Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beginning And Extending The Conversation, Maria T. Accardi, Emily Drabinski, Alana Kumbier

Communications in Information Literacy

The co-editors of this special issue of Communications in Information Literacy describe the origins and context for this issue and provide an overview of the ideas and perspectives of the contributors.

Rethinking The Neoliberal University: Critical Library Pedagogy In An Age Of Transition, Jason Coleman, Lis Pankl

Communications in Information Literacy

In the chapter we wrote 10 years ago for Critical Library Instruction: Theories and Methods we asked instructors to free themselves from the stifling heritage of positivism that privileged tools and instrumentality above meaning. Drawing on Henry Giroux and Oscar Wilde, we urged our peers to embrace dialogue that respects the individual and draws connections between information literacy and the students’ authentic goals and experiences. In this essay we describe numerous changes over that past decade that embrace the central themes of our chapter. We then explain that these examples coexist within a vast edifice of antithetical, neoliberal institutions. We …

Critical Library Instruction As A Pedagogical Tool, Nicole A. Cooke

Communications in Information Literacy

The opportunity to expand pedagogy is an especially good thing for library educators, particularly when library professionals do not have formal training as teachers and instructors. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our students to grow intellectually and share growth and new knowledge with others. We should be promoting and practicing critical self-reflection and thinking critically about and even critiquing the information we consume and the sources from which it originates. This is an ongoing and iterative process that requires that we consistently read and remain abreast of new and interdisciplinary ideas that can challenge and inform our practice. …

Moving From Critical Assessment To Assessment As Care, Veronica Arellano Douglas

Communications in Information Literacy

In Teaching Against the Grain: Critical Assessment in the Library Classroom, Maria Accardi sought a critical, feminist approach to assessment that questioned power structures, celebrated learners, and found strength in diverse perspectives and voices. This article expands on Accardi’s work to explore a care-based assessment framework rooted in the foundations of critical assessment, relational-cultural theory, and critical generosity. This includes a critique of the current language of assessment in library and information science literature and higher education; an examination of models for more caring versions of assessment (particularly those from other feminized professions); and a reframing of the conversation around …

Critical Library Instruction, Causing Trouble, And Institutionalization, Maura Seale

Communications in Information Literacy

This essay considers the institutionalization of critical library instruction in the decade since the publication of Critical Library Instruction: Theories & Methods. Drawing on the work of Sara Ahmed and Rod Ferguson, I suggest that because library instruction is marginalized within librarianship, critical library instruction can and has become institutionalized within the profession. The institutionalization of critical library instruction represents the management of the wider-ranging and more troublesome critiques of critical librarianship. The marginality of critical library instruction, however, means that it continues to function as a site of troublemaking.

That Was Then, This Is Wow: A Case For Critical Information Literacy Across The Curriculum, Margaret Rose Torrell

Communications in Information Literacy

This article applies a Writing across the Curriculum approach to Critical Library Instruction. The information landscape has drastically shifted over the past ten years, altering the ways we perform, interact with, access, and understand research. These changes call for critical library instruction programs that are more robust and sustained than the one- or two-shot critical library instruction lesson I had described in 2010. However, college classroom practices, due to a variety of challenges, have been slow to adapt to this need. In this article written from my perspective as an English teacher, I identify the central place of critical information …

Building A Critical Culture: How Critical Librarianship Falls Short In The Workplace, Jennifer A. Ferretti

Communications in Information Literacy

Critical librarianship, or critlib, has made its way into the mainstream of library and information science through conferences, scholarly publications, social media, and other outlets. Over the past 10 years critical library instruction specifically has continued to be a much presented and published topic. Classes and other groups that come through our libraries are opportunities for us to teach, learn, and empower. The care and critical perspectives we bring into the classroom are necessary, but are we also fostering this type of environment in the workplace? Are we doing enough to turn the critical lens on ourselves? As a woman …

Steering New Mobility In The Right Direction: Matching The Speed Of Technology With The Speed Of Local Government, Marc Schlossberg, Heather Brinton

TREC Project Briefs

Advances in transportation technology — e-scooters and bike share, Lyft & Uber, and autonomous vehicles — are beginning to have profound impacts on cities. New mobility is changing not only how we travel, but also urban form and development itself. In the near future, we can expect differences in what public transit looks like, the layout of cities, and the places we spend our time. In turn, these changes will likely have additional effects on land use, street design, parking, housing, equity, and municipal finance. Will cities be ready to meet these changes? Rather than be swept along in the …

