Digital Commons Network^™

The Revolution Is Not Over: Sudanese Female Asylum Seekers And Refugees In Belfast, Dianne Kirby

The Journal of Social Encounters

Female Sudanese asylum seekers and refugees in Belfast were instrumental in establishing a women’s collective, Anaka. The original goal was provision of a safe space where the founders could help women confronting the harshness of the asylum system alone and afraid, as they had been. The endeavour to mitigate the hard realities of a challenging system in a hostile environment led to the collective becoming an advocacy and campaigning group. The ethos was one of participation and empowerment, deploying skills, creative capacities and political insights forged in the fight for Sudanese democracy. The key issues confronting female refugees -- housing, …

Darfur’S Armed Movements: Evolution Of Roles And Relations With Actors In Light Of The April 15 War, Marwan M. Hamza

The Journal of Social Encounters

This research comes in eight main sections, comprising a historical background of the conflicts in Sudan in general and Darfur in particular; an intro to armed movements active in Darfur the research team have monitored; and an extensive analysis of interviews the team conducted with members of the armed movements, independent actors and the native administrations.

Focusing on the Darfuri armed movements’ evolution of roles during the April 15 War, an analysis of respondents’ responses highlights varying takes on the impact of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA). While some deems it futile as to resolve conflicts, others admittedly view it …

When Peace Interventions Become Elusive: The Convoluted Darfur Conflict, Elias Opongo

The Journal of Social Encounters

The conflict in Darfur, rooted in longstanding tensions among ethnic and political groups in western Sudan, is marked by widespread violence, displacement, and human rights abuses. Whereas there have been concerted efforts by successive governments and different local, regional, and national stakeholders to resolve these conflicts through various transitional justice and traditional mechanisms, these interventions have largely been ineffective, often resulting in accusations of bias and unequal treatment by the Khartoum government. This article seeks to evaluate conflict intervention efforts by different actors such as the Sudan government, the African Union (AU), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), regional governments, and …

Darfur And Sudan: The People, Politics, Conflict, And Recovery: An Introduction, Mawa Mohamed, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

No abstract provided.

No. 27: Invisible Work, Visible Impacts: Gender, Migrants, And Informal Food Trade Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic In The Global South, Laeba Khan

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This paper examines the abrupt and far-reaching consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on women engaged in the informal food sector within the Global South. It highlights the deepening effects of the pandemic on food insecurity, gender inequality, and economic disparities. Based on a case study of three groups of women – internal migrants, international migrants, and cross-border traders – engaged in informal food work within and across countries and regions of the Global South, the paper investigates the compounded challenges they face, as well as their exacerbated risks and vulnerabilities. The analysis exposes the complex interplay between gender, migration, and …

No. 03: Addressing Urban Food Security Challenges For South-South Migrants, Abel Chikanda, Jonathan Crush, Godfrey Tawodzera

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This policy brief examines the growing phenomenon of South-South migration, with a focus on the challenges of urban food security faced by migrants moving from one Global South country to urban areas in another. South-South migration has become increasingly significant, yet it remains under-researched, especially regarding the food insecurity that many migrants face in their host cities. The brief highlights the unique vulnerabilities of these migrants, who often find themselves in precarious employment, facing xenophobia, and excluded from formal social protection mechanisms, all of which exacerbate their food insecurity. The case study of Cape Town, South Africa, underscores the severity …

The 2021 Kansas Rural Grocery Survey: Revaluating Extension’S Role In Rural Grocery Issues, Jacob A. Miller-Klugesherz, Jessica Ramirez, Rial Carver, Erica Blair, Leah J. Tsoodle, Lauren Scheufler

Journal of Extension

Kansas State University’s Rural Grocery Initiative, housed under research and extension, surveyed rural Kansas grocery stores in 2021 (N = 48). This is the second RGI survey, following up on the ownership and customer surveys in 2008. This survey broadly assesses owner characteristics, store features, and challenges. Using descriptive and thematic analyses, we identified two topline conclusions for grocers and their respective Extension services. First, grocers need to identify transition plans earlier and more often. Second, grocers can overcome competition and distribution challenges by diversifying their sourcing, supply, and offerings.

Editor's Introduction, Michael D. Pante

Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints

No abstract provided.

