Digital Commons Network^™

From Source And Summit To Parish Practice: A Qualitative Analysis Of Eucharist And Social Outreach, Erik Sorensen S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

A small-scale qualitative study in a Catholic parish situated in Ottawa, Canada, offers insights into the complex relationship between that community's worship and its commitment to social justice. This article brings the lived theology of this community into dialogue with the academic and magisterial perspectives on the Eucharist as the source and summit of Christian life. The dialogue is framed by the Theological Action Research Network's four voices of theology: operant, espoused, formal, and normative. This framework helps to center the marginalized theology of the faithful in the pews. In this case, the parish offered a dynamic theology of welcome …

“Ite Missa Est”: How Can The Altar Alter Attitudes And Actions?, Ebenezer Akesseh

Journal of Global Catholicism

This paper brings into focus the relationship between personal agency and so-

cial structure, demonstrating that what we celebrate on the altar forms within

us the proper dispositions that can help prevent the occurrence of corruption.

The first part examines corruption from a socio-cultural perspective and ex-

plains the incidence and effects of corruption. The second part discusses the

relationship between worship and the formation of actions and attitudes. It

highlights the need to embody the social implications of our celebrations. Using

responses from interviewees, the third part illustrates that the celebration of the

Eucharist shapes the commitments and conduct …

The Lived Liturgical Experience Of Non-Catholic Participants In The Roman Catholic Mass: Tactical Ecumenism In Overlapping Ritual Systems, Sarah Kathleen Johnson

Journal of Global Catholicism

In religiously diverse social contexts, liturgical practices anchored in one reli-

gious tradition often gather diverse communities. In such contexts, it is wise to

assume that people who are not Catholic may be present at any Roman Cath-

olic Mass. This article explores the lived liturgical experience of non-Catholic

Christians who participate routinely in the Roman Catholic Mass through a

mixed-methods study of a religiously diverse treble vocal ensemble that sings

weekly at Mass on a Catholic university campus. It describes how Catholic and

non-Catholic Christian singers interpret practices surrounding the eucharistic

meal in contrasting ways: non-Catholic Christians experience the …

La Santa Muerte And The Characteristic Damage Of Canonization, Ellen Webber

Journal of Global Catholicism

Devotion to La Santa Muerte, a Mexican folk saint who personifies Death, has

been condemned by the Catholic Church for its affiliation with Mexican drug

cartels. This article challenges mainstream interpretations of La Santa Muerte

devotion using the theological framework of characteristic damage, as defined

by Lauren Winner and Paul J. Griffiths. This framework understands liturgy

as celebrated by sinners in a damaged world, and therefore necessarily damaged

itself. As much as liturgy and Christian practice form us for good, they also per-

petuate damage. I argue that the sins present in La Santa Muerte veneration are

an expression of …

Negotiating Plurality: Korean Catholic Funerals As Lived Religion, Jieun Han

Journal of Global Catholicism

This article examines Korean Catholic funeral rites through the lenses of ritual

guidebooks and lived religion, arguing that Catholic funerary practice in Korea

has emerged through sustained engagement with Confucian and Buddhist tradi-

tions as well as modern nationalism. Focusing on Catholic manuals such as the

Sangjang yesik [Rites for Mourning and Funerals] and related texts, it traces how

officially sanctioned liturgical forms coexist with, accommodate, and reinterpret

indigenous ritual logics surrounding mourning, burial, ancestor veneration, and

care for the dead. Rather than viewing Korean Catholic funerals as a simple

localization of Roman rites, the article conceptualizes them as a …

Editor's Introduction, Brent H. Otto S.J.

Journal of Global Catholicism

No abstract provided.

Review Of Archives And Emotions: International Dialogues Across Past, Present, And Future, Caelin Ross

Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies

This review analyzes Archives and Emotions: International Dialogues Across Past, Present, and Future, edited by Ilaria Scaglia and Valeria Vanesio, which argues that emotions are constitutive forces in archival practice rather than distortions of objective work. This volume explores international case studies from the 1800s to the present, bridging the gap between archival science and historical scholarship. It examines how emotions influence preservation, access, and the production of knowledge. The editors use various theoretical frameworks to show that affect plays a contextual role across different types of archives and institutional settings. Key contributions include analyses of international standardization, archivists' …

Mission Over Bureaucracy: Special Operations Command’S Warrior-Driven Model For Defense Innovation, Robert D. Seader

Joint Force Quarterly

In an era of accelerating technological change, military organizations must rapidly develop and field new capabilities to maintain battlefield superiority. Traditional defense acquisition processes, optimized for peacetime oversight and risk avoidance, now take four times longer than in the 1950s, threatening to undermine military effectiveness against rapidly modernizing adversaries. This paper examines how the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has pioneered a fundamentally different acquisition approach that delivers new capabilities in months rather than the decades typical of conventional programs.

