Social Justice Commons^™

Grow National Study Of Grandfamilies During Covid-19: Wave I And Wave Ii Results And Recommendations, Michelle Rosenthal, Kerry Littlewood, Deborah Langosch, Lawrence Cooper, Donna B. Fedus, Amy Devine, Abhishek Pandey

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted families across the globe. This study highlights how a multidisciplinary workgroup, Grandfamilies Outcome Workgroup (GrOW) operationalized a caregiver-centered data cycle to learn how COVID-19 has impacted grandfamilies across the United States. The National Grandfamilies and COVID-19 Wave I (n=600, June 2020) and Wave II (n=225, July 2021) surveys recruited grandfamilies nationwide through GrOW’s network of kinship community partners. Wave I survey results illuminated that all sources of social support were reduced for grandfamilies during the pandemic, except for online support groups. Wave II provided an opportunity to revise the survey to capture emergent issues relevant …

Exploring Household Food Insecurity And Inter-Generational Self-Help Club Involvement Among Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Due To Hiv/Aids In Vietnam, Lesley M. Harris, Hannah Nguyen, Andrew M. Winters, Gina Rosen, Nguyen D. Thang

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Intergenerational Self-help Clubs (ISHCs), also known as “Empathy Clubs” in Vietnam may aid in improving quality of life and well-being for grandparent-headed households impacted by HIV/AIDS. However, less is known about how club membership impacts household food security. This cross-sectional, mixed methods study examines the differences in household food security and coping responses to food insecurity among 30 grandparents who are raising grandchildren due to HIV/AIDS, 15 who were involved in ISHC groups and 15 who were not involved in ISHC groups, in Hai Phong, Vietnam. In addition to qualitative interviews, all grandparents completed the Household Food Security Insecurity …

Responding To Literature Through Student–Author Interviews: Eighth-Grade Students Challenge Chris Crowe’S Mississippi Trial, 1955, Danielle L. Defauw, Chris Crowe, Christine Burnett

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This study explores virtual, student–author interviews eighth-grade students led with Chris Crowe in response to his young adult novel Mississippi Trial, 1955. The opportunity to interview the author motivated students to read the novel. Through their text-world development, students connected with the fictional and nonfictional characters, Hiram Hillburn and Emmett Till, respectively. Through their critical reader-responses, students sought truth about Emmett Till’s case as they questioned Crowe about the choices he made as an author and researcher, which supported students’ understanding of character development and historical significance of Emmett Till’s case. Crowe’s answers to the students’ critical questions were …

Uplifting Voices: Implementing A Heritage-Based Civil Rights Program In The United States Forest Service, Amanda Jo Campbell Crawford

Masters Theses

The United States Forest Service holds in public trust hundreds upon thousands of historically significant sites. For decades, the management of these special places has focused on basic site identification and protection to meet legal compliance measures for Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Standard practices within the agency led to cultural sites being identified on the ground in a cursory fashion, but with little research or follow up into the history of the site of the people that had created and occupied it. Sites reflecting the identity, history, or material culture of People of Color were especially …

Encouraging Activism In Secondary English: Reading And Writing For Social Justice, Elisabeth Spinner

Dissertations

This dissertation presents researched backed, social justice oriented teaching strategies secondary English teachers can implement to encourage their students to think critically and take action on issues that matter to them. Foundational to this research is critical inquiry which encourages students to not read or listen to information passively, but rather to investigate, critique, explore, and ask questions of what they are reading. This approach is necessary when encouraging students to dispel myths and stereotypes, understand questions of rights and justice, and find the right way to be involved. The English classroom is an ideal place for students to do …

Holism, Philanthropy, And Community Self-Determination: A Case Study Of Urban Sustainability Logics In Kalamazoo, Robert Roznowski

