Family, Life Course, and Society Commons^™

Volunteer Programming Impact On Long-Term Care Facilities, Paul P. Falkowski

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this present study was to examine the direct and indirect effects between the organizational structure of a long-term care facility, the amount of volunteers at the facility, the activities in which volunteers engage while at the facility and daily average number of hours care staff spend with nursing home residents. The time care staff spends with residents has been directly linked to the quality of care provided by the facility. This time is measured by calculating nursing hours per patient and it includes only nursing staff hours.The data for this study come from the National Nursing Home …

Healthy Aging In Massachusetts: Reporting Indicators, Identifying Resources & Activating Allies, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Nina Silverstein, Ruth Palombo, Chae Man Lee, Kristina Turk

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

In Massachusetts, a Healthy Aging Collaborative comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders has been formed for multiple purposes: information sharing around healthy aging, idea generation, partnership building and activity mapping.

Lift Up Your Voice! Health Care Advocacy Training Program: Empowering Older Adults, Nina M. Silverstein, Alison Gottlieb, Kelli Barton, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Lift Up Your Voice! (LUYV) is a health care advocacy training program developed by Community Catalyst and funded through Atlantic Philanthropies. LUYV directly engages older adults with chronic disease in state-based Campaign for Better Care initiatives to achieve changes in the health care delivery system.

Planning For The Growing Older Population: Conducting Community Needs Assessments, Caitlin Coyle, Hayley Gravette, Jan Mutchler, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Goals and Objectives: To describe the aging population of each community; To investigate the needs, interests and opinions of mature residents relating to their aging needs for age-related services in their respective communities; To provide recommendations to community partners and their stakeholders about how to create strong communities for older adults, based on needs assessment results; Generate reports and other documents to be used by the Department of Elder Services, other town offices, organizations that provide services, advocates, and community members.

Pension Action Center, Michele Tolson, Pension Action Center, University Of Massachusetts Boston, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

The Pension Action Center (PAC) strives to improve retirees’ and workers’ standard of living in retirement through individual case advocacy; referrals to appropriate programs and professionals; and issue analysis and reform of public policy. The center, which is part of the Gerontology Institute at UMass Boston, focuses on the experience of participants in retirement plans throughout its work. The PAC is a one-of-a-kind organization in New England that touches the lives of thousands of people.

The Characteristics Of Women Seeking Funding From The Dc Abortion Fund, Karin Elizabeth Bleeg

GW Research Days 2013

Objectives: To determine whether the population DCAF serves, based on current research, are those most in need of its financial services. Describe the population that DCAF is supports by age, race and ethnicity, poverty, educational attainment, union status, contraceptive method used, referral source, and number of prior pregnancies.

Methods: An adapted version of The Guttmacher Institute's National Patient Survey will be used to collect data from women who contact DCAF for financial assistance for their abortion (n=150). The data will be collected for one month and then analyzed in SPSS.

Results: Between January and March 2013 approximately 400 women contacted …

Chieftaincy-Based Community Dispute Resolution: The Case Of Sierra Leone, Whitney Mcintyre Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Sierra Leone suffered a destructive 11-year civil war that largely left its communities torn apart and in need of vast redevelopment. One of the ways that communities are rebuilding and making efforts to move forward is through the chieftaincy-based community dispute resolution process. Based on historical norms, this process involves the community leader, or chief, helping to resolve disputes within the community. This article reviews this chieftaincy-based community dispute resolution process, discusses the types of disputes settled, and provides broader lessons learned for communities who may be interested in truly community-based dispute resolution.

¿Mi Casa Es Su Casa?: Inmigración, Discriminación E Interculturalidad En Liceo Miguel De Cervantes Y Saavedra, Kathia Dumelle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio se trata de las dinámicas de inmigración, discriminación e interculturalidad en el Liceo Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra, establecimiento municipal, ubicado en la Región Metropolitana de Chile en la comuna de Santiago. Se propone conocer si lo que está pasando en la sociedad chilena, específicamente la discriminación contra los inmigrantes vecinos, se reproduce en la escuela, o si la escuela está cambiando las relaciones interpersonales entre los chilenos y los inmigrantes. Se investiga mediante una etnografía del liceo, realizando observaciones de la escuela, y entrevistas formales e informales con estudiantes inmigrantes, estudiantes chilenos, profesores y profesoras. Se observa …

