Social Welfare Commons^™

Harm Reduction Without Supportive Policing: Experiences Of Drug Users In Nepal, Chandra Jha, Dennis Donovan

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

This study explored the impact of drug criminalization and policing on harm reduction efforts in Nepal. In contexts marked by widespread corruption, drug criminalization often exacerbates the mistreatment by law enforcement of people who use drugs (PWUD), creating substantial barriers to their accessing harm reduction services. Utilizing a constructivist framework and a modified grounded theory approach, we conducted in-depth interviews with 20 PWUD to examine their experiences with drug use, interactions with police, and the consequent effects on harm reduction efforts. Three key themes emerged: the exploitation of PWUD as a significant source of income for corrupt police officers, the …

Lessons For Public Policy From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Olga Shvetsova

Political Science Faculty Scholarship

In the early 2020s, as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, governments, bureaucracies, and health practitioners around the globe faced unforeseen tasks and responsibilities. The novelty and intensity of the crisis spurred innovation and experimentation in public policy, health policy, and crisis management. However, the pandemic also revealed bottlenecks and adverse incentives within policy framework and healthcare systems. From this experience, critical lessons emerged: the paramount importance of swift and well-informed policy responses and the ability to optimize ongoing policy response as the crisis unfolds.

More Police Spending Is Linked To Higher Opioid Overdose Mortality Rates, Michah W. Rothbart, Zoe Lindenfeld, Amanda I. Mauri, Diana Silver

Population Health Research Brief Series

In the United States, over 100,000 people die from drug overdoses every year. County fiscal policies, particularly police spending and revenue generated from fines and forfeitures, not only shape the resources available for health interventions but may also influence how those resources are used to prevent overdoses. This brief highlights findings from a study that used data from the U.S. Census of Governments to examine how counties use of extractive policing practices (fines and forfeitures) as well as spending on health and policing were related to opioid overdose deaths from 2017 to 2020. Findings show that higher county-level police spending …

Moving From ‘Managing Stakeholders’ To ‘Managing For Stakeholders’: The Imperative For Responsible Business, Meena Raghunathan, Kara Li Liu

Markets, Globalization & Development Review

Gone are the days when it was accepted that shareholders were the ones for whose benefit business was done, and that the purpose of business was to maximize returns to shareholders. Today, it is universally accepted that a business has to look beyond maximizing profits. It has to take into account the needs all stakeholders, including the environment.

Several frameworks and approaches have been advocated to achieve the objective of optimizing the value of the corporation from multiple angles, including Triple Bottom Line, Responsible Business, Sustainability, Corporate Social Responsibility, etc. At the heart of all these concepts is the issue …

Collaborative Governance In Practice: Evaluating Intergovernmental Relations Through The Santa Clara County Healthy Cities Initiative, Astrid J. Robles

Master's Projects

In the United States, intergovernmental relations (IGR) is rooted in the principles of American federalism, which focuses on the constitutional power dynamics between national, state, and local governments. While federalism outlines the structural framework, IGR specifically focuses on how federal, state, and local governments interact administratively, financially, and politically within the federal system. Beginning in the 1960’s, governments across the U.S. began to rely on non-governmental and private sector organizations for program implementation (Boyd & Fauntroy, 2000). This shift gave rise to the concept of collaborative governance, which expanded the scope of IGR by incorporating traditionally excluded groups from the …

2024 Oregon Statewide Homelessness Estimates, Franklin H. Spurbeck, Jacen Greene, Marisa Zapata

Homelessness Research & Action Collaborative Publications and Presentations

The Point-in-Time (PIT) Count is a census of people experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness on a single night in January. The federal government requires this at least every other year as a condition of funding it distributes to Continuums of Care (CoCs), networks of government agencies and service providers that manage homelessness services and funding in specific regions. The unsheltered PIT Count is only required during odd-numbered years. Because of the cost and complexity involved, not all CoCs conduct an unsheltered count in even-numbered years. In 2024, all Oregon CoCs submitted sheltered PIT Count data. Only some conducted an …

Where Does The Money Go? Three Essays On Intergovernmental Transfers, Spending, And Poverty In Indonesia, Jacobus Cd Rijoly

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Indonesia allocates substantial intergovernmental transfers to local governments; nonetheless, the decrease in poverty remains limited. This dissertation posits that the binding constraint is institutional, specifically the regulations and incentives that dictate the extent to which funds are allocated from the government to designated programs. Institutional pass-through refers to the fraction of a transfer that is allocated to a program expenditure. The three essays integrate estimation, budget composition evidence, and a formal model to explain both modest average effects and heterogeneity across regions and programs.

