Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Building Community For Those Living With Hiv: Co-Empowerment And Participatory Action Research, Patricia M. Miller Dr., Brent Oliver Dr., Ken Lapointe, Kim A. Samson, Vincenzo Sabella Mr.

The Qualitative Report

The Calgary HIV Social Society (CHSS) self-determined and organized several social-recreational monthly events to reduce and understand the effects of social isolation and stigma that people living with HIV face every day. It has been found that COVID-19 had impacted the lives of people living with HIV by creating significant isolation for those already stigmatized because of living with HIV. Using a Participatory Action Research (PAR) methodology and focus group at the end of the events, the research showed how COVID 19, and the related concurring isolation has impacted the lives of people living with HIV. The research included three …

Empowered Women In A Rural Community: A Case Study In Sarapiquí, Costa Rica, Patricia López-Estrada, Lady Fernández-Mora, Estefanía Pérez-Hidalgo

The Qualitative Report

Community empowerment plays a key role in the working of society. Providing support and training opportunities to communities and promoting socioeconomic growth can be of fundamental importance to the progress of any region but is particularly important in rural areas. Women in rural communities frequently have been confined to playing roles in the home, despite recent literature suggesting that empowering them can boost the development of their communities. Drawing on inductive qualitative research, this case study describes the perceptions of five rural women from Sarapiquí in the Northern Region of Costa Rica after undergoing training in tourism entrepreneurship in the …

Disruption, Transformation, Resilience, And Hope: The Experience Of A Belizean Community During Covid-19 Lockdown, Jean D. Kirshner Dr.

The Qualitative Report

This qualitative research explored the lived experience of teachers, school administrators, parents, and children in Belize, Central America during the COVID-19 lockdown. Through field notes, correspondence, and interviews, a narrative approach was leveraged to convey the impact of two years away from classrooms and from each other. Both the trauma and loss of this disruption on global literacy, along with three forces that nourished the capacity for resilience, were examined.

Heterotopias Of Nationalist Youth Organisations In Poland: Communitarisation And Entry/Exit System, Helena Ostrowicka, Klaudia Wolniewicz-Slomka

The Qualitative Report

The article presents the results of an analysis of the discourse of nationalist youth organisations in Poland. The authors have attempted to reconstruct the common “us” of two youth organisations based on the materials made available by them as well as articles in the press published in 2018 in selected journals and weeklies. This was the year when Poland celebrated its 100^th anniversary of regaining independence, which made this an exceptional time in the context of discourse about the community. The article focuses on two youth organisations – the All-Polish Youth (APY) and the National Radical Camp (NRC). The …

An Artistic Response To Social Unrest In Hong Kong: Utilizing The Arts To Build Up And Sustain An Understanding And Respectful Community, Shue-Kei Joanna Mok

Peace and Conflict Studies

The 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, commenced in March 2019, were triggered by the introduction of The Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation Bill 2019 by the Hong Kong government. In June 2019, peaceful civil disobedience escalated into violence, signalling the emergence of polarization and antagonism in the city. As of December 2019, an estimated 300,000 excess probable depressive cases and 810,000 suspected PTSD cases were associated with the 2019–20 social unrest. Furthermore with the pandemic, the hopelessness manifested in the city and citizen’s mental wellbeing are of extreme concern. Given the holistic and therapeutic nature of …

Seeing Visuals Through A Unique Lens: A Review Of Participatory Visual Methodologies: Social Change, Community, And Policy, Arielle Saunders

The Qualitative Report

Participatory Visual Methodologies: Social Change, Community, and Policy by Claudia Mitchell, Naydene De Lange, and Relebohile Moletsane (2017) offers practitioners a thorough synopsis of participatory visual methods of research and provides an abundance of useful information on how to effectively expand the field. The book provides figures, examples, and case studies to illustrate ways achieve these goals. It dissects various methods of participatory visual research, as well as how to use such methods to influence greater systems. It is a valuable guide for experienced researchers seeking to extend the influence of their participatory research in relation to social change, community …

A Blueprint For Research Success: Review Of Introduction To Community Oral History, Yanlys De La Caridad Palacios-Alfonso

The Qualitative Report

The Introduction to Community Oral History targets the novice researcher. The book provides a blueprint for the process of qualitative research. Also, the authors present examples for each step to engage the reader from start to finish. Lastly, I point out the strengths and weakness of the book.

Body-Worn Camera Perceptions Of Southwest Florida Citizens And Police Officers, Anthony D. Skolarus

School of Criminal Justice Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study explored if police officers wearing body-worn cameras contributed to an increased perception of safety among community members. Further emphasis centered on community support of body-worn cameras, officers who deployed the technology, and perceived trust of citizens geared at improving relations between police and the community. The current study set out to provide an evaluation of police body-worn cameras and their perceived safety impact on citizens (n=166). Perceptions of police officers (n=200) supporting the cameras were also examined in the sampling. A One-Same Binomial Test proved ninety-one percent of citizen respondents believed the cameras would enhance …

Community-Based Participatory Research And The Co-Construction Of Community Knowledge, Karie Jo Peralta, John W. Murphy

The Qualitative Report

From a community-based perspective, all that is known about a community is obtained through intersubjective engagement. But how, exactly, is knowledge socially constructed and revealed in community-based projects? This article addresses this question by focusing on the use of narratives to understand a community. First, the importance of stories for gaining insight into a community’s reality is presented, followed by an examination of how this information should be accessed and engaged. The principles of Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) that are consistent with this narrative approach are then discussed. Next, reflexivity is described to be the key for reading properly a …

Finding A Place To Belong: The Role Of Social Inclusion In The Lives Of Homeless Men, Meaghan Bell, Christine A. Walsh

