Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

I Was A Think College Policy Advocate!, Arthur Moreira

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

Arthur Moreira shares about his experience as a Think College Policy Advocate in 2022. Arthur, a student at College of Alameda, had the opportunity to learn about advocacy and disability policy from experts at AUCD and Think College, and then travel to Washington, DC, where he visited representatives and talked with them about issues important to people with disabilities, including education, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and more.

Vermont: Collaborating To Educate Self-Advocates About Alternatives To Guardianship, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This promising practice describes Vermont’s statewide self-advocacy organization, Green Mountain Self-Advocates (GMSA), and their partnership with the Vermont Disability Law Project to organize legal clinics for people with IDD. These clinics have enabled self-advocates to get high-quality, easy-to-understand information about alternatives to guardianship they might not get anywhere else.

Are Hispanics Less Likely To Receive Vocational Rehabilitation Services?, Alberto Migliore, John Shepard

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

In the US, 16% of people with cognitive disabilities self-report to be of Hispanic ethnicity (US Census Bureau, FY 2020). However, among people with intellectual disabilities who received vocational rehabilitation services, only 11% (-5%) are Hispanic (N = 32,823, RSA911, FY2020).

State-Level Strategies That Promote Alternatives To Guardianship For Youth With Intellectual And/Or Developmental Disabilities: Lessons Learned From Georgia, Vermont, And Wisconsin, Esther Kamau, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This brief that shares key strategies to promote creativity and encourage replication among state-level projects seeking to advance alternatives to guardianship.

Are You A Youth Or A Supporter Wanting To Learn More About Transfer Of Rights And Alternatives To Guardianship?, Institute For Community Inclusion, University Of Massachusetts Boston

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This publication is a resource list for youth and supporters wanting to learn more about transfer-of-rights and alternatives to guardianship.

Final Report Inventory And Monitoring Endangered Sites, Great Island, Cape Cod National Seashore Wellfleet, Ma, John M. Steinberg, Christa M. Beranek, Stephen Mrozowski, Dennis Piechota

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

As part of a cooperative agreement with the NPS Cape Cod National Seashore, the Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research at the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted digital elevation modeling, geophysical survey, and excavations at the locations of several known archeological sites on Great Island in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. Coastal erosion is a serious threat to many of these sites, which can be deeply buried under aeolian sand. These deeply buried, eroding sites are difficult to identify, let alone assess and characterize. The Fiske Center’s project had multiple goals, including developing methods for efficiently assessing sites in this environment, gathering …

Report On The 2021 Archaeological Mapping At The Potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground On The Sylvester Manor Educational Farm, Shelter Island, New York, John M. Steinberg, John W. Schoenfelder, Stephen A. Mrozowski, Heather B. Trigg, Nedra Lee

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

This report describes the scope and preliminary results of the archaeological mapping undertaken at the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground on Sylvester Manor by the Fiske Center for Archaeological Research from the University of Massachusetts Boston in October of 2021 for the Sylvester Manor Educational Farm (SMEF). The data collection was prompted by Groundskeeper Gunnar Wisseman’s observation of a number of fieldstones that appeared on the surface of the area around the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial Ground. These stones were identified during and after a cleanup of the area. Because the SFEF master plan draft gives primacy to the potential Afro-Indigenous Burial …

Preliminary Report 2021: Geophysics, Coring, And Excavations At Hólar; Geophysics At Kálfsstaðir, Guðný Zoëga, John M. Steinberg

Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research Publications

This report outlines the 2021 work at Hólar in Hjaltadalur as part of the Hjaltadalur Archaeological Survey Project (HASP). The results of soil coring suggest that the farmstead of Hólar is the most extensive farmstead measured using this method in the area of Skagafjörður. After over 1200 cores and 17 excavations (6 of which were part of the 2021 research), there are still no confirmed pre-1104 cultural deposits at Hólar. This difficulty in identifying the pre-1104 domestic occupation implies that Viking Age Hólar was probably not large. The Hólar farmstead domestic space seems to be tightly defined and constrained rather …

