Social Policy Commons^™

Landscapes Of Globalisation In Se Asia, Brian G. Mcadoo

EnviroLab Asia

As economies continue to expand in Southeast Asia, urban and rural landscapes are undergoing industrial-scale change at a staggering pace. A number of growing industries are responsible for these changes, from soil and biodiversity loss caused by palm-oil deforestation to rainforest flooded in the interest of “climate neutral” hydropower. To best understand the wide-reaching effects of these transformations, a radically interdisciplinary approach is needed to unravel the intersection between environmental degradation, economics and culture. Is the quest for biofuels and carbon-neutral energy to support burgeoning largely urban populations, sometimes in other nations, effectively shifting the environmental costs to rural communities? …

Transformation, Wallace M. Meyer Iii

EnviroLab Asia

Prior to leaving for Claremont Colleges’ Envriolab Asia trip to Malaysia and Singapore, I was conflicted by the question: Do we have the moral authority to interfere with resource extraction and oil-palm development in SE Asia? At that time, the trip seemed imperialistic. Why should people from Malaysia, Indonesia or any developing SE Asia country listen to a group of liberal arts college faculty from a city where widespread habitat modifications have led to significant loss of native habitats, declines in biodiversity, and changes in how these ecosystems function? Many observations transformed my opinion and have inspired me to advocate …

Adaptation And Power, Elizabeth Weinlein '17

EnviroLab Asia

Academic knowledge of some of the inequities and injustices embedded in economic development was given greater depth and significance after the EnviroLab Asia clinic trip to Southeast Asia; the same was true result occurred after the group’s meeting with Dyack activists.

Re-Envisioning Sustainable Oil-Palm In Se Asia, Wallace M. Meyer Iii

EnviroLab Asia

In Southeast Asia, expansion of oil-palm agriculture, in combination with other industries (logging, fiber, and mega-dams), is transforming significant portions of the landscape threatening biodiversity, key ecosystem services, and human cultural diversity. While transformative answers to these multifaceted environmental issues seem daunting, the conservation biology literature provides a road map for effective techniques to mitigate environmental degradation while allowing for thoughtful, well-planned economic growth. I suggest that the lack of strict operational definitions and a holistic approach to sustainability are the two most critical factors hindering development of sustainable oil-palm agriculture. The task for environmental practitioners is to succinctly define …

The Impacts Of Logging And Palm Oil On Aquatic Ecosystems And Freshwater Sources In Southeast Asia, Isabelle Ng '17

EnviroLab Asia

The process of deforestation has large environmental implications on terrestrial as well as aquatic habitats. Palm oil plantations lead to sedimentation and agricultural runoff into streams and rivers. Such high nutrient inputs could lead to eutrophication, bioaccumulation, and toxic blooms, which could lead to changes in aquatic ecosystems as well as drinking water quality for surrounding communities. Pollutants from streams and rivers are furthermore, channeled down into estuarine and coastal marine ecosystems, thus negatively impacting those areas as well. One possible way to reduce the amount of runoff is by treating the waste produced by palm oil mills as well …

Narratives About Energy, Megaprojects, And The Ecology Of Tropical Rivers: The Baram River Dam Project, Marc Los Huertos

EnviroLab Asia

The conflict between development goals to build dams for hydroelectricity and indigenous peoples in Sarawak was set in motion in the 1970s. In spite of the potential ecological damage, hydroelectric development has been justified by developed and developing countries for decades. These impacts include changes in river geomorphology, water quality, and habitat value and access. Moreover, in the Bakun and Baram river watersheds, the Dayak people of Sarawak have poignantly demonstrated the socio-ecological disruption. For the time being, the construction of the Baram Dam has been halted.

