Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Students To Make Sense Of An Information Saturated World: The Evolution Of Information Searching And Analysis, James H. Wittebols

Communications in Information Literacy

How well students conduct research online is an increasing concern for educators at all levels but especially higher education. The paper describes the evolution of a course that grew from a unit within a course to a whole course that examines confirmation bias, information searching and the political economy of information as keys to becoming more information and media literate. After a key assignment in which students assess their own tendency to engage in confirmation bias, students choose a social justice issue to investigate across web, news and academic research resources. Designed to build good analytical skills in assessing the …

On Both Sides Of The Tracks: Light Rail And Gentrification In Portland, Oregon, Nathan Eric Rochester

Dissertations and Theses

This study draws on census data and geographic information systems (GIS) to investigate the relationship between light rail transit (LRT) infrastructure development and gentrification in Portland, Oregon. While recent research using comprehensive measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) supports a potentially causal link between transit development and gentrification, research into the effects of transit on property values alone tends to dominate the discourse. This study therefore seeks to build on previous research to develop an index measure of neighborhood SES and SES change based on measures of education, occupation, and income, using census data from 1980-2010. This multifaceted measure of …

Wildfire Risk As A Socioecological Pathology, A. Paige Fischer, Thomas A. Spies, Toddi A. Steelman, Cassandra Moseley, Bart R. Johnson, John D. Bailey, Alan A. Ager, Patrick Bourgeron, Susan Charnley, Brandon M. Collins, Jeffrey D. Kline, Jessica E. Leahy, Jeremy S. Littell, James D. A. Millington, Max Nielsen-Pincus, Christine S. Olsen, Travis B. Paveglio, Christopher I. Roos, Michelle M. Steen-Adams, Forrest R. Stevens, Jelena Vukomanovic, Eric M. White, David Bowman

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Wildfire risk in temperate forests has become a nearly intractable problem that can be characterized as a socioecological “pathology”: that is, a set of complex and problematic interactions among social and ecological systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. Assessments of wildfire risk could benefit from recognizing and accounting for these interactions in terms of socioecological systems, also known as coupled natural and human systems (CNHS). We characterize the primary social and ecological dimensions of the wildfire risk pathology, paying particular attention to the governance system around wildfire risk, and suggest strategies to mitigate the pathology through innovative planning approaches, …

Research & Strategic Partnerships: Quarterly Review, Volume 3, Issue 2, Portland State University. Research & Strategic Partnerships

Portland State Research Magazine

Portland State University plays a central role in our city’s transformation into the country’s leading laboratory for transportation innovation. Starting over a decade ago, our engineering and urban studies researchers began receiving federal funding to study the connections between the ways people get around in cities and their quality of life. This issue of the RSP Quarterly Review highlights this growing body of work, focusing on the contributions made by the Transportation Research and Education Center, or TREC.

Social Capital And Cultural Identity For U.S. Korean Immigrant Families: Mothers' And Children's Perceptions Of Korean Language Retention, Su-Jin Sue Jung

Dissertations and Theses

Through increasing immigration, the U.S. society is becoming more linguistically and culturally diverse. Yet, as many U.S. language minority groups seek to assimilate, they face many challenges. One challenge is that their home language does not match the dominant language, English, that their children are learning at school. For Korean communities, maintaining Korean language presents a problem for families, especially for the mothers and children. The purpose of this study was to explore the U.S. Korean immigrant mothers' and children's perceptions of and experience with maintaining the Korean language and the effect that has on the development of social capital …

Intercultural Interactions Among Burmese Refugees In Multicultural Middle School Classrooms, Matthew Carl Mcparker

Dissertations and Theses

The largest refugee group entering the United States in recent years is from Burma. Refugee students face a daunting set of challenges, from language and cultural differences to living in poverty, in becoming successful in their new homes. To be successful in schools and gain cultural and social capital, refugee students must learn and internalize the specific norms of their classrooms. In middle school, students are particularly reliant upon their peers for support, making peer interactions especially important. In multicultural settings, students have ample opportunities for intercultural interactions, which can help refugee students navigate their new settings and become more …

The Use Of Anti-Bullying Policies To Protect Lgbt Youth: Teacher And Administrator Perspectives On Policy Implementation, Michelle Lauren Holliday

Dissertations and Theses

Although in recent years there has been increased attention on bullying prevention and bullying legislation in the United States, there is limited research on the implementation of anti-bullying policies. Moreover, few studies have addressed the use of anti-bullying policies to protect LGBT youth from bullying. The present study seeks to examine the role of anti-bullying policies as a means to protect against bullying based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity. Qualitative interviews with high school teachers, administrators, and staff members within an urban school district in the United States were conducted to gain insight into how those charged with …