Matching The Speed Of Technology With The Speed Of Local Government: Developing Codes And Policies Related To The Possible Impacts Of New Mobility On Cities, Marc Schlossberg, Heather Brinton

TREC Final Reports

Advances in transportation technology such as the advent of scooter and bikeshare systems (micromobility), ridehailing, and autonomous vehicles (AV’s) are beginning to have profound effects not only on how we live, move, and spend our time in cities, but also on urban form and development itself. These new technologies are changing the systems of transport, the layout of cities, and the places we spend our time. In turn, these changes will likely have additional and profound effects on land use, street design, parking, housing, equity, municipal finance, and fundamental issues related to urban density, sprawl, vitality and the economic viability …

Individual And Community Supports That Impact Community Inclusion And Recovery For Individuals With Serious Mental Illnesses, Rachel Elizabeth Terry

Dissertations and Theses

The current dissertation presents two published manuscripts and discusses a third study that explored the role of social support in promoting community participation for individuals with serious mental illnesses. The first manuscript investigated sense of community as a potential mediating factor between community participation, psychological distress, and mental health functioning utilizing quantitative methods. The results indicated that sense of community acted as a partial mediator between community participation and psychological distress, as well as mental health functioning. The second manuscript is a literature review that explored the influence of social support on community integration for individuals with serious mental illnesses. …

Collaboration And Evaluation In Urban Sustainability And Resilience Transformations: The Keys To A Just Transition?, Liliana Elizabeth Caughman

Dissertations and Theses

Climate has changed and will continue changing; city populations are swelling as urbanization continues to accelerate; extreme environmental events like heat waves and floods are becoming more severe and more common; and the climate justice movement is rapidly gaining momentum. It in this context that municipal governments find themselves urgently seeking solutions to transition cities from extractive, vulnerable, and unjust to sustainable, resilient, and equitable. The task is complex and will require systemic transformations across interconnected social, environmental, and economic infrastructures. Emerging theories regarding how to govern such massive changes suggest Transition Management strategies and the values of a just …

"I Should Have Moved Somewhere Else": The Impacts Of Gentrification On Transportation And Social Support For Black Working-Poor Families In Portland, Oregon, Steven Anthony Howland

Dissertations and Theses

Portland has faced a mass displacement of Black households from the historically segregated area of Albina through various phases of urban renewal, urban deterioration, and gentrification. A substantial number of them have moved to East Portland, a suburban segment of the City of Portland that was unincorporated county land prior to the 1990's. As Black people have left Albina, the roots of Blackness there have eroded from the area as businesses and churches catering to them have also closed as a result of lost patrons.

In this study I interviewed 27 low-income working-age Black people with children with the sample …

Afghan Refugees And The Coronavirus Pandemic, Grant M. Farr

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

The coronavirus, along with international economic sanctions and the collapse of the world oil market, has devastated Iran and its economy, bringing the jobs that Afghan refugees have depended on for a livelihood to a halt. Over the last four decades thousands of Afghans have fled their war torn country and have been living in Iran. Now these Afghan refugees are returning to Afghanistan. Although some of the refugees are leaving on their own, many thousands are being forcefully expelled. These returning refugees are overwhelming the meager medical resources of Afghanistan, spreading the coronavirus across the country. These returning refugees …

Sex Differences In Prevalence And Psychophysiological Profiles Of Adhd, Mckenzie Figuracion

University Honors Theses

Background: Considerable research has been dedicated to understanding the etiology of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but the focus has been on a homogeneous subset of the population, and multiple groups go underserved when it comes to support. Previous findings suggest differences in ADHD diagnosis and referral rates based on sex, but it is less clear whether neurophysiological sex differences exist. The current study examines the effect of expert consensus diagnostic practices on rates of diagnosis in males and females, and evaluates sex differences in potential neurophysiological markers of ADHD.

Methods: 860 children and adolescents (Males=519; ADHD=516) were recruited for a longitudinal …

Understanding Technology-Based Exclusion In Emerging Smart Mobility Systems, John Macarthur, Aaron Golub

PSU Transportation Seminars

As transit agencies modernize their fare payment systems, opportunities to pay with cash are reduced. This speeds boarding and lowers the cost of operations while also creating new sources of ridership data. Arguably, service is improved for riders as well as payment systems could work across modes, creating a more seamless and simplified experience. Still, about 15% of adults in the United States are without a bank account or credit card account and many rely on restrictive cell-phone data plans or don’t have access to a smartphone. These shares are even higher for public transit users. These un- and under-banked …

