Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Measuring Environmental Inequality, James K. Boyce, Klara Zwickl, Michael Ash

PERI Working Papers

This study presents alternative measures of environmental inequality in the 50 U.S. states for exposure to industrial air pollution. We examine three methodological issues. First, to what extent are environmental inequality measures sensitive to spatial scale and population weighting? Second, how do sensitivities to different segments of the overall distribution affect rankings by these measures? Third, how do vertical and horizontal (inter-group) inequality measures relate to each other? We find substantive differences in rankings by different measures and conclude that no single indicator is sufficient for addressing the entire range of equity concerns that are relevant to environmental policy; instead …

The Effect Of Public Health Expenditure On Infant Mortality: Evidence From A Panel Of Indian States, 1983-84 To 2011-12, Andrew J. Barenberg, Deepankar Basu, Ceren Soylu

PERI Working Papers

Using a panel data set of Indian states between 1983–84 and 2011–12, this paper studies the impact of public health expenditure on the infant mortality rate (IMR), after controlling for other relevant covariates like per capita income, female literacy, and urbanization. We find that public expenditure on health care reduces IMR. Our baseline specification shows that an increase in public health expenditure by 1 percent of state-level GDP is associated with a reduction in the IMR by about 8 infant deaths per 1000 live births. We also find that female literacy and urbanization reduces the IMR.

Umass Amherst Friends Of The Library Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2015 (No. 49), Jay Schafer

Library News for the Friends of the UMass Amherst Libraries

Only time will tell if 3D printing is really the next industrial revolution; all indications are that it is indeed a transformative technology. UMass Amherst Libraries, with the support of the Friends of the Libraries, are providing our students and faculty with the opportunity to experiment and engage with this new technology through the creation of the MakerBot Innovation Center. The first such center in New England and the first located in a university library, the Innovation Center provides access to over 50 3D printers, 3D scanners, and an innovative 3D printing software platform that links the printers together, providing …

Urban Redevelopment And Gentrification: How Will Hartford's Downtown North / Downtown West Master Plan Affect The Adjacent Neighborhoods?, Jesse Regnier

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The purpose of this project is to determine the impact of a redevelopment master plan on the existing population surrounding the project area. In the Spring of 2014, the City of Hartford, Connecticut and Utile prepared a redevelopment Master Plan for a portion of their downtown titled "Downtown North / Downtown West: A Plan for the City of Hartford". The Downtown North (DoNo) section of the plan area consists of vacant lots, parking lots, and underutilized properties, many city-owned, which appear prime for redevelopment. My research questions and analysis focus on the housing portion of this Master Plan in the …

Gentrification And Community Development Groups: Boston Area, Aqsa Butt

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Studio and Student Research and Creative Activity

Gentrification plays a significant role in the Boston area. Its influx of affluent residents benefits those who are economically stable. There is considerable increase in housing costs and in property value for locals that may contribute to their housing insecurity. Community Development groups assist lower income residents that may lack guidance, social, economic, and political power to address issues that arise with subsidized housing.

An analysis of vulnerable populations in Boston: elderly, poor, minorities, homeless, substance dependents, and the disabled, reveal a challenge for Community Development Groups: gentrification contributes to housing insecurity of local residents. The city needs to redefine …

Public Consultations On Undergrounding Power Lines For Downtown Revitalization: The Cases Of Pleasant Street In Northampton, Ma And Main Street In Medfield, Ma, Noam Goldstein

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This research is about a particular form installation of electric cables known as Undergrounding. The term undergrounding is associated to the fact that this type of infrastructural installation consists in burying the power lines beneath the surface instead of leaving these cables hanging on top of poles that are spread throughout the landscape.

1b Copyright Hypotheticals, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Copyright Boot Camp Day 1: Foundational Copyright

Copyright Basics. What is copyrightable? What rights does copyright cover (what’s a derivative work)?

This list of situations provides assessment and discussion around basic copyright with case studies.

1a Copyright Boot Camp Agenda, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

This fall, ACRL New England’s Scholarly Communication Interest Group is offering both a one- or two-day copyright workshop, in two different locations, taught by the New England Copyright Crew (NECC)! NECC includes Laura Quilter (Copyright and Information Policy Librarian, UMass Amherst), who spearheaded this approach last year at UMass, Kyle Courtney (Copyright Advisor, Harvard University), Ellen Finnie Duranceau (Program Manager, Scholarly Publishing, Copyright & Licensing, MIT Libraries), and Joan Emmet (Licensing & Copyright Librarian, Yale University).

Those who are already familiar with "Foundational Copyright" topics may elect to attend only the second day; others may wish to attend only the …

2d Scholarly Communication Issues & Library License Negotiation, Ellen Finnie

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

Ellen Finnie, MIT – Negotiation methods and theory & introducing Scholarly Communication issues into library content licenses. Includes a hands-on exercise using “principled negotiation” to engage with a vendor on adding scholarly communication-related supports to a license.