Barriers To Transitional Housing Access Among Homeless Male Adults In The City Of Portland, Alexander T. Raines

Student Research Symposium

From 2011 to 2014, there were 191 confirmed deaths among homeless persons living in Multnomah County, approximately 88% of which were among adult men (over the age of 18). This alarming statistic in no way-shape-or-form represents the demographic makeup of Multnomah County’s homeless population, with a 2015 point-in-time count finding males over the age of 24 comprising just 52% of Multnomah’s homeless. Among these individuals the average age of death was just 43.3 years old; for comparison, the standard life expectancy for a man born in Multnomah County is 76.6 years old. This pattern of vulnerability among homeless men may …

The Dispute Over Seeds: Indigenous And Peasant Struggles For Food Sovereignty In Chiapas, Mexico., Carol Hernandez-Rodriguez

Student Research Symposium

This research project explores the implications of these developments for indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas, Mexico, whose food sovereignty depends on the conservation and reproduction of native seeds.

The research project focuses on the following questions:

1. How do neoliberal policies in the agrarian system impact the food sovereignty of indigenous and peasant communities in the Global South?

2. How are indigenous and peasant communities in Chiapas contesting neoliberal policies and strengthening their food sovereignty?

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet May 2016, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The May 2016 Monthly packet includes the May agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held April 2016.

Revisiting Critical Gis, Jim Thatcher, Luke Bergmann, Britta Ricker, Reuben Rose-Redwood, Daniel O'Sullivan, Trevor J. Barnes, Luke R. Barnesmoore, Laura Beltz Imaoka, Ryan Burns, Jonathan Cinnamon, Craig M. Dalton, Clinton Davis, Stuart Dunn, Francis Harvey, Jin-Kyu Jung, Elen Kersten, Ladona Knigge, Nick Lally, Wen Lin, Dillon Mahmoudi, Michael Martin, Will Payne, Amir Sheikh, Taylor Shelton, Eric Sheppard, Chris W. Strother, Alexander Tarr, Matthew W. Wilson, Jason C. Young

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Publications and Presentations

The article looks into the critical geographic information science (GIS) in approaching questions both emerging and enduring around the intersection of the spatial and the digital. It offers trading zones for discussion of issues, for building alliances and interrogating tensions, and for a constant dialectical process of critique and renewal. One tension running through critical GIS is the contradictory role it has played in addressing questions of social justice.

Raps Sheet, May 2016, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: Choral Director Ethan Sperry inspires grand performances; seen as outsiders or worse, Muslim students seek acceptance; works of art by alumni and faculty are everywhere in Portland; Portland’s growing pains; PSU program gives high schoolers a jumpstart on college-level learning; and more.

Business Librarians And New Academic Program Review, Kerry Wu, Heidi Senior

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

The article aims to examine the role business librarians play in the new academic program proposal process on university and college campuses. Results of a nationwide online survey showed that current practices in this critical area varied. While over 60% of the respondents thought that librarians should play a part in the proposal process, over 65% of them indicated that they were never involved. Amongst those that participated, the levels and outcomes also differed greatly. The authors held in-depth interviews with survey participants reporting higher-than-average involvement to find out about their strategies for success.

Factors Associated With Managerial Innovation In Public Human Service Organizations, Monica Perez Jolles, Bowen Mcbeath, Sarah Carnochan, Michael J. Austin

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Contextual changes affecting human service organizations have challenged human service managers to adapt through innovation. Yet no research has examined innovation along the spectrum of lower- to upper-level managers in public human service organizations. This study analyzed survey data of 466 public human service managers to examine the relationship between individual characteristics and managerial innovation. Results showed that 38% of managers took an innovative approach to their work, and characteristics of perceived responsiveness to change and evidence-informed practice network involvement were significantly associated with managerial innovation. Managerial innovation could be promoted through the development of evidence-based networks and communities of …

More Than A Misunderstood Religion: Rediscovering Vodou As A Tool Of Survival And A Vehicle For Independence In Colonial Haiti, Eliza M. Kamerling-Brown

Young Historians Conference

The majority of Americans today closely associate the term “Voodoo” with satanism, witchcraft and barbaric sacrifice. Yet, far from these ill­-formed depictions and misconceptions— which first took root through the western dominance of 18th century colonial Haiti and have been perpetuated through mediums of popular culture ever since—a closer look at Haitian Vodou will illuminate that the spiritual practice transcends religion alone and should be better recognized as the very mechanism of unity that spurred Afro­-Caribbean independence via the Haitian Revolution of 1791. This paper explores not only the ways in which Haitian Vodou has been intentionally demonized throughout history …

