Social Justice Commons^™

The Influence Of Market Pressures On The Discursive Construction Of Dei In Elite Independent Private Schools, Anthony R. Clemons

Doctoral Dissertations

This study examines how elite independent private schools (EIPSs), traditionally associated with privilege, prestige, and exclusivity, articulate their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) within a highly competitive market. Using Critical Race Theory and Neoinstitutional Theory, this mixed-methods study employs critical discourse analysis (CDA) and corpus linguistics (CL) to explore underlying forces contributing to the observed disjuncture between the ostensive and performative aspects of EIPSs’ DEI efforts. Using the publicly available diversity statements of 31 Bay Area EIPSs, findings reveal that the DEI discourse among these elite schools often reflects market-oriented institutional logics. EIPSs tend to frame DEI as …

A Tale Of Two Organizations: San Francisco & Tokyo, An Analysis Of Urban Youth Poverty In The Developed World, Arturo Paredes

Master's Projects and Capstones

This study analyzes the experiences of low-income youth in terms of their access to educational opportunities in connection to their social mobility, the study focuses on two highly prosperous cities: San Francisco and Tokyo specifically dwelling into some affected population groups and overall neighborhoods where low-income populations are clustered in. The study delves into youth poverty as a complex phenomenon facing communities and its direct implications for the lives of youth in the context of educational experiences and its connection to socio-economic outcomes. By focusing on two organizations addressing this issue in each of the contexts, the study highlights interventions, …

Nature For New Minnesotans: A Minnesota Master Naturalist Program Connecting Adult English Language Learners To The Outdoors, Lucas Fitchen Rapisarda, Britt M. Forsberg

Journal of Extension

English language (EL) learners, many of whom are immigrants, face economic, social, and cultural constraints when accessing Extension programming. NFNM is an innovative program that seeks to address these constraints by developing and implementing place-based natural history curriculum for adult English language (EL) learners in the authors state. This article describes the program development process for NFNM and shares important lessons learned during the process.

Food Insecurity In Adolescent Athletes, Andrew Donaldson, Shannon Margherio, Jay Roberson, Kevin Latz

Research Days

Background: The prevalence of food insecurity among children in the United States is estimated at 21%. Food insecurity during childhood leads to worse school performance, more emotional and behavioral health concerns, and increased suicide attempts. Further, food insecurity has been noted to have multiple deleterious effects on the collegiate student athlete, including lower GPA, disordered eating, and substance use.

Hypothesis: Food insecurity is prevalent in the adolescent athlete population and exists across demographics.

Methods: Voluntary surveys were distributed to parents at all sports medicine clinics at our institution. Demographic data was collected including athlete age, race, school and school district, …

Not All Superheroes Wear Capes: Understanding The Lives Of Asian American Student Caregivers, Angela Ji

Educational Specialist, 2020-current

There exists an invisible army of children who sacrifice their childhoods and shoulder responsibilities expected of adults; these children are called young caregivers. Young caregivers provide significant assistance for their family on a regular basis. The existing literature shows that youth caregiving is associated with negative physical and mental health impacts that vary depending on the cultural background associated with families. It is also clear that the complexities and nuances of different ethnic groups influence the lived experiences of young caregivers. Unfortunately, there is limited information exploring racial and cultural implications of caregiving for children. This study sought to address …

Toward Discussion Facilitation That Enacts Collective Care. A Response To “Teaching Dobbs Where Divisive Concepts And Abortion Are Restricted”, Jenni Conrad

Democracy & Education

For both teacher candidates and teacher educators, facilitating discussions of contested issues in hyper-polarized climates remains a heavy lift. This response to “Teaching Dobbs…” celebrates the successes apparent in Geller’s team’s work and identifies key features that supported it. While cautioning readers against adopting avatar rehearsals elsewhere, I distill four themes of planning and enactment that show clear promise for broad transference in teacher education. Drawing from research exploring the interfaces of justice-oriented, practice-based, and democratic social studies scholarship, I offer pedagogical and logistical considerations for other teacher educators and researchers engaged in this ambitious and necessary work to sustain …

Integrating Positive Psychology And Spirituality To Foster Meaning And Well-Being In Older Adults, Crystal Morris

Adultspan Journal

This perspective article explores the integration of positive psychology interventions (PPIs) and spirituality in therapy to foster meaning and well-being in older adults. It highlights exercises such as the positive introduction, positive legacy, character strengths, mindfulness, mindful-based yoga, and a manifestation prayer journaling. The interventions presented are tools to support older adults that may experience depression, difficult life transitions, and the search for renewed meaning. Therapists who integrate PPIs and spirituality into therapy can promote a holistic, non-pathological approach to treatment.

