Digital Commons Network^™

Connecting The Dots: Steps Toward A Synthesis Of American Communal History, Carl Guarneri

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Three Developmental Trajectories Of Communal Change, Dan Mckanan

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

9th Gsep Research Symposium - 2025

GSEP Research Symposium

The Ninth Annual GSEP Research Symposium, themed "Building Bridges to Elevate Humanity: Innovations and Insights in Education and Psychology", was hosted by the Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP) on June 19–20, 2025, at the historic Château d’Hauteville in Switzerland and virtually via Zoom.

This hybrid symposium convened a vibrant global community of students, alumni, faculty, and scholars to share research that addresses real-world challenges, advances scholarly inquiry, and builds pathways for inclusive collaboration and leadership. Spanning a wide array of topics—from artificial intelligence and mental health to trauma-informed practices, educational equity, social justice, and cross-cultural leadership—the …

Program Review Report 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Program Review Committee

No abstract provided.

Program Agenda 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Social Media, Social Sensibilities, And The Employment Relationship, Matthew W. Finkin

The Journal of Contemporary Legal Issues

Employers have long made decisions based on the applicant’s or incumbent employee’s respectability. Those whose transgress the bounds could be excluded; e.g., those who publicly embrace the Ku Klux Klan.[] In other words, frank speech—speech “unconstrained by anything that might normally encourage one to be more circumspect,”[] speech revealing one’s “true feelings, however repellant to popular morality”[]—is not invariably a good thing.[]

When social media came into wide use, employers extended their monitoring of applicants and incumbents for the acceptability of that speech.[] There is nothing new in that.[] In the absence of a clear direction embodied in law …

Everyday Norms Have Become More Permissive Over Time And Vary Across Cultures, Kimmo Eriksson, Pontus Strimling, Irina Vartanova, Brent Simpson, Minna Persson, Khalid Ahmed Abdi, Neta Ad, Alisher Aldashev, Habib Mohammad Ali, Maurizio Alì, Khatai Aliyev, Yasser M. Alrefaee, Alberth Estuardo Alvarado Ortiz, Per A. Andersson, Giulia Andrighetto, Gizem Arikan, John Jamir Aruta, Christian Lutete Ayikwa, Jonatan Baños-Chaparro, Davide Barrera, Justina Barsyte, Birzhan Batkeyev, Azma Batool, Elizaveta Berezina, Stéphanie Ngandu Bimina, Marie Björnstjerna, Sheyla Blumen

Faculty Publications

Every social situation that people encounter in their daily lives comes with a set of unwritten rules about what behavior is considered appropriate or inappropriate. These everyday norms can vary across societies: some societies may have more permissive norms in general or for certain behaviors, or for certain behaviors in specific situations. In a preregistered survey of 25,422 participants across 90 societies, we map societal differences in 150 everyday norms and show that they can be explained by how societies prioritize individualizing moral foundations such as care and liberty versus binding moral foundations such as purity. Specifically, societies with more …

Approved Courses 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Approved Programs 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Programs Committee (PC)

No abstract provided.

Community-Based Food Program Limits In Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adults who are grappling with food insecurity may enhance their food supply through community-based programs that provide free and subsidized food. This complicated system, categorized by group meal programs, home-delivered meals, and food provided to be eaten off-site, is complex, expensive, and may be difficult for older adults to use. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief describes three key limits of community-based food programs for older adults. First, the quantity and quality of community-based food programs vary markedly by where one lives. Second, the food may be of poor nutritional …

Icc Agenda 10-7-25, Angela Brock

Individual Course Committee (ICC)

No abstract provided.