No. 02: Leveraging Food Remittances For Enhanced Food Security In Urban Africa, Jonathan Crush

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This policy brief highlights the critical yet underexplored role of food remittances in enhancing food security across Africa. While global attention has predominantly focused on cash remittances and their economic impacts, food remittances – defined as the transfer of foodstuffs by migrants to their home regions – play a vital role in ensuring the availability, accessibility, and stability of food supplies for both rural and urban households. These remittances help bridge the food security gap between urban and rural areas, with food produced in rural regions supporting the nutritional needs of family members in cities. The reciprocal flow of resources, …

Skin Tone Discrimination And Birth Control Avoidance Among Women In Harris County, Texas: A Cross-Sectional Study, Kimberly Baker, Susan Tortolero Emery, Evelyn Spike, Jazmyne Sutton, Eran Ben-Porath

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

INTRODUCTION: Structural racism plays a major role in reproductive health inequities. Colorism, discrimination based on skin color, may profoundly impact reproductive health access and service delivery. However, quantitative research in this area is limited.

METHODS: We administered an online survey of women (n = 1,299) aged 18-44 from Harris County, Texas to assess the relationship between skin color discrimination and reproductive health service avoidance. The survey included questions on demographics, self-reported skin tone, and dichotomous measures of previous discrimination experiences and avoidance of care because of perceived discrimination. Binary logistic regression was used to examine whether race/ethnicity, skin tone, and …

Experience Of Loneliness Among Older People In Hong Kong : Ageism Perspective, Chi Kuen Wong

Lingnan Theses (MPhil & PhD)

The experience of loneliness is a significant concern among older people, as it can lead to serious health risks and impact overall well-being. This study, conducted in Hong Kong, explores the relationship between ageism and loneliness among older individuals. Employing qualitative research methods and thematic analysis, data were collected from 21 community-dwelling participants aged 65 to 86, including 8 males and 13 females.

The research focuses on how older individuals' experiences and perceptions of ageism contribute to feelings of loneliness. The study examines different forms of ageism, including institutional ageism and social exclusion, interpersonal ageism, and internalized ageism, as well …

Major Political Events From The 1960s To The 2020s: An Analytical Perspective, Yun Song

Multicultural Center Publications

This research paper provides a comprehensive analysis of major political events in the United States from the 1960s to the 2020s. It examines key presidential elections and significant political incidents, exploring their impact on the political landscape and their contributions to the evolution of American governance and society. The study delves into the interplay between media, social movements, economic conditions, and political strategies, highlighting how these factors have shaped electoral outcomes and policy decisions over the decades.

Book Review Of Unequal Profession: Race And Gender In Legal Academia, Akilah Folami

Journal of Legal Education

No abstract provided.

No. 01: Mitigating The Impacts Of Covid-19 On Migrants And Food Security In The Global South, Sujata Ramachandran, Jonathan Crush

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities among migrants, particularly those involved in South-South migration, leading to heightened risks of poverty, food insecurity, and marginalization. The pandemic disrupted global migration patterns, hindered access to essential services, and severely impacted the livelihoods of millions of migrants. Governments in the Global South faced the dual challenge of mitigating these impacts while fostering inclusive recovery strategies. This policy brief provides recommendations for governments to address the immediate and long-term challenges posed by the pandemic on migration and food security, as well as planning for future pandemics. Key areas include enhancing social protection, ensuring healthcare …

Planetary Health Learning Objectives: Foundational Knowledge For Global Health Education In An Era Of Climate Change, Kathryn H. Jacobsen, Caryl E. Waggett, Pamela Berenbaum, Brett R. Bayles, Gail L. Carlson, René English, Carlos A Faerron Guzmán, Meredith L. Gartin, Liz Grant, Thomas L. Henshaw, Lora L. Iannotti, Philip J. Landrigan, Nina Lansbury, Hao Li, Maureen Y. Lichtveld, Ketrell Mcwhorter, Jessica E. Rettig, Cecilia J. Sorensen, Eric J. Wetzel, Dawn Michele Whitehead, Peter J. Winch, Keith Martin

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

Planetary health is an emerging field that emphasises that humans depend on a healthy Earth for survival and, conversely, that the sustainability of Earth systems is dependent on human behaviours. In response to member demands for resources to support teaching and learning related to planetary health, the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) convened a working group to develop a set of planetary health learning objectives (PHLOs) that would complement the existing ten CUGH global health learning objectives. The eight PHLOs feature Earth system changes, planetary boundaries, and climate change science; ecological systems and One Health; human health outcomes; …