Creating Spaces For Civic Engagement: A Qualitative Action Research Study On Sustaining Engagement And Generating Power Through Relational Community Organizing, Virginia Mata

Theses & Dissertations

The purposes of this action research (AR) study were threefold. First, to explore the key ingredients that Communities Organized for Public Service and the Metro Alliance (COPS/Metro)—a broad-based community organization in San Antonio, Texas—uses to keep ordinary citizens civically engaged. Secondly, my AR study aimed to use a critical pedagogy approach to leverage and amplify the same COPS/METRO process to increase civic engagement, raise awareness of redlining, and engage in actions to address the present-day effects of redlining. My third purpose was to understand the connection between the two better—in other words, how COPS/METRO civic engagement and awareness-raising lead to …

Famílias Indigenas Entre Mundos: Standing In Pachakuti, Living In Chi’Xi Within The Constellation Of Their Comunidad De Saberes, Ymasumac Marañón Davis

Dissertations

To be Indigenous is to be la luz del mundo, to stand in your light and spread your sunrays, no matter winds or clouds of colonization that strive to dim you. This qualitative study explored ways Indigenous Latine families negotiate a sense of place within onto-epistemological realities and their home culture of learning and Western education. This research is desire-based (Eve Tuck, 2009), creating our own project of modernity, grounded in one Indigenous family’s experience within their Andean community. Drawing from Critical Latine Indigeneities Framework (Blackwell et al., 2017) and Chicana Feminist Epistemologies (Bernal, 1998), using an Entre Mundos methodology, …

Building Motivation And Confidence In Elementary School Students, Alyssa I. Perez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

This capstone project aims to explore how growth mindset, motivation, and self-confidence are key components to student success, especially during elementary school years. My capstone results highlight that consistent encouragement, a proactive classroom environment, and self-efficiency skills significantly contribute to improved student attitudes and engagement.

The Interplay Of Housing Instability And Mathematics During Adolescence: A Retrospective Study Of Black Stem Folx, Sharetta M. W. Bufford

All Dissertations

Few studies have delved into the delicate nuances that impact Black students’ mathematics performance, nor have they paid much attention to the resources students leverage to overcome systems that perpetuate negative stereotypes about Black youth. For decades, studies about Black youth have been explored from a deficit perspective, shedding negative light on circumstances typically beyond the control of those being studied. Even more, some studies have placed blame on parents and parental figures in the lives of Black children for unacceptable school behavior and poor academic progress (Cobb II & Russell, 2015). Black youth have been portrayed as problematic, disruptive, …

Hands On Archiving: Aid In Reorganizing The San Bernardino County Museum Archive Room And Archival Material, Ezequiel Vera

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This paper documents the process and details of the History Archives Inventory Project at the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM). Most of the work of this project is done in-person and will include photographic evidence of the project, a written portion that will explain the process of the project, and secondary literature that will help explain the process of the project and its corresponding decision making. The History Archives Inventory Project is a multiple year-long project; this paper will be limited to my time working on the project while completing my Master of Arts in History at CSUSB. My time …

Elevándose Más Allá De La Culpa: Navigating Family Achievement Guilt And Familismo In The Academic Journeys Of Latino Male First-Generation College Students In The Inland Empire, Thomas C. Robles

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study explores the experiences of Latino first-generation college students (FGCS) in California’s Inland Empire, focusing on family achievement guilt—the emotional tension felt when academic success surpasses that of family members. Rooted in familismo and cultural expectations, this phenomenon can lead to self-doubt, stress, and academic struggles, particularly for Latino males in community colleges. This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach and testimonios to examine how participants navigate familial obligations, cultural expectations, and academic identities. Findings indicate that while family achievement guilt creates emotional and psychological barriers, students develop resilient coping strategies, including mentorship, peer support, and reframing education as …

Countering Deficit Narratives Through A Blackcrit Lens By Examining Case Studies Of Black College Mathematics Students’ Classroom Experiences, Akhenaton Wilbourn

All Dissertations

This dissertation examines the lived experiences of 11 Black college mathematics students at their predominantly white institution (PWI) through the lens of Black Critical Theory (BlackCrit) to counter deficit narratives about the racial achievement gap (RAG) in mathematics education courses. Deficit narratives often attribute disparities between Black and white students’ mathematical performance to assumed deficiencies in Black students’ abilities rather than systemic inequities, historical marginalization, and ongoing anti-Blackness in educational settings (Cobb & Russell, 2015; Kress, 2021). Using multiple case studies, this study explores how anti-Blackness manifests in mathematics classrooms, how students navigate tensions between multiculturalism, neoliberal educational policies, and …

