Mikhail Lyubansky Ph.D.

About

Mikhail Lyubansky, Ph.D., is a teaching associate professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, where he teaches Psychology of Race and Ethnicity and courses on restorative justice.

Since 2009, Mikhail has been studying and working with conflict, particularly via Restorative Circles (a restorative practice developed in Brazil by Dominic Barter and associates) and other restorative responses to conflict. As part of Conflict 180 (co-founded with Elaine Shpungin), he supports schools, organizations, and workplaces in developing restorative strategies for engaging conflict, building conflict facilitation skills and evaluating the outcomes associated with restorative responses.

In addition to conflict and restorative practices, Mikhail also has a long-standing interest (going back about 20 years) in race and racial dynamics and regularly explores these themes in this blog, as well as in contributions to a variety of anthologies on popular culture. In addition to Psychology Today, Mikhail’s commentary has appeared in many other online publications, including Buzzflash, Jewcy, Colors, Race-Talk, Truthout, Tikkun, Alternet and The Huffington Post, and he has been a guest on a variety of radio programs, including Illinois Public Media and Wisconsin Public Radio.

Mikhail's academic work includes multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters exploring various aspects of restorative justice and race relations. He recently co-edited an academic textbook: Toward a Socially Responsible Psychology for a Global Age and, in 2006, co-authored a book on the Russian-Jewish diaspora: Building a Diaspora: Russian Jews in Israel, Germany, and the United States.

Born in Kiev, Mikhail immigrated with his family to the United States as a child in 1977. He currently lives in Urbana, Illinois, with his wife and two children.

Books by Mikhail Lyubansky Ph.D.

Recent Posts

The Racial Allegory of Black Panther

In addition to the literal tales, the Black Panther stories can also be understood allegorically, where characters represent different aspects of contemporary racial reality.

Developing a More Restorative Pedagogy

Restorative principles are designed to be subversive to established systems and provide a viable alternative to the structural violence that characterizes mainstream education.

Why Restorative Justice Programs May Fail in Schools

In the hope of reverse-engineering what makes a restorative system sustainable, here are some things that lead restorative systems in schools to break down.

How Do We Respond to "The Worst Thing"?

What do we need in order to heal from the worst thing that has happened to us? A new documentary follows Kathleen Pequeno as she grapples with tragedy by turning towards the pain.

A Brief History of Punitive Justice

In many societies, punishment has simultaneously served the function of controlling marginalized populations and prohibiting acts deemed subversive of that control.

Nine Criticisms of School Restorative Justice

There are many criticisms of restorative justice in schools—some legitimate, some based on misunderstanding. Here are nine that I have heard the most over the years.

Louis C.K. Is Doing Comedy Again. Should We Tune In?

In the age of #MeToo, what do we need in order to reintegrate those who engaged in sexual harassment and similar acts into our communities?

A Racial Analysis of Childish Gambino's "This is America"

As is always the case with ambiguous stimuli, what the viewer thinks is happening has much more to do with their life experiences and beliefs than with the stimulus itself.

Not-So-Blank Slate: The Quandary of Behavioral Genetics

Behavioral genetics are changing the way we understand human behavior. What are the implications for race relations?

Engaging Conflict: A Story in Three Parts

Learning something new is not always sufficient. Sometimes, to integrate new knowledge, we have to unlearn the old ways and then learn and relearn the new ones.