Community-Based Research Commons^™

I Am Not A Hero: Heroic Action Divorces The Hero From The Political Community, Ari Kohen, Brian Riches, Andre Sólo

Department of Political Science: Faculty Publications

Most people who perform a heroic act will, afterward, deny that their actions were heroic and claim that anyone would have done the same, even though that is demonstrably false (and, often, others were present who failed to act heroically at all). The literature on the psychology of heroism has never investigated why this is. This theoretical paper proposes an answer and seeks to provoke exploration of a previously unexplored topic. We note that people who undertake heroic action face a unique conflict: they embody their community’s highest values, while simultaneously breaking norms to stand apart from that community. We …

Police, Ice, And Knox County: A Timeline Of The 287(G) And Detention Bed Contracts From 2017-2021, Taylor Dempsey

Select or Award-Winning Individual Scholarship

The Knox County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) continues to heavily collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in spite of the consistent community opposition and ongoing legal ramifications that have resulted from Knox County’s 287(g) and detention bed contracts. Research on these programs and Knox County’s immigration enforcement involvement has largely focused on the logistics of enforcement mechanisms, the racism and xenophobia that construct the programs, and the legal challenges Knox County has faced as a result of their execution of the contracts. This creative project accumulates this research and utilizes public records received from Public Records Act and Freedom of …

Action Research In Hospitality And Tourism Research, Denise O'Leary, David Coghlan

Books/Book Chapters

In the context of tourism and hospitality studies, the potential of action research for generating robust actionable knowledge has not been yet realized. This chapter provides an account of the theory and practice of action research, demonstrates how it may be designed and implemented, and how it may generate actionable knowledge. It provides illustrative examples and shows how this research approach aligns effectively with some of the themes that currently engage the attention of researchers in the fields of tourism and hospitality such as process improvement, sustainability, and community-based tourism development. Thus, it makes a case for more widespread use …

Situating Social Sustainability On Spartanburg’S Northside: An Engaged Neighborhood Study Of Community, History, And Place Making, Helen S. Seddelmeyer

Community Based Research

From the very beginning of my research, I have been interested in sustainability and what it means to be sustainable. I was previously partial to environmental sustainability but came to the realization that understanding social sustainability is a more relevant and important topic for the Northside at this time. When a neighborhood is socially sustainable, they are investing in the next generation, building sincere relationships founded on trust, are adaptable, and have networks with civil society organizations such as schools, churches and businesses. Saffron Woodcraft defines social sustainability as, “a process for creating sustainable, successful places that promote well-being by …

Radical Moves: Negotiating Community And Transformation With (Some Of) Sit/South Africa’S Students Of Color, Kavita Sundaram

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Finding its foundations in inquiries of community, knowledge(s), relational truths, and radical transformation, this project wonders specifically how students of color from the School of International Training (SIT)/South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights Spring 2019 semester abroad in Cape Town experience, negotiate with, and envision the potential futures of community/ies in and around the program. My research operates within a socioprogrammatic context which is highly racialized, seeking to listen to, document, and place in conversation the perspectives of our students of color. My meditations ground themselves in the individual and collective narrative(s) of our students of color, explored primarily in …

Tweenage Volunteer Engagement In Peel: A Community Based Research Project, Abigail Salole

Publications and Scholarship

How young is “too young” when it comes to volunteerism? If you were to look to the majority of research on volunteerism and volunteer opportunities to answer this question, you might conclude that high-school age (or about the age of 15) is when youth should start volunteering. Volunteering research includes the exploration of youth volunteering but, often, the research excludes youth under the age of 15. For example, the 2007 Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, uses the age bracket of 15-24 to refer to young people (Hall et al., 2009). There remains, then, a significant gap in research …

A Longitudinal Analysis Of The Impact Of Child Custody Loss On Drug Use And Crime Among A Sample Of African American Mothers, Kathi L. H. Harp, Carrie B. Oser

Health Management and Policy Faculty Publications

This study examines the influence of child custody loss on drug use and crime among a sample of African American mothers. Two types of custody loss are examined: informal custody loss (child living apart from mother but courts not involved), and official loss (child removed from mother’s care by authorities).

