Social Justice Commons^™

Cops/Metro Alliance - Stmu Oral Histories With Sister Gabriella Lohan, Gabriella Parra

COPS/Metro

Sister Gabriella Lohan discusses her background in education. She explains how she became involved with COPS and some initiatives she has worked on. She discusses what she has experienced in her time with COPS.

Perceptions Of School Climate, Scott Siegel

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This doctoral dissertation investigates the differences in perceptions of school climate among in-school stakeholders. The study focuses on how the participant’s role within the school and gender impact their perceptions of school climate. Surveys were administered to students and teachers in a high school setting, with quantitative analysis revealing statistical differences in perceptions among key groups. Notably, teachers demonstrated higher perceptions of school climate than students, indicating the role within the school has the potential to influence stakeholder perceptions. Additional findings include male students demonstrating higher perceptions of school climate than female students, indicating gender plays an integral part in …

Naturalist Thomas Hardy's Inadvertent Support Of The Gospel Narrative When Portraying Sexual Abuse And Shame In Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Hannah Carmichael

Master of Arts in Classical Studies

In his novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the naturalist author Thomas Hardy attempts to critique the 19th-century Christian perspective on sexual abuse. Instead, he inadvertently critiques legalism, exposing it as the antithesis of true Christianity. Secular scholars believe that Hardy’s novel is blaming the Victorian era’s sexual ignorance for the stigma and shame surrounding sexual abuse. Christian scholars believe that Hardy’s naturalistic worldview simply lacks a moral standard. However, I believe that Hardy’s novel exposes an issue far deeper than sexual ignorance and lacks something far more substantive than a moral standard; his novel addresses the devastating consequences of …

Establishing Consent: The Role Of Women Representatives In Passing Informed Consent Laws, Sophia Stockham

Department of Political Science: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

What predicts the adoption of informed consent laws for pelvic exams within the United States? As of January 2023, 22 states have adopted informed consent laws for pelvic examinations on women, with eleven being under Democratic control, six being Republican control, and five with divided control between the legislature and gubernatorial level at the time of adoption. Little attention, however, has been given to women’s health mandates outside the issue of abortion and to variation among state partisan adoption regarding informed consent for pelvic exams. This paper examines the impact of partisanship, the percentage of women in the legislature, and …

Between Pages And Politics: An Interdisciplinary Exploration Of Book Bans, Hannah Morrison

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Across the United States, school boards are being inundated with requests to ban books. While these conversations are often localized, what the rise in censorship across the country suggests is that there is a fierce movement behind censoring young adult literature. What is frequently erased in these campaigns are stories of people of color and queer communities, alongside topics such as sexuality, drugs, or violence. The presiding conclusion within childhood studies on how we have reached a point where censorship is abundantly common in American schools is that public discourse views children as less than or not fully formed, thus …

Teacher Roles In Correction: Understanding Disciplinary Alternative School Programs In Nebraska, Philip Thomas White Iii

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Through semi-structured interviews with teachers and semi-structured interviews-turned-testimonios of students, I have sought to understand the purposes and consequences of Disciplinary Alternative Programs (DAP). Four different locations from across the state of Nebraska were utilized with 16 teachers and two students participating. Research questions considered the purpose of DAPs to better understand how these programs fit into broader systems of schooling. While highly cautious IRB oversight limited the number of students who could be participants in this study, their insights were substantially augmented by the sixteen educators from such environments who were also interviewed. Participant responses offered nuanced and …

A Collaborative Campus Community Policing Model: A Case Study In Fostering Collective Efficacy Among Students, Faculty And Staff, Hassan Ramzah

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

This qualitative, single case study explored whether and how a campus police agency’s community policing model fostered collective efficacy among students, faculty, staff members and campus police. Using Bandura’s (2000) collective efficacy theory, this study was guided by the following questions: (1) How does a campus police department use a community policing model to build partnerships with students, faculty, and staff? (2) How do police officers, students, faculty, and staff perceive these partnership-building efforts, particularly as it relates to fostering collective efficacy within the campus community? (3) Through what processes have campus police partnerships with students, faculty, and staff contributed …

Supporting Resource Equity For Oregon’S Home Visiting Workforce: Exploring Racial, Ethnic & Linguistic Differences, Beth L. Green, Nicole M. Lauzus, Yumi Lee, Erin Gaines, Ron Joseph

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Home visitors of color—those whose lived experience and background reflect the cultural, racial and linguistic diversity of so many Oregon families—cope with compounding stressors related to structural racism, bias and documented pay inequities.

