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Author Bios, Back Matter 04

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Featured Artist: Yaire Thaiz Barboza, Back Matter 02

CouRaGeouS Cuentos: A Journal of Counternarratives

No abstract provided.

Call And Response : Experiments In Storytelling, Deanne Fernandes

Masters Theses

Being part of RISD's inaugural Masters of Illustration cohort has been an immense honor. This journey has been nothing short of transformative and healing, as it has allowed me to unearth layers of self-discovery through my creative practice.

In my thesis, I introduce a fresh research methodology rooted in the principles of call and response, with adaptability, creativity, and storytelling as its foundational pillars. Through the lenses of visual storytelling, experimental animation, graphic journalism, and fictional world-building, I demonstrate how these techniques can effectively bridge the gap between theory and practice. This dynamic approach fosters meaningful connections among diverse perspectives …

Towards More Inclusive Practices In Applied Linguistics: A Study Of Journal Editors’ Views On Using ‘Who’ With Nonhuman Animals With Implications For Language Education, Denise Dillon, George M. Jacobs, Meng Huat Chau

Journal of English and Applied Linguistics

Like racism or sexism, speciesism highlights how people fail to give due respect to nonhuman animals. After more than 20 years since the publication of Dunayer’s (2001) seminal work, Animal Equality: Language and Liberation, speciesism appears to remain a controversial issue. In this article, we explore the issue of speciesist language by considering the views of journal editors on one point raised in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020): that the relative pronoun who should only be used with humans and not with other animals. The results of this study suggest that while …

Strategic Pathways To Minimal Deterrence And Counter-Terrorism: Enhancing Brunei’S Defense Capabilities, Brice Tseen Fu Lee, Filip Komšić, Juan Pablo Sims

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This paper explores the strategic enhancement of Brunei’s military capabilities under the guidelines of the Brunei Defense White Paper 2021, focusing on establishing a robust minimal level deterrence. It emphasizes transitioning from conventional defense paradigms to an integrated, technologically advanced military structure tailored to contemporary and future security challenges. The significance of minimal level deterrence is analyzed, illustrating how a proportionate and efficient military force not only deters potential aggressors but also supports counter-terrorism efforts. This approach underscores the dual benefits of ensuring national security while facilitating economic stability and growth, allowing Brunei to allocate resources more effectively between defense …

The Wild Arctic Char In Swedish Sápmi – From Staple Ingredient To Nostalgic Food, Julia C. Carrillo Ocampo

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

The way food is preserved, prepared and consumed is embedded in cultural symbolism strongly connected to the geographical landscape. This article focuses on the memories of Sami actors within the wild Arctic char value chain to explore how changes in the foodscape influence the way this produce is prepared and consumed in contemporary Sápmi and the use and view of traditional preservation techniques. The empirical material was obtained through interviews and observations with Sami actors as they are the dominant agents related to this produce. Consequently, I traced different narratives attached to the char in the region called Swedish Sápmi …

Evaluating Climate Migration Through Discourse Analysis Of International Policy Framework And “El Progreso” Community Blog, Olusola Akanni

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Environmental changes are driven by global warming, such as rising temperatures, melting ice, and increased natural disasters which directly affect the living conditions of huma thereby driving migration. This study highlights the inadequacies of current migration management policies as the United States is seeing a significant influx of migrants from Central America. The focus of this discourse analysis is on the role of inadequate policies and the failure of international efforts like the Paris Climate Agreement in addressing the issue of climate-induced migration effectively. Despite the goals set by such international agreements to mitigate the effects of climate change …

No. 21: Refugee Migration And Urban Food Security: Somali Migrants In Nairobi, Kenya, Zack Ahmed, Jonathan Crush, Samuel Owuor, Elizabeth Onyango

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This paper investigates the relationship between refugee migration and urban food security, focusing on Somali migrants in Nairobi, Kenya. Despite the abundance of literature on urban refugees and their economic integration, scant research has addressed their food security challenges. Utilizing a household survey conducted in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighborhood, the paper explores the levels, determinants, and spatial variations of food security among Somali refugees. Findings reveal that while migration to Nairobi generally improves food security compared to conditions in Somalia, substantial disparities exist within the refugee population, with a significant portion still facing severe food insecurity. Factors such as household type, …

Chronic Inequities: Environmental & Structural Racism During Covid-19 And Hurricane Laura Disaster Recovery, Tomeka M. Robinson, Sabrina Singh