Crisis In Education -- The Effect Of The Cold War On The American Education System, Spencer C.J. Gregg

Young Historians Conference

The Cold War era had a dramatic impact on the American educational system. Striving to demonstrate superiority over Soviet counterparts, new curriculum were developed to prepare the American youth intellectually, emotionally, and technologically to position the U.S. as a world power. With the American public polarized whether schools were a venue for the dissemination of national ideologies or institutions for the development of critical thinking; world events including nuclear warfare, space exploration, and military preparedness served as catalysts for the development of future citizens that would effectively contribute to the intellectual and technological growth of the nation.

Bridge Over Troubled Waters: A Synthesis Session To Connect Scientific And Decision Making Sectors, Kaitlin Goldsmith, Elise F. Granek, Amy Lubitow, Michael Papenfus

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Lack of access to relevant scientific data has limited decision makers from incorporating scientific information into their management and policy schemes. Yet, there is increasing interest among decision makers and scientists to integrate coastal and marine science into the policy and management process. Strategies designed to build communication between decision makers and scientists can be an effective means to disseminate and/or generate policy relevant scientific information. Here researchers develop, test, and present a workshop model designed to bridge the gap between coastal and marine decision makers and scientists. Researchers identify successful components of such a workshop as well as areas …

Divergent Interpersonal Paths To Well-Being For Insecurely Attached Emerging Adults, Joel A. Lane

Counselor Education Faculty Publications and Presentations

The present study explored attachment, social support, and well-being among a sample of emerging adults. The model predicted that social support would:1) mediate the relationship between attachment anxiety and well-being, and 2) moderate the relationship between attachment avoidance and well-being. All hypotheses were supported. Implications for counselors are discussed.

An Evaluation Of The Federal Legal Services Program: Evidence From Crime Rates And Property Values, Jamein P. Cunningham

Economics Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper uses the city level roll-out of legal service grants to evaluate their effects on crime. Using Uniform Crime Reports from 1960 to 1985, the results show that there is a short run increase of 7 percent in crimes reported and also a 13 percent increase in crimes cleared by arrest. Results show an increase in the staffing of police officers in cities that received legal services. These cities are also associated with having higher median property values 10 years later. This supports the narrative that legal services changed police behavior through litigation or threats of litigation.

Oregon Community-Based Care Survey 2016: Adult Foster Homes, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Amanuel Zimam, Megan Rushkin, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report describes adult foster homes in Oregon. An adult foster home (AFH) is a type of licensed community-based care (CBC) setting that provides residential, personal care, and health-related services, primarily to older adults. The study collected information from adult foster homes to achieve the following four main goals.

1. Describe adult foster home characteristics, including staffing types and levels, policies, and monthly charges and fees
2. Describe current residents’ health and social characteristics
3. Compare current results to prior Oregon surveys and to national studies of similar setting types to identify changes and possible trends
4. Compare setting types for differences that might …

Oregon Community-Based Care Survey: Assisted Living, Residential Care, And Memory Care, Paula C. Carder, Jacklyn Nicole Kohon, Aubrey Limburg, Amanuel Zimam, Megan Rushkin, Margaret B. Neal

Institute on Aging Publications

This report, prepared by the Institute on Aging (IOA) at Portland State University (PSU) in collaboration with the Oregon Department of Human Services, describes community-based care (CBC) settings that provide residential, personal care, and health-related services, primarily to older adults. The study collected information from assisted living, residential care, and memory care communities to achieve the following four main goals.

1. Describe assisted living, residential care, and memory care community characteristics, including staffing types and levels, policies, and monthly charges and fees
2. Describe current residents’ health and social characteristics
3. Compare current results to prior Oregon surveys and to national studies of …

Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Desire For Reversal Of Sterilization Among U.S. Women, Ginny Garcia-Alexander, Kelly Gonzales, Elizabeth Carol Hauck

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Female sterilization rates and subsequent desire for reversal of the procedure are substantially higher in minorities, low-income women, and those who use public insurance. Despite the disproportionate distribution of these outcomes, few studies in this area have considered the extent to which such disparities are attributable to a restricted set of contraceptive options among medically underserved populations, which may in turn explain higher rates of desire for reversal. Methods: We use the most recent wave of NSFG data (2011-2013) to estimate odds ratios for race/ethnicity on the likelihood of desire for reversal of sterilization, while controlling for an array …

Desirable Conversations: Sexuality And Women With Intellectual Disabilities, Neera Malhotra

Dissertations and Theses

The American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD, 2011) assert that individuals with intellectual disabilities, irrespective of gender, have an equal right to learn about and experience their own sexuality. A review of the extant literature indicated that the voices of women with intellectual disabilities on the topic of familial culture, as it relates to sexuality, are rarely included (McCarthy, 1993; Shakespeare, 2000; Siebers, 2012).