Effective And Sustainable Programs Of Change: A Case Study Of Gulu Women’S Economic Development And Globalization (Gwed-G), Kristen Hochreiter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research explores the concepts of effectiveness and sustainability in the non-governmental organization (NGO) development sector by looking at two of the youth empowerment programs in the case study organization, Gulu Women’s Economic Development and Globalization (GWED-G). GWED-G is a women’s’ rights organization that works in the Amuru, Nwoya, and Gulu districts of northern Uganda and implements various different programs all with vulnerable individuals. The reason that this organization has chosen to work with empowering youth is due to the dismal conditions that these youths faced during their upbringings, which occurred during the 20-year-long conflict that affected much of the …

Opportunities For Munjoy Hill, Anne-Michelle Arless

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

Keeping the elderly in their own homes is challenging. A volunteer lead group of Munjoy Hill residents have united to form "circle of friends" to connect those within the community in need with those in the community who can offer a helping hand.

Haki: A Musical Activism Project, Katrina Doyle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Meaning both “Justice” and “Rights” in Kiswahili, “Haki” is a musical activism project seeking to expose injustices and human rights issues that bury themselves under the surface of Kenyan society. Its mission is to give a voice to the voiceless. To bring awareness to the rights Kenyans have according to their own laws, and what they can do to seek justice. Before songwriting, I researched the four areas – human trafficking, child sexual abuse, police abuse of power, and education inequality – extensively. I sought the expertise of Kenyan NGO leaders and studied many readings. This is a non-traditional ISP. …

Skype’S The Limit Testing The Value Of Cross-Cultural Relationship-Building In International Development, Charley Allegar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to explore the value of cross-cultural relationship-building and international friendship in development. By connecting two groups of Americans each with a group of low-income Kenyans over Skype and by presenting the written expression of Kenyans’ hopes and struggles to a third American group, the research analyzes whether face-to-face interaction and personal information sharing affects one’s perception of people’s needs. Though due to small sample sizes the results are generally inconclusive, qualitatively, the data suggest that relationship-building is a useful tool for development, defined as the improvement of a population’s fundamental welfare. Moreover, the study finds that deliberate …

Everyone Counts : Une Enquête Sur Le Recensement Général De La Population De Madagascar, Charlotte Mcdonald

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Qu’est-ce que c’est le recensement ?

D’habitude, lorsqu’on parle de « recensement », on veut dire un recensement général de la population et de l’habitat dans un pays. Le recensement est une opération statistique qu’un pays devrait mener d’une manière régulière pour suivre la croissance de sa population, les changements démographiques et les besoins de son peuple. Ce travail comprend des centaines d’indicateurs (comme l’âge, la religion, l’accès à l’eau potable, et les problèmes de santé) à partir desquels on collecte les données pour chaque ménage dans le pays.

Dans un pays riche comme les Etats-Unis, le recensement permet au …

“Queering The Rainbow Nation”: An Analysis Of 11 Gay And Lesbian Capetonians’ Perceptions Of Lgbt Identity In Cape Town And The South African Government’S Commitment To Lgbt Equality, Ryan Sasse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The South African government has made vast strides in the fight for LGBT equality, strides that are unparalleled by any other nation on the African continent. Unfortunately, the lack of hate crime legislation within the country—as well as the government’s unwillingness to address the nation’s resulting violence—often overshadows the accomplishments that have been made over the last few years. Keeping in mind that “[f]eminist research goals foster empowerment and emancipation for women and other marginalized groups, and feminist researchers often apply their findings in the service of promoting social justice for women,” we can see how the LGBT community is …

Cape Town Performance Poetry: The Activist’S Pen Is Mighty, Kelsey Rae Brattin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Beginning with a look back to historical Xhosa oral traditions and then examining the role of performance poetry in resistance during Apartheid, this paper explores the existence of contemporary Cape Town performance poetry in a setting that has been a home to poets for centuries. Specifically, this project is a look into the space, mental and physical, that exists within Cape Town’s current performance poetry scene for themes of resistance and activism. Through the observation of public poetry performances in local bookstores and coffeehouse, and through interviews with poets and audience members, contemporary attitudes of writers and community members toward …

Motivations To Migrate: Migration From Morocco And The “Failure” Of Rural Development During The Eurozone Financial Crisis, Alexander Djaha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

EU’s closing borders are impeding a fifty-year pattern of Moroccan migration to southern Europe to find work, prosper and provide for their families back home. Moroccan NGOs, as well as the Spanish and Italian governments, have recently invested in rural development initiatives aimed at increasing employment opportunities in Morocco and deterring workers from migrating. Yet Moroccans keep risking their lives and continue to migrate illegally every day as these initiatives are proving to be ineffective. This study examines the current conditions for Moroccan migrant workers amidst tightening European Union borders and a narrowing European frontier for employment. The Eurozone financial …

