Digital Commons Network^™

Through The Eyes Of Greek Cypriots And Turkish Cypriots: The Perception Of Cyprus, Mary N. Olin

Dissertations and Theses

It is important to consider the effects of past conflicts on the current perceptions of the people of Cyprus and of the future generations. This thesis contends that the ongoing division of Cyprus along with the many unresolved issues regarding past conflicts have had a profound effect on how the people of Cyprus perceive new information in regard to their future. The inquiry will explore the historical background of Cyprus and the affects of nationalism. The need for enemies, large group identity, divided societies and the need for dialogue will also be examined in relation to perception and new information. …

Growing Disparities Among Greater Boston Communities During The 1990s, David Terkla

David G. Terkla

During the 1990s, rich communities in the Greater Boston area got richer, and the richest made gains that were proportionally greater than the gains made by those communities only slightly less rich. At the same time, the poorest communities stayed poor, and in fact became more poor in comparison with communities slightly less poor. This dynamic is even more striking when the ten poorest communities are compared and contrasted with the ten wealthiest communities. Census figures show a rapidly expanding differential between the communities of the Greater Boston area. As a commonwealth, we should be considering policies designed to ameliorate …

Apathy In The Face Of Cruelty, Ahmed Souaiaia

Ahmed E SOUAIAIA

No abstract provided.

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum, Volume One, Issue One, Shane Willson, Landon S. Bevier, Rachael E. Gabriel, Taylor Krcek, Alaina Elizabeth Smith

Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum

It is with great pride that we present to you the inaugural issue of Catalyst: A Social Justice Forum. Here we have attempted to create an innovative, peer-reviewed space in which people from numerous disciplines, or even those claiming no discipline, can present research, multimedia, and art aimed at furthering the ideals of social justice, broadly defined. Social justice is not a concept owned by the academy, for attempts to create a more just world can come from many professions, or even from no profession at all. By applying the traditionally academic peer-review process to work done by activists, artists, …

Impact Of Social Capital On Employment And Marriage Among Low Income Single Mothers, Jennifer A. Johnson, Julie A. Honnold, Perry Threlfall

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA, P. L. 104-93) called primarily on women to achieve two goals: work and/or marriage. For low income single mothers with limited access to capital, the PRWORA presents a quagmire in that the public safety nets previously guaranteed by the policies of the New Deal were abruptly supplanted by policies with obligations that require various forms of capital. Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing dataset, we examine the impact of social capital on the chances of marriage and employment among single, unemployed mothers. We find …

Bringing The Outside In: An Examination Of Non-Governmental Aid Organizations In Buenos Aires, Elisabeth B. Tilstra

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Job Skills, Tolerance, And Positive Interactions: The Gendered Experiences Of Appalachian Migrants, Kelli Brooke Alford

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following study examines gendered learning experiences of a population of Appalachian migrants surveyed from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The respondents who participated in the survey used for this study began their lives in Appalachia. These respondents then left Appalachia for various other areas in the country and even around the world only to ultimately return to the mountainous region later in their lives. To begin, theory will be introduced concerning the stratification of gender in the Appalachian economic landscape, as well as a theoretical framework placing Appalachian women in an interlocking web of oppression with other …

Mediating Justice: Toward A Critical-Reflexive Sociology, George Christopher Gondo

Masters Theses

Today, an increasing number of sociologists incorporate the theme of social justice within their work and strive to contribute to efforts to improve existing social conditions. In their view, sociological work that actively engages in issues related to social justice exemplifies ‘the promise’ of sociology and represents a means of refocusing and reinvigorating the discipline at a time of perceived crisis. Yet, a growing body of evidence questions whether previous efforts to use sociology as a mechanism of improving social conditions have been successful. In this thesis, I rely on the works of Alvin W. Gouldner to examine the relationship …

Qatar, Al Jazeera, And The Arab Spring, Ahmed E. Souaiaia

Ahmed E SOUAIAIA

No abstract provided.

Happiness Around The World: The Paradox Of Happy Peasants And Miserable Millionaires, Carol Graham

Brookings Scholar Lecture Series

For centuries the pursuit of happiness was the preserve of philosophers. More recently there is a burgeoning interest in the study of happiness in the social sciences. Can we really answer the question what makes people happy? Is it grounded in credible methods and data? Is there consistency in the determinants of happiness across countries and cultures? Are happiness levels innate to individuals or can policy and the environment make a difference? How is happiness affected by poverty and by progress? This presentation introduces a line of research which is both an attempt to understand the determinants of happiness and …

The Writing On The Stall: Graffiti, Vandalism, And Social Expression, Brett Wolff

Kaleidoscope

Graffiti and vandalism are everywhere in the modern city; they seem to be part of the typical urban background. While graffiti are usually associated with concrete walls, bridges and train cars, one particular area of focus of vandalistic writing is the walls and stalls of public bathrooms. This area, for both obvious, and sometimes unclear reasons, is a popular forum for anyone wanting to write. This project was conducted with the intent of better understanding these somewhat ubiquitous and seemingly mundane scribbles. As the first step toward this goal, a literature review of approaches to vandalism was conducted. This theoretical …

Torch (November/December 2011), Brandon Baldwin, Civil Rights Team Project

Torch: The Civil Rights Team Project Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Fairness: Processes Are As Important As Outcomes, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

People are sensitive to the fairness of decisions made or the treatment they receive. Research in work contexts has shown that it is important for processes like personnel selection, performance appraisal and compensation to be perceived as fair, because fairness perceptions influence how people react to situations and their leaders. This also applies to public policy implementation and public engagement efforts.