Rural Communication Strategies: Disability And The Role Of Public Libraries, Jeff Gutierrez, University Of Montana Rural Institute For Inclusive Communities

Independent Living and Community Participation

Communication in rural areas can often feel like a mystery to outsiders. Local identity and informal networks tend to thrive, but if you are not from these areas, it can be difficult to stay in the loop. Even rural people with disabilities, who have lived in these communities their entire lives, still struggle to participate. How do they find out what is going on and stay connected with local resources and services? This research report explores the role of libraries in rural communication strategies for people with disabilities.

Eviction In Oregon's Subsidized Affordable Housing, Yi Wang, Lisa K. Bates, Azad Amir-Ghassemi, Minji Cho, Marisa Zapata, Jacen Greene, Colleen Carroll, Devin Macarthur

Center for Urban Studies Publications and Reports

Despite Oregon's expanded investments in affordable housing development and eviction prevention, over 5,400 eviction cases were filed in the state’s subsidized housing from January 2019 to December 2023. This report maps out the landscape of subsidized housing eviction in Oregon and brings attention to the high share of eviction judgments in subsidized eviction cases, the disproportionate rate of eviction filings from housing-authority-contracted management companies and nonprofit housing providers, and the great disparities in legal representation between landlords and tenants.

Editor's Note, Joseph Drew Editor-In-Chief

Comparative Civilizations Review

Although the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations was formally launched in 1961 via a scholarly conference convened in Salzburg, Austria, which brought together many of the world’s leading experts on the subject under the sponsorship of the Austrian government and UNESCO, regular annual meetings for those interested in comparative civilizations have been held subsequently by the society variously in North America, South America, Asia or Europe almost every year since that time.

Seventeen Crises In Western Civilization That Have Arisen Since The Dark Ages: A Cognition Science-Oriented Approach, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

The purpose of this article is to synthesize those crises in the unfolding of Western civilization that are controlled by human knowledge and wisdom. The methodology is transdisciplinary, utilizing a cognitive science-oriented, big-picture view of civilization and main conflicts. The crises are investigated across three time periods; the Dark Ages (from the fifth to the fourteenth century), Modern Times (from the fifteenth to the twentieth century), and the present century. The findings reveal that today Western civilization faces seventeen significant crises. Knowledge is not sufficient to solve these crises; we need to employ knowledge-based wisdom. This approach presents a new …

End Matter

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Community Engagement Newsletter, September 2024, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Community Engagement.

Community Engagement Newsletter

Contents:

--- Panthers Give Back
--- Events
--- Engagement Opportunity
--- National Credential
--- Funding

Ritual Child Homicides In Ghana And Kenya: A Criminological Analysis, Emmanuel Sarpong Owusu

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Child homicide is a frequent occurrence in many African communities, and juju beliefs trigger a sizable proportion of this crime. Yet a systematic and critical analysis of juju’s impact on pedicides is lacking in the literature. The sparse extant studies on juju-driven homicide or ritual murder mainly offer historical perspectives rather than criminological analysis of the phenomenon. The present study explores the magnitude, characteristics, and motivations, as well as the socio-cultural and economic contexts of ritual child homicide or juju-driven pedicide (i.e., the killing of children for ritual or occult purposes) in Ghana and Kenya. This aim is achieved by …

Love In The Time Of Dating Apps: Exploring Latino Young Adults’ Experiences Constructing Online Identity, Partner Preferences, And Plans For Happily Ever After, Dakota Z. Ross-Cabrera

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines how Latino young adults navigate dating apps; construct their dating app profiles, select partners and develop preferences, and conceptualize their futures. While earlier dating app research explores these themes with quantitative data or with non-Latino samples, the qualitative experiences of Latino young adults have been broadly excluded. Latinos are a large portion of the dating app market, and their relationships, outcomes, and future family formation are integral to understand. Drawing on 60 qualitative interviews with Latino young adult dating app users, I find that app users encounter five stages of dating app usage including constructing and often …

Claiming The Right To Belong: Diversity And The Politics Of Inclusion In Queens, New York, Susan J. Tanenbaum