Food From Foreigners: Examining Expatriate Entrepreneurship In The Food Sector Of Nepal, Melanie R. Couchman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recognizing the large impact that entrepreneurship can have on the development of a country, this research attempts to study the process foreigners face in starting up a business, the motives for entering the Nepalese market place, and ultimately how these foreign business owners are finding success in Nepal. Focusing primarily on the food sector, this research hopes to answer the question of whether foreign entrepreneurs can successfully integrate into the Nepalese market, how foreign business might differ from native business, and how foreign presence is affecting Nepal’s development. This study takes place in Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Patan, and will use …

Think Like A Mongolian: Cultivating Community Based Pasture Management, Karen Elizabeth Yoshida Weldon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since Mongolia’s democratization and move to a free market, the country has been grappling with the best approaches to deal with pasture degradation caused by both climate change and lifestyle changes of nomadic herders. International donors and NGOS have implemented community based natural resource management projects with the missions mitigating the effects of pasture degradation and livelihoods of herding families through building capacity. While studies have been done regarding the effectiveness of these community based conservation projects, minimal research has been done to understand how the traditions, values, and culture of Mongolia herders affect the success of these pastureland conservation …

Adding Injustice To Injury - Health Perceptions, Plurality, And Power In The Ongoing Bhopal Disaster, Ruth Markwardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Standards of health, human rights, and development are typically defined and dictated by policymakers instead of the populations directly affected by so-called development efforts. This paper seeks to contextualize global development efforts by highlighting specific local realities among the community of Bhopal Disaster survivors in Madhya Pradesh, India. As the site of the world’s largest industrial disaster, a disaster which is not over but ongoing, Bhopal represents an important population to highlight as the disaster continues. The Political Ecology of Health model was used to highlight political and environmental influences on community health. Within Political Ecology, this study takes a …

Fa’Amatala Lau Tala: Samoan Pregnancy And Childbirth Narratives, Elsa Kendall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Pregnancy is, for each individual woman, situated in a particular historical, social, and cultural understanding of her own body; the experience cannot be divorced from these components that inform what is deemed unhealthy or inappropriate. Most social research regarding pregnancy and childbirth focuses on economic and political implications. This study explored personal narratives of Samoan women’s experience with pregnancy and childbirth to shed light on cultural aspects of events. Seven women were interviewed as key informants using informal, unstructured interviews to better understand these topics, and are presented as a compilation of stories of the most intimate parts of their …

Viendo De Camino A Casa: La Construcción De La Identidad Transnacional En La Comunidad Libanesa De Buenos Aires = Looking Homeward: The Construction Of Transnational Identity In The Lebanese Community Of Buenos Aires, Lindsay Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

At the end of the 19^th century through World War I, around three million immigrants entered Argentina. The vast majority left behind homes in Italy and Spain; however, a significant minority population arrived from Greater Syria, specifically from present-day Syria and Lebanon. Today, the descendents of these Syrian-Lebanese migrants make up the third largest community in Argentina. Despite the significant presence of the community, the Syrian-Lebanese community has been largely absent from scholarly work on Argentine ethnic groups.

The objective of this study is to explore the relationship that the descendents of Lebanese immigrants, living in Buenos Aires, have …

The Institutional And Social Integration Of Child Asylum-Seekers In The Schools And Society Of The Canton Of Vaud, Switzerland, Sonja C. Brinker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As an increasing number of asylum-seekers cross the border into Switzerland in search of protection, Switzerland faces the challenge of accommodating and integrating asylum populations into society while protecting all basic human rights. This study looks at the reception of child asylum-seekers in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland in terms of their integration in the education system and society. A series of interviews and a literature review were used to identify what services are available to child asylumseekers both at school and within the canton that may facilitate integration. The findings of this study indicate that child asylum-seekers are receiving …

La Implementación Del Programa De Intervención Para Hombres Que Ejercen Violencia Contra Sus Parejas, “Hombres Por Una Vida Sin Violencia,” En Arica, Chile, Meghna Nandi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Battery intervention programs are an important domestic violence intervention method to study because they focus on understanding the perpetrator’s side of domestic violence and can shed light on the cultural and social forces that maintain domestic violence within society. Objective: This study explores Chile’s newly initiated battery intervention program, “Hombres por una vida sin violencia,” or “Men for a life without violence,” by documenting its implementation in the city of Arica, Chile through an investigation of both the program’s functioning and the perception of domestic violence within the greater community. Methodology: Interviews were conducted with professionals who work in …

The Adjustment Of Asian American Families To The U.S. Context: The Ecology Of Strengths And Stress, Yan Ruth Xia

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

The number of Asian American families is on the rise. Asian American families are a diverse group. This chapter focuses on Asian American families that migrated to the United States in the last three decades. This chapter challenges the media’s depiction of them as a Model Minority. Because of this stereotype, many challenges that this group encounters may not gain adequate attention. The chapter examines their strengths and resiliency, along with the ecology of stress that influences family dynamics.