2j Wiley-Blackwell Agreement (Sample Contract), Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

Laura Quilter, UMass - Authors & Scholarly Communication. Includes an overview of copyright in relation to author contracts, a hands-on exercise reviewing an author publication agreement, and pointers about talking with authors about their publication agreements.

This is a sample copyright transfer agreement from Wiley-Blackwell used for teaching purposes.

2b Copyright Workshop Agenda Session 2, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

This is the agenda for Day 2 of the Copyright Boot Camp.

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

2e Licensing Electronic Resources: Spotting Issues In E-Content Licenses, Joan M. Emmet

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Foundational Copyright (Dec. 1 Boston; Dec. 15 Amherst)

Joan Emmet, Yale - Library Licensing: An overview of contracts for library content; hands-on exercise learning to spot key Issues that should be negotiated.

2c Negotiation Methods And Theory, Ellen Finnie

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

Ellen Finnie, MIT – Negotiation methods and theory & introducing Scholarly Communication issues into library content licenses. Includes a hands-on exercise using “principled negotiation” to engage with a vendor on adding scholarly communication-related supports to a license.

1d U.S. Copyright Law: An Index, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Foundational Copyright (Dec. 1 Boston; Dec. 15 Amherst)

This is an index of important materials and US Code, Title 17. It is a useful resource for those looking at copyright law.

1g 92 F.Supp.2d 349 (S.D.N.Y. 2000), Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

UMG RECORDINGS, INC., Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Warner Bros. Records Inc., Arista Records Inc., Atlantic Recordings Corp., BMG Music d/b/a The RCA Records Label, Capitol Records, Inc., Elektra Entertainment Group, Inc., Interscope Records, and Sire Records Group Inc., Plaintiffs, v. MP3.COM, INC., Defendant. No. 00 Civ. 472(JSR). United States District Court, S.D. New York. May 4, 2000.

Cite as 92 F.Supp.2d 349 (S.D.N.Y. 2000)

Owners of copyrights in musical recordings sued Internet company, which made MP3 files of recordings available to its subscribers, for infringement. On plaintiffs’ motion for partial summary judgment, the District Court, Rakoff, J., held that defendant’s …

2i Negotiating Author Agreements, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

Laura Quilter, UMass - Authors & Scholarly Communication. Includes an overview of copyright in relation to author contracts, a hands-on exercise reviewing an author publication agreement, and pointers about talking with authors about their publication agreements.

1e Statutes 101 2, 6-9, 110, 121, 504a, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Foundational Copyright (Dec. 1 Boston; Dec. 15 Amherst)

This is the text of Statutes 101 2, 6-9, 110, 121, 504a.

1f Ho V. Taflove, Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Used in Foundational Copyright (Dec. 1 Boston; Dec. 15 Amherst)

In the United States Court of Appeals For the Seventh Circuit No. 10-2144 SENG-TIONG HO, et al., Plaintiffs-Appellants, v. ALLEN TAFLOVE, et al., Defendants-Appellees. Ho v. Taflove, 648 F.3d 489 (7th Cir. 2011) Appeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division. No. 1:07-cv-04305—Elaine E. Bucklo, Judge. ARGUED JANUARY 20, 2011—DECIDED JUNE 6, 2011 Before RIPPLE and HAMILTON, Circuit Judges, and MURPHY, District Judge. * The Honorable G. Patrick Murphy, United States District Judge for the Southern District of Illinois, is sitting by designation. …

2k Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc. Publishing Agreement (Sample Contract), Laura Quilter

New England Copyright Boot Camp

Advanced Topics : Licensing, Negotiation, and Scholarly Communication (Dec. 2 Boston, Dec. 16 Amherst)

Laura Quilter, UMass - Authors & Scholarly Communication. Includes an overview of copyright in relation to author contracts, a hands-on exercise reviewing an author publication agreement, and pointers about talking with authors about their publication agreements.

This is a sample book contract from Rowman & Littlefield used for teaching purposes.

Pathways Out Of Poverty: A Needs Assessment Survey Of Low-Income Single Mothers In Amherst, Ma, Garine Roubinian

School of Public Policy Capstones

The Pathways out of Poverty Needs Assessment Survey is a project undertaken to provide the first mixed-methods evaluation of the critical needs and issues affecting low-income single mothers in Amherst, MA. This analysis seeks to aid community-based social service organizations, local government officials, and other stakeholders to specifically focus on and thus better allocate intervention and support services to low-income single mothers in need in Amherst and neighboring towns. The survey evaluates current needs and challenges experienced by low-income single mothers, current supports and services they utilize, and service gaps and barriers they experience in accessing help. It also examines …

Genetic Discrimination Law In The United States: A Socioethical & Legal Analysis Of The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (Gina), Ken Lefebvre

School of Public Policy Capstones

In the last several years, genetic sequencing technologies have become widely accessible to consumers as prices have fallen at rates faster than the National Institute of Health had initially predicted. With these lower costs more patients now have access to their own genetic information than ever before, thanks to a host of new services.