Dissertations

The social, economic, and ecological crises of contemporary cities have compelled some communities to pursue urban sustainability agendas. In the United States, municipal governments and local actors engage with a myriad of urban sustainability discourses and “logics” that shape urban sustainability agendas. The literature suggests that urban sustainability discourses and logics are shifting in ways that are more “selective” or exclusive of spaces, issues, and people. This study investigates the urban sustainability logics taking shape in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Most existing research focuses on large cities with well-established urban sustainability agendas. In contrast, this case study focuses on the urban sustainability …

The Unfinished Hope Of Gower's Transgender Children, Gabrielle M.W. Bychowski

Accessus

This article examines two of Gower's tales from the Confessio Amantis that deal with trans youths: Iphis and Narcissus. Considering these two tales together, I ask the question: why does one story end with hopeful futurity for the trans masculine youth and the other end with death and the absence of futurity for the trans feminine youth. Connecting these medieval texts to premodern contexts and then with modern contexts, I map the trajectory of centuries long problems facing trans youths. In the end, I conclude that trans youth possess a healthier and more stable future when they receive trans affirming …

On The Discourses Of Social Protection Distribution: Insights From Indonesia, Sutiyo Sutiyo

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This study aimed to discuss the distribution accuracy of Social Protection Programs in Indonesia. Specifically, the main focus was on its connection with deservingness criteria and the selection method. A case study in the Purbalingga district showed the unsuitability of nationally imposed criteria and weaknesses of the centralised selection of beneficiaries. A community-based targeting approach was simulated and could overcome most of the problems. Furthermore, it can be adapted in other localities and developing countries due to its acceptability and accuracy.

A Qualitative Exploration Of Justice System Stakeholders’ Perceptions Of Disproportionate Minority Contact And Behavioral Health Access Among System-Involved Youth Of Color, Tiffany D. Baffour, Dawn X. Henderson, Denise Nation, Pedro M. Hernandez

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Previous research demonstrates that system-involved youth of color experience procedural and structural biases within the U.S. juvenile justice system. These biases and disparities are evident in behavioral health access and treatment. This study examined justice stakeholders’ (social workers, therapists, court counselors, judges, and school resource officers) perceptions of barriers and facilitators to behavioral health treatment among youth of color in the juvenile justice system. This qualitative exploratory study examined data from six focus groups comprising statewide stakeholders (n = 55) from a southeastern state. Results showed that the stigma associated with behavioral health treatment and the incapability of juvenile justice …

Digital News Literacy And Social Work: Core Competencies, Cynthia H. Nover

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Digital news refers to online news, television news, and other electronic sources where individuals can gather information about the world around them. As college students increasingly get their news from online sources and comedy television, it is important for students to have appropriate media literacy skills to evaluate content. The relationship between news literacy skills and core competencies of social work education is discussed in this paper, with recommendations for incorporating news literacy in the classroom.

Environmental Justice Analysis Of Drinking Water Policies In Michigan Cities, Annika Paldan

Honors Theses

This thesis examined environmental justice aspects of drinking water policies in four cities across Michigan: Flint, Birmingham, St. Joseph, and Benton Harbor. An overview of the history of the environmental justice movement, environmental racism, and drinking water policies provided the basis for a four-part evaluative criterion to assess environmental justice components at the municipal level. These criteria include (1) housing tenure, (2) age, size, and service line composition of the infrastructure, (3) public participation in the policy process, and (4) emergency management of the city. Findings indicate that environmental justice has come a long way, with cities now incorporating components …

Exploring Principals’ Experiences With Social Justice Issues In Their Work As School Leaders, Djimtibaye Otalbaye

Dissertations

Social justice has taken on a special importance in education today, although it is not a new concept in terms of human history. Social justice is not a local issue, but exists in all parts of the world (Jean Marie et al., 2014). Differentiation among social environments of schools and increasing elements of diversity and roles of schools to create a socially just structure can be seen as main reasons for these issues (Turhan, 2010). Schools are therefore challenged to address the social conditions and hardships of students by responding to their needs (Avant, 2014).

