Digital Commons Network^™

Precautionary Approaches For Health And The Environment: Making The Case For A Toxics Reduction Strategy At Multnomah County And City Of Portland, Stephanie Farquhar, Molly Chidsey, Neha Patel

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes an overview of the problem, local concerns, model policies, and best practices for toxic pollution prevention and provides recommendations for next steps to protect human health and the local environment in Portland and Multnomah County. This report accompanies the Multnomah County and City of Portland resolutions to "Recognize National Pollution Prevention Week and develop a Toxics Reduction Strategy jointly with City of Portland / Multnomah County using the Precautionary Principle."

The Effects Of Neo-Liberalism: A Proposal To Measure Women's Feeling Of Safety And Job Satisfaction In Two Garment Factories, Briana Henscheid

Honors Program Theses

Neo-liberal policies have facilitated increased globalization. ln tum, environmental, as well as occupational concerns have increased. The following is an overview of principle neo-liberal ideologies as well as their contribution to globalization. The detrimental effects of globalization on the environment as well as occupational health and safety are examined. To narrow the scope, a proposal is set forth which would examine specifically the attitudes of women workers in two garment factories, one with production in the United States, the other with production in Mexico. Although no research is conducted, the format is clear and preliminary conclusions are drawn.

Exposure Matters: Examining The Physical And Psychological Health Impacts Of Toxic Contamination Using Gis And Survey Data, Christine A. Bevc

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the grassroots environmental movement brought national attention to the issues related to inequities in environmental quality. Previous research addressing these environmental inequities has progressively increased and advanced methodologically. However, the arguments and focus have been primarily limited to examining the socio-demographics in an ongoing debate of race and class. This thesis extends past the methodological stalemate focusing on the application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) using survey data in an environmental justice case study of a community in south Florida. This approach examines the social, health and environmental impacts of a Superfund site …

One Engineer And A Dog: Technological Change And Social Restructuring In Alabama's Pulp And Paper Industry, Peter R. Sinclair, Conner Bailey, Mark Dubois

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

We apply a commodity systems analysis to examine a series of changes that are transforming Alabama's pulp and paper industry. Alabama is a critical area for investigation because it lies at the heart of North America's principle pulp and paper production zone. Industry restructuring is a complex process involving the reorganization of capital and corporate ownership, as well as changes in technologies, which affect the labor process. For example, a recent spate of corporate mergers has resulted in concentration of mill ownership and has accelerated the prevalence of sub-contracting. Indeed, the expansion of sub-contracting into new realms raises the fundamental …

The Martin County Project: A Student, Faculty, And Citizen Effort At Researching The Effects Of A Technological Disaster, Stephanie Mcspirit, Sharon Hardesty, Robert Welch

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This research note describes two simultaneous events: the Martin County coal waste disaster of October 2000 and our own research efforts in Martin County, Kentucky, in studying the effects of the disaster on the impacted community. Our research was unique in that we involved a large team of undergraduate students in our field and data collections efforts. We also applied more democratic and participatory methods than has been typical in the "techno-disasters" research. We believe that our expanded method has allowed us to glean insights and understanding into the effects and political dynamics of the Martin County coal waste disaster. …

Social Capital, Structural Conditions, And Mortality: A Study Of Nonmetropolitan Counties In Mississippi, Domenico Parisi, Steven Michael Grice, Michael Taquino, Duane A. Gill

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

In this study, we examine the extent to which structural conditions that favor investment in social capital affect mortality across nonmetro counties in Mississippi. To this end, we focus on four county structural conditions: (1) place of residence within county boundaries, (2) civic infrastructure, (3) economic conditions, and (4) county regional location. The results clearly indicate that structural conditions that favor investment in social capital lead to lower mortality. Specifically, concentration of disadvantage conditions has an independent effect on mortality. That is, its effect operates independentIy of other structural conditions. In contrast, the effects of place of residence and civic …

Connecting The Classroom And The Community: Service-Learning Programs Allow Students To Apply Real-World Experience With Classroom Studyblack Issues In Higher Education, Phaedra Brotherton

Higher Education

The events of Sept. 11 have been credited with awakening a desire for many to do something meaningful and give back to their communities. But for the past decade, a growing number of institutions of higher education have been doing their part in developing civic-minded citizens through service-learning programs that allow students to earn credit for performing community service.

