Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Climate Change Adaptation Chapter: Marshfield, Massachusetts, Joshua H. Chase, Jonathan G. Cooper, Rory Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Filipe Antunes Lima, Sally R. Miller, Toni Marie Pignatelli

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

Climate change, understood as a statistically significant variation in the mean state of the climate or its variability, is the greatest environmental challenge of this generation (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2001). Marshfield is already being affected by changes in the climate that will have a profound effect on the town’s economy, public health, coastal resources, natural features, water systems, and public and private infrastructure. Adaptation strategies have been widely recognized as playing an important role in improving a community’s ability to respond to climate stressors by resisting damage and recovering quickly.

Based on review of climate projections for the …

Opportunities As Chances: Maximising The Probability That Everybody Succeeds, Marco Mariotti, Roberto Veneziani

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Opportunities in society are commonly interpreted as ‘chances of success’. Within this interpretation, should opportunities be equalised? We show that a liberal principle of justice and a limited principle of social rationality imply that opportunity pro…les should be evaluated by means of a ‘Nash’criterion. The interpretation is new: the social objective should be to maximise the chance that everybody in society succeeds. In particular, the failure of even only one individual must be considered maximally detrimental. We also study a re…nement of this criterion and its extension to problems of intergenerational justice.

Umass Amherst Friends Of The Library Newsletter - Fall/Winter 2012 (No. 44), Jay Schafer

Library News for the Friends of the UMass Amherst Libraries

The Story of the $60 Gift

On the following pages, you will see and read about the transformative renovations in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library and the Science & Engineering Library that were completed over the summer. An important part of the story that the photos don’t tell is how these projects have been funded. Unlike major infrastructure improvement projects (including the new elevators and the electrical upgrades), the renovation of interior library space is not directly funded by the state or the campus. The success of the Procrastination Station café over the past several years encouraged our Campus Auxiliary …

Prelude To A Master Plan: Ware, Massachusetts, Belen Alfaro, Bruno Carneiro, Margaret Engesser, Kathryn E. Fox, Evadne R. Friedman, Timothy Inacio, Anita Lockesmith, Christina Mills, Stephanie Molden, Meagen Mulherin, Russell Pandres, Vinicius Pereira, Brian Reid, Pedro Soto, Jennifer Stromsten

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

Prelude to a Master Plan offers ideas, recommendations, and a toolkit to help the town chart its own path towards that future. While the teams and individual students worked to ‘drill down’ into specific topic areas, the Studio defined three basic areas in order to think about how the various assets, challenges and ideas undermine or reinforce one another. The report is loosely organized in those terms: addressing the outlying rural areas and issues specific to these places, considering one of the key growth areas that has extended from town and the conflicts that arise from the many uses occurring …

The Calorie Consumption Puzzle In India: An Empirical Investigation, Deepanker Basu, Amit Basole

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Over the past four decades, India has witnessed a paradoxical trend: average per capita calorie intake has declined even as real per capita monthly expenditure has increased over time. Since cross sectional evidence suggests a robust positive relationship between the two variables, the trend emerges as a major puzzle. The main explanations that have been offered in the literature to address the puzzle are: rural impoverishment, relative price changes, decline in calorie needs, diversification of diets, a squeeze on the food budget due to rising expenditures on nonfood essentials, and decline in subsistence consumption (due to commercialization). Using a panel …

Erasing Class/ (Re)Creating Ethnicity: Jobs, Politics, Accumulation And Identity In Kenya, Mwangi Wa Githinji

Economics Department Working Paper Series

A large literature on African economies argues that ethnicity plays a role in the politics and economics of African countries. Unfortunately, much of this literature is speculative or anecdotal because of the lack of data, with the exception of a few papers that examine ethnic networking as a business or employment strategy. In many ways Africa’s failure to develop is a failure of nationhood. Creating nation is handicapped by the use of ethnicity. In this paper, I empirically examine the relationship between employment, wages and ethnicity in Africa via a case study of Kenya. I challenge the pervasive view that …

Proposed Reuse And Redevelopment Of The Salem Harbor Power Station, Salem, Massachusetts, Peter Matchak

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This master's project analyses the potential reuse of the Salem Harbor Power Station. The station is slated to close June 2014. The closure is an opportunity for Salem, Massachusetts, to redevelop this site and to envision its future socio-economic possibilities. In this project, the parameters of potential development are reviewed, potential reuses are examined, and the best redevelopment strategies are presented.