Yogahome: Emotional, Physical And Social Impacts Of A Yoga Program On Community Homeless Shelter Residents, Jennifer Davis-Berman, Jean Farkas

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

This article reports on a qualitative analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with 12 women and 2 men who participated in a community-based yoga program, run by a certified yoga teacher and a social worker, at a homeless shelter in a medium-sized city in the Midwestern United States. This restorative yoga program was developed in the shelter in response to the severe stress of being homeless and the chaotic nature of shelter life. Based on an analysis of transcribed interviews, the following themes were generated and discussed: Yoga as Relaxation, Stress Relief, Pain Relief, and Future Practice. The challenges and …

Social Work, Yoga, And Gratitude: Partnership In A Homeless Shelter, Jennifer Davis-Berman, Jean Farkas

Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Faculty Publications

This narrative explores the personal lessons learned about life and practice from YogaHome, a yoga program for homeless adults. The yoga program, taught in partnership by a social worker/professor of social work (Jenny) and a yoga teacher (Jean) with 17 years of experience, exemplifies the merging of social work and yogic practices , but also illustrates the evolution of these two professionals in their chosen fields as many of their traditional views, values, intentions, and expectations unraveled and led to a re-revaluation of their professional practices, transforming their personal perspectives on life. This reflection is based on the YogaHome program, …

Eliminating Sexual Harassment Of Adolescent Girls In Bangladesh: A Comparative Analysis Of Multi-Level Strategies, Kristan Bakker

Capstone Collection

As a result of civil society and the government of Bangladesh’s commitment to reach universal education and gender equality, great strides have been made in secondary school enrollment with the number of girls attending now on par with that of boys. However, a consequence of the increased mobility of adolescent girls in public places is increased incidences of sexual harassment. In 2009 and 2010 there was a rash of suicides. Adolescent girls who had been victims of sexual harassment took their own lives to escape the pain and shame brought on by a culture that blames girls for men’s unwelcomed …

Bonding Alone: Familism, Religion, And Secular Civic Participation, Young-Il Kim, W. Bradford Wilcox

Faculty Publications - Department of Sociology

This study examines the influence of familism, religion, and their interaction on participation in secular voluntary associations. We develop an insularity theory to explain how familism and religion encourage Americans to avoid secular civic participation. Using data from the first wave of the National Survey of Families and Households, this study finds that familism reduces participation in secular organizations. Moreover, religion moderates the effect of familism: specifically, religious involvement tends to increase the negative effect of familism on secular civic participation. Although religious involvement in and of itself fosters secular civic participation, strong familism tends to dampen positive impacts of …

Alliances Et Cultures Nord, Emily Taft

France: Language, Community and Social Change

Alliances et Cultures est un centre social à Toulouse qui « apporte, par des actions collectives, une réponse à des problèmes d'intégration sociale. » L’association, qui a été officiellement créée en 1987, réalise cette mission par trois axes principaux: l’insertion social et les liens sociales, l’accompagnement à la parentalité, et l’accompagnement aux personnes âgées. L’Alliances et Cultures a trois endroits différents : Sept-Deniers, Mirail, et Nord. Pour ma présentation, je vais parler de l’association en générale, ses missions, ses activités, etc. Je pense qu’il est important de montrer tous les fonctionnes de l’association pour mieux voir comment elles travaillent ensemble …

Developing A Space For Children: An Internship With The Mullumbimby Community Garden, Eden Olsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to demonstrate my independent study project internship at the Mullumbimby Community Garden (MCG), an interactive learning site for the citizens of Byron Shire. As an intern I spent 152.5 hours from October 29^th to November 23^rd planting, planning projects, attending meetings, and helping to educate about the importance of sustainable food production. More specifically, I focused on the development of the Children’s Garden, building vertical garden beds, planting the sensory garden, attending meetings, and helping to design and analyze costs for new structures to be implemented in the near future.

This study reaches further than …