Digital Commons Network^™

The Benefits And Detriments Of Non-Profit Organization Work In Underdeveloped Countries Across Africa, Collyn Mccarty

Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

'This Disc Is Not For A Bird Bath, It's For My Tractor': Exploring Gender, Sustainable Agriculture, And Networks In Western Montana, Eva Kathryn Rocke

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Women’s presence in agriculture as farmers, consumers, advocates, and activists has become ever more apparent over the last two decades as census data, popular media, and academic literature increasingly reflect their work. Many of the farmers in western Montana practicing sustainable agriculture are women and have built relationships with other women farmers in the region through existing agriculture-focused organizations like Homegrown and the Western Montana Growers’ Cooperative. Even with the strong presence of these organizations, some women farmers feel there is potential for the formalization of a women farmer network in western Montana that would increase the opportunities for socialization …

The Impact Of Race And Ethnicity On Sexual Violence: A Case Study On Underserved Populations In Minnesota, Lindsay Bolstad

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sexual violence in Minnesota impacts hundreds of thousands of lives and costs billions of dollars each year. This qualitative case study describes how victims that are people of color experience sexual violence at disproportionately high rates and face additional barriers when seeking legal, medical, and mental health and crisis advocacy services in Minnesota. The methodology employed includes secondary data collection using books, scholarly articles, and archival data. Individual interviews and a focus group interview were used to collect primary research. The voluntary interview participants were advocates that provide services for victims of sexual violence in Minnesota. The interviews were audio-recorded …

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.” …

Sustainable Communities And Wind Energy Project Acceptance In Massachusetts, Mariateresa A. Petrova

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Introduction: Envisioning Legal And Policy Pathways For Energy Innovation, Hari M. Osofsky

Minnesota Journal of Law, Science & Technology

No abstract provided.

Integrated Conservation And Development Projects (Icdps): Characteristics Of Success And Recommendations For Implementation, Emory Smith

Honors Theses

The aim of this study is to investigate integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs) and to help improve their future implementation by identifying the underlying philosophies that make ICDPs successful. Conserving natural ecosystems in developing regions is important, but it is difficult because local people use those ecosystems for their sustenance and are not capable of forgoing that use unless some other means exists for them to earn a living. Consequently, ICDP emerged in the early 1990's as a means to both conserve natural resources and provide economic development for the local people. This thesis provides an in-depth analysis of …

Adversity Influencing Regard For Education In Northern Uganda: A Phenomenological Study Of Langi Mothers' Value Of Learning, Pamela Pryfogle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study explored the Northern Ugandan Langi mothers' regard for education in the aftermath of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) conflict and occupation and in the on-going experience of adversity. As both targets and victims of LRA savagery, the Langi and Acholi people have endured over 22 years of war, displacement, and devastation. This phenomenological study specifically identified 9 Langi mothers who were survivors of LRA perpetrated atrocities and live today in adverse village environments. The study used guided interviews and art with storytelling/narrative to elicit a rich, thick, essence of lived experience and to answer the question: How have …

Engaging Communities 2014

Project South Texas

Annual report recognizing faculty, staff, and student excellence in community engagement.

Community Resilience, Transitional Corridors And Macro-Scalar Lock-In Effects, Ga Wilson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

Integrated Sustainability Decision-Making Framework, Michael Paul Cole

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The Integrated Sustainability Decision-Making Framework (ISDMF) is an 'ideal case' framework developed at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) from 2012 to present to provide the most comprehensive and concise sustainability strategy and decision-making template available.

Sustainable decision-making improves community Quality of Life, but is often beyond the reach of the majority. A framework that is most approachable, actionable, and adoptable can accelerate convergence on and continued operation of a sustainable solution. Research confirms that published frameworks continuously emerge, and are infinite in number. Iterations benefit from prior work, and contribution occurs when an 'ideal case' is envisioned, best …

Increasing Coverage In Today’S Private Retirement System, Regina T. Jefferson

Scholarly Articles

Part I of this Reflection describes and critiques the effective-ness of the existing nondiscrimination standards for encouraging in-creased coverage in the private retirement system. Part II examines current trends with respect to various segments of the working population and concludes that existing pension law and policies are providing inadequate retirement benefits to low- and middle-income workers participating in 401(k) plans. Part III proposes the following three recommendations for increasing participation rates in the current pension climate: (1) mandatory education programs for all 401(k) plans; (2) mandatory automatic features in 401(k) plans; and (3) an additional tax incentive to encourage greater …