Naccs 29th Annual Conference, National Association For Chicana And Chicano Studies

NACCS Conference Programs

The Multiple Faces of Chicanas
March 27-30, 2002
Hyatt Regency at McCormick Place

Images Of Service: Reflections From The Campus Compact Midwest Collaboration Community Service Directors Fellowship Program 2000-2001, Beth Blissman, Jay Cooper

Higher Education

We Americans are people of the journey. From boats across the Atlantic by way of Pilgrim quest, to the holocaust of the middle passage, to classic travelogues such as On the Road or Travels with Charley (in Search of America}, the stamp of the mythic journey seems to be indelibly planted on our national psyche. And as we all know, journeys have several staple elements: anticipation, consumption of a variety of foods at exorbitant prices, wrestling with a roadmap, and children in the back crying, "Are we there yet?" A quintessentially American component to the journey, however, is the postcard.

Racial Justice: Moral Or Political?, Kendall Thomas

Faculty Scholarship

Nearly one hundred years ago, W.E.B. DuBois predicted that the problem of the 20th century would be the problem of the color line. Were he writing today, DuBois might well conclude that in the U.S., the problem of the coming century will be the problem of the color-bind. Although Americans arguably remain "the most 'race-conscious' people on earth," our national conversation about "race" now stands at an impasse. Our ways of talking, or refusing to talk, about race increasingly speak past the racialized dilemmas of educational equity, affirmative action, poverty, welfare reform, housing, lending, labor and employment discrimination, health …

Common Cause: A Comparative Case Study Of Three Alabama Communities Organizing Against Landfills, Lani Merritt

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

This paper documents the organizational strategies of three Alabama community groups that have mobilized against the siting of municipal landfills. All three communities are predominately African-American, rural, and lower-income. The framework of environmental justice is applied to understand common elements of the three communities' experiences. The primary focus, however, is on differences between the cases that brought forward markedly different strategies. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the different approaches taken by each community, and to identify factors and strategies that were crucial to success or failure from the perspective of landfill opponents. Responsiveness of local political …

Naccs 28th Annual Conference, National Association For Chicana And Chicano Studies

NACCS Conference Programs

I-uan g ceksan, Tuchá Aria Wa Frontierapo, Borrando Fronteras, Erasing Borders: La Educación, Salud, Inmigración e Historia del Pueblo
April 4-8, 2001
Marriot Hotel

A Book Review Of An Invitation To Environmental Sociology, George Dillmann

Buffalo Environmental Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Environmental Sociology: An Analysis Of Trends, Gregory M. Fulkerson

Masters Theses

This thesis describes the current status of environmental sociology, and presents an invitation to the reader to engage in the topic of the environment. It begins with a review of the literature, focusing on the origins of sociology and the theory of ecology, and presents the framework for the content analysis. The content analysis investigates the content and number of environmental sociology articles in mainstream sociological journals. In addition to the articles themselves, it analyzes the schools and authors of these articles. This analysis is supplemented with an analysis of environmental journals, enumerating the total number of environmental journals in …

Crafting Multicultural Science Education With Preservice Teachers Through Service-Learning, Angela Calabrese Barton

Higher Education

Many science educators, in the US and elsewhere, support the idea that all students should have fair and equal opportunities to become scientifically literate through authentic, real problem-based science education. However, this challenge requires teachers to find ways to help all students feel comfortable with, and connected to, science. Despite the general consensus around the ideal of science for all, science teacher education programmes have had little or no impact on pre-service teachers’ philosophies of teaching and learning, especially as it relates to serving under-served populations in science. In this paper, I explore community service-learning as one way of addressing …

Brownfield Redevelopment And Effects On Community: A Study Of The Collinwood Neighborhood In Cleveland Ohio, Mike Wallerstein

Honors Papers

Brownfield redevelopment is seen by many, city planners, environmentalists entrepreneurs alike, as one of the best available ways to revitalize the inner city. Brownfield redevelopment appeals to the environmentalist by offering to clean up contaminated land. It appeals to entrepreneurs as a chance to acquire cheap land in a good location. It appeals to cities as a chance to aesthetically improve the urban landscape and increase tax revenues. It appears to be a bright light on the horizon of the otherwise dim realm of ecologically minded urban development.

Race, Class, And The Distribution Of Radioactive Waste In New England, Douglas J. Anderton, John Michael Oates, Michael R. Fraser

New England Journal of Public Policy

Objective. Inequity in the distribution of environmental burdens among social groups, for example, minority and disadvantaged segments of the population, is an important topic in policy research. This research has largely focused on hazardous waste facilities and Superfund sites. Yet federal mandates to the states raise similar concerns over the social distribution of low-level radioactive waste facilities (LLRWFs). This study seeks to provide the first evaluation of equity in the distribution of LLRWFs within a state.

Methods. We use data from the 1990 Census to compare selected characteristics of tracts with low-level radioactive waste facilities to tracts without, tracts nearby …

Expert And Public Evaluations Of Technological Risks: Searching For Common Ground, James Flynn, Paul Slovic

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Drs. Flynn and Slovic compare and evaluate the ways in which the public and experts perceive technological risks.