This project uses five basic steps. The first was a literature review that focuses on planning concepts for the waterfront industrial landscape and its redevelopment. The second is a site analysis of the power plant that discusses the characteristics …

Low Budget Planning For Natural Resources And Open Space Conservation In Whitingham, Vermont, Paul Gagnon

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

This master's project was created for the Town of Whitingham, Vermont for the purpose of guiding town planning strategies with regard to open space and natural resources. It responds to Whitingham's draft town plan created in 2010 with the assistance of the Windham Regional Commission and was originally presented to the town planning Commission in May of 2010.

Whitingham is a rural community of 1,300 residents located near the Massachusetts border. Although Whitingham's population has grown slowly over the last twenty years, it has seen a significant increase in subdivision and housing construction, particularly vacation homes. Loss of the town's …

Grey Scars Of The Past: Case-Study-Based Green Principles Of Historic Mill Redevelopment With A Sustainable Future, Marianne E. Iarossi

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

Historic mill buildings are vast structures that tend to have a negative connotation associated with them. They are usually looked at as eyesores or symbols of a historic, working past that should be demolished. However, due to a variety of reasons, and the array of benefits that can be created if preserved, these mill buildings should be redeveloped and in a green, sustainable way. This Master's of Regional Planning Project examines the concept of sustainable mill revitalization, and various case study examples in the state of Massachusetts that demonstrate this. Various patterns of the concepts and elements were evident amongst …

Revitalization Of An Urban Riverfront To Revitalize The Socio-Economic Conditions Of Springfield, Ma, Sneha Rasal

Landscape Architecture & Regional Planning Masters Projects

The City of Springfield, Massachusetts is one of the largest cities in western Massachusetts, and was established on the Connecticut River for trading and as a fur-collecting post. In 18th and early 19th century, it experienced an industrial boom and became a regional financial center. Springfield became a major railroad center and grew to become the regional center for banking, finance, and courts. However, in mid-19th century Springfield suffered due to the flooding of the Connecticut River and the disinvestment in industry. These resulted in an urban sprawl as people started moving away from heart of the city.

Now, once …

Umass Amherst Friends Of The Library Newsletter - Spring/Summer 2012 (No. 43), Jay Schafer

Library News for the Friends of the UMass Amherst Libraries

While climatologically our New England winter and spring have been unusual, the academic calendar continues on at a steady pace. February was again the time to celebrate the birthday of W.E.B. Du Bois with the 18th Annual Du Bois Lecture. We shared this lecture with the Springfield community and then also participated in the second annual tribute to Du Bois at the St. John’s Congregational Church in Springfield.

The 10th Annual Dinner with Friends recognized a new collaboration between Yankee Publishing and the Libraries. We are especially proud that this generations-old New England publishing icon has entrusted its archives to …

Real Exchange Rates And The Long-Run Effects Of Aggregate Demand In Economies With Underemployment, Peter Skott, Martin Rapetti, Arslan Razmi

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Successful economic development to a large extent derives from the mobilization of underemployed resources. Demand policy can play an important role. It is critical, however, to consider balance of payments constraints and to ensure an expansion of investment in the modern sector. A combination of investment promotion and exchange rate intervention may be required to achieve these goals.

Assessing The Rise Of Organic Farming In The European Union: Environmental And Socio-Economic Consequences, Charalampos Konstantinidis

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Although organic farming is considered the poster child of rural development in Europe, there is little empirical evidence assessing its success in achieving the ambitious environmental and socio-economic objectives that it is purported to assist. This paper presents empirical evidence from the growth of organic farming in Europe over the past two decades that questions the highly optimistic claims of policy makers. Although policies in support of organic impact have had an overall positive environmental impact, their social impact is ambiguous, as organic farming appears to have grown more in areas with larger average farm sizes. Additionally, contrary to what …

The Reserve Army Of Labour In The Postwar U.S. Economy: Some Stock And Flow Estimates, Deepankar Basu

Economics Department Working Paper Series

This paper presents some estimates of the stock of the reserve army of labour, and flows into and out of the reserve army of labour for the postwar U.S. economy. Estimates of stocks are presented for the period 1948–2011 at a monthly frequency; 6 month moving average estimates of flows into and out of the reserve army of labour are presented for the period 1990–2011. Some interesting patterns in the stock and flow data are pointed out, and it is suggested that this data base on the active and reserve army of labour can be used for empirical analysis of …

Pluralism, The Lucas Critique, And The Integration Of Macro And Micro , Peter Skott

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Mainstream macroeconomics has pursued .micro founded.models based on the explicit optimization by representative agents. The result has been a long and wasteful detour. But elements of the Lucas critique are relevant, also for heterodox economists. Challenging common heterodox views on microeconomics and formalization, this paper argues that (i) economic models should not be based purely on empirically observed regularities,(ii) heterodox economists must be able to tell an integrated story about goal-oriented micro behavior in a specific macro environment, and (iii)relatively simple analytical models have an essential role to play.

