Help Us Share Our Research at an International Conference!

We are thrilled to share that our team — Crystal Moua, Rachel Axt, Patricia Yang, Dr. Jessica McKenzie, Crystal Xiong, Briana Petrille, Jessica Perez, and Brianna Zack (pictured left to right) — has been granted the incredible opportunity to present our research at the International Academy for Intercultural Research + International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology Conference in Brisbane, Australia! The conference will take place from June 28 to July 1, 2025.

This opportunity is a dream come true, as it allows us to showcase our work on a global stage, connect with other researchers, and contribute to the growing body of knowledge on how globalization impacts moral development across cultures. However, attending this conference comes with significant expenses, including flights, lodging, registration fees, and other travel costs. We are reaching out to our community for support to help make this journey possible.

Why This Matters?

We are an all-female team of Child and Family Science majors, set to graduate this year from California State University, Fresno. Most of our team come from minority backgrounds. We could never dream that our research would be chosen out of hundreds of applicants to be presented. As emerging scholars, this conference represents a once in a lifetime opportunity to engage with the international research community and advocate for diverse, cross-cultural perspectives in psychology. We could not be here without the amazing support from our faculty mentor Dr. Jessica McKenzie, who has shown us that women in research matter. We hope to continue our research and make an impact on how culture is shaped through the forces of modern globalization. Your support will not only help us attend this conference — it will also empower us to continue our work as researchers committed to understanding the social and cultural forces shaping young people's lives

About Our Research

Our research explores how globalization impacts moral values and reasoning among Thai youth across the life course. Research coming out of Southeast Asia suggests that globalization — through technology, tourism, trade, and transnationalism (the 4 Ts) — encourages young people to adopt more global, autonomous values. However, little is known about how early exposure to globalization affects moral values over time.

Our study is one of the first longitudinal, multi-sited projects to track moral development in Thai youth over a 10-year span (2012–2022). Dr. McKenzie followed 32 participants from rural and urban communities to understand how their definitions of morality evolved from adolescence to emerging adulthood. Our findings reveal that young people raised in rural communities undergo more dramatic transformations in their moral reasoning as they encounter globalization, shifting from community-centered to autonomy-based values.

This research is especially timely, as globalization continues to reshape cultural landscapes and redefine what it means to live a moral life. By sharing our findings at this conference, we hope to amplify underrepresented perspectives from Southeast Asia and contribute to global conversations on youth development, culture, and morality.

How Your Support Will Help

Your generous donations will go directly toward covering the costs of:

Conference registration fees

Airfare to and from Brisbane, Australia

Lodging during the conference

Meals and transportation

Every dollar counts, and any amount you can give will bring us one step closer to making this dream a reality.

Thank you so much for your kindness, generosity, and belief in our work! Please share this campaign with others to help spread the word.

With gratitude,

Crystal, Rachel, Patricia, Crystal, Briana, Jessica, and Brianna