Social Justice Commons^™

Impact Of Mentoring Amongst Indigenous Young Adults In Sabah, Malaysia, Terence Ooi

Capstone Collection

Most indigenous communities in Malaysia live in poverty and this has limited their access to education and decent employment. This study examines how mentoring relationships may aid indigenous young adults (19-24 years old) in Sabah, Malaysia in overcoming socio-economic barriers and securing stable employment. To explore this, several data sources were used that derived from interviews with mentors, a mixed method online survey with the mentees followed by telephone interviews with selected mentees from the responses. Findings indicate that the family’s influence, language proficiency of the young adult, development of soft skills and financial literacy were factors that influence an …

But What Can I Do? Engaging White Institutional Agents In Anti-Racist Reflection And Practice, Allie Ross

M.A. in Higher Education Leadership: Action Research Projects

College students continue to become more racially diverse. Despite this, some students of color do not achieve a sense of belonging on their campuses, and whites continue to be overrepresented as educators and administration in higher education. It is critical for white staff and faculty to examine their roles in upholding systemic racism in their institutions. This study investigated how white faculty and student affairs staff, including myself, engage in our own racial identity development and subsequently engage in anti-racist action in our professional roles. Recommendations are provided for how white educators can perform self-work to identify blind spots, how …

When Half The Neighborhood Is Missing: How To Overcome Systemic Poverty And Gentrification Following The Models Of Dudley Street And Mission Waco, Kevin A. Brown, Kevin A. Brown, Kevin A. Brown

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

By following the examples of Mission Waco and The Dudley Street Initiative, it is possible to renew a sense of beloved community by changing the narrative of poverty and gentrification by rebuilding the village through empowering the poor and marginalized.

Mission Waco and The Dudley Street Initiative are comprehensive sustainable communities because they combine numerous social and economic interventions under developed strategic plans. The principal question that this dissertation seeks to answer is whether these models can be implemented in local communities to help overcome gentrification and poverty. Implementation can be successful if we can identify the problem, rethink …

A Living City: Food Accessibility And Urban Growth In New York City, Kat Coleman

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper examines the way in which food equity and localization initiatives, specifically in New York City, are a vital response to urban growth and sustainable food demand. Improvements to the current food system in the form of changing the way food is produced, procured, stored, transported, and distributed improves nutrition and contributes to urban sustainability. Chapter 1 provides data on urban environmental justice issues related to food equity, drawing on research from the United Nations and food justice organizations in New York City. Chapter 2 explores the ethical issues surrounding food access and food justice in an increasingly urban …

The Phenomenon Of Sexual Violence During Armed Conflicts In The Twenty-First Century: Entering The Era Of Survivors As Agents Of Peace, Shayna Kushner

International Relations Honors Papers

Evidence suggests the twenty-first century has witnessed a surge in armed conflicts and ethnic wars targeting marginalized communities, subjecting innocent civilians to violence and destruction. Among the tactics aimed to disrupt family and social ties within the existing communities, some armed groups and government sponsored soldiers have subjected vulnerable individuals to wartime rape and conflict-related sexual violence including physical and mental abuse. While the international community attempts to intervene militarily and judicially to quell the sexual violence, institutions and individual actors fall short of providing justice and accountability to survivors and victims of conflict-related sexual violence. Through the case studies …

The First Step Act Of 2018, Emily Brubaker

Helm's School of Government Conference - 2021-2024

The Trump Administration signed into law the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person Act or the First Step Act (FSA) on December 21, 2018. The bill is the product of several years of congressional debate regarding what might be done to reduce the overall size of the federal prison population while implementing mechanisms to maintain the safety of the public (James, 2019).

Building Asian American And Black Solidarity For Racial Justice In Today’S America, Vinay Harpalani, Sunu P. Chandy, Sholanna Lewis, Frank H. Wu

Faculty Scholarship

About the Panel: Although there have been tensions, including those tied to colorism, between the Asian American and Pacific Islander and Black communities in America, there has been an equally long history of mutual support and collaboration between these two communities. How does anti-Blackness in the AAPI community impact the work of building solidarity with Black activists? In this conversation, we highlight our common ground so that Asian American and Black social justice communities can push forward our collective needs to fight racial injustice and other forms of discrimination in this country.

