Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

Social Media As Fragile State, Caroline A. Haythornthwaite, Philip Mai, Anatoliy Gruzd

School of Information Studies - Faculty Scholarship

Social media platforms are grappling with how to respond to hate speech, misinformation, and political manipulation in ways that address human rights, free speech, and equality. As independent ‘states’, they are enacting their own rules of conduct, deriving their own ‘laws’, convening their own extrajudicial self regulatory institutions, and making their own interpretations and enactments of human rights. With the rise of social states such as Facebook, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, how fragile are they in their ability to achieve outcomes of fair, equitable and consistent application of their own laws? Could an assessment of the fragility of …

Fitness, Parks, And Active Transportation Organizations Support Community Recovery And Physical Activity After Disasters, Claire Pendergrast, Scott Miles, Youngjun Choe, Nicole Errett

Population Health Research Brief Series

Disaster-impacted communities face many threats to health and wellbeing during the recovery period. Fitness, parks, and active transportation organizations support physical activity and social connectedness on an everyday basis and are well-positioned to support communities’ diverse needs during disaster recovery. This research brief summarizes findings from a peer-reviewed study showing that fitness, parks, and active transportation organizations’ trusted relationships, large organizational networks, and health promotion expertise enables them to support disaster recovery efforts and community health after disasters.

Neo Collectivism: Public Space Design For The Intergenerational Community, Shu Zhang

Architecture Senior Theses

Within our lifetime, we will see an increase in the aging of the population in China, and the social isolation of the elderly is occurring every day. Simultaneously, more and more young people migrate to large cities, while older family members stay in their home towns to ease the younger generation's burden. The once collectivist family culture has been destroyed, and the daily life of the elderly without their relatives has become monotonous and lonely. Moreover, with the advancement of technology, the younger generation is increasingly dependent on smartphones for social interaction and life, which increases the possibility of the …

Youth Participation In The Development Sector Before And After The 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Saif Abdelrasol

English Language Institute

The socio-political situation has a huge impact on the youth participation in the development agenda, whether locally or internationally. That was obvious during and after the Egyptian revolution, which was led by young people. Youth participation in development field in Egypt has had a significant increase in comparison with before the revolution, both locally — through NGOs and youth-led organizations — and in the international development agenda, through participation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Virtual Reality: A Tool Used To Engage Youth In The Voting Process In Newly Democratic Tunisia, Raed Ghanja

English Language Institute

Tunisia is facing a hard time with its transition to democracy partly due to the reluctance on the part of young people to participate in elections. This poster discusses why the Tunisian government must engage youth and encourage their participation in the election process by using fun simulations of this process in Virtual Reality.

Roads To Resettlement: A Global Analysis Of Refugee And Migrant Integration Policies Through Education-Based Non-Profits, Dina Eldawy

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This project is an international comparative study of migration patterns and integration models, spanning global case studies of refugee and migrant communities in Latin America, the United States, and the Middle East through personal research and experience. Using participant observation and interviews, I observed and worked with three different nonprofit ecosystems in Syracuse, NY; Santiago, Chile; and Tyre, Lebanon. This paper situates all three cities in the context of our globalizing world, where global conflicts or economic conditions that affect one country have an extremely crucial impact on other countries surrounding it and beyond. I observed three host countries that, …

Patterns Of Government In Onondaga County: Structure And Services Of County, City, Town, And Village Governments, Focus Greater Syracuse, Syracuse University, Maxwell School, Community Benchmarks Program

Community Benchmarks Program

The 2018 revised Patterns of Government is an important resource for elected and public officials, citizens, students, businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and the general public. Patterns of Government also serves as the textbook for Citizens Academy, co- sponsored by FOCUS Greater Syracuse and Syracuse University Community Engagement. Local government courses at Maxwell School of Syracuse University and Newhouse School of Public Communications also use Patterns of Government as an educational tool. This book contains vital information that ordinarily can be found only when one researches multiple sources. This informational book will help you understand how local governments are organized, …

Witness The Spectacle, If You Can: An Investigative Analysis Of The Accessibility Of Democracy In Syracuse Local Government, Alexis Rinck

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This qualitative study seeks to explore, analyze, and challenge the structure and participants in Syracuse local government. In 2015, a study done by Rutgers University professor, Paul Jargowsky, named Syracuse as the city with the poorest Black and Latino populations in the United States (Jargowsky 2015). This study has culminated into an in-depth examination of Syracuse local government and the accessibility of its representative democracy. This study utilizes qualitative methods: participant observation and in-depth semi-structured interviews to explore how groups of citizens engage with the local government through attending public meetings. Three primary themes include: the emergence of a political …

Circulating Literacies: When Storytelling Meets Policy, Nedda Sarshar

Honors Capstone Projects - All

We have recently come to terms with a rush of xenophobia, both on the federal and local level. Racist and discriminatory policies have always been at work, but they have been given a higher platform in recent times. This project attempts to understand how and why racist rhetoric is allowed to exist, and how marginalized voices can be circulated throughout the public sphere to maintain their own agencies.

