Digital Commons Network^™

Analysis Of Mobility Impact For Implementing Complete Streets, Marino Esteban Calderón Díaz

Masters Theses

Traffic simulation of the Western Michigan University campus and Downtown Kalamazoo to propose changes in the traffic flow and urban design are described. The main purpose of this thesis is to investigate the traffic mobility impact when incorporating the concept of Complete Streets in Downtown Kalamazoo. This project analyzes alternatives to improve traffic mobility for Stadium Drive, which includes new road geometry and roundabout. It also proposes wider sidewalks for pedestrians, bicycle lanes, and a designed landscape that enhances the genius loci. Bicycles are an ecofriendly means of transportation and the city of Kalamazoo lacks a safe path for bicyclists …

Admitted Student Reception—Chicago, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

2015 Annual Report Transportation Research Center For Livable Communities, Western Michigan University, University Of Texas Arlington, Wayne State University, Utah State University, Tennessee State University

Transportation Research Center Reports

Table of Contents

• Messages from the Director and Representatives
• TRCLC Mission and Objectives
• Center Personnel
• Research Investigators
• Consortia
• Our Research
• List of Research Projects
• Highlighted Projects
• Technology Transfer and Outreach Activities
• Student Awards
• Upcoming Events

Somos & Estamos, 2015, Department Of Spanish

Somos y Estamos

2015 Department of Spanish Newsletter

An Lntegrated Approach (Remote Sensing, Gls, Engineering, Datamining) For Modeling, Assessing And Mitigating Slope Stability Hazards In Mountainous Environments, Racha El Kadiri

Dissertations

Mountainous areas are quite often subjected to hazards related to their steep relief and intense precipitation events. These hazards (e.g., debris flows, mudflows, rockfalls) pose serious threats to settlements and structures that support transportation, agriculture, tourism, and other economic activities.

This study applies and develops a wide range of methodologies and tools that take advantage of readily available remote-sensing datasets, geographic information system technologies, and artificial intelligence techniques. The developed approaches allow the characterization of both spatial and temporal conditions that controlled mass movement occurrences and use these characteristics to model and mitigate future occurrences. The Jazan area in the …

The Business Of Human Trafficking, Elizabeth Kaczmarek

Honors Theses

Human trafficking has been a social justice issue that has been addressed in the past by many scholars in the social sciences fields and has recently started to be acknowledged by academics in business fields. Exploited labor assisted in building almost all civilizations and while is no longer as blatant as it once was, it is just as prevalent and the market is becoming more aware of the issue. As with profit performance and environmental sustainability, consumers are starting to demand that the third pillar of sustainability – people – be addressed by organizations. In this paper, the current status …

Social Responsibility And Altruism In Smalland Medium-Sized Innovative Businesses, Nancy C. Jurik, Ramsi Bodine

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study examines the interview narratives of owners of 73 small and medium-sized businesses from a large metropolitan area located in the southwestern U.S. Our analysis focuses on owner discussions of their motivations and goals for starting and running their own businesses. Our findings reveal three central motivational narrative themes: (1) traditional business-centered success outcomes—a category we refer to as “Business is Business”; (2) owners’ personal and family well-being and fulfillment, labeled as “Business is Personal”; and (3) social responsibility concerns directed toward the betterment of other people and society more generally that we labeled as “Business is Doing Good.” …

Environmental Beliefs And Concern About Animal Welfare: Exploring The Connections, Catherine A. Faver

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

An online survey examined environmental beliefs and concern about animal welfare among 105 social work students in the U.S.- Mexico border region. Environmental beliefs were measured using items from the revised New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale (Dunlap, Van Liere, Mertig, & Jones, 2000). Higher concern about animal welfare was significantly related to three dimensions of the revised NEP Scale: (1) belief in the fragility of nature's balance, (2) belief in the possibility ofan ecological crisis, and (3) rejection of the notion that humans have a right to dominate nature (anti-anthropocentrism). The findings suggest that by making explicit connections between the …

Admitted Student Reception, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Admitted Student Reception—Oak Brook, Ill., John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Admitted Student Reception—Kalamazoo, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Neighborhood In Making Welfare Reform Possible, David I. Siegel

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article will analyze the role of the neighborhood in making welfare reform possible. It will consider the neighborhood and its environment as a context for welfare reform, the influence of neighborhood conditions and effects, recent neighborhood theory building, the neighborhood as a source of relevant values, and finally neighborhood programs that contribute to welfare reform.