Somewhere That’S Green: Recreational Space Use And Civic Engagement In Massachusetts’ Urban Areas, Matthew Donohue

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Public green spaces, their use, and their accessibility are all crucial indicators of the state of life in urban areas. These spaces can signify the socioeconomic wellbeing of neighborhoods and cities, and often reflect trends accordingly; in one such case, Rehling et al. found in a study in German urban areas that those living at lower socioeconomic levels are often farther from green spaces than those at higher ones.^[1] Perhaps unsurprisingly, access to these spaces is also often an indicator of personal physical health. Rundle et al. found that adults in New York City who lived closer to large …

Overcoming The Void: Obstacles To Authentic Culturally Relevant Teaching, Lindsay Rowe

Education | Master's Theses

This study explored how teacher perceptions of professional development (PD) on culturally relevant teaching (CRT) and a lack of student voice impede authentic implementation of CRT. Culturally relevant teaching involves utilizing student backgrounds and voices to shape curriculum and pedagogy. However, a review of the literature revealed that student voice is largely missing in CRT research. Additionally, teacher responses to PD were not frequently discussed in studies exploring implementation of CRT. The purpose of the study was to better understand student desires for education and teacher responses to PD on CRT. Research was conducted at a 7-12 public school in …

Approaches To Narrative Instruction For Second Language Learners, Mathew Peters

MA TESOL Collection

Narratives have reemerged as a dominant form of rhetoric over the last fifty years. This dominant use of narrative discourse has only increased with the rise of social media. Walther Fisher (1987) proposed the narrative paradigm as a unifying theory of human communication. His major claim is that people are inherently storytellers and that people use a narrative rationality and a logic of good reasons to inform their beliefs, values, and actions. This paper utilizes his theories, along with recent findings in neuroscience, to establish an argument for greater inclusion of narratives into second language teaching. Narratives can have a …

Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Benefit To Climate-Displaced And Host Communities, Gül Aktürk, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Climate change is borderless, and its impacts are not shared equally by all communities. It causes an imbalance between people by creating a more desirable living environment for some societies while erasing settlements and shelters of some others. Due to floods, sea level rise, destructive storms, drought, and slow-onset factors such as salinization of water and soil, people lose their lands, homes, and natural resources. Catastrophic events force people to move voluntarily or involuntarily. The relocation of communities is a debatable climate adaptation measure which requires utmost care with human rights, ethics, and psychological well-being of individuals upon the issues …

The Politics And Ethics Of Immigration In A Commercial Republic, Kiara Palomares

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The quote on the Statue of Liberty reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The retched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” These words are central to the mythology of America as a nation of immigrants and, to the extent that this myth is accurate, one would expect that after experiencing multiple waves of immigration the United States (US) would have developed a set of principles guiding how legislators think about and frame immigration policy. This would not be …

Combatting Arts-Led Gentrification: A Case Study Of Slanguage Studio, Julia M. Campbell

Global Tides

This essay examines Slanguage Studio, founded by Karla Diaz and Mario Ybarra Jr. in 2001, as a case study that illuminates how community-based art spaces can resist arts-led gentrification. The processes of arts-initiated gentrification and displacement of lower-income residents of color are demonstrated through explorations of arts districts in the Lower East Side, SoHo, and Boyle Heights. In response to artist Charles Gaines’ claims that art spaces inevitably lead to gentrification, Slanguage Studio offers an alternative in which community needs are prioritized.

School Counseling In An Oppressed Society: Examining The Relationships Between Social Justice Advocacy Competence, Empowerment, And Social Justice Self-Efficacy, Michelle Tanner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The current nature of oppression that exists in the United States can be seen in the structure and process of American schools, impacting students’ social/emotional, academic, and career development. The defined role of school counselors along with their educational background; strategic position within schools to make meaningful change; access to critical student, teacher, family, and community data; and their professional dispositions and experience make them the most logical choice to help remove systemic barriers and to create equitable opportunities for the marginalized students. School counselors must work as social justice advocates to lead these diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; however, …

The Negotiation Tactics Of Nelson Mandela, Christian Parham

Global Tides

Nelson Mandela is known across the world for his extraordinary peacemaking skills. This paper examines the negotiation tactics Nelson Mandela used to bring unity to South Africa. It begins with examining his childhood and young adult years to highlight the development of his skills, and then provides a comprehensive review of the negotiations he participated in. It explores the effectiveness of each one and describes lessons that can be received. In so doing, it provides an evaluation of his tactics and concludes with how these lessons can be applied in light of current societal issues.