Critical Disaster Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the realities of systemic health inequities within the United States. While the virus has severely impacted the entire country, people of color bear the brunt of this pandemic, from surges of COVID-19 cases in their communities to spikes in unemployment rates. Simultaneously, citizens are dealing with the impacts of natural disasters such as hurricanes along the Gulf Coast. The common denominator concerning these two stressors is that they can be exacerbated by institutional racism. This can be seen in the case of a small city in Southwest Louisiana, namely, Lake Charles, which has become a …

Book Review: The Shaming State: How The U.S. Treats Citizens In Need, Steve Matthewman

Critical Disaster Studies

Salman’s book centers two different constituencies, in two different locations, in the 2010s, who have been impacted by two different disasters. The first group are Iraqi refugees who have been resettled in Wayne County, Michigan. Trying to start again over half a world away, they are trapped in the transit lounge of life, never able to move on, never able to properly belong. They found a state in recession, the automobile industry collapsing, the city of Detroit bankrupt. Their particular county had higher unemployment than the state’s average and a poor median income as well. Economically speaking, ‘Michigan fared worse …

Strongly Stated And Loosely Held: Examining Stewart Brand's Role In The Ecomodernist Project, Liam J. Baker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

With the ecomodernist environmental perspective emerging in the wake of the 2015 publication of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, many researchers have sought to critique the ecomodernists and their theories of separating humanity from nature, intensifying agriculture, expanding energy production, and relying on technology to resolve the environmental challenges of the 21st century. In this paper, I add to these critiques by examining the history of Stewart Brand, one of the coauthors of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, to highlight connections between his personal environmental perspective, his material impacts, and the ecomodernist project as a whole. By analyzing the discourse produced by and about …

No. 19: Covid-19, Food Insecurity And South Sudanese Urban Refugees In Nairobi And Nakuru, Kenya, Cherie Enns, Samuel Owuor, Abbey Lin, Natasha Knebelow, Jacqueline Fanta, Cobby Achieng, William Kolong, Kristin Swardh

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

The challenges and struggles of refugees are well documented, mainly within refugee camps. However, more needs to be documented and understood about the exertions and hardships of urban refugees, including the experiences of young South Sudanese urban refugees living in Kenya. Although Kenya is one of the major countries that hosts refugees from South Sudan, it has adopted disparate policies for refugees in camp settings and those outside the camps. This divergent approach placed urban South Sudanese refugee youth in highly precarious circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rampant food insecurity for refugee youth was one of the key negative consequences. …

Navigating Environmental Sustainability In The Corporate Sector, Leslie King, Vanessa Adel

Sociology: Faculty Publications

Corporate environmental sustainability is experiencing a major surge in activity. The notion that capitalist enterprises can transform themselves to become more sustainable aligns with ecological modernization theory, which holds that our current economic system can become environmentally sustainable, especially through technological innovation. Organization scholars studying corporate environmental sustainability (CES) typically align with ecological modernization principles and focus their research on company-level norms and practices in order to suggest managerial improvements. Critical political economists, on the other hand, argue that capital accumulation and growth are fundamental drivers of environmental exploitation and that CES efforts are unlikely to yield significant results. We …

Quemando Leña En Guatemala: Salud, Sostenibilidad Y Costumbres, Sydney Underhill

World Languages and Cultures Senior Capstones

In the Central American country of Guatemala, firewood is an important fuel source. Eighty-eight percent of households in rural areas use wood stoves and open fires to cook and heat their homes. This tradition has fundamental roots in the culture and customs of Guatemala. Unfortunately, these methods contribute to air pollution. Consequently, it also results in smoke inhalation, which causes health problems. Additionally, the massive agriculture of other crops decreases the amount of firewood available to these households, affecting the sustainability of the resource. Some communities resist changing their use of firewood due to the profound nature that firewood holds …

Pictorial Bionomics: Santa Ana River Record And Survey, Caleb Lachelt

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Intense conflict is unfolding in Southern California, and it runs right through our cities every day. It goes unnoticed by most, but its outcome will decide the future for humans and nature alike. This conflict is between human development and the natural majesty of our waterways. The foundation of Orange and surrounding areas is historic wetlands, which have caused massive flooding that destroys human lives and buildings. In response to this destruction, we have unleashed our own damage, paving entire sections of our rivers and erecting dams and levees wherever we can. Through this process we have successfully protected those …