Wildlife Connectivity Modeling For The Northern Red-Legged Frog In The Portland Metropolitan Area, Oregon, Amanda Hilary Temple

Dissertations and Theses

Effective habitat connectivity tools that use GIS data perform well in remote areas but may not be as dependable in urban environments. The goal was to study uses and limitations of a conservation management tool in development, the Metro Regional Habitat Connectivity Toolkit, which evaluates connectivity for and permeability of wildlife movement. Habitat quality scores are generated from GIS-derived and field collected data such as connectivity patch/matrix characteristics, water source, vegetation, other structural components, wildlife observations, and human disturbance at survey sites. I compared GIS and field generated habitat quality scores for the Northern Red-legged Frog (Rana aurora) …

A Colorless Nature: Exploring The Mental Health (Help-Seeking) Experiences Of Pre-Adolescent Black American Children, Christopher Ashley Burkett

Dissertations and Theses

Black American children and adults seeking help for mental health concerns face countless obstacles rooted in systematic oppression, institutional inequalities, and structural disparities; consequently, accessing essential services at much lower rates than their White American counterparts. The unidentified and untreated mental health issues of Black American children and youth can have catastrophic life outcomes for them. Some researchers cite barriers such as stigmatization, negative attitudes toward mental health services, and a lack of culturally relevant treatment models as explanations for these impediments to mental health (help-seeking). It is my contention that these analyses are arguably incomplete, despite having accurate elements. …

In Search Of A Third Place On Campus: An Exploration Of The Effects Of Built Space On Students' Sense Of Belonging, Kimberly S. Stave

Dissertations and Theses

Despite decades of environmental behavior research demonstrating the impact physical space has on human behavior, the American university has been slow to adopt this data into campus design and renovation plans. Campus ecology literature has demonstrated that the physical environment of the university campus communicates messages that influence students' feelings of well-being, mattering, and inclusion within the campus community, all significant contributors to student learning and retention.

Campus spaces designed for community building are essential to cultivate a sense of belonging for university students, however, locations dedicated to this type of social interaction, such as third places, are an often-underestimated …

The Representation Of Rape And Sexual Assault Within News Media, Katherine E. Layman

University Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to observe how the framing of rape and sexual assault within The New York Times has changed from 1980 to 2020. To achieve this study, I conducted a content analysis of 150 New York Times articles divided into three separate time periods and taking 50 randomized articles from each timeframe. The first data set was taken from 1980-84 to provide a baseline to work from. The second set is from 1993-97 to encompass significant legislative changes about sexual violence. The final data set is from 2016-2020 and provides the most recent conversation about rape …

How Restorative Justice Practices Affect Adolescent Recidivism Rates: An Examination, Jordan A. Grant

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores the current implementation of restorative justice practices in various parts of the United States of America to determine if there is a link between the use of these practices and lowered recidivism rates. The literature reviewed for this paper span multiple juvenile justice systems giving a stronger view of how different states support victims, juvenile offenders, and the communities they impact at large. Through the literature found, the majority found the use of restorative justice programming reduced recidivism rates for the populations included in the samples. In future research, there is a continued gap in whether or …

Portland’S I-5 Expansion: Evaluating The Environmental And Cultural Impact Of Odot's Rose Quarter Improvement Plan, Mason Ashmore

University Honors Theses

To this day highway expansion remains one of the primary techniques employed to combat urban automobile congestion during peak hours. This paper examines the cultural and environmental shortcomings of Portland, Oregon's I-5 highway expansion project. Research for this paper primarily cites existing academic studies relating to highway expansion, Portland's complicated relationship with urban renewal, and highway expansion alternatives. The evidence suggests that Oregon's expansion project would have less than optimal impact and the resources could be used better elsewhere.

The Role Of Marketing Education In Reactions To Advocacy Advertising, Tobin Carlberg

University Honors Theses

The present research aims to explore whether marketing education creates a positive or negative reaction towards advocacy advertising in general. To test this, consumers with varying levels of marketing education were either interviewed or surveyed to gauge their level of persuasion knowledge, advertising appreciation, and overall reactions to advocacy advertising. Thus, a combination of qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (survey) methods were employed. Interview results suggested that those with greater marketing education held more favorable attitudes toward advocacy advertising, and survey results illustrated a strong correlation between those with more marketing education and one’s appreciation for advocacy advertising, which influenced positive …