Employment And Distribution Effects Of The Minimum Wage , Fabián Slonimczyk, Peter Skott

Economics Department Working Paper Series

This paper analyzes the effects of the minimum wage on wage inequality, relative employment and over-education. We show that over-education can be generated endogenously and that an increase in the minimum wage can raise both total and low-skill employment, and produce a fall in inequality. Evidence from the US suggests that these theoretical results are empirically relevant. The over-education rate has been increasing and our regression analysis suggests that the decrease in the minimum wage may have led to a deterioration of the employment and relative wage of low-skill workers.

Class Struggle And Economic Flactuations: Var Analysis Of The Post-War U.S. Economy, Deepankar Basu, Ying Chen, Jong-Seok Oh

Economics Department Working Paper Series

Building on Marx’s insights in Chapter 25, Volume I of Capital, an augmented version of the cyclical profit squeeze (CPS) theory offers a plausible explanation of macroeconomic fluctuations under capitalism. The pattern of dynamic interactions that emerges from a 3-variable (profit share, unemployment rate and nonresidential fixed investment) vector autoregression estimated with quarterly data for the postwar U.S. economy is consistent with the CPS theory for the regulated (1949Q1–1975Q1) as well as for the neoliberal periods (starting in 1980 or in 1985). Hence, the CPS mechanism seems to be in operation even under neoliberalism.

1i - How Fair Use Can Help Solve The Orphan Works Problem, Jennifer Urban

New England Copyright Boot Camp

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

Many works that libraries, archives, and historical societies would like to digitize are “orphan works,” that is, works for which the copyright holder either is unknown or cannot be located after a diligent search. Due to copyright risk if an owner later shows up, nonprofit libraries and similar institutions have been reluctant to digitize and make these works available, greatly limiting access to important cultural and historical information.

While a legislative fix may soon be proposed, this Article argues that legislation is not necessary to enable some uses of orphan …

Presenting Complex Ideas Using Simple Syntax In Fiction For Low-Literate Immigrant Adults, Anne Marjatta Vainikka

Language Acquisition Work by Anne Vainikka

No abstract provided.

Energy Concierge Services: Analysis Of A Public-Private Partnership Model For Commercial Energy Efficiency, Lucia N. Miller

School of Public Policy Capstones

Energy Concierge Services, a unique model to boost participation in energy efficiency programs, is being piloted in the commercial sector of the City of Northampton, Massachusetts. Energy Concierge Services seeks to overcome barriers to energy efficiency by concentrating benefits and increasing efficiencies for small- and mid-sized commercial property owners. Built on the energy providers’ Mass Save framework, part of the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020, the Energy Concierge Services model is a public-private partnership to capture higher market penetration in the Mass Save program by generating an upsurge in interest, leveraging utility investment in small- to mid-sized …

Bridging Arab American Diaspora: A Case For Social Support Programming, Elham Sliman

School of Public Policy Capstones

Berry (1980) refers to acculturation as a model for adaptation, and states that there are different levels of acculturation “moving with or toward, moving against and moving away from a stimulus” (p. 13). Arab immigrants have been coming to America on a small scale since the beginning of the twentieth century; however, immigration has steadily increased due to the political developments in the Middle East. Stereotypes of Arabs and post-September 11th sentiments have led to heightened discrimination and racism toward Arab Americans. Studies indicate that racial and ethnic discrimination lead to psychological distress. Of thirty-seven nonprofit organizations identified; twelve senior …

Cost-Benefit Analysis Of The Biochar Application In The U.S. Cereal Crop Cultivation, Nataliya Kulyk

School of Public Policy Capstones

Increasing global warming and food insecurity give ample rationale for research on biochar in view of its properties: enhancement of soil fertility and crop productivity, soil water retention and carbon sequestration. As a new technology the introduction of biochar into farming faces challenges and uncertainties, which are highlighted in the report along with the policy implications. Biochar is a type of charcoal created through pyrolysis of biomass. It is a carbonaceous substance produced with the intent to apply to soil for agricultural and environmental management. Biochar use and production can be deemed a mere business activity that should be ruled …

Upgrading The American Labor Relations System: An Analysis Of Several Alternatives, Zane Farr

