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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Examining Civic Education Policy In The United States, Cassandra Peltola Jul 2021

Examining Civic Education Policy In The United States, Cassandra Peltola

Community Engagement Student Work

This paper seeks to explore issues of civic education in American schools and make recommendations based on best practices on civic education to encourage 21st century democratic skills, competencies, and behaviors. The authors explain how we know civic education is lacking due to our country’s civic anemic health and low democratic participation. The author shares what solutions lead to effective civic education as well as what barriers stand in the way. The author concludes by making policy recommendations with an emphasis on national standardization, assessment, resource support, and experiential community-based learning.


Conceptualizing Professionalism For African Americans: Transcending The Detrimental Implications Of White Supremacy Culture And Anti-Black Sentiments In The Workplace, Tiana Lawrence Apr 2021

Conceptualizing Professionalism For African Americans: Transcending The Detrimental Implications Of White Supremacy Culture And Anti-Black Sentiments In The Workplace, Tiana Lawrence

Community Engagement Student Work

Current standards and interpretations of professionalism have historically been rooted and sustained through the ideology and mechanisms of white supremacy culture. The irrevocable implications of white supremacy culture and the anti-black sentiments that stem from it generate complex, layered, and damaging standards of professionalism for African Americans. These standards as they exist, are a reflection of white superiority and deem the presence and contributions of African Americans in the workplace as subservient, causing contemptuous ramifications in all aspects of their lives. A two-hour virtual networking event was developed and implemented with an audience of black professionals and professionals of color …


Adult Education For Japanese Immigrant Community: Social Bonding To Social Bridging, Naomi Nakamura Apr 2021

Adult Education For Japanese Immigrant Community: Social Bonding To Social Bridging, Naomi Nakamura

Community Engagement Student Work

Many Japanese who have been living in the U.S. for more than decades identify themselves as Japanese, not U.S. citizens. This so called transnational identity has an impact on how they assimilate or integrate to American social life. The purpose of this project is to explore the better learning environment and the effects of education for Japanese adult immigrants who may not actively participate in local communities. A workshop was held with Japanese residents in the Boston area to explore microaggressions and how people can think about their engagement with their communities. Workshop evaluation findings suggested that there is a …


What Works For You: Engaging With Antiracism Resources Within A College Setting, Grace Chitam Apr 2021

What Works For You: Engaging With Antiracism Resources Within A College Setting, Grace Chitam

Community Engagement Student Work

Higher education is often fondly described as the great equalizer. Society has ingrained the idea that if one is able to get to college and earn their degree, they can pave better outcomes for themselves post-graduation. While that may be true for some, this notion oversimplifies how challenging the college experience is, particularly for students of color and other marginalized backgrounds. This project examined how the burden students of color bear of battling racism in its every-day forms on top of their student responsibilities undermines their success. A two-hour workshop was held which endeavored to familiarize participants with antiracism education, …


Self-Advocacy In The Exam Room: Tools And Techniques For Contraceptive Care, Angelique Bouthot Apr 2021

Self-Advocacy In The Exam Room: Tools And Techniques For Contraceptive Care, Angelique Bouthot

Community Engagement Student Work

Sexual and reproductive healthcare is fraught with both historic and current examples of oppression, systemic abuse, and injustice across gender, race, class, and ability. Still, high quality and responsive contraceptive care may provide numerous health benefits, the ability to prevent and plan pregnancies, and opportunities for exercising autonomy and greater educational and economic attainment. Many initiatives focus on quality improvement at the institutional or provider level, but these do not get to every institution or every provider. This project proposes an approach that reduces harm and maximizes benefit on an individual level while larger systemic changes occur. In a workshop …


Educating For Democracy: Policy Recommendations For The Revitalization Of Civic Learning In The United States, Meghan E. O'Brien Apr 2021

Educating For Democracy: Policy Recommendations For The Revitalization Of Civic Learning In The United States, Meghan E. O'Brien