Breathing Inequity: A Mixed Method Analysis Of Rubbertown's Air Quality Problem, Mikayla Pitmon

Undergraduate Theses

Louisville Metro Government has a multitude of quantitative data on demographics, health, and air quality in Rubbertown fenceline communities. This study explores how community-level research allows us to have a more robust understanding of the impact of environmental injustice. Spatial data was utilized to map various health variables, zoning, and community spaces relative to Rubbertown chemical facilities. A semi-structured interview was then conducted with a local environmental justice activist to gain a better understanding of their experience and the barriers to environmental justice for the residents of West Louisville. This study improves our understanding of community needs and adds a …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

Across The Snake River Plain: Terminal Pleistocene, Early Holocene, And Early Middle Holocene Land-Use In Southeast Idaho, Jennifer Finn

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The range of mobility demonstrated to overcome challenges with resource distribution is a hallmark of hunter-gatherer societies. Previous studies in southeast Idaho have investigated the possibility that precontact human movement was impacted by climatic differences. According to preliminary studies on regional obsidian toolstone conveyance, land use patterns were already changing throughout the early Holocene due to increased aridity. However, the geographical distribution of Northern Side-notched projectile points suggests a significant expansion in mobility at the early Holocene/middle Holocene transition. This thesis tests the hypothesis that precontact early middle Holocene human mobility in the study area was conditioned by environmental factors …

The Role Of Transit Countries In Global Wildlife Trafficking, Joseph Gangi

Student Theses

This thesis explores the role of transit countries in the global trade of illegal wildlife. While much research has been conducted on source and destination countries, transit countries remain an under-researched link in this chain, even though they play an integral role in facilitating this trade. This study utilizes the Rational Choice and Institutional Theory theoretical frameworks to examine the factors associated with transit countries' roles in wildlife trafficking. The findings indicate that transit countries play an active role in wildlife trafficking, and there is a need for policy to address this issue. Considering the findings of this study, this …

Homemade Language, Conservative Fro-Yo, And Sci-Fi Sloths: How Speculative Migration Fiction Confronts The Ends Of Worlds By Challenging The Nation-State, Zoe R. Scheuerman

English Honors Projects

This English literature thesis project explores an emerging, genre-defying body of fiction which I call “speculative migration fiction.” Speculative migration fiction imagines how ongoing global developments like climate change, technological development, and war may shape future migrations. Drawing on Benedict Anderson’s conception of national culture, Wendy Brown’s theory of the border, and Caroline Levine’s understanding of literary form, as well as close readings from Scattered All Over the Earth by Yōko Tawada, Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, and 2 A.M. in Little America by Ken Kalfus, I argue that transnational migrations move toward becoming postnational migrations as migrants evade border …

“I Cannot Bring A Child Into This World”: Hearing And Writing I Poems With Birthstrike Testimonials, Leola Meynell

The Qualitative Report

BirthStrike for Climate was a UK-based movement whose members “striked” against having children, to demonstrate the desperate need for political action on climate change. In this article, I engage with the Listening Guide (Gilligan & Eddy, 2017) to hear, trace and construct “I poems” with BirthStrike members’ testimonial statements, which were published online between 2019-2020. My analysis focusses on how BirthStrike stories articulate the psychosocial impacts of climate change, particularly in relation to questions about having (and not having) children in times of environmental and social crises. I provide an iteration of how the Listening Guide can be applied to …

Assessing Sustainable Tourism: Insights From Four Regions In Quebec, Yasmine Benbelaid

GSTC Academic Symposium - In conjunction with the GSTC Global Conference

This communication proposes to share the outcomes of a comprehensive sustainable tourism diagnosis conducted in four distinct regions of Quebec, namely Monteregie, Mauricie, Lanaudiere, and the Magdalen Islands. The study encompasses a diverse range of 45 tourism enterprises operating across various sectors within the industry. This project represents the results of my postdoctoral internship.

