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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Dream Foreclosed: The Uneven Geography Of The Foreclosure Crisis In The Twin Cities, Zack Avre May 2014

A Dream Foreclosed: The Uneven Geography Of The Foreclosure Crisis In The Twin Cities, Zack Avre

Geography Honors Projects

Grounded in research on urban housing submarkets, this project assesses the spatial dynamics of the Twin Cities housing market leading up to the subprime mortgage crisis and analyzes the neighborhood impact of the resulting rise in foreclosures, particularly on historically marginalized communities. Constructing housing price histories from central core to outermost suburbs for five submarkets in the Twin Cities, this research reveals the uneven geography of housing bubbles and foreclosures across the metro region. Communities with high concentrations of people of color and low-income residents witnessed the greatest levels of housing value appreciation leading up to the housing crash. However, …


Rethinking Heterolocalism: The Case Of Place-Making Among Albanian-Americans, Merita Bushi May 2014

Rethinking Heterolocalism: The Case Of Place-Making Among Albanian-Americans, Merita Bushi

Geography Honors Projects

The theory of heterolocalism explores how immigrants connect to their new setting without clustering among co-ethnics. This research explores the role that Albanian-American organizations in Chicago and New York have in immigrant place-making and building a sense of community through semi-structured interviews and participant observation. The focus on institutions shifts the discourse from individual behaviors to networks. The Albanian case study is used to argue that segmented heterolocalism is more nuanced and thus describes the sociospatial behavior of immigrants in a way that resonates more closely with immigrants and incorporates their sense of community in a place.


'I Am Here To Build With You": Placemaking And Segmented Assimilation Of Lebanese And Lebanese-Americans In The Twin Cities, Anna Nassiff May 2014

'I Am Here To Build With You": Placemaking And Segmented Assimilation Of Lebanese And Lebanese-Americans In The Twin Cities, Anna Nassiff

Geography Honors Projects

The Lebanese and Lebanese-American community in the United States is known for both its entrepreneurship and its unusually long-lasting cultural memory. Though relatively small communities, the Lebanese and Lebanese-Americans have had a disproportionately large impact on the landscape of the Twin Cities. This paper examines how Christian Lebanese communities in Northeast Minneapolis and the West Side of Saint Paul have used placemaking as a means to retain their cultural heritage, form an original Lebanese-American identity, and alternatively resist and embrace assimilation. It also considers the fluidity of Lebanese-American identity, and how the gray areas of rigid American societal politics have …


The Social Implications Of Bicycle Infrastructure: What It Means To Bike In America's Best Cycling Cities, Erin Daly May 2014

The Social Implications Of Bicycle Infrastructure: What It Means To Bike In America's Best Cycling Cities, Erin Daly

Geography Honors Projects

The abundance of bicycle infrastructure appearing alongside controversial urban revitalization efforts in recent years has left many with distinct perceptions about people who ride bicycles and their role in society. The lifestyle associated with the most visible cyclist cohorts has furthered divisive perceptions and often times created resentment, as what was once a humble tool for mobility has become a symbol of an inaccessible cyclist “culture” often associated with gentrification. This paper aims to acknowledge existing research on how the bicycle has attained so many divisive connotations, while looking at methods to improve this reputation and increase accessibility to utilitarian …