Community Engagement Student Work

The recent decades have brought upon a dramatic shift in the United States’ political and social climate. Increases in ideological polarization and extremism have taken hold as individual trust, knowledge, and participation in democratic processes has declined (Gould et al., 2011). These trends have contributed to the rising severity of social issues facing the United States - climate change, income inequality, systemic racism - as well as an inability to collectively address these issues. The need for a solution to these trends has never been greater as the nation struggles to perfect a democratic structure in which citizens are equitably …


Fighting Human Trafficking And Exploitation Through The Power Of Local Policy And Programs: Analysis And Recommendations, Abby Torrice Apr 2021

Fighting Human Trafficking And Exploitation Through The Power Of Local Policy And Programs: Analysis And Recommendations, Abby Torrice

Community Engagement Student Work

While the United States has made great strides since 2000 to combat human trafficking federally, there is still much to be done. This capstone project provides a comprehensive understanding of key terms related to human trafficking. These terms are then used to provide context to the reality of the issue of human trafficking and exploitation in our world today, and specifically the United States. Although human trafficking legislation has made swift advances at the federal level since 2000 and states have followed suit in creating their own policies, local municipalities and communities have an immense amount of power in creating …


Activating Vacant Spaces: An Art And Environmental Justice Project - Assessment In Cleveland, Ohio’S Slavic Village Neighborhood, Patrick Connolly Apr 2021

Activating Vacant Spaces: An Art And Environmental Justice Project - Assessment In Cleveland, Ohio’S Slavic Village Neighborhood, Patrick Connolly

Community Engagement Student Work

The overdevelopment of cities has caused residents to suffer from environmental and economic harm. Situated near a steel mill and a highway, and with less than 20% tree canopy, the Slavic Village neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio is a community that may be in need of environmental justice. The movement to introduce green elements to urban environments is growing, and there are clear economic benefits to greening urban areas. Using art as a tool for education, this project proposes a series of six sustainable art installations that attempt to teach the community about environmental issues. Using this art project as a …


Youth Involvement In Street Gangs: Obstacles Of Leaving Street Gangs, Edvaldo Do Rosario Lopes Ferreira Apr 2021

Youth Involvement In Street Gangs: Obstacles Of Leaving Street Gangs, Edvaldo Do Rosario Lopes Ferreira

Community Engagement Student Work

Even though there seems to be a good number of youth programs that focus on youth street gang prevention, there is a shortage of programs that offer opportunities so youth can leave street gangs and promote a street gang-free lifestyle (Young & Gonzalez, 2013). The workshop, Obstacles of Leaving Street Gangs, intended to engage local community residents and organizations who do youth programming in a meaningful discussion about street gangs and the obstacles to leave and also share personal stories of people who have successfully left street gangs. This workshop also meant to share resources that help with these obstacles. …


Barriers, Challenges And Fears From Immigrants In Access To Healthcare: A Proposal For Undocumented Immigrants To Being Insured, Jose Gonzalez-Ibarra Apr 2021

Barriers, Challenges And Fears From Immigrants In Access To Healthcare: A Proposal For Undocumented Immigrants To Being Insured, Jose Gonzalez-Ibarra

Community Engagement Student Work

Access to healthcare is a global issue that needs to be addressed. Worldwide organizations have put efforts in place to overcome this problem and offer solutions and recommendations to various countries. However, these efforts have not been entirely successful. Receiving the highest attainable standard of health or only receiving care is extremely difficult or impossible for individuals who are considered vulnerable such as immigrants, especially those who are undocumented immigrants. Through the recognition of barriers, challenges and fears from immigrants accessing healthcare and a shape of social determinants of health, institutions of government, nonprofit sector and community members organized could …


Black Women Entrepreneurs: Understanding The Challenges And Proposing Policy For Equitable Change, Nana Younge Apr 2021

Black Women Entrepreneurs: Understanding The Challenges And Proposing Policy For Equitable Change, Nana Younge

