Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Megaloads And Mobilization: The Rural People Of Idaho Stand Against Big Oil, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

From 2011 to 2014 fossil fuel corporations trucked tar sands processing machinery along rural Idaho highways. The machinery was bound for the world's largest deposits of tar or oil sands, a heavy crude oil substance called bitumen, located in the western Canadian province of Alberta. These loads of machinery, what became known as megaloads, encountered much resistance. Throughout Idaho and the surrounding region, a network organized opposition. Neighbors, grassroots organizations, nonprofits, and the Nez Perce and other tribes all collaborated. They held information sessions, protested, waged legal battles, monitored the loads, and blockaded highways. What oil companies hoped would be …

Grassroots Vs. Big Oil: Measure P And The Fight To Ban Fracking In Santa Barbara County, California, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

In 2014, volunteers in Santa Barbara County, California, collected over 20,000 signatures in three weeks to qualify an anti-fracking initiative for the November election. The initiative, Measure P, met over six million dollars in opposition from oil corporations. Despite mobilizing 1,000 volunteers, the proponents of the measure failed to garner enough votes for success. Drawing on 43 in-depth interviews and participant observation with environmental groups before, during, and after the campaign, this article examines the strengths and weaknesses of grassroots organizing behind Measure P. Organizers, especially during the signature drive, successfully garnered broad-based support in the southern part of the …

Tax Reform And Higher Education, Michael Hemesath

Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

One Potential Problem With The Fed’S Vote To Raise Interest Rates: The Fed Might Not Know How The Economy Works, Louis D. Johnston

Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Why ‘Simple Economics’ Is Often Wrong, And Other Book Recommendations For The Econ Lover In Your Life, Louis D. Johnston

Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Not Yet The End Of The World": Political Cultures Of Opposition And Creation In The Global Youth Climate Justice Movement, John Foran, Summer Gray, Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

Based on participant observation and in-depth interviews with two dozen young climate justice activists at the U.N. climate summit COP19 in Warsaw, Poland, in November 2013, this research uses the concepts of “political cultures of opposition and of creation” to analyze the political orientations, discourse, and actions of global climate justice activists attempting to impact the negotiation of a universal climate treaty. Capturing relationships among experience, emotions, ideology, idioms, and organization, the concepts of political cultures of opposition and of creation shed light on the ability of these actors to fashion social movements of their own making. Through an analysis …

Interpretations Of Jesus And The Virgin Mary In The Quran And The Bible: A Possible Contribution To Muslim-Christian Cooperation?, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay explores Muslim and Christian understandings of Jesus and his mother Mary, which may provide a basis for possible cooperation between the two religious communities. The similarities and differences in views are discussed, with an understanding that there are differences in views not only between but also within the two religious communities. The essay concludes with a discussion of seven types of interreligious dialogue as articulated by Sallie B. King, and how they apply to Muslim-Christian dialogue related to Jesus and Mary.

Emerging Challenges To Long-Term Peace And Security In Mozambique, Ayokunu Adedokun

The Journal of Social Encounters

Mozambique’s transition from civil war to peace is often considered among the most successful implementations of a peace agreement in the post-Cold War era. Following the signing of the 1992 Rome General Peace Accords (GPA), the country has not experienced any large-scale recurrence of war. Instead, Mozambique has made impressive progress in economic growth, poverty reduction, improved security, regional cooperation and post-war democratisation. Mozambique has also made significant strides in the provision of primary healthcare, and steady progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Notwithstanding these stellar achievements, Mozambique still faces a large number of political, social and economic problems: …

Interreligious Action As A Force For Peace, Shamsia Ramadhan

The Journal of Social Encounters

Every religion displays an inclination toward peace through its leaders and thinkers. This can be seen by the number of religious actors who have played a role in resolving conflicts in different parts of the world. Catholic religious leaders have played a leading role in mediating conflicts in Africa, Asia and Latin America. An Iman and a pastor from Nigeria inspire communities to forgive and foster co-existence. There are many other examples. Although there is evidence of religious commitment to peace, the reverse also is true (see Toft et al., 2011). While some believers innovatively use religious resources in promoting …