Through extensive interviews with senior acquisition leaders, this analysis identifies three core elements of USSOCOM’s success: a mission-centric culture …

Debt And Quality Of Life Among Older Adults After Retirement, Josephine Morrow Seegars

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Understanding debt and the quality of life in older adults after retirement is an important area of concern. Many older adults are forced by escalating debt to reduce spending on essential needs, such as health care, nutrition, and housing, and their physical and mental health is thereby directly compromised. These essential needs represent core social determinants of health, and their erosion under financial strain can have effects on older adults' overall well-being. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of human services practitioners who were actively assisting older adults struggling with debt in …

Analyzing Cultural Alignment In Rwandan Sexual And Reproductive Health Education, Amit Gerstein

Journal of Critical Global Issues

Rwandan education cannot be understood outside the context of colonization. This study investigates the cultural alignment of Rwandan sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education. Using existing literature on indigenous sexuality and reflective practice from teaching in a Rwandan secondary school, this paper analyzes three SRH curricula to examine the extent to which they incorporate local knowledge versus Western scripts. The analysis focuses on four key areas: the definition of sex, contraception, consent, and female anatomy.

The findings reveal significant disconnects, where Western narratives regarding sex and sexuality appear to overwrite or displace indigenous sexual knowledge and practice. This study concludes …

Without A Map: A Lived Experience Study Of The Paths People Create Through Homelessness, Kathleen P. Conte, Susan Avila, Desiree' J. Duboise, Carlton Bone, Marisa A. Zapata, Transformational Research For Equity And Experience In Shelter (Trees) Committee

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

The Pathways to Housing Study examines how people experience and navigate homelessness and the systems intended to help them move toward stable housing. Conducted in Multnomah County, Oregon, the study used a participatory mixed-methods design co-led with the TREES lived experience committee. The first phase was reported in April 2026 included surveys with 541 people with current or recent experience of homelessness. The second phase, reported here, used in-depth interviews and journey mapping with 29 participants to explore how pathways through homelessness unfold over time and across service systems.

Findings demonstrate that homelessness pathways are rarely linear. Participants described entering …

The Impact Of Leadership Styles From Traditional Policing To Community Policing, Ryan Gates

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study examines leadership in a community policing context. It addresses a long-standing problem: injustice, inequality, and unfair treatment. Specifically, it examines community policing and the impact of law enforcement leadership, particularly servant leadership, on policing outcomes. Greenleaf’s Theory of Servant Leadership guided this study. Participants included mid- to senior-level law enforcement officers with community policing experience, at least three years of leadership experience, and at least 18 years of age. Recruitment occurred through social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 19 participants. Thematic analysis produced six themes: community engagement and partnerships; …

Why Was I Stopped? How Police Encounters Shape The Perceptions Of Black Adults, Darilyn Anita Monk

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Racial disparities in police encounters persist in Illinois, where Black adults are disproportionately subjected to investigatory stops despite ongoing oversight efforts. This study examined how citizens affected by these stops experienced and interpreted these encounters. The participants were seven Black adults from Lake County, Illinois. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed racial profiling and discrimination as central, structuring features of police interactions. Participants described being stopped without clear justification, subjected to heightened suspicion, and treated as presumptively criminal. These encounters were understood not as isolated incidents but as patterned practices, producing mistrust, anxiety, and diminished perceptions of …

Religious Night Tourism During Ramadan In Mashhad, Iran: Lived Experiences Of Pilgrims, Neda Zarandian, Razieh Rabani, Daniel H. Olsen

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Mashhad, located in northeastern Iran, is one of the most significant pilgrimage destinations in the Islamic world, attracting millions of visitors annually to the Imam Reza Shrine (The eighth Imam of Shia Muslims). During Ramadan, the city transforms into a vibrant spiritual and social space where nocturnal religious practices and social gatherings shape distinctive emotional and temporal experiences for both pilgrims and tourists. Understanding these lived nighttime experiences is essential for developing culturally sensitive and spiritually meaningful tourism approaches. Despite the growing attention to religious tourism, the temporal, emotional, and sensory dimensions of night tourism in pilgrimage contexts remain unexplored. …

Lesson Learned: Developing A Replica Of The Kaaba In Central Lombok As An Educational Religious Tourism Destination - A Public Sector Role Approach, M. Setyo Nugroho, Muhammad Muhajir Aminy