Language, Equity, And Power: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Student Conduct Policies At Unl, Mandi Laib

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study conducts a Critical Discourse Analysis of student conduct policies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1977 to 2003 to examine how language reflects and reinforces institutional power structures. Utilizing Critical Race Theory and Queer Theory, this research investigates how conduct policies have historically marginalized Students of Color, LGBTQ+ students, and those facing economic hardship. Through a deductive coding process, themes such as institutional control, surveillance, and punitive framing were identified across four decades of student handbooks. While there are moments where student rights and restorative justice are acknowledged, these are often overshadowed by dominant discourse that prioritizes compliance …

Intersectionality In Tennis (Wta) Sports Media, Emily Stoner

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

This “applied knowledge” project investigates and observes intersectionality in tennis sports media via the women’s professional tour (WTA). Intersectionality in Tennis (WTA) Sports Media analyzes how intersectionality as a concept and social justice lens impacts and is impacted by media. By considering intersectional identities and their implications in sports media narratives and coverage, this piece displays some telling patterns and perpetuations.

At the professional level, tennis certainly does not garner the most profit or attention, but it provides a unique world of intersecting identities, cultures, geography and tradition. This work aims to shed light on the state of sports media, …

A Systematic Review Of Effective School-Based Interventions Against Bullying In The United States, Jessica Lopez Lopez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Bullying remains a persistent issue within the United States (U.S.) educational system, affecting–among other things–students’ well-being, academic performance, and mental health. This mixed-methods systematic review was purported to address gaps in previous literature by identifying effective school-based interventions against bullying implemented between 2017 and 2024 in the U.S. Using a purposive sampling method, this review screened three electronic databases: APA PsycNET, ERIC, and JSTOR to garner relevant studies. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were employed to ensure rigorous selection and analysis of relevant articles. There were four studies in this systematic review (n=4). The …

Effect Of Counseling On Stem Student Gpa At A Community College: A Quasi-Experimental Longitudinal Case Study, Alexander Beechko

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The persistent under-representation and academic attrition of first-generation and underrepresented minority (URM) students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines present a critical challenge for institutions of higher education—particularly community colleges, which function as a primary access point for these populations. As the United States continues to face a growing demand for a diverse and skilled STEM workforce, it is imperative to identify and implement interventions that support the academic success and retention of these students. This dissertation examines the role of academic counseling as a potentially impactful support mechanism, analyzing its relationship with academic performance among STEM students …

Breaking The Pipeline: Exploring Exclusionary Discipline, Restorative Justice, And The Attitudes And Beliefs Of Educators, Ericka J. Varnedoe

Honors College Theses

This study explores the connection between exclusionary disciplinary practices and the school-to-prison pipeline. It highlights how exclusionary discipline, including suspensions and expulsions, disproportionately affects marginalized groups such as students of color, students with disabilities, and LGBTQ youth, further contributing to the school-to-prison pipeline. In contrast, restorative justice, a non-punitive approach, offers a promising alternative. Initially adopted from the criminal justice system, restorative justice has been integrated into school environments to foster positive school climates, improve experiences, and mitigate challenging behaviors. This research examines educators' attitudes toward both exclusionary and restorative practices, as well as their awareness and implementation of restorative …

Unearthing Silence: Deaf Archaeology As A Pathway To Social Justice And Accessibility, Abigail H. Steiner

Binghamton University Undergraduate Journal

Deaf archaeology is an emerging field exploring the material culture, spaces, and histories of Deaf communities to understand their social lives and identities. This paper examines Deaf archaeology as a framework for uncovering the historical presence of Deaf individuals and promoting social justice. It begins by defining deafness, contrasting medical and cultural perspectives, then traces the field’s roots in sign language evolution, marginalization, and Deaf education. Through a timeline of findings, the study reveals how Deaf individuals have been recognized or overlooked historically. Engaging with the Southern Tier Deaf community, I explore accessible archaeology and the role of Deaf archaeology …

Conversations Before The Conversation: Readying Dissidence Through Norm-Setting, Ashley N. Watson

Feminist Pedagogy

How can educators speak truth to power in ways that decenter whiteness while supporting student learning across different levels of awareness? What does the right balance of challenge and support look like in today’s unpredictable college environment? These questions are drawn from my experience as a Black predoctoral fellow teaching “Intercultural Dialogue” at a traditionally white public liberal arts university in rural Minnesota. This paper—both a reflection and recommendations for practice—outlines my approach to co-constructing and scaffolding a conducive learning environment rooted in emancipatory pedagogy.