Acknowledgment Of Culture And Stereotypes: Black Participants’ Perceptions Of Specific Therapist Behaviors, Tsotso T. Ablorh

Graduate Masters Theses

Mental health disparities for Black people of diverse ethnicities compared to people of other racial identities has been well-documented (Alegría et al., 2008; Maura & Weisman de Mamani, 2017). Research addressing this pervasive systemic and interpersonal problem often focuses on client-related factors that create or intensify barriers to care. However clinician-related factors (i.e., racial identity, multicultural training, implicit biases, behavior, etc.) also have a significant impact on barriers to care, retention in therapy, and clinical outcomes for people of African descent (Larrison & Schoppelrey, 2011; Owen, Imel, Adelson, & Rodolfa, 2012). Researchers suggest that the favoring of historically white perspectives, …

Archaeology Of Disease And Medicinal Practices In 18th-Century Boston, Massachusetts, Kaitlyn N. Ball

Graduate Masters Theses

This research explores the knowledge of medical techniques during the early 18th century in Boston, Massachusetts, a period of modernization and changing attitudes toward disease. By analyzing archaeoparasitological samples, written accounts, and artifacts associated with medicinal practices, I shed light on attempts to treat parasitic diseases encountered by those living in urban Boston. The collections I have selected to analyze are samples of urban Boston life and provide ideal contexts for parasite preservation. I analyze samples from the Parker-Emery household privy (c. 1720-1750) in the North End and compare them to samples from the early 18th-century Town Dock landfill in …

Meaning-Making Dynamics Of Job Interview Performances, Jacquelyn K. Bertman

Graduate Masters Theses

Behavioral interviewing has become a popular technique used across fields to assess the fitness of job seekers (Roulin & Bangerter, 2012; Powers, 2000). This particular style of interviewing calls on the interviewee to narrate their prior experiences in the workforce, with the idea that past behavior on the job is prelude to future job performance. The answers (stories) follow a specific format in order to be considered successful, one that adheres to the style and organization of the dominant Discourse (Gee, 1989). However, storytelling is a culturally situated practice and candidates from diverse backgrounds may construct their narratives outside of …

Creating Community: Examining Black Identity And Space In New Guinea, Nantucket, Jared Muehlbauer

Graduate Masters Theses

In the late 18th century, the abolition of slavery through manumission initiated a period of enormous change in the lives of people of African descent living on Nantucket, MA. Newly free, people of color living on the island immediately began to establish families and purchase property. At the end of the 1700s, they founded the community of New Guinea, located on the southwestern edge of the town of Nantucket. Though enslavement had been abolished and the whaling industry brought economic opportunity to Nantucket, the people of New Guinea continued to experience evolving forms of racial inequality, discrimination, and violence. To …

Religious Coping After Natural Disaster: Predicting Long-Term Mental And Physical Health In Survivors Of Hurricane Katrina, Monica Arkin

Graduate Masters Theses

Natural disasters are increasing with regards to both frequency and severity (CRED & UNDRR, 2015; NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2020). Exposure to natural disasters, in turn, increases the likelihood for the development of adverse mental and physical health outcomes (Augustinavicius et al., 2021). Religion and spirituality is an accessible form of coping that many people turn to during and after natural disasters, and may be especially valuable to those who face barriers to accessing mental health treatment or may not feel served by formal mental health institutions (Abu-Raiya & Pargament, 2015; Bryant-Davis & Wong, 2013). However, there …

Oportunidad En La Complejidad:Recomendaciones Para Una Resiliencia Climáticaequitativa En East Boston, Patricio Belloy, Antonio Raciti, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, Rebecca Herst