Ucc Minutes 10-7-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Organizational Memories Of Extreme Events: Evidence From Us Public Transit Agencies, Mattia Caldarulo, Ignacio Pezo, Elizabeth A. Corley, Shaika L. Islam, Eric W. Welch

Articles

The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events require organizations to effectively manage the threats these phenomena pose. To respond to these challenges, public agencies often turn to their organizational memories for guidance. Organizational memories support information processing capacity, facilitate sensemaking, and legitimize and speed up decision-making processes. While memories influence different aspects of organizational life, little is known about their antecedents and the mechanisms behind the retrieval of past events. This study contributes to the broader literature on organizational memory by investigating the elements shaping public agencies’ retrieval of extreme weather events. Integrating weather data from the National …

The Trial Of Musammat Kelee: Widowhood, Infanticide, And Colonial Justice In Early Twentieth Century India, Rashmi Banerjee

Socio-Legal Review

This article examines the 1920 trial of Musammat Kelee, a Hindu widow from Ajmer-Merwara, accused of drowning her illegitimate infant son in a lake. Drawing on extensive trial records, police reports, and official correspondence, it reconstructs the procedural history of her case and situates it within broader colonial debates on female sexuality, widowhood, and infanticide. Kelee’s conviction under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, despite weak evidence, hinged on judicial emphasis on her widowhood and the perceived illegitimacy of her child as proof of motive. Yet her subsequent pardon by the Viceroy’s office reflected a contradictory administrative impulse that …

Spartan Daily, October 7, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 19

(Ba)Ding, Ang Bato!: Queering Duterte's Drug War In Jun Lana's Big Night! (2021), Jenno Roquero

Akda: The Asian Journal of Literature, Culture, Performance

Though there are studies around Duterte’s war on drugs and human rights violations, scholarship focusing on the relationship between Duterte’s politics and gender, particularly queerness and kabaklaan, is limited despite his frequent derogatory use of bakla, gay, or homosexual to demean rivals and critics. This article analyzes Jun Lana’s Big Night! (2021) through the Filipino concept of batak—intoxication, being forcibly dragged, and musculature—to examine the intersections of queerness, state violence, and survival in Rodrigo Duterte’s “War on Drugs.” Through close readings of key scenes, the article maps how batak operates as a framework for understanding the bakla’s shifting position: …

Scientific Authority In The Public Sphere: The Heroic Legacies Of Carl Sagan And Philip Zimbardo, Scott T. Allison

Heroism Science

This article examines the parallel trajectories of Carl Sagan and Philip Zimbardo as scientists who assumed the role of public intellectuals. Their careers highlighted the tensions and opportunities inherent in bridging scholarly research and public engagement. Sagan, an astronomer, popularized the cosmic perspective to promote planetary stewardship, while Zimbardo, a social psychologist, used compelling methodologies to explore the psychological underpinnings of cruelty and heroism. Both were, in their own ways, heroic in their commitment to making science accessible, employing storytelling and mass media to render complex concepts understandable and relevant, thereby expanding the societal relevance of their disciplines. However, their …

Evaluating Gender Policy In Kazakhstan: A Dual Perspective On Politics And Economics, Elmira Kagazbaeva, Ulzhan Kazybekova, Madina Axakalova

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article aims to advance gender studies in Kazakhstan by examining the underlying causes of inequality in the political and economic spheres. It holds both scientific and practical significance in identifying the challenges to gender equality in Kazakhstan and exploring potential solutions that could be applicable to other countries. The methodological framework of the study is grounded in a gender-based approach, complemented by general scientific and specialized methods of inquiry, including structural, functional, and content analysis of official documents. The research is supported by an analysis of official statistics and the legal framework governing gender-related issues. Kazakhstan’s gender policy is …

Designing With, Not For: Reimagining Participatory Design With Rural, Indigenous Artisans, Daniela Chavarria, Beatrice Villari

ServDes Conference Series

Artisanal production is crucial in sustaining the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental fabric of rural and Indigenous communities, supporting the livelihoods, identity, and collective memory of artisan communities. However, globalization plus market pressures marginalize these traditions, prioritizing external consumer expectations over cultural integrity. While designers have sought to support artisans through collaborative efforts, such initiatives risk replicating Western-centric frameworks that undermine local knowledge and reinforce power asymmetries. This paper examines how equal collaboration, rooted in trust and flexibility, offers participatory engagement while promoting equitable partnerships from a designer-activist perspective. Drawing on the ARTESANICO laboratory, an organic, practice-led design initiative in Colombia …