Fostering Cultures Of Encounter: Framing Papal Teaching On Dialogue As Multi-Track Peacebuilding, Maria Power, Christopher Hrynkow

The Journal of Social Encounters

This article demonstrates that there is a rough parallel between (1) Diamond and McDonald’s (1996) notion of multi-track diplomacy and (2) the four levels of inter-religious dialogue identified by the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, along with two other levels discerned within papal teaching by the authors. Diamond and McDonald expanded the political science concept of dual-track diplomacy and, in the process, helped to buttress the legitimacy of peace studies discourse in that discipline. Comparably, this article seeks to introduce papal teaching on dialogue framed in terms of multi-track peacebuilding. As a result, it solidifies a latent resonance between Catholic …

We Create The Path By Walking: The Involvement Of Small Christian Communities (Sccs) In Peacebuilding In Eastern Africa, Father Joseph Healey

The Journal of Social Encounters

Small Christian Communities (SCCs), a key pastoral priority of the Catholic Bishops in the Association of Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), officially started in major ecclesial meetings in 1973 and 1976. The SCCs in the AMECEA region have been evolving in response to the developments in the region – they “create the path by walking” and are becoming more involved in peacebuilding activities. A recent study on the SCCs finds that there are over 180,000 SCCs in the nine countries of the AMECEA region. An estimated 45,000 SCCs are spread throughout Kenya’s 26 Catholic dioceses. This essay discusses the …

Toward An Integral Catholic Peacebuilding, Gerard Powers

The Journal of Social Encounters

Among the many under-examined aspects of Catholic approaches to peacebuilding are its ecclesiological and practical dimensions. This article suggests that an Integral Catholic Peacebuilding calls for deepening the Catholic community’s commitment to peacebuilding as a vocation, especially by reinvigorating the lay vocation; cultivating distinctively Catholic approaches to peacebuilding while engaging inclusively, especially through strategic approaches to ecumenical and inter-religious engagement; and promoting greater integration by examining the interconnections among disparate factors and issues, and giving priority to effective collaboration among vertical and horizontal levels, and different sectors of the Catholic community

Introducing The Journal Of Social Encounters, Joseph Okumu, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

On Trump's Behavior, Putin — And Why A Russian Adage Keeps Ringing In My Head, Nicholas Hayes

University Chair in Critical Thinking Publications

No abstract provided.

Sandwiches, Social Capital And Barriers To Mobility, Michael Hemesath

Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

Sustainability At Saint John’S*, Michael Hemesath

Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

Colleges Help Encourage Social Mixing*, Michael Hemesath

Administration Publications

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Peak Oil: Apocalyptic Environmentalism And Libertarian Political Culture, Matthew Schneider-Mayerson, The University Of Chicago Press, Chicago And London (2015), Corrie Grosse

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Monks As Model Men: Gender Anomalies Or Heroic Ideal?, Aaron Raverty Osb

Saint John’s Abbey Publications

The movie The Mask You Live In portrays gender socialization for men in the United States today as dominated by a trajectory emphasizing ruthless competition, a never-ending search for prestige in material wealth, and a largely self-serving quest to overcome and control women. The movie graphically depicts all the accompanying psychological dysfunction, legal difficulties, and emotional distress experienced by boys and young men desperately trying to conform to such a scripted model of masculinity. Anthropological research invites alternate ways of thinking about the relationship between sex and gender. This is especially true among those who claim a close relationship with …

In Latest Jobs Numbers, A Vindication For Minnesota’S Policy Choices, Louis D. Johnston

Economics Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Political Personality Of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This working paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of U.S. vice president Mike Pence, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon. Information concerning Pence was collected from biographical sources and media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM-5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles manuals. Pence’s primary personality pattern was found to …

Author Rights, Open Access, And You!, Diana Symons, Jonathan D. Carlson

Libraries Lectures

Librarians present a session on author rights, copyright and permissions, and best practices for curating faculty members’ online presence, and talk about the benefits of making one’s work openly available on DigitalCommons@CSB/SJU.