Methods—Using data from 339 African American women, longitudinal random coefficient models analyzed the effects of each type of custody loss on subsequent drug use and crime.

Results—Results indicated that both informal and official custody loss predicted increased drug use, and informal loss predicted increased criminal involvement. Findings demonstrate …

Documenting ---- In Bloomington-Normal: A Community Report On Intolerance, Segregation, Accessibility, Inclusion, And Progress, And Improvement, Brittany Ashmore, Molly Cook, Alyssa Cooper, Teddy Dondanville, Ryan Duncan, Lindsey Earl, Justin Estima, Jake Fredericks, Mary Frey, Diamond Frison, Doug Gass, Myer Hursey, Kathryn Jones, Alesha Klein, Megan Koch, Kathryn Mcgee, Taylor Messamore, Jonathan Mansma, Jaresa Morrison, Jake Murray, Renee Palecek, Rainee Sibley, Chaney Skadsen, Vanessa Soto, Emily Spencer, Danielle Stevens, Corinna Strawn, Patricia Longwood, Frank D. Beck

Stevenson Center for Community and Economic Development—Student Research

For the local chapter of Not In Our Town, we document intolerance, discrimination, segregation, disparities of access, and disparities in the criminal justice system in Bloomington-Normal, IL. Using archival material, secondary data, and primary data, we examine these issues from the mid-1990s to the present. We also assess the position of the organization in the community and provide strategies for future success. In sum, Bloomington-Normal was and is intolerant; discrimination did and does take place in this community; there are disparities of access and in the criminal justice system; we are segregated. The community is also less of these things …

Bangor Livable Communities Discussions, David Wihry Mpa, Lenard W. Kaye Dsw/Phd, Jennifer Crittenden Msw

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

This report includes discussions among 105 members of the community of the Bangor area in regard to aspects of livability. The goal was to identify and understand the strengths and challenges of the citizens of Bangor as an age-friendly and livable community. This was concluded from from eight different domains of livability. The following are key findings to emerge from these community discussions: outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, housing, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, and community and health services. Citizens were encouraged to share their opinions about aspects of the city that …

Cohort Differences In Aging In Place Needs Among A Rural-Serving Area Agency On Aging Client Population, David C. Wihry, Lenard W. Kaye, Dyan Walsh, Jennifer Crittenden

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

This study was conducted as part of a foundation-funded initiative to better coordinate the system of care in a rural New England area for older adults and individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities. It utilized a needs assessment in order to identify challenges and needs of area community members. Respondents included 347 individuals from the community, ranging from 55 to 105 years old, with a mean of 73.4 years old. Among the respondents, 57.7 percent lived along, 55.7 percent identified as having a chronic condition or disability, 70.3 percent lived in their own home, and 87.9 percent were not receiving …

In Search Of Safety, Negotiating Everyday Forms Of Risk: Sex Work, Criminalization, And Hiv/Aids In The Slums Of Kampala, Serena Cruz

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation offers an in-depth descriptive account of how women manage daily risks associated with sex work, criminalization, and HIV/AIDS. Primary data collection took place within two slums in Kampala, Uganda over the course of fourteen months. The emphasis was on ethnographic methodologies involving participant observation and informal and unstructured interviewing. Insights then informed document analysis of international and national policies concerning HIV prevention and treatment strategies in the context of Uganda. The dissertation finds social networks and social capital provide the basis for community formation in the sex trade. It holds that these interpersonal processes are necessary components for …

Exploring Diverse Perspectives On The Mental Health And Community Support Systems For Immigrant And Refugee Children, Taylor Marlow

Sociology Major Research Papers

Despite an extensive history with immigration, structural barriers and health inequities for immigrant and refugee populations continue to be widely documented within Canada. As a result, attention to particularly vulnerable subgroups such as newcomer children has become increasingly paramount. However, large gaps concerning newcomer children’s wellbeing persist within previous literature. In response, this study examines newcomer children’s issues, the roles of family and community support systems, and the impact of sociopolitical factors from the perspective of key stakeholders. A total of 15 newcomer parents and community professionals were interviewed in order to illuminate the current context of support for immigrant …

Gather, Katie M. Meek

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Food is both basic and multifaceted. It nourishes satisfies, levels, defines and gathers us. Food unifies and brings people together as part of the human experience. When people embrace food and make it their own, it can shape and define their lives in big ways.

