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Lost Causal: Debunking Myths About Causal Analysis In Philanthropy – With 2024 Prologue, Jewlya Lynn, Sarah Stachowiak, Julia Coffman

The Foundation Review

Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2022, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates.

What if philanthropic evaluations told us that changes in the world had occurred, as well as how and why they occurred, including whether what foundations funded and grantees did contributed to those changes? What if evaluations made change pathways more visible, tested hypotheses and assumptions, and generated new insights based on what happened in the “black box” of systems change strategies? This type of learning comes from causal analysis — inquiry that explores cause-and-effect relationships.

Yet currently in …

Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide To Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, And Achieving Lasting Results, Hilda Vega

The Foundation Review

Editor’s Note: This article, first published in print and online in 2015, has been republished by The Foundation Review with minor updates.

Transition Plans: A Critical Phenomenological Study Of The Young Black Men’S Parents’ Experiences At Admission Review And Dismissal Meetings, Bobby F. Durst

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the narrative shared in individualized education planning meetings for young black men with learning disabilities who are transitioning from high school. The individualized education plan (IEP) process, essential in addressing the specific educational needs of children with learning disabilities, can be particularly challenging for Black parents, as evidenced by recent data. This study was designed to shed light on the intricate dynamics of the IEP process and the unique challenges faced by parents. The study aimed to provide insight into various aspects of their experiences through interviews designed with open-ended questions and detailed analysis of the …

All Roads Lead To Rome: Combating Impunity For Perpetration Of Slave Trade And Slavery Crimes, Jocelyn Getgen Kestenbaum

Articles

The Republic of Sierra Leone has proposed amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to include, inter alia, provisions for the slave trade as a crime against humanity and has recommended that the General Assembly include the slave trade as an enumerated crime in the Draft articles on Prevention and Punishment of Crimes Against Humanity (CAH) (Draft articles). This declaration came nearly five years after Cardozo’s Benjamin B Ferencz Human Rights and Atrocity Prevention Clinic, on behalf of slavery crimes expert Patricia Viseur Sellers, sent commentaries to the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) to revise …

Redistributing Justice, Benjamin Levin, Kate Levine

Articles

This Essay surfaces an obstacle to decarceration hiding in plain sight: progressives’ continued support for the carceral system. Despite progressives’ increasingly prevalent critiques of criminal law, there is hardly a consensus on the left in opposition to the carceral state. Many left-leaning academics and activists who may critique the criminal system writ large remain enthusiastic about criminal law in certain areas— often areas in which defendants are imagined as powerful and victims as particularly vulnerable.

In this Essay, we offer a novel theory for what animates the seemingly conflicted attitude among progressives toward criminal punishment—the hope that the criminal system …

Classic Grounded Theory: Identifying The Main Concern, Justine Connor, Tracy Flenady, Deb Massey, Trudy Dwyer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Grounded theory comprises a family of research approaches designed to support the generation of a theory explaining a phenomenon experienced by a group of participants. One style of grounded theory, Classic grounded theory, is used less often than other types of grounded theory. The less frequent use of Classic grounded theory may be attributed to the limited availability of clearly articulated processes for conducting this method. Particularly important within Classic grounded theory, and not used in other forms of grounded theory, is identifying the participants' main concern. Identifying the participants' main concern is a signature feature of Classic grounded theory …

Teacher Perceptions Of Restorative Justice Practices In New York City Schools, Brian Pew

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The purpose of this study is twofold. First, it examines how teachers of different racial identities and at different points in their careers perceive the impact of restorative justice practices in select New York City public schools. Disciplinary Power Theory, Restorative Justice Theory, and Critical Race Theory are used as theoretical frameworks. In semi-structured interviews with 12 New York City high school teachers, participants will provide their own understandings of restorative justice. Second, participants will discuss the impact of school-based restorative justice work. This data will be analyzed for overall participant perception of restorative justice followed by an analysis of …