The Qualitative Report

This study explores the role of informal social support networks of male homeless shelter residents. Authors utilized ethnographic methods, relationality and reflexive research approaches and key informant interviews with 10 shelter residents to investigate perceptions of belonging in overcoming social exclusion and countering the stigmatization cast onto as a result of their condition of homelessness. Study findings challenge our normative conceptions of homelessness by discerning between “rooflessness” and “rootlessness” suggesting that homelessness is more than the absence of shelter, but rather denotes the absence of support and inclusion in one’s community. This research highlights a community within the shelter characterized …

From Isolation To Collaboration: An Autoethnographic Account, Andrew Sutherland

The Qualitative Report

In this paper I explore my personal experiences with collaborative music performance projects. Collaborations between different groups of musicians can be a transformative moment in the lives of students and music educators. The process of collaboration provides opportunities that cannot always be achieved when an ensemble performs alone. Many of these projects were undertaken in my role as a music educator responsible for school music ensembles but in one case, as a conductor of a community band. This idiographic auto-ethnographical study is based on my own reflective journal, which was analysed using Autoethnography and Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. The themes identified …

Applying The Pedagogy Of The Oppressed: A Review Of Creatingtogether: Participatory, Community-Based, And Collaborative Artspractices And Scholarship Across Canada, Bruce Lilyea

The Qualitative Report

Creating Together: Participatory, Community-Based, and Collaborative Arts Practices and Scholarship across Canada offers a series of real-life practical examples where the concepts of the book title are effectively applied and an impact is made in a range of places across Canada and with a range of marginalized groups. By using a comparative approach, this review links the material presented in Creating Together: Participatory, Community-based, and Collaborative Arts Practices and Scholarship across Canada to the concepts presented in Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The examples in Creating Together offer pragmatic applications of Freire’s concepts and provide a series of pragmatic illustration …

A Thin Blue Line And The Great Black Divide: The Inter And Intra Departmental Conflict Among Black Police Officers, Their Agencies, And The Communities In Which They Work Regarding Police Use Of Force Perception By Black Americans In A Southwestern State, Vance Debral Keyes

Department of Conflict Resolution Studies Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the relationship between Black police officers, Black citizens, and their external environment using a group of 30 police officers and citizens to establish the connection between police officer race and perceptions by same race citizens within the context of police use of force. I use the term Black to be inclusive of African Americans as well as others of African descent without regard to their ethnicity or national origin. Criminal justice means system application whereas criminology is the study of criminal behavior. In America, there exists a history of volatility between the police and Black communities. While …

Tasers And Community Controversy: Investigating Training Officer Perceptions Of Public Concern Over Conducted Energy Weapons, Joseph De Angelis, Brian Wolf

The Qualitative Report

Over the last several decades, “Tasers,” “stun guns” and other conducted energy devices (CEDs) have become a widely adopted, though publicly controversial, form of police restraint technology. While there is a growing body of research on the physiological effects of these types of weapons, less attention has been devoted to the social effects of this technology. This paper draws on in - depth interviews with a stratified random sample of police training officers from two states (n=27) to explore the effect that community controversy over the use of CEDs has had on police organizational practices. In particular, we explore how …

Connecting Research With Communities Through Performative Social Science, Kip Jones

The Qualitative Report

A pioneer in Performative Social Science, Kip Jones makes a case for the potential of arts-based social science to reach audiences and engage communities. Jones contextualises both the use of the arts in Social Science, as well as the utility of Social Science in the Arts and Humanities. The discussion turns next to examples from his own work and what happens when Art talks to Social Science and Social Science responds to Art. The benefits of such interaction and interdisciplinarity are outlined in relation to a recently completed project using multi-methods, which resulted in the production of a professional short …

Ouch! Recruitment Of Overweight And Obese Adolescent Boys For Qualitative Research, Zachary Morrison, David Gregory, Steven Thibodeau, Jennifer Copeland

The Qualitative Report

The purpose of this study is to examine the complexities of recruiting overweight and obese adolescent boys for qualitative research, discuss specific recruitment considerations for this population, and offer guidance to researchers interested in recruiting overweight adolescent boys. Three overweight adolescent boys and six community professionals participated in this study. Data collection methods included fieldwork observations (60 hours) and person-centered interviews (N=9). Emergent themes revealed that establishing trust, understanding the sensitivities of discussing obesity, and considering adolescent boys’ fears of sharing personal information may have enhanced recruitment success. Researchers should consider the importance of building relationships with professionals who can …

Flooding Challenges Pakistan’S Government And The International Community, Altaf Ullah Khan, Mary H. Schwoebel

Conflict Resolution Studies Faculty Articles

The flooding and associated devastation that have battered Pakistan since late July 2010 present yet another series of challenges to its government, already contending with violence from extremist groups. The international community would do well to assist the Pakistani government in responding effectively to these challenges.

Natural disasters are social as well as environmental events. The poor and marginalized members of society suffer the most. Marginalization is one of the root causes of violence and militancy in Pakistan.

As the government of Pakistan responds to the suffering of its people and the damage to the environment and infrastructure, it should …

Amish Teacher Dialogues With Teacher Educators: Research, Culture, And Voices Of Critique, Henry Zehr, Glenda Moss, Joe Nichols

The Qualitative Report

This dialogical project is framed with in critical inquiry methods to bring an Amish teacher’s voice to the fore front. Henry, an Amish middle school teacher, and two university teacher educators in northeastern Indiana collaboratively critiqued educational literature written about the Amish culture from the past 15 years. Building on critical ethnography and narrative methods, the authors used dialogue as a medium for inquiry. The intersubjective, collaborative project democratized the university researchers’ research role and allowed an Amish voice to gain a place in the academic field of research.