Invisible Hands, Indispensable Work: Human Centered Systemic Insights Into India’S Informal Service Of Domestic Work, Rahul Satish Mudukutore, Suprita Chaudhary, Debjani Roy, Veda Shetye, Mallika Kayastha

ServDes Conference Series

Domestic work in India constitutes a vast yet unregulated sector. This study employs a service centric approach to explore the systemic challenges faced by domestic workers. Through a mixed - methods approach including in - depth interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and service design analysis, we uncover key findings related to employment precarity, employer - worker power dynamics, and the informal nature of hiring practices. Our research highlights critical gaps in legal protections, lack of standardized employment contracts, and the socio - cultural barriers reinforcing domestic work as undervalued labour. Using stakeholder mapping, ecosystem analysis, and service blueprints, we identify intervention …

Design For Dignity: A Designer's Quest For Social Justice, Aanalde Nair, Vinodkumar Vyas, Saurav Khuttiya Deori

ServDes Conference Series

Caste based discrimination in India continues to deny dignity, equality and access to basic rights for Scheduled Castes especially in rural areas. This study investigates the underlying beliefs, economic dependencies and social conditioning that sustains these practices. Intervention included informal door-to-door surveys, focus groups, awareness campaigns and collective reflection. The study concludes that legal enforcement alone is insufficient, sustainable change requires inclusive, community led strategies that foster ownership, empathy and co-creation.

Service Design In The Age Of Ai – An Analysis Of Real-World Use Cases, Himanshu Warudkar

ServDes Conference Series

This paper analyses the critical intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Service Design, exploring how AI integration fundamentally reshapes business operations and customer interactions. Through a qualitative study of real-world use cases, this research provides a comprehensive overview of current applications, categorizing them into mechanical, thinking, and feeling AI to frame the discussion. The analysis illuminates’ opportunities and challenges presented by this technological convergence. It addresses key paradoxes, such as augmentation versus automation, and investigates the ethical, legal, and societal implications of human-AI collaboration. This work bridges research gaps by providing a richer conceptualization of AI's impact, offering a framework …

Preparing A Comprehensive And Accessible Design Ethnography In Complex Environments: Reflections Based On Case Studies From 3 Uk Nhs Emergency Departments, Wenbo Ai, Alison Prendiville

ServDes Conference Series

This paper discusses the ethical and ethnographic preparation methods employed in the initial discovery phase of a co-design research project, aimed at enhancing the blood culture pathway for potential sepsis patients in UK emergency departments across three NHS trust hospitals. Conducting thorough observations in such complex, busy settings within limited time frames poses significant challenges. Minimising disruptions becomes key, especially in high-pressure work environments. Elaborate preparation of observation methods leads to more productive findings and reduces the need for repeated visits, promoting mutual respect between researchers and stakeholders. This paper offers valuable strategies for service design researchers to prepare effectively …

Power Compass: A Template For Navigating Power In Service Design, Michalina Fidos, Mari Suoheimo, Shaohua Pan, Peter Hayward Jones

ServDes Conference Series

Service designers often encounter power dynamics that shape their role in enabling change. This study explores how and why designers experience power in practice, drawing on ecological systems theory (EST) to map experiences gathered through a case study of five focus groups with international practitioners. Leverage analysis is then used to conceptualise these insights. By intersecting these two frameworks, we developed the Power Compass - a project-centred template that visualises how social, political, and ecological forces converge in design projects, revealing power as both a source of agency and a constraint. The template aims to support designers in identifying, analysing, …

From Affirmative-Technological To Critical-Humanistic Tech Trends: A Speculative Framework For Service Design Futures, Yong-Ki Lee