Applying An Intersectional And Multi-Systemic Level Approach To Adei Institutional Assessments In Social Work Higher Education, Diana A. Melendez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Institutional Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ADEI) tools and assessment models are needed to support schools of social work in demonstrating compliance with the Council on Social Work Education’s (CSWE) 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards (EPAS). This study develops a new tool and model for ADEI institutional assessment in social work higher education using a collaborative, intersectional and multi-systemic level approach. The primary aim of the project was to develop and test a new tool to gather and document experience(s) of coloniality within a social work higher education institution, from multiple stakeholders’ perspectives, as a usable model of ADEI …

Identifying Graduate Students’ Instructional Strategies And Approaches Towards Teaching Employable Skills, Elizabeth S. Che

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

College instruction tends to focus on imparting disciplinary knowledge rather than employable broad-based skills emphasized by undergraduate guidelines. The lack of emphasis on broad-skill development may leave many undergraduate students unprepared for the workforce. Graduate students who are future professoriate, are teaching undergraduate courses with various attitudes and strategies. This dissertation comprises three published studies that used data from two surveys identifying graduate students’ instructional strategies and approaches to teaching employable skills in their courses.

The first study asked whether graduate students teaching undergraduate courses (N = 114; 70.2% women, M age = 30 years) aim to teach employable …

Heteronormativity And Fair Housing: Comparing Housing Opportunities Among Cisgender And Transgender Women, Joseph E. Lara

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the American housing market, gender norms regulate access to safe and stable dwellings. When looking for a home, transgender communities, plagued by multiple vulnerabilities and politicized by conservative politicians, endure vastly different experiences than their cisgender counterparts. Despite an ongoing housing crisis, civil rights laws have widened homeownership opportunities for cisgender women, but transgender women face multiple obstacles to owning a home. How have gender norms influenced the housing market, and how have socially embedded heterosexism and cisgenderism benefited cisgender women over transgender women? This manuscript explores the cultural norms regulating the creation and access to housing, the history …

Fy24 Usability Program Test #7: Retesting And Observing Search Behaviors, Lindsey Skaggs

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

The FY24 Usability Testing Program was designed to iteratively assess user experience at Milner Library. The program gathers data through usability testing of the library's website and discovery layer, as well as survey questions about users' experiences with library services. Test #7 gathers information from library users about their experiences locating and accessing materials and information. Takeaways and recommendations are included in the report.

Confronting Algorithms: Conscience Catching In The Criminal Trial And Beyond, Sherman J. Clark

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Using the question of how to treat algorithmic evidence under the Confrontation Clause as an entry point, I argue that the use of AI in ethically salient situations presents a risk. It may cause us to avoid confronting our own responsibility. This matters because facing up to what we do, including what we delegate, can help us grow and thrive. Bearing responsibility can help us nurture vital capacities, including forms of empathy, honesty, and dignity. In the language of ethics, these are eudaimonist virtues—traits and capacities that can help us live well and fully. We should thus find ways of …

Monopoly Capital, Militarism, And Environmental Degradation, Daniel Auerbach, Brett Clark

Denver Law Review

Research within the natural and social sciences increasingly concludes that business as usual—economic growth—is leading to significant ecological disruption. Additionally, scholars have identified militaries as a significant driver of environmental degradation. Typically, these two social institutions are understood as being separate, but operating in relation, to each other. In this article, we focus on the interrelation and integration of the military and the economy through the rise of the military-industrial complex in order to illuminate the underlying logic that amplifies the environmental impacts of these institutions. More specifically, we assess how monopoly capital’s dynamics influence the development of military weapons …

Moving Beyond Human Capital: Constructivism, Critical Pedagogy, And Interdisciplinary Collaboration In A Building And Construction Pathway, Ryan James Lundell