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the role of familial culture and lived experiences of women with intellectual disabilities, ages 21-35, in understanding their own sexuality. Eight women participated in individual …

Finding The Missing Links: A Comparison Of Social Network Analysis Methods, Shawn James Mehess

Dissertations and Theses

Too many students leave school without even the essential skills (ACT, 2011), and many others are so drained by the experience they lack a desire to continue on to a post-secondary education. Academic engagement has emerged as a construct representing students’ personal investment in school (Greenwood, Delquadri, & Hall, 1984), and may be a psychological variable which can be intervened on. However, interventions must occur as quickly as possible to maximize their efficiency (Heckman, 2007). Students’ peer groups may be a particularly potent venue of intervention, however several options exist for how to go about measuring their social networks.

In …

The Kazaks Of Istanbul: A Case Of Social Cohesion, Economic Breakdown And The Search For A Moral Economy, Daniel Marc Auger

Dissertations and Theses

This research is focused on understanding the ways in which the community orientation of the Kazak ethnic community in Istanbul, Turkey have contributed to their economic success which in turn encourages strong community, and the nature of their community-based support networks for providing material and cultural support. It examines the role of social capital and cohesion in maintaining the community with its positive implications for the continued building of wealth or sourcing of funding on a community level. The theoretical concepts relevant to this project are based on the ideas that the shared values of a community are a positive …

Substantive Representation By The Unelected: The Role Of Staff Gender On Mayoral Priorities In U.S. Cities, Sara M. Hottman

Dissertations and Theses

The literature on descriptive and substantive representation focuses on elected representatives, but overlooks the gender of those who play an integral role in policy process (agenda-setting) and outcomes (implementation): The elected’s chief of staff, senior policy advisors, and, in council-manager systems, the city manager. This thesis examines the role policy staff and city manager gender plays in substantive representation. After analyzing staff composition and agenda priorities — gleaned from State of the City addresses — for mayors of the 50 most-populous cities in the United States, I found substantial evidence to support my hypotheses that the chief of staff’s gender, …

Is Scholarship Advancing?: An Analysis Of Fifteen Years Of Framing Research, Joseph Zachary Provencher

Dissertations and Theses

In 2011, Porismita Borah published "Conceptual Issues in Framing Theory: A Systematic Examination of a Decade’s Literature" to shed light on the status of framing research, and attempt to answer several scholars' criticisms of framing research practices (Carragee and Roefs 2004, D'Angelo, 2002, Entman, 1993). Borah argues that framing research has several areas of necessary improvement, and her prescription is for future research to be able to examine specific framing issues or effects, but also be able to connect with broader understandings of framing.

The following content analysis of framing research, conducted between the year 2000 and 2013, seeks to …

"Like Drinking Water Out Of A Fire Hydrant" Medical Education As Transformation: A Naturalistic Inquiry Into The Physician Assistant Student Experience, Patricia Kenney-Moore

Dissertations and Theses

Physician assistants are medical professionals educated in an allopathic medical education model in the United States. In order to successfully matriculate, educate and graduate safe and effective health care providers in a 2-year time frame, the 4-year M.D. curriculum has been abbreviated and condensed leading to an intense, full-time cohort educational experience that taxes physician assistant students to their limits. The demanding workload can lead to fluctuations in mood and morale along with increased levels of psychological distress. This dissertation explores this under examined student experience by first introducing the physician assistant profession and the process by which it educates …

Assessing Sense Of Place And Geo-Literacy Indicators As Learning Outcomes Of An International Teacher Professional Development Program, Nancee Hunter

Dissertations and Theses

This research explores the multifaceted benefits that accrue from learning within an international, experiential context. It uses a qualitative, case study approach employing pre and post surveys, in-situ observations, and semi-structured photo-elicitation interviews to analyze the Center for Geography Education in Oregon’s (C-GEO) 2013 Overseas Teacher Institute--a professional development program that took 11 teachers to Russia, Mongolia, and China for a total of 17 days (plus two additional travel days) to learn about the cultural and physical geography of each place. The focus of the research is two-fold and examines processes involved in gaining, synthesizing and applying 1) a sense …