Sustainable Solutions Lab

East Boston es un vecindario costero diverso y de clase trabajadora en la ciudad de Boston, el cual está experimentando una rápida gentrificación. Al mismo tiempo, problemas ambientales locales como la contaminación del aire y el ruido de la operación del cercano Aeropuerto Internacional Logan continúan perjudicando a los residentes, particularmente a las comunidades más marginadas. Además de las presiones inmobiliarias y la contaminación del aeropuerto Logan, las evaluaciones técnicas y científicas advierten que una gran parte del vecindario corre el riesgo de verse gravemente afectado por los impactos del cambio climático, como el aumento del nivel del mar, las …

Senior Center Response To Covid-19: Involvement With Vaccine Distribution, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

In early 2021, access to a COVID-19 vaccine was prioritized for older adults and people with multiple co-morbidities. Between high demand and emerging supply, and new systems for booking a vaccine appointment, many people had challenges getting an appointment. Senior centers across the state became a crucial resource for access to the vaccine and additional information about its efficacy and safety.

Crisis Of Hegemony: China’S Rise To Power And The South China Sea, Vanessa Gonzalez

Undergraduate Research Projects

“Let China sleep. For when she wakes, the world will tremble.” This quote attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte has foreshadowed the international political climate of the twenty-first century. Throughout history, great empires and nations that were sure of their power could not fathom their eventual decline until it came knocking at their door. In many ways, the U.S is facing one of these wake-up calls. Its likely successor? The People’s Republic of China. From trade and technology wars all the way to what many consider the “New Cold War” in the South China Sea: the U.S has met its economic match. …

Transfer Of Rights: How Parents, Families, And Caregivers Of Youth With Idd Can Prepare For This Exciting Opportunity, Jennifer Bose, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Allison C. Hall, Cady Landa, Daria Domin

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This brief discusses what research shows about parents’ and youths’ transfer of rights discussions with schools and what parents and caregivers can do to take advantage of the transfer of rights process to position youth with IDD for better transition outcomes.

Supporting Parents Of Transition Age Youths With Intellectual And Developmental Disabilities: Findings From A Facebook Group Using Tools From Charting The Lifecourse, Jennifer Bose, Jaimie Ciulla Timmons, Allison Hall, John Shepard

All Institute for Community Inclusion Publications

This brief shares findings from a research study conducted with parents of youths with IDD who participated in a six-month transition planning intervention. This intervention was based on content from CtLC’s Daily Life and Employment Toolkit and was delivered via a private Facebook group.

Massachusetts Community Mediation Center Grant Program: Fiscal Year 2021 Report & Evaluation, Massachusetts Office Of Public Collaboration, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration Publications

The state of Massachusetts appropriated $2,700,000 in Fiscal Year 2021 for the Community Mediation Center Grant Program to support its endeavors to expand utilization of community mediation across the state. The state’s $2.7 million investment in the program effectively underwrote center initiatives to preserve the option of community mediation services for meeting communities’ conflict resolution needs. Ultimately, Massachusetts as a whole benefited from the Grant Program in FY 2021 by virtue of the estimated $14 million return on the state’s investment in the program.

Senior Center Response To Covid-19: Mid-Year Operations 2021, Ceara Somerville, Caitlin Coyle, Jan Mutchler

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Senior centers/COAs in Massachusetts remained largely operational through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued to assist older adults in the community. With the introduction of a vaccine, return to ‘normal’ operations has become more feasible. By mid-2021, senior centers were returning to some in-person operations and continued adaptations for safety, including mask-wearing, limiting capacity, fewer walk-ins, and increased hand sanitization availability.

Opportunity In The Complexity: Recommendations For Equitable Climate Resilience In East Boston, Patricio Belloy, Antonio Raciti, Katsyris Rivera-Kientz, Rebecca Herst

Sustainable Solutions Lab

East Boston is a diverse, working-class, coastal neighborhood of the City of Boston that is currently undergoing rapid gentrification. At the same time, local environmental problems – such as air and noise pollution from the operation of the nearby Logan International Airport – continue to harm residents, particularly the most marginalized communities. In addition to housing pressures and the pollution from Logan Airport, technical and scientific assessments warn that a large part of the neighborhood is at risk of being severely affected by climate change impacts such as sea-level rise, storm surges, and heatwaves. City-led planning efforts and climate resilience …