The first essay evaluates the impact of transfers on provincial poverty from 2001 to 2022 by …

Searching For The City - A Study Of Tourism And Urban Development, Ethan Miskelly Paul

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis uses an interdisciplinary study of urban tourism development to examine a number of points of interest with regard to urban tourism governance. It explores what motivates cities to plan development projects intended to attract tourism, what distinguishes the city as ‘place to visit’ from ‘place to live’ from the perspective of a resident, and if tourism is a viable strategy for promoting sustainable development and resident wellbeing in an urban environment.

These questions are ever more relevant as tourism itself comes to represent a major driver of the global economy. Beginning with a review of the relevant literature …

Moral Panic Or Public Health Crisis? Lessons From Drugs And Gambling For “Addictive” Design, Matthew B. Lawrence, Haomin (Kevin) Yan

Faculty Articles

In her important book, Unwired: Gaining Control Over Addictive Technologies, Gaia Bernstein illustrates the value of a comparative approach, drawing lessons from fights around the regulation of tobacco and ultra-processed food for the regulation of social media. Building on Bernstein’s work, this symposium contribution aims to draw additional insight from experience with drug and gambling regulation for the regulation of social media, video games, AI, and other potentially-addictive technologies.

Specifically, after introducing Bernstein’s book and the foundation it lays, we draw six lessons from the study of psychoactive drugs and gambling. As we elaborate below: Lesson one is that …

Healing Communities With Police Divestment: Seeking Abolition Through Transformative Reform And Community-Government Collaboration, Jessica E. Gillson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Concerns about the efficacy and sustainability of the U.S. carceral system have persisted throughout the country’s history, recently fueling renewed activism and bipartisan calls for reform. However, proposed solutions remain divisive. This thesis first defines the current status of our prison systems, then explores collaborative alternatives to incarceration and policing that support communities and break cycles of incarceration.

Focusing on partnerships among local governments, community organizations, justice-involved individuals, and law enforcement, this study examines holistic approaches to crime prevention, reentry, and reintegration. Using an interdisciplinary framework incorporating restorative justice, community resilience, and systems theory, it investigates how community-based strategies can …

Minnesota's Path To Prosperity: A Single Case Study Examining The Evolution Of Children's Programs And The Birth Of The Department Of Children, Youth And Families (Dcyf) - Implications For The Well-Being Of Minnesota Families, Shaneen D. Moore

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

This case study research inquiry delves into the possibilities of restructuring children's programs, with a specific focus on the establishment of the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) in Minnesota. The goal is to address and rectify ongoing challenges in the current system by employing a human-centered design approach. These challenges encompass program silos, restricted access to essential resources, and the pervasive scarcity mindset that detrimentally affects the well-being of Minnesota families. The study endeavors to investigate how the restructuring, realignment, and innovation of children's services can result in an adaptive, transformative, and people-centric system capable of providing holistic …

Addressing Economic Instability And Workforce Turnover In Early Childhood Education: The Role Of Stipends, Wage Supplements, And Professional Development, Lucinda J. Leffler

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Child care workers are vital to early childhood education, yet they face persistent economic instability, low wages, and high turnover rates. To address these challenges, states and policymakers have implemented stipends, wage supplements, and professional development programs aimed at improving financial security, job satisfaction, and workforce retention. This literature review examines the effectiveness of these initiatives across the United States, drawing on theoretical frameworks such as Vroom’s Expectancy Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory to contextualize their impact. Research indicates that financial incentives significantly reduce turnover, while professional development fosters job satisfaction and career advancement. However, sustainability concerns remain, particularly with …

Social Determinants Of Health And Aging In Africa: Structural Inequality, Vulnerability, And The Future Of Care, Aremu Umor Lukman, Sunkanmi Folorunsho, Abdulrauf Olaitan Taofeeq

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Population aging is accelerating across Africa yet remains underrepresented in research, policy, and public health planning. This review critically examines how social determinants shape aging experiences across the continent, focusing on health, care systems, and structural inequalities. While traditional African societies have historically valued older adults, modernization, migration, and economic hardship have eroded support systems, leaving many to face old age with limited resources. Older Africans, particularly women and rural residents, contend with lifelong disadvantages including low education, informal labor, poverty, and gendered caregiving roles that contribute to poor health and social vulnerability. Health systems remain poorly equipped to address …

Urban Isolation In The Digital Age- Examining The Sociological Impact Of The Digital Divide On Civic Life In U.S. Cities, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