School of Public Policy Capstones

The American labor relations system does not adequately provide employee representation to the degree demanded by employee preferences. Moving to a nonexclusive representation system would extend the right to organize and collectively bargain to many workers who cannot practically exercise their rights, but should be implemented incrementally by allowing minority unions where a majority representative is not already certified. This change to the interpretation of labor law would undoubtedly increase union membership and density, but may also reduce the conflictual nature of American labor relations and lead to labor force that is more productive for employers and more stable for …

Outsmart Invasive Species, Evan Piche

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper asserts that social media may be an effective supplement to traditional media in a volunteer recruitment campaign. I conduct a detailed study to assess the impact of various social media interventions, and offer a detailed analysis of the findings. I conclude with recommendations for organizations interested in using social media to promote a cause. The results of this study support the idea that social media outlets, like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and blogs can be used to supplement – but not supplant – traditional forms of marketing in a volunteer recruitment campaign.

Partnerstat? Performance Measurementand Management Forinter-Municipal Partnerships, Christina Mills

School of Public Policy Capstones

In April of 2010, the Massachusetts Regionalization Advisory Commission issued its findings advocating for inter-local partnerships in eleven specific areas. The study found that “as the costs of government services rise faster than available revenues and cities and towns struggle to provide essential services, regionalization and collaboration become more palatable to municipalities wishing to deliver essential local services more economically and efficiently” (Massachusetts Regionalization Advisory Commission, 2010, p. 43).

This research seeks to assess in what ways, to what extent and for what reason could and should a municipal performance measurement and management model, like the ‘Stat’ model, be adopted …

Chief Jolly Project: Creatingan Arts And Culture Nonprofit/Social Enterprise, Kristin Neville

School of Public Policy Capstones

The Chief Jolly Project seeks to use music and cultural arts to improve the opportunities for youth growing up amidst poverty and violence in the city of New Orleans; supporting personal expression and empowerment, skill development, intergenerational connection, and community building and transformation. The Project will also share the living history of this musical culture in order to preserve this heritage and promote it to broader audiences. This study explores the significance of culture in the life and economy of New Orleans, social needs that especially pertain to youth, examples and insights from other organizations and community members, and the …

Small Town Libraries And The Challenges Of Ada Compliance: Can A Small Town Create A Better Community Through Ada Compliance?, Charlene M. Coleman

School of Public Policy Capstones

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 was signed into legislation by President George Bush. This was in response to claims that earlier protections left a void for persons with disabilities. ADA is a federal law that mandates compliance and is administered through the U.S. Department of Justice. There are five Titles of the ADA: Title I, the focus is employment protections; Title II, the focus is public services and transportation; Title III, the focus is public accommodations, Title IV, the focus is telecommunications, and Title V, miscellaneous provisions. This paper addresses Title II, public services in reference to …

How Does A Socially-Driven For-Profit Balance Mission And Profit?: The Case Of Joya Bride, Marcelia Muehlke

School of Public Policy Capstones

Socially-driven businesses straddle the line between non-profits and for-profits with their dual goals of mission and profit. These goals will sometimes come into conflict—therefore a social enterprise must have policies in place to ensure a balance between profit and mission. This paper explores this topic through the case of Joya Bride, a socially-driven for-profit wedding dress company. The paper begins with a description of Joya Bride and then introduces the key research question: How does a socially-driven for-profit balance mission and profit? Next is a literature review on social enterprise, problems in the clothing industry, and women and development. A …

Toward An Electric Vehicle Policy For The University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Noeleen Nuñez

School of Public Policy Capstones

Electric vehicles (EVs) are vehicles that use electric motors for propulsion and have the potential for significant environmental impact with regard to reducing Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions, the largest contributor to global warming. With a heightened attention on “energy independence” and awareness of the effects of transportation on global warming, demand for electric vehicles is projected to rise rapidly over the next several decades. Researchers have found various ways to understand the “well-to-wheels” impact, which despite involving emissions at the source of electricity generation, still show environmental advantages over conventional fuel vehicles. Given the early lifecycle stage of this technology, …

Funding General Education Classes: Alternatives To Meet Current Umass Needs, Holly Fitzpatrick

School of Public Policy Capstones

The University of Massachusetts has identified general education requirements as being an important component of undergraduate student education. These requirements prepare them for their undergraduate education experience but perhaps more importantly for their lives beyond their university experience. UMass currently provides additional funding for teaching assistants for certain schools and colleges to aid in delivery of general education classes. Unfortunately, the funding model has not been reexamined in light of changes to general education requirements that were implemented starting with the incoming freshman class in the fall of 2010. An organizational problem exists because of the failure to examine the …