The purpose of this basic …

Development Of An Unorthodox Support Model To Mentor Undocumented Immigrant Students, Keisha Chin Goosby

Journal of College Access

This article addresses the need to better understand impactful mentoring models for undocumented immigrant students (UIS). Based on interviews of 18 mentors of UIS who were college graduates, findings include diverse effective mentoring models, specific mentoring styles and strategies, how mentors identified and leveraged the community cultural wealth of UIS, and the forms of support that mentors used which highlight an unorthodox approach to mentoring UIS. A new model for mentoring UIS is presented with a framework on how to engage in new research. Recommendations are provided for schools, districts, colleges, and universities.

“Growing Up Guerreándola”: On Adolescent Formations Of Conscientização In Colombia, Amy E. Ritterbusch, Melissa Arena Lucía Simbaqueba Gómez, Jhon Restrepo, Nancy Montes, Claudia Rentería, Yirley Velazco, Sandra García Jaramillo, Darío Maldonado

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

In this article, we argue that we have much to learn from the adolescent developmental experiences of social justice activists on the frontlines. Our team of authors includes the four youth social leaders at the center of the empirical work emerging from our qualitative research. We ground the Freirean concept of conscientização, roughly interpreted in English as critical consciousness building, in the lived experiences of these four youth social leaders in Colombia who have fought tirelessly for justice in their communities. The social justice stories of these young activists emerge from semi-structured interviews including visual methods designed by our …

College Access For Prospective First-Generation High School Students: Parent Perceptions, Christopher W. Brown Ed.D, Alison Reeves Associate Professor, Laurel Puchner Professor

Journal of College Access

This qualitative interview study examined how parents of potential college-going first-generation students in one high school perceive and experience their access to resources and knowledge that would allow them to support their adolescents’ successful entrance into postsecondary institutions. The study found that the parents believe that high schools will help their children with college but that they underutilize the resources available and lack important social capital needed to help their students succeed.

Moving From Racist To Antiracist Practices: Using Lewin’S Field Theory To Examine Career Help-Seeking Behaviors And Intentions Of Black First-Generation Students Attending Predominantly White Institutions, Jonique R. Childs, Jennifer Sánchez, William M. Liu

Journal of College Access

This study examined person and environment contextual factors associated with career decision-making difficulties among Black first-generation students (FGSs) attending predominantly white institutions (PWIs). Using Lewin’s field theory, we investigated the predictive value of person and environment factors on help-seeking behaviors for 63 Black FGS attending PWIs. We used a non-experimental correlational research design, along with hierarchical regression analysis, to investigate the predictability of contextual factors on previous career services use and intention to seek counseling for racist career barriers. Change/loss in advisor and lack of information were associated with previous career services use, whereas intention to seek counseling for racist …

Promoting Equitable College Access And Success: Exploring Critical Frameworks In School Counselor Training, Heidi Van Mastrigt, Joey Nuñez Estrada

Journal of College Access

This qualitative study employs a phenomenological research approach that examines the school counselor’s experiences and training. The purpose of this study is to explore if school counselors received training in critical race theory (CRT), culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSP), and social justice (SJ), and if they implement these theories in practice. Semi-structured interviews were used with eleven practicing school counselors. Thematic content analysis was used with a critical discourse lens to identify explicit and implicit themes within the data. The results indicate a lack of training in critical race theory (CRT), culturally sustaining pedagogies (CSP), and social justice. While some participants …

Rape Law Reform: The Law And Its Perceived Imp Act, Jennifer D'Ette St. Pierre

Masters Theses

The research examines "model" rape reform legislation in Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Interviews were conducted with area judges, attorneys, victim advocates, and law enforcement officers to assess the variety of perceptions regarding the problems that remain for rape victims in the past two decades since reforms have been implemented. Discussion details the perceived successes, failures, and overall impact of reforms. The research identifies problem areas which affect both victims and practitioners within the legal processing of sexual assault cases. The study concludes with recommendations for possible courses of action for abating the difficulties surrounding the crime of rape in the 1990s.