Urban Agriculture And Sustainability In Chicago, Matthew Hoffmann

Dissertations

Sustainability is increasingly informing the organization of urban life. In the past 15 years, cities have sought to alleviate the dual effects of environmental degradation and a changing economy by introducing sustainable development initiatives. Policy makers and environmental activists have often praised these efforts, pointing to the enhancement of quality of life, the mitigation of industrial pollution, and these initiatives' capacity to address poverty in a post-welfare state. Most popular depictions of the experiences of sustainability come from the perspective of white, middle class, college-educated volunteers and, increasingly, social entrepreneurs such as artisans, farmers, and other producers connected to "local" …

Voices From The Storm, Christopher E. Manning

History: Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Towards An Articulation Of Architecture As A Verb; Learning From Participatory Development, Subaltern Identities And Textual Values., Richard Bower

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Originating from a disenfranchisement with the contemporary definition and realisation of Westernised architecture as a commodity and product, this thesis seeks to explore alternative examples of positive socio-spatial practice and agency. These alternative spatial practices and methodologies are drawn from participatory and grass-roots development agency in informal settlements and contexts of economic absence, most notably in the global South. This thesis explores whether such examples can be interpreted as practical realisations of key theoretical advocacies for positive social space that have emerged in the context of post-Second World-War capitalism. The principal methodological framework utilises two differing trajectories of spatial discourse. …

Justice In Hobbes’ And Rawls’ Ideologies And The Quest For Social Order In Africa: A Philosophical Reflection, Ujomu Philip Ogo, Olatunji Felix Olusanjo

Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Divergent opinions and theories have been propounded towards attaining social order in human society as most of those theories are believed to have significant positive effects on the restructuring and reconstruction of society. This is done in the struggle for society devoid of manipulations, deceit, injustice, inequality among other problems confronting man in his relation to others around him. It should be pointed out from the outset that Thomas Hobbes’ theory on the Leviathan and that of John Rawls’ argument for justice as fairness are seen as significant in the reconstruction of the society and stand out among other models/theories. …

Putting "Community" In Community Schools: Organizational And Cultural Contention In A Public-Private Partnership, Kathleen D. Pacyna

Dissertations

Public-private partnerships as a new organizational form for delivering health and human services to those who require them remains an under-studied but important topic of research in an era significantly influenced by the weakening of the traditional civic welfare infrastructure. Based on two years of ethnographic research including in-depth interviews and participant observation, this research aimed to understand better how the concept of community held by members of the public-private partnership influenced their collective attempts to create a full-service community school program in the Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago. Research revealed that members of the partnership negotiated and contested the …

The Urgency Of Now: Foundations’ Role In Ending Racial Inequity, Gary L. Cunningham, Marcia L. Avner, Romilda Justilien

The Foundation Review

· This article explores the multiple approaches that foundations can use to advance racial equity and prosperity.

· It first gauges the depth of the challenge that our communities face in racial disparities, then surveys the evolution of the role of philanthropies in addressing poverty and traces the long history of racialization of institutions and systems.

· Finally, this article focuses on a specific set of approaches used by the Minnesota-based Northwest Area Foundation that others working for racial equity might employ to meet their needs.

Leandro’S Limit: Do North Carolina’S Homeschoolers Have A Right To A Sound Basic Education Protected By The State?, Jessica Archer

Campbell Law Review

No abstract provided.

Policy Evidence Assessment Report: Community Health Worker Policy Components, Center For Public Health Systems Science

Center for Public Health Systems Science

This Policy Evidence Assessment Report from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, summarizes the evidence base for components of Community Health Worker Policy. Many of these components are elements of successful CHW programs, which have implications for policy development, and some of these components can be found in state law.

Community Resilience, Transitional Corridors And Macro‐Scalar Lock‐In Effects, Ga Wilson

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This article analyses interlinkages between community resilience, transitional corridors and macro-scalar lock-in effects, with specific emphasis on exogenous drivers. Transition theory is used as an approach to analyse resilience pathways. The article suggests that transitional corridors shape decision-making opportunities, which are ultimately mediated by the individual/household within a community and turned into action with tangible effects on resilience/vulnerability ‘on the ground’. The importance of macro-structural ‘lock-ins’ for understanding constraints and opportunities for raising community resilience is highlighted, including in particular political and policy-based decision-making pathways, macro-structural lock-ins, ideological lock-in effects and macro-economic lock-ins. The article concludes by arguing that transitional …

Community Based Interventions For The Prevention And Control Of Non-Helmintic Ntd, Jai K. Das, Rehana A. Salam, Ahmed Arshad, Hasina Maredia, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

In this paper, we aim to systematically analyze the effectiveness of community based interventions (CBI) for the prevention and control of non-helminthic diseases including dengue, trypanosomiasis, chagas, leishmaniasis, buruli ulcer, leprosy and trachoma. We systematically reviewed literature published up to May 2013 and included 62 studies in this review. Findings from our review suggest that CBI including insecticide spraying; insecticide treated bednets and curtains; community education and cleanliness campaigns; chemoprophylaxis through mass drug administration; and treatment have the potential to reduce the incidence and burden of non-helminthic diseases. Lack of data limited the subgroup analysis for integrated and non-integrated delivery …