Community Voices: New State Voting Districts In Final Stages, Carroy U. Ferguson Dr.

Carroy U "Cuf" Ferguson, Ph.D.

Last week the Massachusetts Legislature produced redistricting legislation that will forever change the direction of state politics for blacks, Latinos and Asians. By this time next year, the number of state house elected officials of color can increase by 100 percent, from 10 to 20 members. And communities of color will be well positioned to elect a person of color to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in the history of the state.

Unmet Social Needs In Singapore: Singapore's Social Structures And Policies, And Their Impact On Six Vulnerable Communities, Braema Mathi, Sharifah Mohamed

Lien Centre for Social Innovation: Research

In line with Lien Centre’s vision to catalyse positive social change, this research was carried out to understand social gaps in Singapore and how our society’s ability to meet social needs can be enhanced. Despite basic social needs in Singapore being essentially met through direct government interventions and the contributions of non-governmental social service activities, there are today some vulnerable groups that remain or have become more prominent. This research project aims to identify some of these needs and the possible approaches to addressing them.

It is hoped that some of the recommendations of this report will be helpful for …

Is Lac Anony Reaching Its Tipping Point? A Comparative Case Study Of The Traditional Fishery At The Village Of Antsovela, Corinne Haynes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional fisheries are globally recognized as an important supplier of food resources. In fact, “small-scale fisheries provide over half the world’s wild-caught seafood” (Shester and Micheli, 2011). All around the southern tip of Madagascar, the traditional fishing industry acts as one of the most common livelihoods. The island nation contributes 120,000,000 tons of aquatic resources to the world supply each year, the majority of which is caught by traditional fishermen found in 1,250 rural villages all around the island. However, 80% of the catch is consumed locally, pinpointing the main goal of these traditional fishermen: to feed their families (RAZANOELISOA, …

How To Sever The Legs Of An Octopus: Tunisia’S Ongoing Revolution, Matthew Hammel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Kasbah square is large and covered in barbwire. Military men stand on the inside of the fence cradling automatic rifles, joking, chatting, texting on their cell phones. Coming out from the bustle of the souks the square feels tranquil. It is September, seven months since the square became a temporary home to thousands of protestors who demanded the end of oppressive government in Tunisia. It was here that the Tunisian people solidified their revolution, refusing to be appeased by the flight of a figurehead while the tentacles of his regime remained.

Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for twenty-three years. During …

La Derecha Contemporánea En Chile: Su Rol En El Movimiento Estudiantil, Alexandra Jane Bellows

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation studies the political right in Chile and how they see their role within the student movement of 2011. One of the most relevant topics in current Chilean politics, the student movement has organized, over the course of the past nine months, a series of strikes, protests and demonstrations, rallying at certain times over 100,000 people. The students are demanding change to the structure of the higher education system, a system established during the 1980’s under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and largely influenced by the neoliberal model of Milton Freidman and the “Chicago boys.” This movement has …

Mecanismos De La Participación Política El Movimiento Para Reformar El Sistema De La Licencia Postnatal En Chile, Lucas Hernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay is intended to accomplish a systematic presentation of the postnatal debate that occurred in Chile from 2009-2011 with a specific focus on the role played by social organizations to organize and mobilize the political participation of the citizenry. The thought of an extension of post-natal leave was born in the 2009 election campaign where all candidates, including the current president Sebastian Piñera, advocated for an extension of this coverage. Sebastian Piñera, the first conservative president since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, not only promised to make maternity leave longer and more flexible, he also pledged to remove obstacles …

Migration Trends And Patterns In Jordon: The Human Rights Context, Mohamed Y. Olwan

Faculty Journal Articles

Jordan is a country of both immigration and emigration. It is a destination country for immigrant Arab workers,0F 1 foreign domestic workers, and migrant workers in Jordan's Qualified Zones (QIZs). Jordan has also witnessed considerable forced migration, primarily due to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other conflicts. The country received Palestinian refugees after the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and during the 1967 war, which resulted in Israeli occupation of the remaining parts of historical Palestine: the West Bank, from Jordan, and Gaza Strip, from Egypt. Jordan received a wave of Jordanians of Palestinian origin after the Iraqi …

The Hui Migrant Laborers’ Urban Experience And Implications For The Development Of Civil Society In China, Billy Yates