The Paradox Of Remarkable/Unremarkable Julian Of Norwich, John P. Fitzgibbons

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Ngos In International Climate Governance: A Case Study Of Indian Ngos, Lucas J. Giese

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are ubiquitous in international negotiations on climate change governance, participating in framing issues, providing information and expertise, and lobbying government delegates. NGOs are said to supplement the democratic legitimacy and technical capabilities of intergovernmental organizations, yet their actual political influence is more difficult to empirically ascertain. This paper will use a qualitative framework to determine the influence of NGOs in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), focusing on a case study of Indian NGOs. Using data collected at two UN conferences, including interviews with NGO and government representatives and participant observations, the influence of …

Consumer Gasoline Prices In 2014: What Caused The Decline?, Travis A. Spillum

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Though a large body of literature analyzes commodity markets in general as well as the crude oil market, little work looks at the determinants of gasoline price shocks and which variables contributed to specific historical shocks. Using a structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model, one can determine how gasoline prices typically respond to shocks in price determinants, how much each variable, on average, contributes to the variation in gasoline, and which variables influenced gasoline prices during particular shocks. This paper proposes a simple SVAR model of the gasoline market and uses the model to determine what caused gasoline prices to decline …

Domestic Violence Against Women In Peru: An Analysis Of Individual, Cultural, And Structural Factors, Hanna M. Pioske

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Violence against women, despite decades of activism on the subject, remains a problem for women around the world. By one measure, over 35% of women globally have experienced either physical or sexual violence. The vast majority of this abuse occurs within the home. Although development programs often focus on women’s empowerment as a way of freeing women from the cycle of domestic abuse, research on this issue has been more mixed, finding that in some cases, women’s work outside the home or higher status relative to their husband can catalyze abuse. Peru is a particularly relevant case study for this …

The Effects Of Historical Trauma And Gender On National Identity Within The Hmong Diaspora, Kalia Vang

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Since 1975 the Hmong have settled in the West as a diasporic group. Their involvement in the Vietnam and Secret Wars with the United States in Southeast Asia had forced the group to flee their homes in the mountain tops of Laos. This political migration has since forced Hmong leaders to reframe Hmong national identity in the diaspora, specifically in the United States. With this, certain aspects and perspective from Hmong women on the Secret War were marginalized. Thus, this research asks the following question: why is national identity interpreted differently within the Hmong diaspora? This research project is broken …

Preserving Dignity In The Long Term Care Of Actively Dying Residents, Libby-Rose Cronican

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

As one goes through the process of aging and approaches death, they experience a series of losses: from the loss of physical or mental ability to the ultimate loss of life. These losses make the individual vulnerable to harms that can come from a variety of sources. One source is found within the everyday interactions of long-term care nurses and aides with their elderly, dying residents. Creating this harm stems from a poor nursing practice where the nurse or aide fails to recognize and promote the resident’s dignity and autonomy. The normal notion of dignity and autonomy does not encompass …

Students’ Attachment Styles To Their Professors: Patterns Of Achievement, Curiosity, Exploration, Self-Criticism, Self-Reassurance, And Autonomy, Lian H. Conrad

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

This study explored whether professors for young adult college students could serve as caring and trustworthy attachment figures who fostered certain mindsets, perceptions of the self, and academic behaviors. A convenience sample of 89 first-year college students in introductory psychology courses completed an online survey. First, the study sought to replicate the established relationships between students’ achievement goal orientations and curiosity, exploration, self-criticism, and self-reassurance. Then, the study analyzed students’ attachment styles to their First-Year Seminar (FYS) professors in relation to achievement goal orientations to see if attachment style could then predict similar patterns of academic behaviors. Contrary to expectations, …

Let Your Light Shine: A Holistic Reflection On The Individual In A Community, Nicole C. Argudin

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

"Sic luceat lux vestra," or “Let your light Shine” This phrase from the Gospel of Mattew stresses the importance that we all have a light or a talent and we should shine our light for all. The problem though is when we live in the same community for so long, we start to lose our uniqueness and eventually become close-minded to new experiences. By encountering and learning from other communities, we are made aware of this issue and other strengths and weakness of our own community that we take for granted. My disclaimer about this paper is that it is …