Social Justice in Educational Leadership EdD Dissertations

The silo structure and neoliberal rationality of Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways limit student learning and propagate the purpose of education as the creation of human capital, not a socially aware citizenry (Brown, 2017; Jacobs, 2010). Despite its history of racial tracking, CTE pathways still neglect critical thinking/dialogue around social/environmental justice issues, drastically hurting workers’ ability to confront these inequities (Darder, 2017; Oakes & Saunders, 2011; Shor & Freire, 1987). Using a qualitative research design that employs ethnographic elements, this study found that constructivism, critical pedagogy, and interdisciplinary collaboration can positively impact the experience, participation, and critical consciousness of students …

Untangling While We Weave: Educators Of Color Navigating Trust In Schoolwide Restorative Justice Reform, An Hoang Phan

Social Justice in Educational Leadership EdD Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of educators of color implementing restorative justice practices within the school-prison nexus. Drawing upon carceral progressivism and the school-prison nexus frameworks, it examines how these educators navigate building and repairing relational trust while transforming punitive disciplinary policies. Through interviews, pod-mapping, and community healing circles, the study elicits narratives from five Bay Area educators committed to restorative justice.

Four key themes emerge: 1) interweaving intentional restorative justice structures with authentic connection; 2) consistent care for fostering relational trust; 3) moving at the speed of trust to avoid moral injury; and 4) intergenerational wisdom and collaboration …

Online Communities And Offline Criminal Justice: The Digital Fallout Of Major Criminal Incidents, Jacqueline M. Scott

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

User-generated online data has, in recent years, become an important basis for sociological research, and the ubiquity of social media presages the importance of an increased understanding of its inner workings in the spheres of criminology and sociology. This dissertation examines the dynamics of user-generated information on social media and social news in the wake of 53 criminal incidents which generated higher-than-average interest online. Using multiple platforms and analytical techniques, I investigate the dynamics of within- and between-platform information uptake, examine potential avenues and drawbacks of the actionable information available online during a crisis, and describe patterns and focal topics …

Crime Prediction Using Agent-Based Modeling, Yifei Gong

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Crime risk evaluation and crime prediction using agent-based modeling (ABM) have gained popularity in the field of computational criminology in recent years. Traditionally, researchers rely on statistical methods and machine learning models to predict crimes using historical data. ABM generates macro-level crime patterns in a bottom-up fashion by simulating the daily behaviors of autonomous entities, such as citizens and offenders. ABM takes into consideration the non-linear interactions between agents under complex social contexts. Currently, the comprehensive usage of ABM for criminological theory testing and urban policy evaluations calls for a unified software framework. In this research, we introduce CARESim, an …

Analysis Of Victim/Villain Narratives Presented Under Genocide And Ethnic Cleansing Frameworks: The Kosovo Case, Kristi Allaj

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The small country of Kosovo has been a point of contestation in the Western Balkans for decades. In that regard, the country has divided the two main feuding groups into Albanians and Serbians, who contemporarily showcase intense ethnic rivalries. The 1998-1999 conflict impacted the region's demographics, the international community's normative changes, and the contemporary policies of the now-independent country. The Kosovo War is often attributed to ethnic tensions and the rise of nationalism. At the same time, the NATO intervention that created a series of dissenting opinions is pinned on the humanitarian crisis. All notions that stand. This thesis aims …

Beautiful Resistance: Nonfiction Theatre Rehearsal Processes, Politics, And Prefiguration In War, Ash Marinaccio

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Beautiful Resistance: Nonfiction Theatre Rehearsal Processes, Politics, and Prefiguration in War examines nonfiction theatre rehearsals and devising processes in and about conflict and war. I use the term “nonfiction” to refer to the vast body of collaborative theatre, facilitation, movement, puppet, and performance practices, knowledges, and techniques included under the capacious umbrella of “theatre of the real.” I propose that nonfiction theatre rehearsals are sites of prefiguration, possessing the potential to create a space where systemically oppressed communities can build alternative futures in the present. While there are multiple frameworks for understanding prefigurative politics, within this dissertation, I employ the …