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the role of village administration in developing the Kaaba replica as a religious education site in Central Lombok. It introduces a unique tourism product that provides travellers with an experience reminiscent of the Hajj in Mecca. The research employs a qualitative approach with exploratory analysis, and data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation. Observations focused on the replica’s condition, supporting attractions, facilities, infrastructure, tour packages, and tourist activities. Interviews were conducted with village officials, replica management, and community members. Documentation included photographs, audio, video, records, scientific publications, and books related to the replica. The findings indicate …

Carnival In Tijuana: A Visual Study Of The Brinco Del Chinelo, Nancy Rios-Contreras, Chenesia Brown

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

The Mexico–United States border is politicized and perceived as an undesirable, violent place and simultaneously a desirable cultural location rich in tradition. This study aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of the dynamic nature of the Tijuana–California border by exploring the performance of culture in a geopolitical border place. So far, most border research has concentrated on negative portrayals of cities and the border rather than on the joyful and festive lived experiences. Grounded in a visual sociology methodology, data collection included photo-ethnography and fieldwork observations conducted between 2022 and 2024 during an annual summer carnival, Carnaval Sin Fronteras [Carnival …

From Combat To Congregation: A Guide To Moral Injury For Everyday Ministers, Kristyn Demers

School of Theology and Seminary Graduate Papers/Theses

Veterans often receive inadequate ministerial care for their unique and complex spiritual needs. Therefore, everyday ministers need training in trauma-informed spiritual care and practices of moral healing. These practices need to be implemented within parish and church communities to aid in the care and reintegration of veterans into our communities. In this paper, I will: a) introduce and distinguish moral injury as a particular concern for veterans; b) offer theological and scriptural evidence of the need for proper ministerial responses to moral injury; and c) list a set of tools and resources for ministers who interact with veterans

Book Review: The History And Politics Of Star Wars: Death Stars And Democracy, Petra Hendrickson

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Book Review: The History and Politics of Star Wars: Death Stars and Democracy

Unsex Me Here: Gendered Psychology In Shakespeare's Major Tragedies And Comedy, Md. Abu Bakkar

Journal of Language, Literature, and Arts

This study examines how gender shapes psychological experience across five of Shakespeare’s major plays: Macbeth, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Twelfth Night. Existing scholarship treats Shakespeare’s tragic women, tragic men, and comic heroines as separate problems; this article asks whether one framework connects them. Its starting point is the reversal in psychological positions between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth: he resists killing on moral grounds and then grows recklessly violent, while she plans the murder with cold resolve and is later overwhelmed by guilt. The study asks whether this pattern recurs more broadly, and why. Drawing …

Sectoral Structuring And Socio-Economic Context: The Resilience Capacity Of Tourism Businesses In Corsica And The Balearic Islands - A Comparative Analysis, Léa Giudicelli

International Journal of Islands Research

The tourism sector remains intrinsically vulnerable to crises of various kinds, including natural disasters, terrorist attacks, volcanic activity, and pandemics. The unprecedented disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which virtually paralysed global tourism for many months, have led to a critical reassessment of tourism specialisation and revitalised debates about the sector’s potential for sustainable transformation (Girard & Schéou, 2020). In this reflective context, the present study aims to analyse the adaptive capacity of tourism enterprises facing structural changes affecting the sector in recent years. Particular attention is paid to the consequences of growing collective awareness around climate change, as well …

The State Of The Unions 2026: A Profile Of Organized Labor In New York City, New York State, And The United States, Ruth Milkman, Joseph Van Der Naald

Publications and Research

The 2026 State of the Unions report finds that while union density remains strong in New York, membership rates remain largely unchanged, despite renewed organizing, successful strikes and strong public support for labor. Union density stands at 20.5 percent in New York City and 20.9 percent statewide, more than double the national rate of 10 percent, yet well below levels recorded two decades ago. The report also examines the persistent divide between public- and private-sector unionization, the industries and workers sustaining organized labor, and the forces limiting growth. A special section considers Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s labor-friendly record and the opportunities …

From Kitchen To Canon: Women And Culinary Recognition Executive Summary, Eulanda A. Sanders, Andra Harris

ICHRIE Research Reports

Despite women comprising a majority of the U.S. restaurant workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in culinary leadership and elite recognition. Using an exploratory, descriptive design that draws on secondary data from the ACS, NRA, U.S. Census Bureau, and the James Beard Foundation, this study maps gender disparities across the culinary career pipeline. Women represent approximately 54% of the restaurant workforce but only 24.8% of chefs and head cooks, with a substantial gender wage gap persisting across the occupation (NRA, 2026; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). Of 402 James Beard Award winners analyzed, 71.6% were male and 28.1% female. Disparities intensify at …

Allyship And Affect: Qualitative Investigations Into Social Transformation, Michael Lucinda Jane Greer

