PhD Candidate | Applied Social & Cultural Psychology
Graduate Minor | Middle East & Muslim World Studies
"We cannot fight for our rights and our history as well as future until we are armed with weapons of criticism and dedicated consciousness."
-Edward W. Said
About me
I research the use & misuse of cultural knowledge, systems, and ideas.
I am Abbey Michelle Gali, a Ph.D. candidate in Applied Social & Cultural Psychology with a graduate minor in Middle East & Muslim World Studies at Florida International University. My research examines how cultural systems shape identity, behavior, and well-being among Arab and Middle Eastern populations, with a particular focus on Lebanon.
Across qualitative, experimental, and mixed-method projects, I investigate three interconnected areas:
(1) Community-grounded resilience in Lebanon,
(2) The psychology of cultural appropriation and globalized aesthetics, and
(3) Sexual violence and image-based abuse as systems of gendered and racialized power.
My work aims to challenge Western-centric narratives and develop culturally informed frameworks that better reflect the lived experiences and epistemologies of Arab/MENA communities.
Publications
Gali, A.M., Ortiz Diaz, K., Wolfart, R., Eaton, A. A. (under review) Men’s experiences with image-based sexual abuse in the U.S.: Contributing circumstances and vulnerabilities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Ortiz Diaz, K; Gali, A.M.; Solomon, D.; Kenny, M.; Stephens, D.P. (under review) A Grounded Theory Approach to Understanding Male Military Member’s Experiences and Perceptions of Sexual Assault Prevention Trainings: A Research Note. Armed Forces & Society.
Gali, A.M., Eaton, A., Mosley, A., & Diaz, K. (under review). Behind the Trend: Unmasking the Role of System Justification in Cultural Appropriation. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin,
Siegel, J. A., Miller, A. M., Krieger, M. A., & Eaton, A. A. (2025). “Anything I could do to not have it paralyze me was welcome”: Coping strategies employed by survivors of image-based sexual abuse. Psychology of Violence, 15(1), 66-75. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000526
Eaton, A. A., Krieger, M. A., Siegel, J. A., & Miller, A. M. (2024). Victim‐survivors’ proposed solutions to addressing image‐based sexual abuse in the U.S.: Legal, corporate, educational, technological, and cultural approaches. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy (ASAP), 24(2), 307–334. https://doi.org/10.1111/asap.12395