Institutional Responses To Pressures For Sustainable Palm Oil, Stephen Marks, Justin Lauw '18, Shivang Mehta '19, Fernando Salud '17

EnviroLab Asia

As the two leading palm oil producing countries, Indonesia and Malaysia have come under external pressures to limit deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions related to land use conversion for oil palm cultivation. We examine various institutional frameworks that have emerged to mediate these pressures. These frameworks can be distinguished by their geographic scope—domestic, region, and global—as well as by the nature of control—private, non-profit, and governmental. The frameworks have taken the form of sustainability certification systems from non-profit organizations or governments, corporate sustainability policies, or the setting through global or bilateral negotiations of voluntary national targets for limiting deforestation or …

Forest Threnody, Yii Kah Hoe

EnviroLab Asia

Yii Kah Hoe’s Forest Threnody, which received its world premiere on November 1, 2015 in Garrison Theater at Scripps College, Claremont CA, was performed by the Claremont Concert Choir and Claremont Chamber Choir of CMC, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges.

College Students Reporting Responses To Hypothetical And Actual Safety Concerns, Brandon A. Hollister, Mario Scalora, Sarah M. Hoff, Heath J. Hodges, Alissa Marquez

University of Nebraska Public Policy Center: Publications

Campus violence prevention often includes proactively reducing crime through noticing and resolving concerning situations. Within these efforts, interventions aimed at enhancing reporting have been considered necessary. The current study explored several reporting influences on college students’ responses to hypothetical and actual campus safety concerns. Students were unwilling to report most (i.e., 52%) vignettes of pathway behavior, and most students who witnessed campus safety concerns did not report (i.e., 87%). Students who witnessed several concerning behaviors from a nonfriend perpetrator tended to be more willing to report, especially if personally victimized and understanding the violence risk associated with pathway behavior. Analyses …

Foreword, Deborah Lapidus

EnviroLab Asia

No abstract provided.

Indigenous People, Development And Environmental Justice: Narratives Of The Dayak People Of Sarawak, Malaysia, Elizabeth Weinlein '17

EnviroLab Asia

Focusing on the indigenous people of Sarawak, this article explores the authors learned biases as well as the dispelling of myths through hands on experiences in Malaysia. Over the period of a couple days, it becomes apparent that the indigenous people in Sarawak are not victims of systems of oppression, but survivors who continue to fight for their land rights and livelihoods.

Demining Programme Office In The Falkland Islands - Exploitation 2017, Fenix -. Insight Ldt.

Global CWD Repository

In January 2017, exploitation work was carried out by Fenix Insight Ltd on mines and other ordnance recovered by the Land Release Contractor (LRC).

Examination of grenades used in booby traps revealed that one, considered to be complex and dangerous, had been rendered safe by the ageing process. The other, though more familiar, was still fully functional and highly lethal. The findings highlight the continued danger from unexploded ordnance, and the need for threat assessment to be based on technical evidence rather than intuition.

International Campaign To Ban Landmines-Cluster Munition Coalition Annual Report 2017, Icbl-Cmc

Global CWD Repository

In 2017, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines – Cluster Munition Coalition (ICBL-CMC) encouraged the universalization and full implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty and Convention on Cluster Munitions, with a focus on three goals:

• No more use of landmines or cluster munitions
• A significant decrease in land contaminated by landmines and cluster munitions
• Measurable progress in the quality of life for victims of mines and cluster munitions

This was done through advocacy activities and through the publication of the most comprehensive research data on landmines and cluster munitions in Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor reports.

Small grants and technical …

Victim Assistance In Cambodia The Human Face Of Survivors And Their Needs For Assistance, Hi

Global CWD Repository

The initial intention of the research was to bring the lives of victims/survivors of landmines to the forefront. After discussions and some desk study, the research focus still remained on the lives of the victims and elaborated towards positioning these victims within the conditions that surround them. The Kingdom of Cambodia served as an ideal case study because of the heightened impact to lives of people in the country as a result of extensive of presence of landmines. Furthermore, the country’s confirmation as a host for the upcoming 11th State Party meeting on MBT provided an important moment to launch …

Apopo Annual Report 2017, Apopo

Global CWD Repository

APOPO is a global nonprofit organization that researches, develops, and implements scent-detection technology to combat global humanitarian issues. APOPO’s detection rats currently detect landmines or tuberculosis in 5 affected countries around the world.

The rats are trained through clicker/reward methods, receiving tasty food treats when they identify explosives or tuberculosis. They are never harmed, because they are too light to actually set off any landmines and are cared for under strict animal welfare guidelines.

