic racism and social construction of race.