Latinos In Massachusetts: Chelsea, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Chelsea is home to an estimated 26,794 Latinos according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. They represent two-thirds (67%) of the city’s population. Only Lawrence, which is 81% Latino, has a larger share of its population Latino than Chelsea does. Whites are the next largest ethno-racial group with 21% of the population. Blacks and Asians each make up less than 5% of city’s population. The Latino share in Chelsea is also larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lawrence, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Lawrence, Massachusetts is a city of 79,942 residents, of whom 64,463 or 81% are Latino according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. While Boston has a larger Latino population, Lawrence has the largest share of Latino residents of any city or town in Massachusetts. The second largest group in the city is Non-Latino Whites, who make up 15% of the population. Blacks and Asians account for 2% each, while the “other” group makes up 1% of the city’s population. The Latino share in Lawrence is significantly larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lynn, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

As the largest city in Essex County, Lynn’s population in the 2015-2019 American Community Survey is 93,743. The city is home to an estimated 40,095 Latinos, who are the largest ethno-racial group and make up 43% of the city’s population. Whites are the second largest population (36%), while the city has smaller Black (11%), Asian (7%), and Other (3%) populations.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Springfield, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Springfield, the third largest city in Massachusetts, has 69,301 Latinos according to the 2015-2019 American Community Survey. They represent 45% of the city's population. Whites are the second largest ethno-racial group (31%), while Blacks (19%) and Asians (3%) are the other ethno-racial group with a sizable presence. The Latino share in Springfield is also larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Worcester, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Worcester, the second largest city in Massachusetts, is home to an estimated 40,510 Latinos, who make up 22% of the city’s population. Whites constitute the largest ethno-racial group (55%), while Blacks (12%) and Asians (7%) are the other ethno-racial group in the city. The Latino share in Worcester is larger than Latinos' statewide share, which is 11%.

Latinos In Massachusetts: Lowell, Phillip Granberry, Vishakha Agarwal

Gastón Institute Publications

Lowell is a city of 111,306 residents, who include 20,132 Latinos, or 18% of the city’s population. (Across the state, Latino residents make up only 11% of the population.) Lowell has a larger non-Latino White (49%) and Asian (23%) populations, while Blacks and “other” groups compose 7% and 3%, respectively.

The White Supremacist Penetration Of Western Security Forces: The Wider Implications, Kumar Ramakrishna

New England Journal of Public Policy

This article argues that recent instances of white supremacist penetration of Western security forces should not be regarded as isolated issues. They are related to the worrying wider phenomenon of the gradual societal and political mainstreaming of white supremacist ideas in Western countries. Drawing on the German and US cases as examples, the article unpacks the argument by first examining the core theories of white supremacism: the “great replacement” and “white genocide.” It then explores how these theories have been weaponized, before proceeding to analyze the structure and modalities of the white supremacist threat. The article then considers the wider …

Editor's Note, Padraig O'Malley

New England Journal of Public Policy

Several of the articles in this issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy have a global focus, identifying threats to humanity’s future, some existential, that can be addressed only through unprecedented levels of international cooperation and new ways of thinking. But the global future is uncertain, whether because of conflict, extremism, the rise of nationalism, the retreat from democracy and its underlying value system, or moribund multilateral institutions and lack of leadership, much of which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rather than humanity coming together to face a common existential threat, countries retreated into their national …

Reinventing Multilateral Order, Sundeep Waslekar

New England Journal of Public Policy

The multiple crises of our time result from the breakdown of the multilateral order. Some of these crises may intensify between now and 2030. Multilateral organizations have been eroded to the extent that they are unable to manage catastrophic risk, including a military confrontation between superpowers. The weakening of multilateralism is mirrored in the strengthening of hypernationalism in many countries. It will not be sufficient to mend the multilateral system. It is necessary, instead, to envisage new principles for creating a global governance grid superseding the United Nations Security Council that serves the interests of human civilization and not the …