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recent unrest in China by migrant laborers’ increasing labor militancy, as well as unrest caused by Islamic groups in China ranging from separatist movements to backlash from discrimination have been the focus of the Chinese government’ attempts to main stability within the PRC. In the largest country in the world, rapid changes as the result of economic liberalization and the introduction of global capitalism have had drastic impacts on society, from increasing inequality to the introduction of Western media and ideas. Unrest has been accompanied by developments in civil society as Islamic institutions chafing under Chinese regulations become places of …

Anti-Human Trafficking Policy In Israel: Success Story?, Noam Perry

Third Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking, 2011

Concern over human trafficking in Israel emerged in the late 1990s, following the massive wave of immigration from Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union. Within less than a decade, a full policy-making cycle was completed: the problem was framed by the media and NGOs; public awareness increased; policy prescriptions were proposed, adopted, and implemented; and finally, government officials announced that the problem has been successfully dealt with. Since then public interest in the issue dramatically decreased. Of particular interest is the role of the United States government in this process. While trafficking was first recognized as a …

Who Benefits From Early Childcare Subsidy Design In Ireland?, Bernie O'Donoghue Hynes, Noirin Hayes

Articles

Best Newcomer Article

The design of policy tools reveals underlying biases that are not easily identified in policy documents. A review of two early childhood education and care subsidies in Ireland aimed at different target populations exposes differential treatment of children, parents and service providers. It also demonstrates how in a split system ‘early education’ is prioritised over ‘childcare’. The designs serve to reinforce stereotypes that enable the powerful and advantaged to accrue benefits while those perceived to be less deserving are burdened through the maldistribution of resources.

Perceptions Of Fairness, David Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Bai And Bilingual: Improving Academic Achievement Through Bilingual And Multicultural Education, Priscilla Hsu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to examine minority language policy and practice in China, particularly among the Bai minority in Yunnan Province. There are large discrepancies between what law stipulates and what occurs in practice. Based on a literature review and findings from my study, minority students in rural areas are at a comparative disadvantage with minority students in urban areas who have greater access to resources and better educational facilities. Offering bilingual and multicultural education is of greater importance to rural minority students in creating a culturally relative environment to improve academic achievement.

The Perfect Storm: How Pro-Abortion Activists In The Netherlands Incite Social Change From International Waters, Julia Ellis‐Kahana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is a sociological ethnography of the Women on Waves foundation, founded in 1999 by Dr. Rebecca Gomperts. As an international non-profit organization, they employ a direct action method: sailing to countries where abortion is illegal and providing safe abortion access. Local women board the ship that then travels 12 miles to international waters, where Dutch law applies, and the abortion pill can be administered legally. Using a feminist perspective, I interviewed five of the women at the organization in addition to the ship’s captain in order to understand the ideological beliefs about the reproductive rights that have inspired …

De La Fragmentación A La Unidad: Familias Transnacionales Cochabambinas Y Las Relaciones A Larga Distancia A Consecuencia De La Migración A Los Estados Unidos, Maya Jacob

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this project I studied the effects of migration on family relationships and pre-existing power structures when Bolivians migrate from Cochabamba to the United States. To investigate this topic I interviewed families of migrants, both those who had left for the U.S. and those who stayed behind in Cochabamba. I complemented this field study by interviewing professors of sociology (from the Universidad Católica in Cochabamba and the Universidad Mayor de San Simón) who specialize in themes of external migration. By learning about the relations within nuclear families and with other migrants in the U.S., the interviews afforded me a greater …

The Rise Of The Last Woman: An Analysis Of Women’S Independence In 21st Century Rajasthan, Anita C. Foster

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research assembled around women’s accessibility and accountability is most essential when considering possibilities for future development. Understanding that women of any society make grand impacts on their family and surrounding community, women’s stories must be tracked as primary considerations of the development needs and changes of any society. This research focused on 21^st century educated Rajasthani women’s aspirations, challenges and development goals. The study revealed that “the new woman” in the 21^st century is taking a new stance on self-identity and women’s independence. Conditioned with multi-facet complexities, these independent mothers and daughters are claiming their right to literacy …

La Reproducción De Desigualdad De Género En Los Liceos, Rebecca R. Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper looks at how gender norms and thus gender inequality is reproduced in public schools in Valparaiso, Chile. In 2009 a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program found that 62% of Chileans, both male and female, “are opposed to full equality between the sexes” (Estrada 1). While the women’s participation rate in the paid labor fore has risen to 49% it is still behind other countries in Latin America (Estrada 1). While the country currently faces a 7.1% unemployment rate and roughly 11.5% percent live below the poverty line, women have a unemployment rate of 8.6 while …

Economic Empowerment And Hiv Prevention Among Young Women And Girls In Kenya: Lessons From The Study Of Economic Empowerment Programs, Samantha Van Putten

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of the major issues facing Kenya is HIV/AIDS. With recognition by the global community that providing women with economic opportunities can help both those who are HIV positive, as well as in prevention for those who are not infected, programs combining microfinance and HIV education have started to emerge. While women in these programs 3 3 have shown preliminary signs of success, young girls did not respond as well in part due to lack of interest in the particular programs themselves. As such, this study examines two economic empowerment programs for girls and young mothers at the non-governmental organization …