Solving The Cso Conundrum: Green Infrastructure And The Unfulfilled Promise Of Federal-Municipal Cooperation, Casswell F. Holloway, Carter H. Strickland Jr., Michael B. Gerrard, Daniel M. Firger

Faculty Scholarship

Faced with mounting infrastructure construction costs and more frequent and severe weather events due to climate change, cities across the country are managing the water pollution challenges of stormwater runoff and combined sewer overflows through new and innovative "green infrastructure" mechanisms that mimic, maintain, or restore natural hydrological features in the urban landscape. When utilized properly, such mechanisms can obviate the need for more expensive pipes, storage facilities, and other traditional "grey infrastructure" features, so named to acknowledge the vast amounts of concrete and other materials with high embedded energy necessary in their construction. Green infrastructure can also provide substantial …

Preserving The Historic Garden Suburb: Case Studies From London And New York, Jeffrey A. Kroessler

Publications and Research

The garden city or garden suburb was a response to the social and environmental ills of cities at the turn of the twentieth century. Letchworth Garden City, Hampstead Garden Suburb, and Welwyn Garden City were built outside London in the early 1900s, and each remains a highly desirable place of residence today. From the start, each was tightly regulated, and remains so a century later. By protecting the appearance and enhancing property values, the strict application of historic preservation principles contribute to the long-term sustainability of each place. Similar garden suburbs were built in the borough of Queens in New …

Identifying And Overcoming The Barriers To Sustainable Construction, Cristin Szydlik

Doctoral Dissertations

"Sustainable construction has become increasingly more prevalent over the last decade. All federal and most state government buildings are mandated to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification (at the silver level at a minimum). Although sustainable construction is increasingly more common, there are still barriers to the successful completion of a sustainable project, specifically with regards to projects achieving LEED certification. There are still holes in the guidance on how to successfully achieve LEED certification. Even though government agencies have mandated LEED certification, the existing barriers are preventing buildings from achieving certification, which can delay the building …

Just Farming: An Environmental Justice Perspective On The Capacity Of Grassroots Organizations To Support The Rights Of Organic Farmers And Laborers, Rebecca Elaine Berkey

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This mixed methods study builds upon literature and research in environmental justice, public participation, and community development to examine how justice-related issues impact farmers and workers on organic farms in the Northeastern United States. It also examines how involvement in a grassroots organization helps farmers and workers address these issues. At the core of the study is an exploration of environmental justice and its applications at a broad, systemic level; an examination of the current context of laborers in organic agriculture in the Northeast; and finally an investigation of the effects of grassroots organizing within the Northeast Organic Farming Association …

Climate Change And Environmental Justice: Lessons From The California Lawsuits, Alice Kaswan

San Diego Journal of Climate & Energy Law

This essay does not debate the political wisdom of suing; instead, it takes the suits as a given and attempts to enhance understanding of the environmental justice community’s climate justice agenda. It describes the role of environmental justice in the development of California’s climate law, AB 32, describes the lawsuits, and suggests some of the larger lessons about climate policy, cap-and-trade, and environmental justice that these lawsuits reveal. Ultimately, the environmental justice lawsuits highlight two primary themes: (1) the importance of a holistic approach to climate change policy that recognizes and integrates its multiple dimensions, including co-pollutant implications; and (2) …

Prison Health Care After The Affordable Care Act: Envisioning An End To The Policy Of Neglect, Evelyn Malave

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

Inadequate prison health care has created a health crisis for reentering prisoners and their communities--a crisis that is exacerbated by barriers to employment and other collateral consequences of release. This Note will first examine how current Eighth Amendment doctrine has failed to sufficiently regulate prison health care so as to have any significant effect on the crisis. Next, it will argue that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) alters the Eighth Amendment analysis by triggering a change in the "evolving standards of decency" that guide the doctrine. Specifically, this Note will argue that, after the passage of the ACA, releasing sick, …

Textiles, Community, And University Engagement, Mary Elizabeth Corrigan

Open Access Master's Theses

Rhode Island is home to many historical societies, small museums, and historic houses that include textiles in their collections. The University of Rhode Island (URI) Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design department (TMD) offers a masters program in historic textiles and costume. The density of small cultural institutions that have textile or costume collections in Rhode Island provides an opportunity for the URI TMD Department to position itself as a locus for engagement, education, and research in Rhode Island and beyond. University-community collaboration is not a new development. States founded land-grant universities to serve as resources for their communities, though the …

The Green Economy: Functional Domains And Theoretical Directions Of Enquiry, Ian Bailey, Federico Caprotti

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.