Digital Commons Network^™

The Working And Living Conditions Of Migrant Farm Workers, Hilario Molina Ii

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

The purpose of this thesis was to explore the world of migrant workers, through first hand account, through the description of the living and working conditions of migrant farms by focusing on each camp (A, B, and C), by observing and describing the line of work, by discussing the social and cultural dynamics of migrant farm working—the role and culture of the migrant women, children, and alpha males—and by documenting the exploitation of migrant farm workers. This is a qualitative research, based on ground theory, which consisted of participant observation of these factors. There was no hypothesis due to the …

Communities, Place, And Conservation On Mount Kilimanjaro, Marie Bradshaw Durrant

Theses and Dissertations

The Chagga people have lived and worked on Mount Kilimanjaro for more than 250 years. Through traditions and social practices within their communities and families, strong bonds are established between the Chagga and their home on the mountain. Kilimanjaro National Park and Forest Reserve (KINAPA) was established in the 1970s to protect and conserve the mountain, based on a long history of colonialism and western ideals. As KINAPA has attempted to preserve the flora and fauna on the uppermost portion of Mount Kilimanjaro, they have alienated local residents from the land through a conservation approach that relies on "fences and …

Si, Se Puede: Organizing Latino Immigrant Workers In South Omaha's Meatpacking Industry, Jacqulyn S. Gabriel

Student Work

Faced with declining union density and a growing immigrant workforce, the U.S. labor movement has begun to realize the importance of organizing Latino immigrant workers. However, the “conventional wisdom” among many within the movement is that these workers are “unorganizable.” Labor scholar Ruth Milkman (2002), for example, explains that the “conventional wisdom” is that immigrants are vulnerable, docile persons, intensely fearful of any confrontation with authority, who accept substandard wages and poor working conditions because their standard of comparison is drawn from their home countries, and who therefore are extremely unlikely to unionize. Through an in-depth study of a successful …

Examining The Role Of Social Capital In Community Development: How The Creation Of A Land Trust Set A Small Town On The Path To Sustainability, Lynda A. Brushett

Doctoral Dissertations

Theoretical constructs of social capital and sustainable community development are examined through the lens of the lived experience of a small Vermont town. A case study of the community's land use planning history from the 1960's through to the present assesses the actions and relationships among individuals and institutions engaged in civic efforts to achieve environmental, economic, and social balance in development decision-making. The role of a land trust and its members as a community system changing variable---a self-organized institutional response to the concerns of citizens to the unsustainable development of their community---is evaluated. Findings describe the process whereby social …

Wealth And Social Responsibility: A Study Of Philanthropy In Southern New Hampshire And Southern Maine, Susan A. Lord

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a study of individual philanthropists and their beliefs and practices of philanthropy in southern New Hampshire and southern Maine. It examines the patterns and social structures of philanthropy in these areas, looking particularly at issues of class, culture, social capital, and civic participation.

Based on in-depth interviews conducted with 40 wealthy philanthropists in 2002 and 2003, the study findings suggest that I uncovered a population of philanthropists that had not been studied before. These sample philanthropists are not simply using their wealth to maintain the status quo and perpetuate their position in society, as past studies have found …

Asian American Perspectives On College Student Experience: An Interpretive Narrative, Linda Chen Einsiedler

Doctoral Dissertations

This is a socio-cultural study examining contemporary Asian American college student experiences at a private liberal arts residential college in the rural Northeast United States. This project utilizes a grounded theory approach designed to collect both qualitative and quantitative data. The findings include a narrative interpretation that considers emotional experiences and social behaviors as sub-consciously held internalized identity beliefs.

This project details psychological and social dimensions of shared Asian American experiences with insights into individual interpretive perspective frameworks shaped by community cultures. This study describes a distinctive Asian American identity that conjoins ethnicity with racial self-identity. Variables in ethnic identity, …

The Relative Impact Of Childhood Stressor Domains On Young Adult Depression And The Mediating Role Of Social And Personal Resources, Paul A. Muller

Doctoral Dissertations

Numerous studies have documented the harmful effects of childhood exposure to adversity on adult psychopathology. The relative impact of different types of stress, however, is less certain. Moreover, while there is very good evidence that childhood exposure to adversity does increase the likelihood of experiencing psychopathology, less is known about the mechanisms through which this happens. It is my hypothesis that childhood adversity exhibits effects on psychological distress in young adulthood, at least in part, through its damaging impact on the development of social and personal resources---specifically, by affecting a reduction in family support, peer support, self-esteem, and mastery. Further, …

Multiple Voices In Hiv And Aids: A Comparison Of The Discourses Of Christian Religion And Public Health (Kenya)., Chris Brouillard-Coyle

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Concern over the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS in Africa has inspired many organizations to develop intervention programmes that aim to reduce the impact and spread of this pandemic. Since none of these programmes is likely to have been created in isolation, the particular socio-cultural experiences and institutional affiliations of the author(s) would have some influence on the ultimate content. This can be problematic within the contested regions of HIV prevention programming, particularly when interventions representing different institutions with conflicting perspectives coexist in a community. The task of this research project is look at two particular institutional voices which …

Influential Factors In Physically Active Leisure For International Students At The University Of Windsor: A Qualitative Study (Ontario)., Bert Meulders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this exploratory study was to gain deeper insight into different factors for international students at the University of Windsor that influence involvement in and enjoyment of physical activity programs organized by Campus Recreation Services. The main source of data for this qualitative study were 12 semi-structured interviews with six male and six female international students from the University of Windsor, who represented a variety of cultural backgrounds. Three groups of four students were selected based upon their involvement in Campus Recreation Sport Programs during the Winter term of 2004: no involvement, involvement in recreational classes, and involvement …