Who Do Civilian Review Boards Serve And Protect? Applying Andre Gorz’S Non-Reformist Reform Theoretical Framework To Empirical Analysis From New York State, Jackson Diamond

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

In the wake of countless high-profile instances of police violence and repression against civilians in the United States, waves of reformation have washed over American police departments. Some have questioned the efficacy of these reforms, as civilians continue to suffer acts of violence at the hands of the police. One such reform measure, adopted broadly in recent years, is the creation of civilian police review boards. To analyze how this reform has affected citizens’ ability to hold their police departments accountable for their actions, I analyzed a sample of 89 municipal police departments in New York state in the year …

Chipping The Blue Wall: The Effect Of Dogs On Police Officer Receptivity To An Employee Assistance Program, Kenneth M. Quick

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

There is substantial evidence that demonstrates the negative impact of stress on police officer mental health is increasing due in large part to perceived societal shifts in support for the police and trends in criminal justice reform efforts. While employee assistance programs (EAP) are the dominant mechanism for police agencies to address officer mental health, officers are reluctant to use them due to a combination of mental health stigma and organizational distrust. This dissertation studied police officer perceptions of an employee assistance program (EAP) and the effect of exposure to professionally trained dogs during an outreach session on indicators of …

Failure To Appear Across New York Regions, Stephen Koppel, René Ropac, Michael Rempel

Publications and Research

This study examines failure to appear in New York, a topic with important implications for the delivery of pretrial justice. It explores three primary questions: the nature of pretrial release decisions, the variation in FTA rates across different regions and demographics, and the predictors of FTA after controlling for various factors.

Past * An Introduction To The Problem, Zelimir Zilnik, Boris Buden, New Media Center Kuda.Org, Olivera Jokic

Publications and Research

Who can know what is in the past? Is it what historians can tell us? Should we also trust what we can remember? Past • An Introduction to the Problem proposes that the problem of the past now concerns everyone. Visions of a different, brighter future defeated in the Cold War and its heated afterlives, we are being offered the past as the only horizon of possibility. And what are we supposed to find in that past? Philosopher Boris Buden considers these questions in a series of essays and conversations with filmmaker Želimir Žilnik, one of the most prominent filmmakers …

Navigating The Complexities Of Ai: The Critical Role Of Interpretability And Explainability In Ensuring Transparency And Trust, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

The interpretability and explainability of deep neural networks (DNNs) are paramount in artificial intelligence (AI), especially when applied to high-stakes fields such as healthcare, finance, and autonomous driving. The need for this study arises from the growing integration of AI into critical areas where transparency, trust, and ethical decision-making are essential. This paper explores the impact of architectural design choices on DNN interpretability, focusing on how different architectural elements like layer types, network depth, connectivity patterns, and attention mechanisms affect model transparency. Methodologically, the study employs a comprehensive review of case studies and experimental results to analyze the balance between …

Squeezing Blood From Stones? A Comparative Analysis Of Tax Relief For Victim-Survivors In Australia And The United States, Christine Speidel, Leslie Book, Ann Kayis-Kumar

Faculty Publications

Women who leave abusive relationships generally do so with increased debt, reduced assets, insecure housing and longer-term economic insecurity. Most of these women will be experiencing economic abuse even after the relationship has ended, and many cite financial instability as a key factor driving them back into abusive relationships. So, it is imperative that the tax and transfer system helps rather than hinders (albeit inadvertently) this cohort of financially vulnerable taxpayers. However, this is not always the case, with victim-survivors of economic abuse often liable for tax debts incurred by former partners operating businesses in the victim-survivor's name.

