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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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City University of New York (CUNY)

2014

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Articles 1 - 30 of 576

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Out Of Reach, Benjamin Tenerella-Brody Dec 2014

Out Of Reach, Benjamin Tenerella-Brody

Capstones

Months after the city agreed to make half of its taxi fleet accessible to people in wheelchairs, 219 West takes a look at the issue of subway accessibility, which has changed little since 1984. One disability-rights advocate takes us through the system, running into several obstacles. Others tell us why they think it is both immoral — and illegal.


Undocumented Transgenders Fear Getting Sent Back Home Where They Were Discriminated, Denisse Moreno Dec 2014

Undocumented Transgenders Fear Getting Sent Back Home Where They Were Discriminated, Denisse Moreno

Capstones

Transgenders from countries where they face heavy discrimination come to the U.S. with hopes of living a better life. However, they fear deportations and the possibility of getting sent back to their home countries.


A Tale Of Two Knicks Teams, Madison Hartman Dec 2014

A Tale Of Two Knicks Teams, Madison Hartman

Capstones

I wrote a profile of the new NBA D-League team affiliated with the New York Knicks, the Westchester Knicks and how the two compare.


Rebranding Religion, Parker Brown Dec 2014

Rebranding Religion, Parker Brown

Capstones

The Mormon church spends millions on focus group, lobby groups, surveys, public relations, and marketing, all to fix a single problem: When Americans are asked what they think of Mormons, fewer than 50% give a positive answer. This is the story of God-vertising, of what happens when the traditions of religion meet the proselyting tools of the modern world.


Raped And Escaped: A Colombian Mother’S Fight To Protect Her Sons, Melanie Bencosme Dec 2014

Raped And Escaped: A Colombian Mother’S Fight To Protect Her Sons, Melanie Bencosme

Capstones

I tell the story of a Colombian woman who fought for her children. She protected them from being recruited by paramilitaries and because of that she was raped and displaced.


Well-Born: Black Women And The Infertility Crisis No One Is Talking About, Kaara Baptiste Dec 2014

Well-Born: Black Women And The Infertility Crisis No One Is Talking About, Kaara Baptiste

Capstones

Black women are twice as likely to experience infertility than white women, but are less likely to seek treatment or to have successful fertility results once treated. Despite this alarming number, this topic is not often discussed, even among the black community. My narrative piece t tells the story of a black woman confronting her infertility diagnosis and the role her race played in her fertility treatment, while exploring the role racism and sexuality have had in keeping this issue in the shadows.


The Bitter Pill: How Second-Wave Feminism Failed, And Why It Doesn't Matter, Brianna Mcgurran Dec 2014

The Bitter Pill: How Second-Wave Feminism Failed, And Why It Doesn't Matter, Brianna Mcgurran

Capstones

It's not cool to be a feminist. It’s not anti-establishment to say you don’t identify with that label; now, it’s the status quo. Every time a celebrity like Katy Perry or Salma Hayek distances herself from feminism, blogs like Jezebel and Feministing pounce. But a few months ago I found out that all the back-and-forth doesn’t matter. The final verdict on second-wave feminism's success won’t be found in words spoken on the red carpet or in rejoinders on women’s blogs. The future of gender relations will be decided in an obscure corner of the Internet populated primarily by angry white …


Seniorpreneurs: The New Aspect Of Retirement, Valentina Cordero Dec 2014

Seniorpreneurs: The New Aspect Of Retirement, Valentina Cordero

Capstones

In the U.S., entrepreneurs ages 55 to 64 increased by almost 5 percent in the last decade, while the young generation saw a decline. People 55 and older want something new than a traditional employment. They feel more confident in their ability to open businesses.


Trauma In Foreign Correspondents, Pearl Macek Dec 2014

Trauma In Foreign Correspondents, Pearl Macek

Capstones

I have always admired journalists reporting from war zones. They seemed so courageous and utterly infallible. When James Foley and Steven Sotloff were beheaded by ISIS fighters earlier this year, I started to think about how journalists confront the trauma they witness and feel. Surely, the horrors of seeing colleagues die as well as witnessing the pain of civilians would have some effect on these professionals. I began speaking with journalists of all ages and from all walks of life to see how they dealt with their emotions after reporting from conflict zones.


Happiness Is A Black Gun, Terence Cullen Dec 2014

Happiness Is A Black Gun, Terence Cullen

Capstones

The AR15 is one of the most hated guns in the nation because all the mass shootings it is involved in. I set out to see how the gun was made, what it's like to shoot it and why people in the gun world loved it so much.


The Secessionists Played Soccer, Natalie Fertig Dec 2014

The Secessionists Played Soccer, Natalie Fertig

Capstones

Revolution is as old as history itself. Scotland, Catalonia, Crimea... the human yearning for self-determination is one constant in the world. Many fight for independence, and some vote. But for regionalists in 2014, instead of revolution and referendum, the answer has come through soccer.