Shelving Stigma: A Grocery Store Client Choice Pantry Model - A Solution To Food Insecurity In Young Adults Of Marginalized Communities While Eradicating The Stigmatization Of Food Pantry Services, Anna C. Buckley

Honors Theses

An increasing number of young adults, age 18 to 35, are becoming food insecure across America, but disproportionately in urban and people of color communities. However, food pantries have remained a social stigma causing food insecure persons to avoid using a food pantry for hunger relief. Research has shown that the grocery store model for food pantries is most beneficial for staff, while also minimizing the stigma and increasing accessibility for pantry clientele. The purpose of this program proposal is to highlight the feasibility of implementation of a client choice grocery store pantry model at the NY Common Pantry (NYCP) …

Território Brincapé: The First Adventure Playground Experience In Portugal, Rita Frade, Ana Rita Fonseca, Frederico Lopes, Sandra Nascimento

International Journal of Playwork Practice

Território Brincapé (TB) - Community Space for Free Play was a seminal project in Lisbon designed to deliver weekly play sessions to 112 children between 6 and 10 years old, for 1.5 hours during school time, at a private sandpit just outside a school. TB was developed under the ethos of playwork practice and was conceptualised as an adventure playground. This is a report of how we navigated this endeavour, focusing mainly on the perspective of the playwork practitioners. Specifically, it documents the questions that we dwelled upon through reflection and which aspects of this process we focused on. We …

Personal Narrative As Pedagogy: A Model For Socially Responsive Narrative-Based Education In Occupational Therapy, Johnna Belkiewitz, Sally Wasmuth

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The practice of occupational therapy relies on the collection and analysis of life narratives to provide responsive client-centered care. As developing holistic practitioners, occupational therapy students are taught to consider these shared stories within a larger context of historical and societal systems by acknowledging such factors as social determinants of health. Case studies are a frequently used tool to teach these skills; however, evidence supports that the identities of these educational stories’ authors can influence which perspectives are shared and, ultimately, impact developing occupational therapists’ perpetuation of or opposition to existing systems of oppression. Critical Race Theory and qualitative methodology …

“I’Ll Walk Out If You Walk Out”: A Comic On How Students Of Color Utilize Racial Micropolitical Literacy In Their Everyday Lives, Josephine Pham, Talitha Angelica Acaylar Trazo

Occasional Paper Series

Advocating for an expansive view of Youth Participatory Action Research that considers everyday practices in mundane life as essential for building just and thriving futures, the authors co-created a comic to illustrate the inventive ways youth of color co-create educational possibilities for racially just futures in everyday classroom life. Framed through a racial micropolitical literacy framework and based on a real-life narrative, their scholarship in comic form invites youth, practitioners, and scholars to re-frame and re-present learning, teaching, studying, and living educational justice in renewed ways. Specifically, the authors highlight the ingenious practices of youth of color who are already …

A Message From The Editors, Vicki L. Reitenauer, Rhiannon M. Cates

Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism

An introduction from the founding co-editors to the third issue of Amplify: A Journal of Writing-as-Activism: Volume 3, Issue 1: Writing-as-Activism in a Time of Destruction.

This Is Not History

The Civil Rights Movement (HIS/BLS 347) Zine Project

No abstract provided.

The Real History: A Freedom School Curriculum

The Civil Rights Movement (HIS/BLS 347) Zine Project

No abstract provided.

A Journey Into Hybrid Play Space Approaches Within An Urban Context, Ross William Podyma Mr

International Journal of Playwork Practice

This paper explores the development and implementation of a hybrid play space approach at Normanton Park, in Derby, UK. It examines the integration of playwork and forest school principals within a free, open-access play environment, focusing on the role of adults in facilitating child-led play. The paper analyses the synergies and tensions between these approaches, considers the contributions of other organisations providing environmental opportunities for young people, and reflects on the application of these models in contexts of urban deprivation. It argues for the value of hybrid models in maximising inclusivity and accessibility while fostering children’s creativity, resilience, and connection …

Institutionalizing Normality: Disability, Productivity, And Higher Education, Ashley Dirzis

Student Theses

This thesis examines how capitalism and neuronormative domination shape the structures and values of academic institutions, affecting faculty, students, and research subjects alike. By privileging productivity, conformity, and efficiency in the pursuit of income, universities often marginalize those who diverge from normative standards of thinking, behavior, and embodiment, particularly disabled individuals. Drawing on Marta Russell’s Disability and Capitalism and the shaping of disability by capitalist systems, Robert Chapman’s notion of the "Empire of Normality" and Jay Dolmage’s concept of the retrofit from Academic Ableism, this paper analyzes how academia reinforces ableist norms. It explores the realities and barriers that …