APOPO has mine action programmes in Angola, Cambodia, and Mozambique and is preparing operations in Zimbabwe and Colombia. APOPO also detects tuberculosis in Tanzania and Mozambique, …

Straits Talk, Char Miller

EnviroLab Asia

No abstract provided.

Just Research, Ki’Amber Thompson '18

EnviroLab Asia

The trip to Malaysia Borneo was an eye-opening experience that reinforced the need for researchers to listen to the indigenous peoples and to integrate their knowledge and understanding of place into any scientific, political, or policy analyses designed to restore the impact of deforestation and dam projects in the region.

Up Close: An Interview, Madi Vorva '17

EnviroLab Asia

A long-time US activist against the deleterious impact of oil-palm deforestation in Southeast Asia learned a great deal about the indigenous peoples’ struggles there to gain control over their lives and livelihoods.

Mandation Of Two Police Officers Per Patrol Unit And The Impact Of Diversity, Jolito Rivera

Bridges: A Journal of Student Research

The purpose of this research is to explore the operation of police patrol units. Many police patrol units currently lack diversity as well as accountability on police officers. The first phase of correcting the deficits of the patrol units is identifying pros and cons of the current police patrolling methods. The second phase involves alternative solutions that could be put in place to create safer and more efficient police patrolling units. I analyze these solutions to determine why they would be positive and what restrictions prevent them from being feasible. In the final phase of the paper, I present a …

What Impact Is Felony Disenfranchisement Having On Hispanics In Florida?, Angel E. Sanchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This research produces original empirical estimates of Hispanics in Florida’s Dept. of Corrections (FDOC) and uses those estimates to measure the impact felony disenfranchisement is having on Hispanics in Florida. Research institutions find that data on Hispanics in the criminal justice system, particularly in Florida, is either lacking or inaccurate. This research addresses this problem by applying an optimal surname list method using Census Bureau data and Bayes Theorem to produce an empirical estimate of Hispanics in FDOC’s data. Using the Hispanic rate derived from the empirical FDOC analysis, the rate of Hispanics in the disenfranchised population is estimated. The …

Are Older Adults Who Participate In The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Healthier Than Eligible Nonparticipants? Evidence From The Health And Retirement Study, Jin Kim

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This research examined the impact of participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on the health of older adults. The study used panel data from the 2004-2012 Waves of the Rand version of the Health and Retirement Study to estimate regression models of self-reported health and the number of doctor-diagnosed conditions, controlling for individual characteristics and time fixed effects. The findings revealed that program participants did not maintain or improve their health status relative to non-participants during the study period. Thus, the study confirms that program participation confers negligible benefits in maintaining and improving the health status of older adults.

Prevalence And Patterns Of Injury-Related Mortality In Nevada, Elizabeth M. Lawrence, Aiemie Pace

Social Health of Nevada Reports

Too many lives are lost to injury in the United States and in Nevada. Nearly 200,000 people in our country die each year from injuries, which is equivalent to one death every three minutes (CDC 2017b). Each of these deaths not only extinguishes a life, but also affects the friends, family, and community of the deceased. And deaths from injury are costly: researchers estimate that costs from fatal injuries exceed $200 billion (CDC 2017b).

Injury refers to damage to the body from some external force, such as from a car crash or a fall, including kinetic, chemical, electrical, thermal or …

Exploring Opportunities For Urban Youth Inclusion In The Creative Economy In Boston’S Dudley Square, Susan Crandall, Marija Bingulac, Bianca Ortiz-Wythe, Andrew Seeder

Center for Social Policy Publications

Communities throughout the U.S. need to attract and retain businesses and talent to grow and to thrive. One approach to economic development which has gained traction in recent years is the concept of a “creative economy,” which suggests that investing in creative occupations and industries is integral to support economic and culturally vibrant cities.

Although the implementation of creative economy initiatives has successfully boosted economic development in some cities and regions, critics have argued that a focus on the creative economy is fueling urban inequality, focusing primarily on college-educated professionals and ignoring the needs of blue collar and service workers. …

The Road To The Cliff Edge: Understanding Financial Gaps In Public Assistance Programs Available To Massachusetts Families, Marija Bingulac, Caitlin A. Carey, Susan Crandall

Center for Social Policy Publications

To better understand the interaction between public supports and earned income and its impact on overall economic well-being, we conducted research on public support program eligibility criteria, regulations, and administration. We use the concept of “financial gaps” to outline specific problems created by the complex system of public supports built around an inadequate assessment of households’ ability to meet basic needs. The typology we provide is intended to be a tool for advocates, service providers, researchers, and policy makers that will help them hone in on the precise problem and develop appropriate policy interventions.