Food can cultivate a lifestyle, preserve cultural identity, foster a small business, nurture relationships and serve a community.

This project is a documentation of five different groups of people that experience food in uniquely different ways. Through photo essays and written stories I strive to capture what how food brings people together in specific ways …

All That Sprawl, Y’All: An Analysis Of Development On Steinwehr Avenue And York Street In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, From 1971 To 2014, Elizabeth K. Emmons, Kalley S. Hansel, Daly Simpson

Student Publications

The advent of the automobile transformed the American landscape in the 20th century. In conjunction with the increasing importance of the automobile, numerous post-WW II government programs such as the Interstate Highway System encouraged suburban sprawl. Towns and cities adjacent to tourist attractions, known as gateway communities, face unique problems caused by sprawl. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, is an example of a gateway community as it includes the Gettysburg National Military Park. Two study sites, portions of Steinwehr Avenue and York Street, were studied to analyze the effects of sprawl in Gettysburg. The sites were analyzed using ArcGIS, data compiled from historic …

A Reflective Conversation: Community And Hei Perspectives On Community-Based Research., Niamh O'Reilly, Catherine Bates

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This paper is a reflective correspondence between a community partner and a community-based research coordinator in a higher education institute (HEI). We asked each other questions about our experience of collaborating on two community-based research (CBR) projects, in order to share our learning from our collaboration, and to relate this to the wider context in order to develop recommendations for others – community partners and HEI staff – who would like to initiate CBR projects in the future.

Community-Based Disaster Coalitions Training: Participants' Manual, Center For Leadership In Public Health Practice

Community-Based Disaster Coalitions

This training will help program participants to develop the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to organize a Community Disaster Preparedness Coalition or strengthen an existing Coalition that integrates public health, human services, and emergency management systems into their county's disaster preparedness, response, and recovery structure.

Homelessness: Causes, Culture And Community Development As A Solution, Kaitlin Philipps

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

This thesis seeks to explain the reasons that homelessness occurs, and how it is currently being dealt with in public policy. Triggers and predictors of homelessness are explored and it is shown that triggers are almost always compounded, indicating a multitude of factors that lead to homelessness. The culture and community surrounding the homeless lifestyle is seen as playing a significant role in how the individual copes with their homelessness. The norms and values of their culture are investigated and its role in rehabilitation is explored. Current institutions for helping the homeless are analyzed for different success rates. Additionally, initiatives …

Rural Caregiver Network Project Final Summative Internal Evaluation Report, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

The Rural Caregiver Network Project is an initiative to support caregivers through both formal and informal resources in order to establish support systems in rural Washington and Hancock Counties. The focus of this project was to maximize residents’ ability to access home and community-based services at a lower cost. The sources of information for this report include the following: 88 intake surveys gathered from caregivers, 69 follow-up surveys from caregivers, 84 caregiver and professional training surveys, and 26 project partner process survey responses. The project has majorly served white, female caregivers in households with an aggregate income of less than …

The Leadership Of Sustainable Cities: A Multiple-Case Study Of Two Oregon Cities, Kenneth L. Weaver

Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Scholarship

In order for cities to become more sustainable it is necessary for the leaders of the efforts to change the organizations and governments so that they understand and embrace what it means to be more sustainable. This study examined the change processes of two Oregon Cities, Corvallis and Eugene, that had made the choice to become more sustainable as a community. The approaches that the participant leaders used demonstrated the use of different ways of thinking about the leadership of change. The ways of thinking of the community leaders were formed by their unique personal backgrounds, knowledge, skills, and abilities. …

A Subgroup Analysis Of Legal Needs Among Older Adults In Rural Communities, David C. Wihry, Jennifer A. Crittenden, Lenard W. Kaye, Jaye L. Martin

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

A legal needs assessment of older adults in Maine was conducted by surveying key populations of older adults who are often hard to reach through traditional outreach and service provision methods. The focus of this assessment was on basic demographics, use of LSE services, legal issues, preferred methods for receiving legal information, and the utility of various legal service options. Surveys were distributed via area agencies on aging, and concluded that the ley legal issues included financial scams, home repair problems, obtaining or retaining government benefits, debt collection, and accessing medical services. Sixty-seven percent of individuals aged 70 or older …