Community Engagement Student Work

Black Women Entrepreneurs: Understanding the Challenges and Proposing Policy for Equitable Change examines the obstacles that Black women entrepreneurs face that make building successful businesses challenging. When it comes to businesses in the United States, Black women fall behind compared to their white counterparts and the impact of this transcends their communities. The most paramount consequence of the absence of successful Black women entrepreneurs is advocacy in decision making that ultimately impacts Black communities and the country at large. Black women endure systematic oppression that is directly linked to a long history of racial and gender inequality that affects their …


Education For Liberation: Community Workshops To Recognize Human Trafficking, Sophia Palmacci Apr 2021

Education For Liberation: Community Workshops To Recognize Human Trafficking, Sophia Palmacci

Community Engagement Student Work

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) is a highly profitable industry that plaques countries throughout the globe. There is no community left unscathed when it comes to who and who is not affected. The underlying issue is that many individuals do not understand that commercial sexual exploitation of children is taking place right here in their communities. The literature review will highlight three different theories, examine existing policy, and review preventative measures, to gain a deeper understanding of CSEC. The workshop implemented ways to increase overall awareness and education surrounding CSEC for local community members. More specifically, community members worked …


The Policy Of Substance Abuse In Liberia: Analysis And Recommendations, Yamah Dolo Apr 2021

The Policy Of Substance Abuse In Liberia: Analysis And Recommendations, Yamah Dolo

Community Engagement Student Work

Countries all over the globe are affected by substance abuse. Substance abuse is a traumatic issue that people around the world battle. Substance use has occurred for many years and seems to keep increasing. According to Parekh, “Substance use disorder (SUD) is complex a condition in which there is uncontrolled use of a substance despite harmful consequence.” (Parekh, 2017). Substance abuse has a significant effect on health, an individual’s well-being, families, relationships, and the post-war community. However, with the information on Liberia, little is known about the substance abuse cases. Liberia is a country that has no health, and there …


Complicating Homelessness: A Workshop For Students And Volunteers, Madeline Wadley Apr 2021

Complicating Homelessness: A Workshop For Students And Volunteers, Madeline Wadley

Community Engagement Student Work

Homelessness effects 17 out of every 10,000 people in the United States, and approximately 22 out of every 10,000 people in the city of Asheville, NC. Homeward Bound of Western North Carolina (HBWNC) is a nonprofit organization working to prevent and end homelessness in Asheville through low-barrier services and Housing First practices. HBWNC relies on volunteers from the community and higher education institutions for support in running its programs. While most volunteer training focuses on the day-to-day tasks, boundaries, and procedures related to volunteering with HBWNC, this project focuses on the importance of giving volunteers a solid understanding of homelessness …


Incorporating Environmental Justice Into Youth Education, Morgan F. Prittie Apr 2021

Incorporating Environmental Justice Into Youth Education, Morgan F. Prittie

Community Engagement Student Work

Social Justice is a concept which is often glossed over or excluded from student education, particularly the issues associated with Environmental Justice. Discrimination, oppression, and poor environmental practices all coalesce into dangerously impactful issues, which can be combated by further education and exposure. This project seeks to spread awareness of Environmental Justice issues, provide educators with the tools to implement social justice education, and express the importance of such exposure to students. This interdisciplinary project utilizes the facilitation of a workshop with lessons, activities, and opportunities for participants to engage in discussions. The goal of the workshop was to describe …


Environmental Social Justice Issues And Health Risks In Younger Kids From Vulnerable Communities In The United States: Educating Youth Of Immigrant Communities To Address Social Justice Issues, Shilpa J. Kulkarni Apr 2021

Environmental Social Justice Issues And Health Risks In Younger Kids From Vulnerable Communities In The United States: Educating Youth Of Immigrant Communities To Address Social Justice Issues, Shilpa J. Kulkarni

Community Engagement Student Work

This project was conducted to examine the environmental social justice issues in the United States and how they are linked to health issues in younger children in low-income communities and people of color through the lenses of multiple theoretical frameworks. The workshop was focused on educating youth from other communities of people of color, providing them resources so that while bridging the cultural gaps they will become allies. The targeted audience was Asian-Indian youth of Maharashtrian communities across the country. The youth of mixed age group and first and second generations of immigrants from those communities participated in the workshop. …