Tourism And Tradition In Chiang Mai, Jared Makana Kirkey

University Honors Theses

This paper is an attempt to delve deeper into the relationship between tourism and culture in Chiang Mai. The push and pull of these forces is of particular interest. On one side, tourism is beneficial for Chiang Mai's economy, and encourages the preservation of its unique culture. Tourist dollars support local businesses, and any further profits can be reinvested into the local economy. And because many of Chiang Mai's major tourist draws are its cultural attractions, their preservation seems commonsense. But this is not always the case. Oftentimes, tourist dollars are funnelled out of Chiang Mai as packaged tours, luxury …

A Public Health Recommendation Countering The Online Anti-Vaccination Movement, Grace M. Neumann

University Honors Theses

The anti-vaccination movement had posed a threat to the health of communities, since the inception of the smallpox inoculation practice. As the anti-vaxx movement continues to grow in strength and reach, public health officials must be prepared to combat the flow of misinformation, with sound scientific data in a way that connects with individuals from all communities. Online platforms such as blogs and social media, allow newfound access to vaccine opinions and information, posing an even greater risk of vaccine misinformation being spread to the public. Different communities hold different reasons for vaccine hesitancy and avoidance. An effective public health …

Nigerien Fertility Choice In The Face Of Desertification, Samson R. Swan

University Honors Theses

While the majority of the world experienced rapid fertility decline in the second half of the twentieth century, Niger’s fertility rate has remained relatively constant. A high fertility rate in itself is not a problem for the population as long as the resulting population can be sustained by the economic activity of the population. This is not the case for Niger, as extreme droughts in the Sahel have cast doubt on the sustainability of the majority-subsistence economy since the mid-1960s. Although not extremely common, there are some demographers and fertility experts who hold the idea that fertility decision-making is driven …

Troublemaker: An Exploration Of Praxis In Leftist Political Theory, Emerson Hamlin

University Honors Theses

This project seeks to make recommendations on praxis, or the actions that embody theory, to present and future leftist organizers. I will do so by completing a literature review: in this case, reading and analyzing works of some of the foundational thinkers in leftism, and by reading the works of the leftist thinkers of today. By doing this review, I seek to find my own, and other activists’ answers to Lenin's eternal question: What is to be done?

Combat Exposure And Mental Health In The Military: The Role Of Collective Identity, Philip G. Bouleh

University Honors Theses

Significant evidence links combat exposure to psychiatric disorders and poor mental health outcomes in service members, creating the need to elucidate the factors associated with promoting psychological health and resilience in the military. Social identity theory postulates that an individual’s identification with a group, such as the military, can be instrumental in the provision of a sense of belongingness that is crucial for social integration, meaning and support during times of difficulty. This study examined how collective military identification interacted with the effects of combat exposure on mental health outcomes, in light of the protective capacity of social belongingness to …

Toward A Definition Of Adult Sibling Resilience, Cheyenne R. Drover

University Honors Theses

The sibling relationship is considered one of the longest lasting connections an individual will have to another person. Despite this, it is a consistently understudied population in family research and, when studied, siblings are primarily examined during adolescence and often only in the context of conflict and rivalry. Additionally, much of this research does not examine the effects of sibling relationships on the larger family system. This thesis seeks to address this gap in the literature by understanding how the adult sibling literature presents and defines dimensions of sibling relationships. In doing so, it also seeks to examine whether these …

Examining The Popularity Concept In The Initial Public Offering (Ipo) Market, Preston Rad

University Honors Theses

Popularity is the act of being liked. In Popularity: A Bridge Between Classical and Behavioral Finance, authors Roger Ibbotson, Thomas Idzorek, Paul Kaplan, and James Xiong (hereafter IIDX) explore the concept of Popularity in capital market theory. IIDX argue that certain companies have Popular characteristics that leads to overpricing caused by a Popularity premium. This paper begins with an overview of the historical methods of asset pricing, starting with the Capital Asset Pricing Model (CAPM). It progresses through the expansion of the model by financial theorists such as Eugene Fama and Kenneth French. Jay Ritter (1991) has documented the …

Developing A Conceptual Framework For Research On Social Media And Political Polarization, Audrey C. Sanders

University Honors Theses

Americans in 2020 live in a time of unprecedented political polarization. Scholars often study this trend of increased polarization in conjunction with the use of social media platforms, or social networking sites (SNSs). Despite a nearly twenty-year existence, however, the discourse community surrounding the relationship between SNS use and political polarization has yet to develop past a scattered and largely theoretical body of literature. What follows is a description of the current state of the literature followed by a description of a conceptual framework scholars can use when approaching the field and designing their own research in order to make …