Social Justice Commons^™

Sustaining Communities Through Transformative Justice, Casey Bohrman

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Professor Casey Bohrman, Graduate Social Work - Sustaining Communities through Transformative Justice

Exploring The Expansive Properties Of Interpretive Description: An Invitation To Anti-Oppressive Researchers, Mia Ocean, Rose Montgomery, Zoe Jamison, Karon Hicks, Sally Thorne

Social Work (Graduate) Faculty Publications

There is an ever-present need to challenge, create, and expand upon qualitative research approaches in the applied and practice disciplines to avoid repeating mistakes of the past and to realize a research agenda for socially just practice. Toward these goals, anti-oppressive researchers engage with a variety of methodologies to co-produce accounts that reflect a comprehensive understanding of social problems with the people who experience them and to enact solutions for real world change. In this article, we reflect on the manner in which Interpretive Description may be a useful option for anti-oppressive researchers to consider as a methodological approach in …

Can It Heal And Hurt?: Survivors Of Sexual Assault Share The Benefits And Challenges Of Sexual Assault Support Group Participation, Brittni Gettys

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Research exploring the relationships among trauma survivors is largely non-existent. This study aimed to explore the effects of relationships among individuals with a shared experience of sexual trauma within the group therapeutic context of sexual assault support groups. This study sought to examine the potential buffering and supportive effects of social support between sexual assault survivors, while also exploring the potential negative effects of shared trauma that may occur from the potentially triggering nature of seeking support from other sexual assault survivors. These complex dynamics were explored through examining the relationships and experiences of sexual assault survivors who have attended …

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Exploring The Lived Experiences Of African-American City/County Managers And The Impact Of Mentoring On The Profession, Johnny Mays

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

ABSTRACT

Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis: Exploring the Lived Experiences of African-American City/County Managers and the Impact of Mentoring on the Profession

Literature regarding African-American City/County manager's experiences in local governments is limited, and any available resources primarily focus on the profession. An interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to explore the experiences of African-American city/county managers from their viewpoints. Grounded in Critical Race Theory, this investigative research attempted to shed light on the lived experiences of Black City/County managers pursuing their professional goals to lead a municipal organization. The study also aimed to understand the impact mentoring has on the profession.

Data …

Evaluability Of Community Dispute Resolution Programs: Effecting Change Or Maintaining The Status Quo?, Rebecca Gourde

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Between the 1960s and the 1990s, dozens of programs and organizations arose throughout the United States designed to bring peaceful resolutions to emerging community disputes, following in the conceptual footsteps of the federal Community Relations Service. Many of these community dispute resolution programs have encountered calls for reduced funding in recent years, as economic hardships force public administrators to parcel out limited public monies to those services that can demonstrate the most benefit. This study is a content analysis that examines the public-facing web content of 20 representative community dispute resolution programs in the United States. The researcher found that …

Homelessness In Late Life: An Exploration Of The Lived Experience, Danielle Palmisano

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Homelessness is a challenging, chronic public problem throughout the United States that has broad impacts on the public sector. Older adults are the largest growing segment of the population and have not been spared by this housing crisis. The experience of homelessness while aging can have negative impacts that contribute to increased healthcare costs and reduced quality of life. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experience of late life homelessness from the perspective of formerly homeless older adults to inform the development of a grounded theory on how the lived experience of …

Assessment Limitations And The Disparate Impact Of Tax Policy On Minoritized Communities, Michael Fouassier

West Chester University Doctoral Projects

Public policies that limit assessment increases have created a system where more valuable homes are taxed at lower rates than less valuable homes. This tax regressivity is found not only between neighborhoods but also within neighborhoods such that lower-value homes in wealthier areas are also taxed at higher rates. The research presented in this dissertation, just one line of inquiry that adds to the ongoing discussion of tax equity, provides evidence that minoritized communities will not experience the greatest benefits of assessment caps. The legislative intent of New York State Senate Bill S7000A was to protect homeowners. What has occurred, …