Ribbon-Cutting For Campus Charging Stations, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Local Public Health System Partnerships: A Mixed Methods Multi-State Study, Priscilla A. Barnes

Dissertations

The purpose of this three-paper dissertation was to conduct a mixed methods multi-state examination of specific partnership-related activities among local public health systems (LPHSs) as well as to explore perceptions of LPHS practitioners regarding partnership practices.

In the first paper, secondary data analysis of questions from the National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP, n = 110) was used to determine the frequency that partnership activities were conducted optimally (> 75% of the time) and whether any associations existed between three different partnership capacities. Activities were matched with relational, organizational, and programmatic capacities from the Collaborative Capacity Framework. Overall, 86% …

Communicator Vol. 8, No. 1, School Of Communication

Communicator: School of Communication Newsletter

Contents:
Dr. George and Louise Robeck Remember the Past and Give for the Future
This Year at the School of Communication
Tenure & Promotion
Faculty News
Communication in the Community
Communication Class get Hands-On consulting and Diversity Training Experience with Stryker
Local Independent Film to Premier at Moondance Film Festival in Colorado
Student Awards & Honors
Students In the Real World
Alumni Academy: Judith S. Trent, Ronald Jarvis, Michele Serbenski
Alumni Highlights & News
Upcoming Events

Sustainability Lunch, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Ceas E-News 02.24.2009, College Of Engineering And Applied Sciences

College of Engineering and Applied Sciences News

Engineers' Week serves up a smorgasbord of events

Reflection On 2017 Lilly Conference In Traverse City, Holly Grieves

Academic Leadership Academy

The Lilly Conference in Traverse City offers sessions on enhancing group presentations and team projects, ideas for creation of service-learning opportunities, strategies for engaging millennial students in course content, training in innovative presentation platforms, methods of supplemental instruction and techniques to facilitate critical thinking in the classroom.

The Department of Occupational Therapy is in the midst of making significant curricular revisions as we transition rom a master’s degree program to an entry-level doctoral program. Attendance at the Lilly Conference assisted in the refinement of teaching methods for existing courses and contributed to the development of teaching methods for new course …

Integrating Globalization Into The Social Work Curriculum, Karen Smith Rotabi, Denise Gammonley, Dorothy N. Gamble, Marie O. Weil

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The reality that social work is a global profession is explored. Authors encourage a broadening of social work education, moving beyond the traditional conception of"internationalized"to a "globalized" social work curriculum. Practical teaching strategies for a globalized perspective are presented with selected key concepts specifically applied to social policy, community practice, human behavior in the social environment, and sustainable development. Discussion includes macro-scale ethical considerations in a neoliberal economic system.

Community College Partnerships With Business And Industry, Maryann Sharpley Lavender

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to describe, analyze and interpret the expectations and outcomes of industry partnerships with community colleges to determine their value, emerging themes that have contributed to their success or demise, and whether the goals initially set forth in establishing these partnerships was achieved. This study is based upon resource dependency theory, which proposed that if government and state funding given in support of community college education was diminishing, then the need is to better understand the value of and how community college and industry partnerships are working toward continuation. Resource dependency theory revolves around the …

From Self-Sufficiency To Personal And Family Sustainability: A New Paradigm For Social Policy, Robert Leibson Hawkins

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Current social policy that affects welfare recipients focuses on the concept of "self-sufficiency" where leaving welfare for work is the goal. While this approach has reduced welfare rolls, it has not necessarily helped low-income people improve their economic, educational, or social outlook. This paper suggests that the concept of Personal and Family Sustainability (PFS) may be a better way to evaluate and direct social policy. A definition of PFS is developed from the environmental and community development roots of sustainability and four domains for creating PFS indicators are introduced.

Review Of Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle To Sustain Community Organizations In New York City. Michael Fabricant And Robert Fisher. Reviewed By Bill Buffum., Bill Buffum

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book review of Michael Fabricant and Robert Fisher, Settlement Houses Under Siege: The Struggle to Sustain Community Organizations in New York City. New York: Columbia University Press, 2002. $49.50 hardcover, $23.40 papercover.