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines social integration in a diverse civic and political mainstream. The social science research on intergroup contact in U.S. cities undergoing significant demographic change tends to focus on encounters between members of majority “in-groups” and minority “out-groups” in the context of workplaces, neighborhoods, and families. I contend that civic politics is another compelling strategic site for observing intergroup contact between emerging and established players. My study presents three cases of claims-making activity during the post-9/11 period in New York City’s borough of Queens, where close to 50% of the population is foreign-born and no single racial group predominates. …

Exploring The Correlation Between Google Trends And Crime Statistics: A Focus On Motor Vehicle Theft In The United States, Yu-Hsuan Liu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation examines the linear relationships between motor vehicle theft (MVT) estimates from Google Trends--a form of digital trace data--and official crime statistics, including the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and 911 calls for service (CFS 911). It offers a comprehensive analysis of the limitations inherent in current crime statistics, discusses measurement errors, and explores statistical models to mitigate the impact of measurement error, applying these methods to validate Google Trends MVT data and other official MVT statistics. Furthermore, this study incorporates social disorganization theory and …

Bodies For Catastrophe: A Montage Study Of Palestinian Digital Labor, Francisco Ramos

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis investigates Palestinian digital labor through the method of montage. Digital labor, understood as bodily activity transfigured by digital machines into exploitable information, is examined within the context of Israeli surveillance technologies used against Palestinians. The study critically explores the dual political functions of these technologies: as tools of settler-colonial domination aiming to dispossess Palestinians, and as neoliberal mechanisms seeking to profit from the surveillance of Palestinian bodies. The second half of the thesis turns to the ways Palestinians engage with such technologies and unsettle the economic and colonial logics embedded in them.

The research is structured nonlinearly using …

Brain Injury And Psychosocial Trauma: Outcomes Among Justice-Involved Individuals, Mahathi D. Kosuri

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Justice-involved individuals experience disproportionately high rates of both traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and psychosocial traumas. However, these traumas have yet to be conceptualized together, leaving a chasm of research on how they interact and influence this population. The current study was the first to measure the effects of TBIs as well as psychosocial trauma among justice-involved men, within the context of executive functioning, history of justice involvement, and recidivism. A sample of men (N=95) from a private correctional facility were given the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Questionnaire (OSU-TBI-ID), the Lifetime Stressor Checklist- Revised (LSC-R), along with …

Ethnoracial Inequality In Egalitarian Sweden: Swedish Exceptionalism And Racial Legacies, Beiyi Hu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Ethnoracial Inequality in Egalitarian Sweden: Swedish Exceptionalism and Racial Legacies investigates the persistence of ethno-racial disparities in Sweden, a country often celebrated for its humanitarianism, egalitarianism, and tolerance. I explore several key questions: How do ethnic and racial minorities, as well as majority Swedes, perceive and understand race and ethno-racial inequalities in a country that does not officially recognize race? What sociohistorical legacies and institutionalized practices have contributed to contemporary ethnoracial inequalities in Sweden? And for ethnic and racial minorities, what are their day-to-day experiences of racism? Combining analysis of governmental data and in-depth interviews as well as exploratory spatial …

Digital Environments Of Reception And Governance: A Landscape Analysis Of Immigration-Related Webpages On U.S. State Websites, Orunima Chakraborti

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

American state governments occupy unique political roles when it comes to critical public-facing policy areas like education, health, transportation, and commerce, and therefore they administer many public services and benefits that affect immigrants and their communities. This study expands the existing knowledge of the ways in which U.S. state governments digitally engage with their immigrant populations, doing so through a landscape analysis that maps the information and resources provided for and about immigrant communities on 413 immigration-related webpages across all 50 U.S. state governments’ official websites. Data was collected in four categories for each webpage: its bureaucratic orientation, the government …

Ordinary Care: Affective Politics Of Migration And The Everyday Lives Of Syrian Refugees In Istanbul, Yasemin Ozer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation makes two significant interventions into the literature on Syrian refugees in Turkey and the anthropology of migration and refugee studies more broadly. First, it focuses on the everyday lives of working-class urban refugees and argues that “ordinary care” is a crucial means by which they build sustainable and dignified lives while living in precarity in an often hostile environment in the aftermath of war and displacement. Ordinary care, as I theorize in this ethnography, includes sharing of resources, information, and advice as well as the formation of mutual relationships between kin, neighbors, and friends. Compared to the more …