Are We Giving Them A Fair Chance? Racial Stereotypes And The Juvenile Justice System, Cali Bloem

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Prior research indicates that there are racial disparities throughout the criminal justice system, including the juvenile justice system, and that decision-makers may use stereotypes when determining guilt and deciding on sentences for juveniles. We used a mock juror study design in which participants were randomly assigned to read one of four trial summaries of an assault committed by either a White juvenile or Latinx juvenile, with the victim being a White juvenile or Latinx juvenile. The participants were asked to provide a verdict and sentencing decision and explain why they chose the sentence that they did. They were also tasked …

Ecofascist “Snakeoil” And The Imperative Of Racializing Environmental Justice For The 21st Century: A Burkean Rhetorical Criticism Of Contemporary Ecofascist Manifestos, Lantz Shifflett

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Ecofascism of the 21^st century is a revival of centuries-old white nationalist fascism integrated with a concern for environmental issues from the last few decades. Designated by their writers as “manifestos,” three ecofascists have widely disseminated their documents online just before committing acts of racially motivated terrorism in three different countries. Furthermore, these manifestos provide a lens into contemporary ecofascist conspiracies as well as their own concocted “snakeoils” that present their ecofascist agendas in the form of rhetorical “curatives” to environmental issues of pollution. These “cures” are grounded in a new “green nationalism” that attempts to disguise the white …

“Where Food Grows On The Water”: Anishinaabe Wild Rice Restoration, Food Sovereignty, And Decolonization, Rachel Sabella

Senior Theses - Anthropology

In this project I argue that the wild rice restoration projects in the Great Lakes region contribute to the reversal of direct effects of colonization brought on as a result of the Columbian Invasion of the Americas. In doing this, I ask this question: How does this unique array of projects contribute to Indigenous food sovereignty? Wild rice has been a staple of Anishinaabe diet and culture for over two thousand years, but the industrialization of the region led to the decline of wild rice populations and severely diminished the availability of wild rice to the communities that depend on …

Professional Development: Lessons From Building A Workplace Diversity, Equity And Inclusion Program

Business Exchange

Corliss Garner (BUS ’96), who is the senior vice president and head of corporate social responsibility and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) at First Midwest Bank, offers steps needed to build an effective and sustainable DEI program in any business.

First Amendment Knowledge And Competence In United States Residents, Cynthia J. Najdowski, Kimberly M. Bernstein

Psychology Faculty Scholarship

Lacking adequate knowledge about one's rights could inhibit the likelihood of exercising one's rights or lead one to unwittingly violate laws that place legitimate limits on these rights. Thus, the present research examines First Amendment knowledge as well as competence to apply this knowledge in relevant circumstances. Results revealed that one-quarter of participants failed a test of objective knowledge on First Amendment rights. Furthermore, participants' belief in their ability varied depending on their level of knowledge, in line with the Dunning–Kruger effect. Participants also failed to transfer their limited objective knowledge to “real-world” situations, exhibiting impaired First Amendment competence. These …

History In Crisis: Museum Programming During The Covid-19 Outbreak, Lindsay Mcconnell

Honors Thesis

The subject of my research is how museums adapted their public programming in response to COVID-19. The goal of my research is to analyze how successfully museums shifted their community engagement programming to online platforms. Since I hope to work in the museum field of programming, I was motivated to conduct this research. Not much research can be found on this topic because COVID-19’s effects on museums are still unfolding. My research could provide a foundation of ideas to build on. To begin, I read articles about the relationship between museums and technology. I applied this knowledge to analyze how …

Studying The Relationship Between Ethnic Identity And Resiliency: A Broad Approach, Mary Zheng

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Ethnic minorities in the United States face prejudice and racial discrimination, causing feelings of distress. However, ethnic minorities have shown an ability to overcome these negative experiences. Racial identity has been associated with more adjustments and higher functioning for ethnic minorities. To gain a clearer understanding of this phenomenon, we included White people in this study to gain an accurate picture of how resiliency operates differently for people of color and Whites and if it is indeed distinct between the two groups. The purpose of this project is to find and examine the link between ethnic identity and resiliency in …

Where They Live: Homelessness, School Location, And Academic Success, Alison Knoll

Honors Program Theses and Projects

The trauma and stress of homelessness on both children and their families can be devastating and damaging, especially to elementary school children. A teacher’s understanding of the social emotional needs of housing insecure children is critical to their student's social emotional and academic well-being. This study will map the location of schools in major urban areas in Eastern Massachusetts and identify the homeless shelters, transitional homes, and community resources within the area. The purpose of this research is to make clear the relationship between a school's locations and the needs of the children they serve. This study will also provide …