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 30, No. 4 (December 2003)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• AMERICAN POVERTY AS A STRUCTURAL FAILING: EVIDENCE AND ARGUMENTS - Mark R. Rank, Hong-Sik Yoon, & Thomas A. Hirschl
• SHIFT WORK AND NEGATIVE WORK-TO-FAMILY SPILLOVER - Blanche Grosswald
• BECAUSE A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE: WOMEN CASINO WORKERS, UNION ACTIVISM AND THE CREATION OF A JUST WORKPLACE - Susan Chandler & Jill Jones
• RESILIENCY FACTORS RELATED TO SUBSTANCE USE/RESISTANCE: PERCEPTIONS OF NATIVE ADOLESCENTS OF THE SOUTHWEST - Margaret A. Waller, Scott K. Okamoto, Bart Miles, & Donna E. Hurdle
• A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF SEX AND RACE INEQUITIES IN UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFITS - Melissa Latimer
• FINDING AND KEEPING AFFORDABLE …

Shoreline Perceptions And Planning Of Five Lakes In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Jonathan Peter Marsch

Masters Theses

Lakeshore development can have adverse affects on inland lakes. Effective planning and control is necessary to help communities and lakes stay healthy in the future. This paper provides planning for five lakes in Kalamazoo County, Michigan through the examination of lakeshore residents' perceptions of lake issues and the zoning ordinances of their local jurisdictions. Shoreline residents and jurisdictions around Austin, Gull, Long, West, and Woods Lakes are targeted in the survey and ordinance reviews. Evaluation of the survey through various statistical tests provides insight on residents' views of their rationale for living on the lakes, identification of lakeshore problems, and …

Adapting The Habitat For Humanity Model To Sabah, Malaysia, Rozita Abdul Manap

Masters Theses

Building sustainable housing and community developments through the Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) homeownership program, is one of the many ways that has successfully improved housing standards for low-income communities in the U.S. Findings show that this model can be used as a mechanism to stimulate serious programs and as an alternative to improve and solve housing problems.

This study focuses on how the Habitat for Humanity model can be applied towards increasing the benefits to the community in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Located on Borneo Island, Sabah is the second largest state in the Federation of Malaysia, but is regarded …

Factors Encouraging The Growth Of Sustainable Communities: A Jamaican Case Study, Eleanor Wint

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

The concept of sustainable communities assumes a process of social and/or economic development that has as a high priority, the needs of the future generation. However, models of social and economic development employed in developing countries, must rely heavily on political, social and psychological empowerment techniques being employed at the community level, in order to warrant any type of sustainability becoming apparent. A case study taken from Kingston, Jamaica recounts and examines the experience of a Social Work Unit/private company in partnership, becoming involved in a low-income community's drive for sustainable development. The paper will reflect on the intervention, the …

Journal Of Sociology & Social Welfare Vol. 27, No. 3 (September 2000)

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• SECOND-GENERATION PARENTHOOD: A PANEL STUDY OF GRANDMOTHER AND GRANDCHILD CORESIDENCY AMONG LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, 1967-1992 - Richard K. Caputo
• MAKING A DIFFERENCE: HUMAN SERVICE INTEREST GROUP INFLUENCE ON SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAM REGULATIONS - Richard Hoefer
• THE DISCOURSE OF DENIGRATION AND THE CREATION OF OTHER - Joshua Miller & Gerald Schamess
• PATHWAYS TO PRISON: LIFE HISTORIES OF FORMER CLIENTS OF THE CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS - Stephen A. Kapp
• RACE, CLASS, AND SUPPORT FOR EGALITARIAN STATISM AMONG THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS - George Wilson
• URBAN VIOLENCE AMONG AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES: INTEGRATING FAMILY, NEIGHBORHOOD, AND PEER PERSPECTIVES …

Case Studies Of Organizational Evaluation In Community Foundations, Joyce Box Brown

Dissertations

Community foundations are classified as public charities (501(c) 3). They derive their funds from many donors rather than a single donor, and the board is made up of representatives from the community served. They are most often established to serve a specific geographic area. This study investigated and described how three different community foundations approach organizational evaluation— choosing proposals to fund, monitoring programs, improving programs, and assessing program impact.

The three community foundations approach evaluation not as a formal system of grant accountabilities, but as a way of systematically gathering information from various constituents for purposes of guiding important decisions. …

Workforce Development Networks: Community Based Organizations And Regional Alliances. Bennett Harrison And Marcus Weiss.

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Book note for Bennett Harrison and Marcus Weiss, Workforce Development Networks: Community Organizations and Regional Alliances. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1998. $ 21.00 papercover.

Community Organizing And Comprehensive Community Initiatives, Mark Joseph, Renae Ogletree

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In order for comprehensive community initiatives (CCIs) to be sustained beyond their initial funding period, they must "take hold" in a community and develop the capacity of community members to control and guide the community-building process. Given that CCIs are usually formulated largely by sources external to the community, such as private foundations and government agencies, it can be difficult for CCIs to achieve the necessary level of local participation. Furthermore, conflicts over the dynamic of power within the CCI, and differences over internal versus external interest, can make interaction between external agents and community members problematic. The author suggests …