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Allies have faced several critiques in feminist philosophy. Some have argued that they lack the requisite political interests to be motivated to dismantle the social structures from which they stand to benefit. Others have argued that the epistemic limitations resulting from their social privilege are insurmountable. Yet others have argued that allyship is too individualistic a concept, preferring a more collectivist concept like solidarity. However, there remain privileged individuals who understand themselves as complicit in perpetuating oppressive forms of life, and who wish to transform themselves and work in coalition across difference to dismantle structural oppression. How ought these individuals …

Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey 2025, Paulin Straughan, Mathews Mathew

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The Singapore Management University undertook the seventh wave of the Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey (PCSS), with 2,007 Singapore residents participating in the survey conducted from December 2025 to April 2026.

The findings from the 2025 wave of the PCSS continued to reflect generally high levels of satisfaction with public cleanliness in Singapore. Based on the Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Index, 91% of respondents reported being satisfied with the cleanliness of public spaces they had recently visited. While this represents a slight shift from 94% in 2023, overall satisfaction levels across all public space domains remained high. Continued community responsibility and action …

Connected But Disconnected: A Covid-19 Youth Participatory Action Research Study, Vianney Atugonza, Jodi Dworkin, Stacey S. Horn, Joanna A. Tzenis, Samantha Lebouef

Journal of Youth Development

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools across the U.S. to close and transition to remote learning. Families were forced to transform their homes into classrooms while facing challenges to their health, finances, and social connections. To better understand how young people experienced these changes, a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project was employed to engage young people in naming, exploring, and sharing their experiences during this time. Nine high school youth leaders were trained as researchers to conduct interviews with their peers. These youth scholars were also trained on how to code, sort, and disseminate data and results. …

Exploring 21st-Century Skills In A Summer Camp: A Qualitative Methodological Triangulation Approach, Alexander Bowman, Jing Song

Journal of Youth Development

Despite the recognized importance of 21st-century skills and the substantial body of research on these skills, little is known about how to identify growth in these skills. The lack of reliable methods to measure 21st-century skill growth presents a challenge for the design of relevant learning environments and for evaluating if such learning environments are effective. Using a qualitative methodological triangulation approach, this study explored camp counselors’ learning processes. Using a systematic data integration method, field observations were synthesized with participant reflections about how their skills develop. Data were collected from 13 high-school-aged junior camp counselors at a summer camp …

Becoming Who I Am: How Youth Leadership Experiences Shape Lifelong Leadership Journeys, Dustin Evatt, Deborah Acker, Parker R. Watson, Jennifer T. Peters

Journal of Youth Development

Youth leadership experiences have the power to shape individuals’ values, identities, and leadership behaviors well into adulthood, yet limited empirical research has examined how these formative experiences contribute to leadership development over time. This study examines the long-term impact of youth leadership experiences using the six-stage Leadership Identity Development (LID) model as a guiding and interpretive framework by exploring the journeys of alumni from the Shelton Challenge, a six-day immersive high school leadership program at NC State University rooted in values-based and positive youth development (PYD) principles. Using narrative inquiry, we conducted interviews and focus groups with 30 alumni ages …

4-H Program Staff Perceptions Of Including Youth With Disabilities, Brittney Muschetto, Amy Leman

Journal of Youth Development

This study’s focus is to examine 4-H youth development county program staff’s perceptions of the inclusion of youth with disabilities in the Illinois 4-H program. The majority of program staff identified positive perceptions about including youth with disabilities in 4-H. However, they also noted that there was a need for more staff training to adequately include youth with disabilities in 4-H programming. As more youth are being diagnosed with disabilities, 4-H must continue to improve its knowledge and skills to make 4-H inclusive to all youth.

A Hip-Hop-Based Workshop Cultivates Urban Underserved Youths’ Critical Consciousness Around Food Systems, Jacob Rowell, Hannah Scherer, Kim Niewolny, Anthony Kwame Harrison, Kendrick Spencer

Journal of Youth Development

Hip hop is social commentary and critique that highlights the complexity of issues within society, including systemic inequity in the food system, which disproportionately affects urban and African American populations. After-school and non-formal programs are innovative educational opportunities to engage youth in learning about and addressing local problems through culturally-relevant program design and enactment of critical pedagogy. To meaningfully connect middle-school-aged urban youth, their lived experiences, and inequities in the food system, we designed a hip-hop-based workshop and delivered it in an established afterschool program. In this qualitative case study, we explored participants’ critical consciousness related to the food system …

From Today's Prices To Tomorrow's Investments: A Guide For Child Care Providers On Why The Market Rate Survey & Narrow Cost Analysis Matter, Jess Carson

New Hampshire Early Care and Education Research Consortium

No abstract provided.