Climate Protest Scarcity In East Asia: Cross-Country Analysis Using Resource Mobilization Theory, Hikaru Komatsu, Yi-Huan Hsieh

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Climate protests have been recognized as a catalyst for social transformation. Previous studies focused on protests in Western countries where protests were abundant. Few studies paid attention to regions where protests were scarce. As a first step towards understanding the reasons for climate protest scarcity in East Asia, we used Resource Mobilization Theory and explored factors correlated with climate protest significance among different countries. In addition to confirming factors already identified in previous studies (e.g., the density of non-governmental organizations), we uncovered two novel factors: working hours and trust in strangers. By examining these correlations, we discuss potential mechanisms underlying …

“Making The Bed”: Challenging Ideologies Of Ownership, Nonlocality, And Romanticism In The Age Of The Anthropocene, Ainsley P. Foster

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

The current Age of the Anthropocene marks a recent and rapid transition into a period in climate history that is notably defined by human impact. Modern Western sentiments of grief, frustration, and romanticism as a result of the interplay between domestic and corporate spaces seem to culminate in an overall attitude of apathy and acceptance of the Age of the Anthropocene. Various art forms collaborate to create the current conversation of the causatory and reactionary relationship that humans have with the Anthropocene, offering interpretations of how individuals and corporations view ownership of and responsibilities to the environment. There is a …

Community Opinions On Environmental Action On Isla Porvenir And Whichub Walla In The Guna Yala Comarca, Sofia Houts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Guna Yala Comarca is the autonomous, self-governed territory of the Guna people, one of seven Indigenous groups in Panama. The Comarca is located on Panama’s eastern Caribbean coast and includes 365 coral islands. Forty nine Guna communities and roughly 32,000 individuals live in the territory. The Guna General Congress is the highest authority, and each community has a local congress. As a low-lying coastal region, Guna Yala is especially vulnerable to climate change and is already impacted by sea level rise, biodiversity loss, and changing precipitation patterns. Sub-national, national, and international forms of governance and environmental action are crucial …

Small Towns Can Do Evs Too!, Tyler Knaak, Connor Wanetka, Makenna Eisenzimmer, Krista Price, Fame Punpoka

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, fall 2023

A poster titled Small Towns Can Do EVs Too! for client City of Wayne, Nebraska.

Paving The Way For Recycled Roadways: Are Plastic Roads The Solution To Our Global Plastic Waster Crisis?, Reese Van Osdel, Katheryn Austin, Libbie Pepple, Soledad Stevanov

Environmental Engagement in the Community (ENVR 319): Student Projects

Environmental Engagement in the Community projects, spring 2024

A poster titled Paving the Way for Recycled Roadways: Are Plastic Roads the Solution to Our Global Plastic Waster Crisis? for client South Sioux City, nebraska.

Exploration Of The Mental Health Impacts Of Drought On Rural Nebraskans Via Remembered Perceptions, Grace Schleining

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Drought is a sociological phenomenon. It is a well-known occurrence across the midwestern United States; the drying out of the soil, the failing of crops, and the constant dryness and heat... this is all drought. Inspired by my earliest memory of this climate phenomenon, my research question: Can we identify negative effects of drought on rural Nebraskan mental health and/or wellbeing? In this study, rural Nebraska community members, who are involved with the agricultural sector, were interviewed. They were asked questions regarding their perceptions and stories of drought using purposive sampling and snowball sampling methods. Themes throughout indicate negative mental …

Género Y Resiliencia En La Amazonía Peruana: Las Experiencias Y Respuestas De Agricultoras Indígenas Ante El Cambio Climático, Zoe Klausner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El cambio climático antropogénico está redefiniendo rápidamente las relaciones humano-ambientales, especialmente en la Amazonía peruana, donde más de 66 comunidades indígenas enfrentan mayores sequías y temperaturas, afectando profundamente sus medios de vida. Crucialmente, desde la visión ecofeminista central a esta investigación se subraya que las mujeres indígenas experimentan los impactos del cambio climático más severamente y son a menudo los líderes en el fomento de la resiliencia ambiental. Esta investigación explora cómo las agricultoras indígenas de la Amazonía peruana viven el cambio climático y sus estrategias de adaptación y resiliencia. El trabajo de campo se realizó en la comunidad Ese'Eja …

Guna Community Perspectives On Attributes, Changes, And Revitalization Of Nainu Agroecological Practices In Isla Tigre, Guna Yala Comarca, Panama, Neshima Vitale-Penniman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indigenous agroecological systems are gaining international recognition for their capacity to conserve biodiversity while promoting food security and sovereignty. Nainu is the ancestral agriculture of the Guna people of eastern Panama, and it is characterized by a successional growing system that imitates the regeneration of the tropical forest in which it is practiced. This research aimed to (a) characterize how nainu is practiced by farmers in Isla Tigre, a community in Guna Yala, (b) characterize how nainu practices have changed over time, and (c) describe how farmers and community members in Isla Tigre are envisioning and actualizing the revitalization of …