UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Matrix On Point

Recap

Published April 10, 2025

Mainstreaming Psychedelics

Psychedelics are steadily moving from the fringes of counterculture to the heart of mainstream society, driven by a growing body of research and shifting public perception. As psychedelics shed their stigma, they are catalyzing a broader conversation about mental health, spirituality, and the boundaries of human consciousness. Recorded on March 6, 2025, this panel featured Diana Negrin, David Presti, Charles Hirschkind, and Graham Pechenik, with Poulomi Saha moderating.

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Sexuality

Published November 11, 2018

Getting the Facts on Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment

Recorded on October 25 at UC Berkeley's Social Science Matrix, this panel discussion focused on the limits of what can be learned about sexual violence and harassment from personal narratives that are shared online, as well as the question of what is missed in survey data related to sexual violence.

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Matrix News

News

Published August 21, 2018

Matrix Welcomes 2018-2019 Dissertation Fellows

Social Science Matrix is honored to welcome our 2018-2019 cohort of Matrix Dissertation Fellows, four Ph.D. candidates whose research interests span diverse global challenges such as urbanization, discrimination in the workforce, self-immolation, and indigenous language preservation.

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Matrix News

News

Published June 24, 2018

Social Science Matrix Announces 2018-2019 Research Teams

The 2018-2019 Social Science Matrix Research Teams will address a range of important social-science questions, including sexual harassment and sexual violence, the social impacts of cannabis production, gender and technology, genetic ancestry testing, child marriage, and more.

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Cities

Article

Published May 22, 2018

Urban Planning in China’s “Ecological Civilization”

Jesse Rodenbiker, a Ph.D. student in the UC Berkeley Department of Geography, studies the process of ecological planning in China's growing urban areas.

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Other Events

Recap

Published May 17, 2018

Radical Markets

On May 11, 2018, Matrix hosted a panel discussion featuring E. Glen Weyl and his book, Radical Markets (co-authored with Eric Posner), which introduces provocative ideas on how to use markets to tame monopoly, lessen inequality, and enhance inclusiveness. This event was presented as part of the Social Science Matrix Solidarity Series.

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Other Events

Recap

Published May 8, 2018

2018 Social Science Fest / Matrix Open House

On May 1, 2018, Social Science Matrix hosted the first-ever joint Social Science Fest / Matrix Open House, a celebration of the accomplishments of the Division of Social Science over the past year—and an opportunity to highlight the work of Matrix for the broader community.

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