The digital divide remains a persistent barrier to civic participation and social inclusion in urban America, particularly in historically underserved communities. This mixed-methods study investigates how digital lack of access affects civic engagement, social capital, and community cohesion in U.S. cities, with a focus on Chicago’s South Side, Harlem New York, St. Louis, and Orlando. Drawing on quantitative data from recent surveys and qualitative insights from peer-reviewed literature, the research applies four sociological frameworks, Urban Sociology, Social Capital Theory, Critical Race Theory, and Symbolic Interactionism. These were used to examine the structural and interpretive aspects of digital isolation. Findings reveal …

From Tricare To Medicaid: Dental Insurance Disparities Among U.S. Veterans And Active Duty Service Members, Madeline K. Mcnutt Ms

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Oral health plays a critical role in systemic well-being, yet dental care access in the United States remains deeply unequal, particularly among low-income and historically marginalized populations. Among those significantly affected are military veterans, who frequently experience barriers to oral healthcare due to eligibility restrictions within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system. This study offers a comparative analysis of dental insurance satisfaction between recipients of Medicaid and the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Program (ADDP), two federally funded programs that reflect the divide between civilian and military healthcare access. While TRICARE ADDP provides comprehensive and uniform coverage for Active Duty …

The Permanent Supportive Housing Of Central Virginia’S Aged Out Foster Youths: The Permanent Supportive Housing Of Central Virginia’S Aged Out Foster Youths A Plan To Increase Regional Capacity, Fill Gaps In Service, And Identify Potential Sites., Matthew Snow

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Capstone Projects

As of 2024, Virginia’s Central Region continues to produce one of the highest rates of foster care emancipations in the state, despite having minimal infrastructure to support young adults transitioning out of care. Each year, dozens of foster youth in the region age out of the system without reunification, adoption, or other forms of permanency, disproportionately entering adulthood without the stability of housing, employment, or accessible services. Although permanent supportive housing (PSH) has emerged as a nationally validated model for housing and service integration, few PSH developments in Virginia are designed specifically for aged-out foster youth or their families.

This …

Examining Drug Policy In Portugal And Greece, Collin Fernandes

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis examines the divergent drug policies implemented in Portugal and Greece, analyzing why Portugal's comprehensive decriminalization model has been more successful than Greece's partial approach. Since 2001, Portugal has pioneered a drug policy that decriminalizes all drugs for personal use while investing in harm reduction services, rehabilitation, and social reintegration. In contrast, Greece maintained criminalization while implementing more limited harm reduction measures, particularly through OKANA (the Organization Against Drugs). The research highlights how economic factors, particularly the 2008 financial crisis and austerity measures, negatively affected both countries' programs but hit Greece's initiatives with greater severity. Portugal's programs have remained …

Exploring The Dynamics And Outcomes Of Family Engagement In Child Welfare Services: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach, Jianchao Lai, Michelle Graef, Todd Franke

Center on Children, Families, and the Law: Faculty Publications

Background: Engaging families effectively in child welfare services remains a persistent challenge, shaped by complex interactions between agency practices and family circumstances. While existing research has explored this issue, it has predominantly relied on data from agency and caseworker perspectives, often overlooking the crucial viewpoint of the families. Objectives: This study investigates families’ subjective experiences and perceptions within the child welfare system, focusing on their satisfaction with child welfare workers and overall engagement. Methods: The study draws on data collected through an evaluation of the implementation of Alternative Response in a Midwestern state. Agency administrative data is integrated with additional …

Welfare States And Imprisonment Rates: Revisiting The Study Of Public Assistance And Punishment In The United States, Stefan Ivanov

Electronic Theses & Dissertations (2024 - present)

In the past fifty years, the United States has seen significant changes in both the criminal legal system and the welfare state. The incarceration rate surged by 475% from 1972 to 2007, driven by state-level decisions about criminal legal policy and disproportionately affecting Black Americans. Simultaneously, welfare programs became less generous, especially for those deemed “undeserving.” A long line of social science scholarship emphasizes that these two major social institutions—the welfare state and the carceral state—must be considered as complementary and alternative methods of managing marginalized groups. Quantitative research often confirms these claims, finding a durable inverse relationship between welfare …

Examining Low-Income Caregivers' Knowledge And Comprehension Of The Dental Caries Process, Melissa Sullivan, Denise C. Mckinney, Deanne Shuman, Qi Zhang

Dental Hygiene Faculty Publications

Purpose Dental caries among young children remains a public health concern in the United States (US). Children of caregivers with low oral health literacy (OHL) tend to have greater unmet dental needs and poorer oral health status. The purpose of this study was to examine the understanding of pediatric dental terms associated with the dental caries process among low-income caregivers.

Methods This study included 14 caregivers with children enrolled in a Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) in the Southeastern US. Through structured phone interviews, the validated Oral Health Literacy Inventory for Parents (OH-LIP) was used …