Riot - The End Of Violent Protests In New York, Rikki Reyna Dec 2014

Riot - The End Of Violent Protests In New York, Rikki Reyna

Capstones

In New York City, following the death of Eric Garner, protests and rallies against police brutality were sustained for months. For the most part it was peaceful. But what happened to Eric Garner would have incited a very different response in New York City in a different time. There was a time when New Yorkers wouldn’t just protest. They would riot. Those riots seem incapable of happening in today’s New York. This narrative project explores the reasons why. What social, political and economic changes have come together to make riots in this city seem improbable.


Black Seoul, Victoria Johnson Dec 2014

Black Seoul, Victoria Johnson

Capstones

The project explores the connections between Black culture and South Korean culture and how they are overlapping.


Lady Luck: The Rise Of Women Problem Gamblers, Antonia Massa Dec 2014

Lady Luck: The Rise Of Women Problem Gamblers, Antonia Massa

Capstones

Gambling addiction, once considered a nearly exclusively male affliction, is becoming more common among women. This story looks at the lives and addictions of two women problem gamblers. The project includes text, audio, images and a web app for smartphones, designed to help women who think they may have a gambling problem.


#Notyourcostume, #Notyourmascot And #Nothappy: New Generation Of Native American Activists Use Social Media To Protest Cultural Misappropriation, Jaclyn Anglis Dec 2014

#Notyourcostume, #Notyourmascot And #Nothappy: New Generation Of Native American Activists Use Social Media To Protest Cultural Misappropriation, Jaclyn Anglis

Capstones

My project profiles Simon Moya-Smith, a Brooklyn-based activist for Native American rights. He, alongside other young Native Americans, protests against the ubiquitous cultural misappropriation of Native American culture by people who are not Native by using social media like Twitter and Instagram to send his message to a broader audience now than Native Americans were ever able to reach before to speak out against misappropriation. This misappropriation includes offenses such as wearing a headdress as a fashion statement, using a Native American based mascot and dressing up like a Native American for Halloween. While activists like Moya-Smith are certainly not …


Pawns And Paranoia: Baltic-American Anxiety Over Russian Aggression, Leila Roos Dec 2014

Pawns And Paranoia: Baltic-American Anxiety Over Russian Aggression, Leila Roos

Capstones

Existential anxiety runs deep for Baltic-Americans. It began with the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian refugees from the Soviet Union who strove to preserve their nations in exile. Post-independence, anxiety over Russian aggression may seem like leftover Cold War paranoia. For many members of the stateside émigré communities, however, fear of Russian expansionism is instead a sober assessment of reality. Looking at what they see as President Putin’s undeclared and unimpeded invasion of Ukraine, they worry that EU and NATO membership may not be enough to ensure the safety of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. This article examines Baltic-American anxiety over Russian …


7 Million Americans Can’T Escape ‘Dead End’ Jobs, Patrick Gillespie Dec 2014

7 Million Americans Can’T Escape ‘Dead End’ Jobs, Patrick Gillespie

Capstones

Involuntary part-time is one of the worst problems in the labor market today. These are people who want full-time work, but for a collage of reasons, can only obtain part-time work (35 hours a week or less). There are about 7 million Americans stuck in involuntary part-time work. At the start of the recession, there were about 3.5 million. Although the economy shows signs of improvement, involuntary part-time workers express little hope in their future. Many don't have healthcare, About 75 percent of IPT workers are either below the poverty line or in low income ($36,000 for a family of …


In Vietnam, A Chinese Skytrain Sheds Light On Tough Bilateral Ties, Chau Ngo Dec 2014

In Vietnam, A Chinese Skytrain Sheds Light On Tough Bilateral Ties, Chau Ngo

Capstones

The article looks into a skytrain being built by a Chinese company in Vietnam, which represents China's troubled projects in the country. At a time of tensions between China and Vietnam over territorial disputes, the story shows how the tensions have affected these projects and what could be next for them. The skytrain story also sheds light into the tough bilateral ties between China and Vietnam, despite the two communist countries' similar political systems, economic model and cultural proximity.


Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: More Than A Lame Duck, Julius Motal Dec 2014

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: More Than A Lame Duck, Julius Motal

Capstones

My project takes a balanced look at the position Recep Tayyip Erdoğan occupies as Turkey's first democratically elected president. Having served three terms as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2014, Erdoğan sought to continue his hold on Turkish politics and society by introducing popular elections for the presidency, which was largely a ceremonial position appointed by the Prime Minister. Erdoğan cruised to victory with approximately 52% of the vote, and while that was nearly guaranteed, the first months of his presidency were fraught with challenges, namely the limited powers of his new office and the ongoing crisis in the Syrian …


Obscure Certificates Could Cut Down Recidivism, Frank Green Dec 2014

Obscure Certificates Could Cut Down Recidivism, Frank Green

Capstones

When you’re convicted of a crime, your punishment doesn’t end with prison. Your life is harder until you die. New Yorkers with criminal histories can get these Certificates that make life a little less hard. They’re a kind of a diploma of rehabilitation. The standards for getting them aren’t that high. Most people who’ve been convicted of a crime are eligible, in theory. But hardly anybody gets them. This article is about the ignorance and legal contradictions that have made them so obscure.