The term “literacy” is typically limited to the Western definition of “reading and writing English”. This project attempts to disrupt that hegemonic narrative, and instead make way for other types of literacy …

How Civility Works, Keith Bybee

Institute for the Study of the Judiciary, Politics, and the Media at Syracuse University

Is civility dead? Americans ask this question every election season, but their concern is hardly limited to political campaigns. Doubts about civility regularly arise in just about every aspect of American public life. Rudeness runs rampant. Our news media is saturated with aggressive bluster and vitriol. Our digital platforms teem with expressions of disrespect and trolls. Reflecting these conditions, surveys show that a significant majority of Americans believe we are living in an age of unusual anger and discord. Everywhere we look, there seems to be conflict and hostility, with shared respect and consideration nowhere to be found. In a …

Abortion, Teen Pregnancy, And Feminism: Finding Women-Centric Solutions For Reproductive Justice, Jessica Faunce

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This two-part project seeks to understand, discuss, and address issues surrounding some of the most contentious debates in the United States: unplanned pregnancy and abortion. The first part of the project looks at the pro-life feminist movement’s agenda and ideals through comprehensive interviews with nine self-proclaimed pro-life feminists. The goal of this research is to gain an understanding of a women-centric opposition to abortion and to reflect on possible solutions that would benefit women and gain support from both pro-life and pro-choice advocates. Taking into account the information gathered through qualitative research on pro-life feminism, the second part of this …

Research Brief: "Bringing The State Back In To Civic Engagement: Policy Feedback Effects Of The G.I. Bill For World War Ii Veterans", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study examines World War II veterans, as the implications for civic engagement and the theoretical framework are still applicable to post 9/11 veterans, and found that fifty-one percent of all World War II returning veterans took advantage of the G.I. Bill of 1944. In practice, public service programs for veterans should continue encouraging their veterans to be civically engaged, and student veterans should continue frequenting campus veteran’s centers and services. In policy, the VA and legislatures have made significant improvements to reduce the paperwork involved with accessing one’s G.I. Bill benefits. Suggestions for future study include continuing to study …

Research Brief: "Civic Engagement And Sense Of Community In The Military", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This 1999 study focused on the Air Force service communities regarding civic engagement and a sense of community. The purpose was to identify if an increase in civic engagement/sense of community would help military families feel less overwhelmed and make better connections. Suggestions for future research include expanding this type of study to all military branches, as well as establishing and exploring other external factors which might impact families in these communities psychologically.

Research Brief: "Soldiers To Citizens: The Link Between Military Service And Volunteering", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This research examines the relationship between military service and political engagement, such as voting and volunteering. This study found that older and married veterans were more likely to volunteer than their younger and unmarried counterparts, and therefore veterans who are suffering from depression or loss of purpose might benefit from programs that encourage volunteering. Future research should further investigate the links between individual socioeconomic characteristics, family, social support, and engagement in volunteer work.

Reviving American Democracy: Fueling Civic Engagement Through Campaign Finance Reform, Christina Levin

Honors Capstone Projects - All

In this paper, I contend that the skyrocketing influence of money from wealthy individuals and special interest groups has thwarted accountable policymaking and disengaged the average American voter from civic life. This is a pressing concern for a participatory system of government, which relies on its citizens to contribute to lawmaking and the selection of its officeholders.

I begin by outlining how civic engagement has been the bedrock of American democracy.

Then, I proceed by asserting that the rise of the corporate state has sparked the downfall of a representative political structure that is accessible and responsive to all voters. …

Ecotourism In Costa Rica: Empowering Local Communities, Rachel Lequire

Honors Capstone Projects - All

This paper explores a community-based ecotourism initiative called La Tortuga Feliz, in Pacuare Beach, Costa Rica. This organization founded and run by Western expatriates using a conservation approach provides benefits to the local community while meaningfully involving them in the process.

My research included an extensive literature review, informal and formal interviews as well as participant observation for one month on-site. The objective was to understand what it means to empower and involve local communities in a meaningful way in community-based ecotourism projects.

I will argue that La Tortuga Feliz, although facilitating some benefits to the community, also disempowers the …

[Re]Formulating The Informal, Sebastien Coles

Architecture Senior Theses

The identity associate with the inhabitants of the "Bidonvilles" of Haiti is arguably nonexistent aside from its connection to the impoverished conditions of the Haitian slum/shantytown. This thesis contends that with the insertion of a reformative intervention in the heart of the community promoting a conducive and educational environment while overlaying a currently absent infrastructure, will help in creating a positive inner growth within the informal typology. More specifically architecture will act as a form of "pride of place," enticing interaction through the direction connection to culture.