This article …

Anti-Stigma Interventions In Low-Income And Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review, Tazeen Majeed, Gareth Hopkin, Katie Wang, Smriti Nepal, Nicole Votruba, Petra Gronholm, Dristy Gurung, Maya Semrau, Tanmay Bagade, Nick Farina, Christine Musyimi, Luca Pingani, Erica Breuer, Crick Lund, Graham Thornicroft, Sara Evans-Lacko

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Stigma exacerbates power imbalances and societal disparities, significantly impacting diverse identities and health conditions, particularly for low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Though crucial for dismantling harmful stereotypes, and enhancing healthcare utilisation, existing research on anti-stigma interventions is limited with its condition-focused approach. We aimed to thoroughly evaluate peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature for a comprehensive review of anti-stigma interventions for diverse identities and all health conditions in LMICs. Methods: This review systematically explored peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed literature, in ten electronic databases up to January 30, 2024, covering all anti-stigma interventions across various stigmatised identities and health conditions in LMICs. Quality …

Challenges And Implications For Substance Use And Mental Healthcare Among Under-Resourced Women In The Covid-19 Era, Maria C Mejia, Alicia Kowalchuk, Sandra J Gonzalez, Muktha Nair, Lisa Webb, Nadine Scamp

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated disparities in mental healthcare and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment access, especially in under-resourced communities. This study aimed to comprehend the experiences of under-resourced women with SUD during the pandemic, their knowledge and attitudes toward it, and its impact on substance use and treatment access.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 66 under-resourced women receiving medically managed withdrawal treatment at a community residential SUD center. Data collection occurred between November 2021 and August 2022, utilizing a 75-item instrument covering COVID-19 exposure and its impact on health, substance use, treatment access, vaccination status, beliefs, and knowledge. Descriptive …

Legal Issues In Reconciling Data Protection, Ai, And Cybersecurity Under Eu Law, Iain Nash, Debrae Kennedy-Mayo, Peter Swire, Annie Antón

Missouri Law Review

This Paper focuses on certain legal responsibilities under European Union (“EU”) law for companies that provide cybersecurity services, by examining the intersection of data protection (privacy), cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence (“AI”). This Paper explores these issues in the context of a hypothetical cybersecurity company known as “ACME Cyber Sentinel” providing services to a hypothetical client named “TechGuard.” In four scenarios, this Paper explores ACME Cyber Sentinel: (1) providing cybersecurity service to TechGuard; (2) gathering and processing data from multiple clients to analyze potential cybersecurity threats; (3) training, evaluating, and deploying AI cybersecurity tools; and (4) using these AI cybersecurity tools …

The Stifling Statute Of Limitations: The Historical Roots And Tragic Implications Of The United States’ Statute Of Limitations—And Evan Rachel Wood’S Daring Fight To Change It, Daley Culberson

UTC Spring Research and Arts Conference

In November of 2016, actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood brought forth sexual abuse and assault allegations against her former boyfriend, Brian Hugh Warner (a rock singer professionally known as Marilyn Manson). Despite significant evidence of abuse, prosecutors were not able to file any formal charges against Warner for his alleged crimes against Wood. Wood’s allegations have revealed a deep-rooted issue in America's criminal justice system: the statute of limitations prevents many victims from pressing charges and receiving fair trials against their abusers. This research study analyzes the historical roots of the statute of limitations, its multitude of consequences, and …

“It’S Pedagogical And It’S Selfish”: How Classroom Policies Promote Inclusive Pedagogy, Student Success, And Faculty Legitimacy, Ellen M. Whitehead, Mellisa Holtzman

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Course policies around attendance and submission deadlines have documented impacts on student outcomes within college courses, yet our understanding remains limited of instructors’ own motivations behind the policies they adopt. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 43 college instructors, we find that faculty emphasize both student-centered and instructor-focused considerations. Pedagogically, they create policies they believe will enhance student success, promote equity and inclusion, and enable students to account for the realities of life. But they also design policies they believe will make their job easier, positively impact students’ perceptions of them, and align with gender role and tenure expectations. These findings …