Two-Way Street: A Parent-Child Approach To Learning Could Close The Nation's Inequality Gap, Rebecca Bratek Dec 2014

Two-Way Street: A Parent-Child Approach To Learning Could Close The Nation's Inequality Gap, Rebecca Bratek

Capstones

While most modern school reforms argue that good schools can fix academic barriers kids face at home, many experts worry that investing in childhood education is not enough for society’s poorest children and families. Studies show that if parents’ education or job level is raised, the success of the child is raised, too. Through dual-generation strategies – programs that teach and support parents and children simultaneously – those living in poverty have a better shot at success.


Veins Of The City, Daniel Lewis Dec 2014

Veins Of The City, Daniel Lewis

Capstones

Hurricane Sandy reminded New Yorkers that the city is as defined by its rivers and bays as by its parks and skyscrapers. This project looks at the history of New York's waterways: how they were designed, how artists, engineers, and residents are working to adapt to a changing climate, and how the solutions may once again make the water part of everyday life.


Howard Dolgon: Ahl Juggernaut, Madeleine Perkins Dec 2014

Howard Dolgon: Ahl Juggernaut, Madeleine Perkins

Capstones

As the owner of the Syracuse Crunch, Howard Dolgon is coming up with big ideas that are taking the American Hockey League -- and the sport itself-- by storm.


Rethinking School Discipline, Gwynne Hogan Dec 2014

Rethinking School Discipline, Gwynne Hogan

Capstones

How schools maintain order in the halls can be just as important as what they teach in the classrooms. The way students are disciplined teaches them what consequences their actions will have not just in school, but as they grow into adulthood. This project examines the role of the NYPD in city schools and the impact it has on school discipline. It will also look into one school in Far Rockaway whose principal has managed cut suspensions by shifting attitudes towards discipline.


Travails Of The Travestis, Kiratiana Freelon Dec 2014

Travails Of The Travestis, Kiratiana Freelon

Capstones

The Brazilian public has long accepted transgender people in the streets and in the media. In the 80s Roberta Close’s high cheekbones, and full cheeks became a standard of beauty for all Brazilian women. But this cultural acceptance of transgender people belies one fact—Brazil is one of the most dangerous places in the world for transgender people. Brazil has the highest number of murders in the world of transgender people every year. This capstone examines the issue in the country.


Overcoming Obstacles, Melisa Stumpf Dec 2014

Overcoming Obstacles, Melisa Stumpf

Capstones

the contributing factors that lead to the purported low life expectancy for transgenders (suicide, high risks of HIV, lack of healthcare access, refusal of care, etc.) which some experts, advocates and transgender individuals themselves think it's of about 35 years-old.


A Life On Pause, Briana Duggan Dec 2014

A Life On Pause, Briana Duggan

Capstones

These pieces explore the financial, emotional, and physical toll that women in New York with loved ones in prison must bear in order to maintain a relationship with their loved one. The series follows Heddy Chisholm, a 28-year-old mother of a disabled child who chooses to travel more than 400 miles every other week to visit her fiance, Terrence at a prison near the Canadian border.


Mcdonald's Or Mesquite: Struggles On The Salt River Pima Reservation, Stefani Kim Dec 2014

Mcdonald's Or Mesquite: Struggles On The Salt River Pima Reservation, Stefani Kim

Capstones

The Salt River Pima Indians, prior to colonization, had a strong tradition of harvesting and food sovereignity. As the tribe adapted to a more Westernized diet which consisted mainly of processed food rations, the rate of diabetes began to skyrocket on the reservation and, at one point, the tribe had one of the highest per capita diabetes rates in the world. This year, the tribe's cultural resources department will resurrect a 16-year-old community garden program originally funded by a USDA/Habitat for Humanity grant as a way to help combat health problems related to a poor diet such as diabetes and …


Turning Waste Into Resources In Haiti, Alexis Barnes Dec 2014

Turning Waste Into Resources In Haiti, Alexis Barnes

Capstones

Sanitation infrastructure in Haiti is an ongoing problem- one that only exacerbated a massive cholera epidemic brought to the country by Nepalese United Nations peacekeeping troops. SOIL is an NGO that works in alternative sanitation- using "urine-diverting dry toilets" to turn waste into a fertile resource. In my capstone, I explore the potential for alternative sanitation in Haiti, how it works and what internal and external political and economic factors lead to the current state of water and sanitation infrastructure in the country.


The Coops After The Storm, Caroline Lewis Dec 2014

The Coops After The Storm, Caroline Lewis

Capstones

For many, Hurricane Sandy is either long forgotten or brings to mind thoughts of loss and destruction. But in Far Rockaway, there is a lingering struggle to use the momentum generated by the unique Occupy Sandy disaster relief efforts to create a new cooperative economy. The project dovetails with a larger experiment in scaling up worker cooperatives in New York City and raises questions about what can come out of future storms if the Occupy Sandy model is replicated.