Though objective in itself, genetic information is often regarded as an indicator of social and medical outcomes, with some associations substantiated and others largely reflecting social attitudes. Our understanding of genetic markers as forecasters for certain physiological disorders is still relatively limited, but associations between certain …

Socioeconomic Assessment Of The Epic Mangrove Restoration Project In Thailand, Jennifer King, Orlando Cordero

School of Public Policy Capstones

Mangroves supply important services to tropical and subtropical communities around the world, but these delicate ecosystems have been degraded, sometimes destroyed, for development interests such as tourism, charcoal concessions, intensive shrimp aquaculture, and growing populations. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is restoring mangroves at two sites in Koh Klang, an island in Krabi, Thailand. The process centers around teaching the surrounding community about the benefits of mangroves as food sources, fish nurseries, and in terms of disaster risk reduction, the ability of mangroves to protect nearby communities from floods, erosion, salinization, and wind. IUCN promotes the …

Evaluation Of The Capacity Building Grant For The Food Bank Of Western Massachusetts, Asya Rozental, Laura Steglich, Mylasha Furnlonge

School of Public Policy Capstones

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts strives to eliminate hunger in the region by providing resources and food donations to member agencies. In response to a lack of capacity in many of these agencies, the Food Bank established a capacity building grant in 2012 to assist in providing items such as freezers, refrigerators and computers along with many other possible options. The Food Bank collaborated with a graduate student research team at the University of Massachusetts Amherst to provide an evaluation of the program in order to assess the success of the grant and to find further ways to improve …

Women's Rights In Pakistan: The Zina Ordinance & The Need For Reform, Minah Ali Rathore

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper will begin with a historical analysis of Pakistan with a particular focus on the pro-equality vision that Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah had. The paper then moves on to Zia-ul-Haq's regime and the rise of Islamization under his military dictatorship. The prerequisites that allowed for Islamization to take place are also highlighted. Zia's dictatorship utilized Islam and Sharia law as a tool to introduce gender-discriminatory laws into the nation. Particular focus is paid to the Zina Ordinance and the loopholes within the ordinance that have been devastating to women's rights in the country. The paper then transcends to …

Digital Storytelling With Refugee Youth: A Tool For Promoting Literacy And Youth Empowerment And A Catalyst For Social Action, Christina Chen

Master's Capstone Projects

For my master’s project in the International Education concentration, College of Education, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, I chose to conduct an action research project where I worked with refugee youth aged twelve to fourteen in Springfield, Massachusetts, to facilitate them in creating digital narratives about their lives and experiences coming to the United States. From November 2014 through March 2015, I recruited seven students to participate in a 22-hour workshop I facilitated over twelve weeks. During the workshop, they learned about digital storytelling, wrote their stories, and created multimedia videos of these narratives. They shared their digital stories with each …

Au Gamin De Paris: Undoing Civilization In A Paris Bar, Catherine Tebaldi

CHESS Student Research Reports

No abstract provided.

“Don’T Sell Your Neighbor” Class, Urban Politics, And Grassroots Mobilizations In Old Town Istanbul, Berra Topçu

CHESS Student Research Reports

The city has become the site of global movements and class struggles in the past decade. Since the Gezi uprising in the summer of 2013 in Istanbul, grassroots movements are emerging from the space of the neighborhood and the megacity in response to failures of urban governance at the level of metropolitan and local municipalities. Based on a five-month ethnographic study in a central district of Istanbul, I use participant-observation, semi-structured interviews, and media and document analysis to explore what common ground can be found in the context of: 1) official city assemblies of the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality; 2) activist-led …

Activism And Ethnography In The Basque Anti-Fracking Movement, Eleanor Finley

CHESS Student Research Reports

With growing concerns in Europe over energy independence and sustainability, hydraulic fracturing or “fracking” has become a recent environmental controversy across Europe. While the wealthiest member states EU such as France and Germany have implemented bans or moratoriums, the pressure to drill concentrates on peripheral debt-burdened countries such as Ireland, Romania, and Spain. Starting in 2011, a globally-networked grassroots movement emerged in response to fracking exploratory permits across the Basque-Spanish border. In the spring and summer of 2015, I conducted ethnographic fieldwork in the city of Gasteiz, in the Basque Country, just as it became a hub of transnational anti-fracking …

"Growing Together: Cross Pollinating Bio- And Community Food Politics At Czech Gardens”, Cary Speck

Presentations based on CHESS-sponsored Research

No abstract provided.

“Cheating History: Blocking A Difficult Past At The Royal Museum For Central Africa.”, Jenny Folsom

Presentations based on CHESS-sponsored Research

No abstract provided.