Connectedness In The Lives Of Older People In Ireland, Carmel Gallagher

Articles

This paper presents an analysis of the connectedness of older people in two sample areas, one urban and one rural in Ireland. The paper is based on a study of the communal participation of older people in two geographic localities, Rathmore, a suburban area of Dublin, and Rathbeg, a rural area in County Donegal, conducted between 2000 and 2005. A multi stage study that used both qualitative and quantitative methods examined significant communal interactions of older people across a range of arenas, including leisure interests, involvement in clubs, religious practices, voluntary work, relationships with kin, friends and neighbours, helping activities, …

Washington County Community And Caregiver Needs Assessment Summary Of Findings, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

The purpose of the Washington County Caregiver Needs and Resources Assessment Survey was to discover the extent of knowledge of available services for caregivers of older individuals in Washington County, as well as their perceptions on the strengths and deficiencies of these services. Participants included a total of 98 survey respondents from a diverse range of professions, 81 percent of which have been or currently are care providers. The survey spans 39 communities in Washington County. The survey concluded that only 40 percent of respondents were knowledgeable about local services, but most knew of general services. Eighty percent of respondents …

A Call To Community: Some Thoughts For Student Affairs About Identity And Diversity, Jason A. Laker

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Hancock County Needs, Resources, And Readiness Assessment On Older Adult Alcohol Abuse, Lenard Kaye, Maine Office Of Substance Abuse

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

This tip-sheet will provide you with key project recommendations and action steps to utilize within your community to implement project findings. It includes tips for many distinct groups, such as healthcare providers and administrators, advocates, local leaders and officials, researchers, program planners, administrators and policymakers, and practitioners. They include implementation of models for healthcare strategies, open discussions, system changes, funding, decision making, intervention, and education. Resources include the Office of Substance Abuse Information Resource Center, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Agency, the Centers for Disease Control, and the recovery community. It identifies key partners and crucial aspects of …

Supporting Maine’S Families: Recommendations From Maine's Relatives As Parents Project, Sandra S. Butler, Barbara Kates, Bonny Dodson, Deb Chapman, Lendard W. Kaye, The Maine Rapp Task Force

Maine Center on Aging Research and Evaluation

Maine is experiencing an increasing rate of children being raised by their grandparents or other relatives. The common reasons these individuals have taken on the responsibility of surrogate parenting, when the biological parents are unwilling or unable to do so include drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse and neglect, mental health problems, illness and death, incarceration and family violence. Under the vast majority of circumstances, relatives take responsibility for these children instead of the State Child Protective Services; this saves the State money but can be very burdensome to the family. Though relatives welcome the children, they often face unexpected …

Testing Lay Intuitions Of Justice: How And Why?, Paul H. Robinson

All Faculty Scholarship

When John Darley and I wrote Justice, Liability, and Blame: Community Views and the Criminal Law, our goal was not to provide the definitive account of lay intuitions of justice but rather to stimulate interest in what we saw as an important but long-term project that would require the work of many people. Having this American Association of Law Schools program is itself something toward that end and for that we thank Christopher Slobogin and Cheryl Hanna. In this brief introduction to the Symposium, let me set the stage by doing four things. Part I of this Article summarizes the …

Rural Social Work Bibliography (1999), Roger A. Lohmann, Nancy Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This bibliography was assembled in response to a request from OUP for a rural bibliography on their website prior to publication of our edited book on Rural Social Work Practice (Oxford University Press. 2005).

The Politics Of Aging And Rural Social Services: An Exploratory Analysis, Roger A. Lohmann

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The advent of federal funding for rural social services during the late 1960s and 1970s brought about changes in the political organization of rural America. A host of new organizational actors, like Area Agencies on Aging and various local aging agencies were created in rural communities across the country, in the wake of Baker v. Carr with its “one man/one vote” principle and funding through programs like the Economic Opportunity Act and the Older Americans Act. This article details a leadership succession model suggesting that local leadership of aging interests went through at least four distinct phases during this time: …