Homelessness In Spokane: An Inquiry Into The Experience Of Homelessness In A Mid-Sized City, Jocelyn M. Brown

EWU Masters Thesis Collection

This study focuses on the condition of homelessness in Spokane, Washington, as compared to the same condition in larger and more frequently studied cities, using San Francisco and Seattle as a collective comparison tool for examples of large cities. By examining the neoliberalization of large American cities in a capitalist society, I draw out the similarities and differences of how homelessness is manifest and managed in these two different urban contexts. Examined are the societal factors that impact homelessness, for both those without housing and those (i.e., business owners, service providers) impacted by homelessness. This study also highlights the criminalization …

The Risk Of Risk: An Exploration Of The Impact Of “Risk” On Child Welfare Decision-Making, Jill K. Stoddart

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Objective: In this paper, child welfare decision-making is critically assessed in relation to Beck’s (1992) concept of ‘risk society’. Three key decisions made by child welfare workers during the initial investigation are examined in order to illustrate how risk influences the type of investigative approach used, the determinations about child maltreatment, and the services provided to children and families and to link theory with policy and practice.

Methods: The three exploratory studies all utilize secondary data from several cycles of the Ontario Incidence Study, which collects information directly from frontline child protection workers about incidence of reported maltreatment. Two studies …

A Refuge For Refugees: The Historical Context And Socioeconomic Impact Of Palestinian Refugees In Jordan, Amelia Marie Dal Pra

Global Tides

Today more than 41 percent of the Jordanian population is comprised of Palestinian refugees. Some argue that Jordan has become the new Palestinian state in place of their former land pre-1948. This paper presents the complications of this claim by focusing on the Jordanian government’s constitutional provisions on refugee citizenship, Palestinian support programs and the role the Palestinian identity has played in the integration, or lack thereof, of Palestinian refugees into the social, political, and economic spheres of Jordanian society.

Workplace Bullying In Kuwait, Hamad A. Alaslawi

Theses and Dissertations--Social Work

Workplace bullying (WPB) is a pervasive problem in contemporary society, inflicting detrimental repercussions upon employees, employers, and organizations alike. It affects the physical, psychological, and financial wellbeing not only of its victims, but also their families, their communities, and society as a whole.

Research into this phenomenon has evolved significantly over the past two decades. While related to the physically violent phenomenon of schoolyard bullying, WPB is primarily a psychological phenomenon, manifesting as abusive power in workplace relationships, rather than as interpersonal conflict. Bullying at work comes in many forms, has many faces, and occurs in many places. It ranges …

The Effect Of The Housing Support Policy For The Disabled And Factors Affecting Policy Satisfaction In South Korea, Hee Bum Lee

MPA/MPP/MPFM Capstone Projects

The Korean government has recently recognized the importance of residential environment for the disabled, and has begun to establish various housing support policies as a social safety net. In this context, the Korean government has enacted the Housing Support Act for the Underprivileged (HSAU) which includes the disabled in 2012. The goal of this legislative action is to strengthen the Housing Support Policy for the Disabled (HSPD) and establish a legal basis for HSPD (NLIC, 2017). The purpose of this study is to analyze whether the introduction of HSAU has a positive effect on the policy satisfaction for the disabled. …

Unmas 2016 Annual Report, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

As conflicts rage across the world and the threats posed by explosive hazards perpetuate humanitarian crises and hinder emergency response, UNMAS leadership is needed more than ever. Repeatedly and consistently, mine action has proven critical to humanitarian action. This, and the crucial coordination role of UNMAS, was widely recognised at the World Humanitarian Summit, and in the outcome documents, by affected states, donor nations, United Nations entities and civil society. Mine action is also a vital stabilization enabler, facilitating the recovery of communities impacted by conflict. As Iraqis work to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of Da’esh, mine action …