ServDes Conference Series

This paper presents a speculative framework for service design education, practice, and research in light of emerging technologies. It examines the evolution of service design through stages, from its foundations to a “thinking” era, and proposes a model for “Service Design 2.0” that considers industry-led, human-centred, and information driven approaches. The paper explores future trends in service design practice, emphasizing socio-technical systems thinking and learning systems. Design research is discussed in terms of evolving user-designer interactions, moving toward symbiotic relationships where designing and using become intertwined. Finally, the paper advocates for a balanced design education that integrates arts, engineering, computer …

Design Tensions Between Attractiveness And Inclusivity In Milan Public Universities: The Case Of A Student Housing Orientation Service, Nicole Sacchetti, Daniela Sangiorgi

ServDes Conference Series

As Milan public universities compete globally to attract economic capital and student flows, they simultaneously face growing challenges in addressing the housing affordability crisis affecting their student populations. This paper reflects on the design tensions emerging within the service ecosystem of Politecnico di Milano, starting from the shortcomings encountered during the development of the multidisciplinary research-action project StudMIHome: Students Living in Milan; a study on student housing conducted by three research departments of the university, with the objective of prototyping and testing a housing orientation service for students.

Generative Ai In Service Design: An Explorative Diary Study In Discovery Process, Yaoqi Li, Hyunyim Park

ServDes Conference Series

As AI technologies advance, service design practitioners should consider their role in the field, including how to integrate generative AI (GenAI) into their workflows. This study explored how service design practitioners engage with GenAI tools in the discovery phase; it was intended to enhance service design research with regard to GenAI and highlight its potential and future applications. Through a diary study, 26 service design practitioners participated in three design activities using a variety of GenAI tools and recorded their experiences and perceptions in diaries. The findings indicate that participants perceived the GenAI tools as effective for data collection, processing, …

Reframing Evaluation And “Frameworks”: Reflecting, Learning And Adapting Practices Of Social Change, Sarah Kushinsky, Yoko Akama, Ko-Le Chen, Hirotake Imanishi, Yuko Kikuchi, Sarah Teasley, Khemmiga Teerapong, Joyce Yee

ServDes Conference Series

Evaluation is a double-edged sword. For those invested in social change, it is vital to evaluate the process and impact of designing. However, traditional positivist approaches can risk harm by magnifying power through the instruments and mechanisms of evaluation, especially when Global North models are unthinkingly applied in the Global South. What is deemed valuable to know – without asking what matters to whom, how, where and when – is an ethical and political concern as it ignores how people are variously situated. This paper argues for building evaluative capacities otherwise. It shares key insights by tracing how an evaluative …

A Study Of Traffic Management Solutions And Emergency Vehicle Response Times In India, Shrutee Ghosh, Saurav Khuttiya Deori

ServDes Conference Series

India, the land of diversity, with a population of approximately 1.4 billion, is one of the fastest growing major economy in the world. The data of 2023- 2024 reveals that India produced a total of 28 million vehicles, including passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, and quadricycles and sold 23.86 million domestically. This is where the fault lies, there are lakhs of vehicles produced and supplied carelessly, but there are no policies that check and implement a smooth, technology-driven and user- friendly traffic management system. Moreover, it is observed that there exists a vacuum not only at a policy implementation level but …

Mental Health And Wellbeing Practices In Design Education: A Call For Action, Daniela Sangiorgi, Martina Čaić, Amalia De Götzen De Götzen, Rike Neuhoff, Rebecca Prices, Nuria Solsona Caba, Josina Vink, Hena Ali

ServDes Conference Series

Alarming numbers of university design students are experiencing significant issues related to their mental health and wellbeing. While the conditions affecting their mental health are systemic, universities play a key role in addressing academic related factors. This paper aims to better understand the stressors impacting design students’ wellbeing and identify strategies for addressing them. It reviews general academic and design-specific stressors highlighted in the literature. Drawing from a small sample of European design schools, the paper also shares promising practices for addressing these stressors. Kick-starting cross-institutional sharing, it offers a starting point for further collective efforts to improve student wellbeing.