Untold Stories: A Phenomenological Study Of Parent And Educator Perspectives Of Parental Engagement In Title One Elementary Schools, Alexandra Rogers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

This qualitative, phenomenological study explored parent and educator perceptions of parental engagement in Title One elementary schools. Twelve participants were included in this study. Six parents and six educators from the Southeastern, Southwestern, and Western regions of the United States defined parental engagement and how parental engagement impacts student achievement. The following research questions guided this study: (a) What are parent perceptions of parental engagement in Title One schools? (b) What are teacher perceptions of parental engagement in Title One schools? (c) What are the similarities and differences in parent and teacher perception of parental engagement? (d) How can these …

Public Church Framework As Process For Antiracism: Integrating Racial Identity Development Models And Theological Commitments, Amanda Vetsch

MA Capstone Papers

This paper discusses various models of racial identity development and offers the Public Church Framework as one way that faith communities can engage in antiracism work.

Advertising In The Volunteer Tourism Industry: Analyzing The Relationship Between Social Exclusion And Self-Versus-Other Benefit Appeals., Lyndsay Swanston

Honors Projects in Marketing

This study aims to analyze how consumers perceive advertisements in the volunteer tourism industry when influenced by social exclusion and benefit appeals. The authors examined feelings, attitudes, and behavioral intentions of consumers in reference to an international volunteer trip advertisement. Based on data from a sample (n=259), findings demonstrated that consumers who felt more socially excluded responded more favorably to other-benefit appeals, opposed to self-benefit appeals. An interaction effect was discovered when looking at the degree of sympathy that participants felt regarding the advertisements. Participants who were socially excluded felt more sympathetic after viewing the other-benefit appeal advertisements, whereas those …

Understanding Aspiration And Education Towards Desistance From Offending: The Role Of Higher Education In Wales, Mark Jones, Debbie Jones

Journal of Prison Education and Reentry (2014-2023)

There has been a growing recognition of the value of education in facilitating desistance from offending. Yet, despite a determined push to “widen access” universities continue to be an unwelcoming place for those with a criminal record. To better understand the role of higher education in raising aspiration towards desistance, this paper draws on findings from a study in Swansea, Wales. Adopting a Pictorial Narrative approach the findings suggest that, whilst the participants identified potential benefits of attaining a higher education, those aspirations were outweighed by a distrust of the “institution” and a fear that the stigmatisation experienced through the …

Allyship Training Programs In Higher Education: Creating A Critical Curriculum Of Change, Macy Marin Keith

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Allies Training Programs (also known as Safe Space/Zone training) are found in many institutions of higher education. Usually provided by an LGBTQA+ or Gender and Sexuality Center staff, the goal is to prepare participants for an allyship role in hopes of promoting safe spaces on campus and decrease instances of queerphobia. This thesis examined current allies training programs to determine what content is being presented and compare to the latest critiques and definitions. After analysis it is determined that current allyship trainings are inadequately preparing higher education staff and faculty for an ally role. Using the results of this study …

The Impact Of Relationships On School Culture From Perspectives Of Faculty At A Philadelphia High School, Richman Mathis

Education Doctorate Dissertations

A school's culture is heavily influenced by the development of relationships between students and faculty. This study explores 13 faculty member stories to investigate what is in the culture at a private Philadelphia religious based high school that builds or hinders relationships. To inform this research investigation, evidence was gathered through a three step process: administering a survey, conducting semi-structured interviews, and the co-construction of narrative reflections. Faculty data collected shared moments revealing an understanding of the importance of healthy relationship building as an aspect in culture growth through empowering voices, autonomy, support, genuine love for one another, traditions and …

Sovereignty, Statehood, And Subjugation: Native Hawaiian And Japanese American Discourse Over Hawaiian Statehood, Nicole Saito

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Although discourse over Hawaiian statehood has increasingly been described by scholars as a racial conflict between Japanese Americans and Native Hawaiians, there existed a broad spectrum of interactions between the two groups. Both communities were forced to confront the prejudices they had against each other while recognizing their shared experiences with discrimination, creating a paradoxical political culture of competition and solidarity up until the conclusion of World War Two. From 1946 to 1950, however, the country’s collective understanding of Japanese American citizenship began to shift with recognition of the community’s military service record and an increased proportion of veterans elected …