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).

Resource Colonialism And Native Resistance: The Mining Wars In Wisconsin, Linda Marie Robyn

Dissertations

In recent years powerful multinational mining corporations have attempted to mine various minerals found on Indian lands in the northern region of Wisconsin. These lands are currently protected from corporate incursion by treaties between the Chippewa people and the United States government. The Chippewa are using the treaties as an obstacle to corporate access to their lands and to protect their lands from the environmental devastation that will occur from proposed mining ventures.

This case study utilizes a power-reflexive method to analyze the power of the state to control rich mineral resources known to be on reservation lands. Under examination …

Through A Lens Darkly--Superfund Spectacles On Public Participation At Brownfield Sites, Kris Wernstedt, Robert Hersh

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors discuss the recent trend in brownfield site development against a backdrop of Superfund experience and explore current barriers to public participation.

Solid Waste Management And The Need For Effective Public Participation, Catherine A. Solheim, Charles E. Faupel, Conner Bailey

Journal of Rural Social Sciences

Recent changes in technical requirements for landfill design, mandated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have led to closing the majority of solid waste landfills in the United States. Efforts to site new landfills have elicited widespread opposition. Based on eight case studies in Alabama, we identify three themes behind this opposition: threats to quality of life, potentially harmful economic impacts, and frustration over representational issues in the process involved in selecting the proposed solid waste facility. These concerns mirror much of the literature on public opposition to landfills and other facilities which pose similar threats to the environment and …

Why The Environment Needs National Service, Brian R. Trelstad

Special Topics, General

On July 20, 1969, when “man” landed on the Moon, the United States achieved a remarkable scientific and technological breakthrough. “One small step for . . . man; one giant leap for mankind”; Neil Armstrong’s voice crackled through Mission Control to the millions around the globe who were watching that moment, transfixed by their television sets. Everyone was watching. Everyone that is, but my mother-and the handful of other mothers around the globe who were giving birth at the same moment-to people like me, a generation of moon children.

The Struggle Over Parcel C: How Boston’S Chinatown Won A Victory In The Fight Against Institutional Expansionism And Environmental Racism, Andrew Leong

Institute for Asian American Studies Publications

For the last fifty years, Boston’s Chinatown has been a shrinking community. Squeezed in by highways on two sides, its land is being gradually consumed by two medical institutions, Tufts University Medical School and New England Medical Center. During the last few decades, these two medical institutions have swallowed up nearly one third of the land in Boston’s Chinatown. Despite this, both medical institutions want more. In its latest attempt at institutional expansion, New England Medical Center made an offer to the City of Boston in early 1993 to acquire a small plot of land in Chinatown called Parcel C, …

Participatory Research And Community Organizing, Sung Sil Lee Sohng

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The paper summarizes the political economy of knowledge production in an increasingly privatized, postindustrial world of knowledge society. This analysis is linked to the emergence of participatory research movements. It argues that the participatory approach to community research offers epistemology and methodology that address people, power and praxis in our postmodern, information society. The paper then describes howa participatory research project is carried out in community practice, articulating key moments and the roles of the researcher and participants. In order to develop this understanding further, it examines the efforts of two specific projects and shows how knowledge production can serve …

Conflicting Views On Fair Siting Processes: Evidence From Austria And The U.S., Joanne Linnerooth-Bayer, Kevin B. Fitzgerald

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors maintain that, by granting legitimacy to different notions of fairness and building on common values such as responsibility, it is possible to design siting procedures that promote social cohesion, trust and a sense of fair play.

Fairness As Compassion: Towards A Less Unfair Facility Siting Policy, Benjamin Davy

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Dr. Davy argues that siting efforts fail because of perceived injustices and urges authorities to search more aggressively for ways to avoid injustice and to cope with the anguish of those who may be unavoidably shortchanged.

Risk Perception And Trust: Challenges For Facility Siting, Howard Kunreuther, Paul Slovic, Donald Macgregor

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The authors maintain that, by granting legitimacy to different notions of fairness and building on common values such as responsibility, it is possible to design siting procedures that promote social cohesion, trust and a sense of fair play.

The L-Word : October 1, 1995, The L-Word

The L-Word

No abstract provided.

Journal Of The Community Development Society Vol. 26, No. 01, Center For Public Affairs Research (Cpar)

Publications

As mentioned in previous editions, one of the critical functions of this journal is to facilitate communication between researchers and practitioners working in community development. It is important to not only report on completed research, as is the major task of most research-based journals, but to also include comments from others who have reviewed the journal articles. Since this journal serves the needs of both researchers and practitioners it is necessary to stimulate a continuing dialogue among both groups on common community development topics.