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“Cultural homelessness” breeds extremists | Sarah Lyons-Padilla | TEDxStanford

4,847 views · Published 23 May 2016 · 10:54 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2016 · Nonprofits & Activism

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The psychology of home grown terrorists is at the heart of Stanford researcher and social psychologist Sarah Lyons-Padilla’s work. What makes someone turn against their own country and people? How does discrimination play into the radicalization of Muslims in the United States? In a time of rising unrest, Lyons-Padilla asks and answers the most pressing questions to help policymakers and the general public better understand and respond to the world in which we live. 

Sarah Lyons-Padilla is a research scientist at Stanford SPARQ: Social Psychological Answers to Real-world Questions. She studies the psychology of homegrown terrorism and has found that feelings of “cultural homelessness” and discrimination may play a key role in the radicalization of Muslims in the United States. Lyons-Padilla received her PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Maryland. Her research has been covered by media outlets such as The Conversation, Quartz, and The Washington Post. She has also reported on her findings to policymakers on Capitol Hill.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

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