This learning brief is the first in a series to share findings from a 2023 statewide survey of Oregon’s home visiting workforce. This study has provided a wealth of information about this workforce and how to improve and support its well-being and retention, with a focus on the needs and experiences of home visitors of color and those who speak languages other than English.

Lessons On Racism: The Senior Prom At The Elks Club, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Cops/Metro Alliance - Stmu Oral Histories With Christina Castro, Barbara Ortiz

COPS/Metro

Christina Castro shared some of her experiences with COPS/Metro advocating for resources and addressing substandard living conditions. She discussed her involvement in various social justice initiatives, including advocating for affordable housing, school tax abatements, and accessible neighborhood libraries. She spoke of the importance faith has in driving her activism. Christina also shared some memorable moments of empowerment, delivering community wins for educational partnerships scholarships, after-school programs, and economic development projects.

Barriers To Escape: How Homelessness And Drug Addiction Prevent Women From Escaping Sex Trafficking And Commercial Sex, Laura J. Lederer, Mckamie J. Chandler, Stanley Stinson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Victims of sex trafficking and women purportedly involved in prostitution voluntarily face a complex web of interconnected challenges when attempting to escape their current circumstances. By analyzing the shared and distinct challenges faced by these women, the paper aims to inform policymakers and service providers, offering recommendations to empower women seeking to escape exploitation through multidisciplinary and interconnected networks of providers. This study surveyed 74 women in Detroit, Michigan, using nonprobability convenience sampling over a 10-month period in 2020. It compared three groups of women who self-reported as victims of sex trafficking, women who voluntarily engaged in some form of …

“It’S A No Brainer”: Ensuring Just Transitions In Iceland’S Fishing Industry, Olivia Bowers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Iceland’s government intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, aiming to target various economic sectors and industries for increased renewable-energy usage. One of its most important plans revolves renewable-energy usage in the fishing industry, which accounts for almost 12% of the country’s GHG emissions. This study aims to understand the perspectives of different stakeholders concerning renewable energy in the fishing industry, using these opinions and existing literature to provide recommendations for a just, equitable, and achievable energy transition. Additionally, this study particularly focuses on the opinions of actors in Vestmannaeyjar, an island community of 4,300 with an especially vibrant, significant, …

Conceptualizando La Movilidad Y Movimiento De Mujeres Indígenas Embarazadas En Búsqueda De Servicios Médicos Bajo Una Perspectiva Migratoria, Nazareth Castro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El traslado de mujeres indígenas embarazadas en Oaxaca hacia la ciudad de Oaxaca de Juárez debido a la falta de centros de salud en sus localidades se ha convertido en una realidad arraigada, impulsada en gran medida por el impacto del flujo migratorio por razones económicas durante finales del siglo XX. Sin embargo, este proceso de migración plantea una serie de complejidades para las mujeres, quienes enfrentan experiencias negativas debido a sus múltiples identidades que resultan en una exclusión social tanto dentro como fuera de sus comunidades de origen. Esta dinámica puede entenderse desde una perspectiva feminista multicéntrado, que las …

Guía Didáctica Para Talleres De Habilidades Fundamentales Y Creatividad En Albergues Para Niños, Niñas, Y Adolescentes En Tránsito, Lindsay Ravetz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto es una investigación-acción para abordar el problema de la falta de recursos educativos para los niños, niñas, y adolescentes (NNA) migrantes. El objetivo fue crear una guía didáctica de talleres para NNA migrantes en albergues, diseñada para ser dirigida por voluntarios. La guía está fundamentada en la investigación de las experiencias de los migrantes que pasan por México, las características de los NNA, y sensibilidad a los afectos del trauma psicológico en los NNA migrantes. La metodología del proyecto se lleva a cabo a través de la revisión de la literatura, observaciones en el albergue COMI, y entrevistas …

From Medic To Legal Maven: Military Veteran Turns Legal Interest Into Second Career, Samantha Mendoza

Black History at St. Mary's University - 2025 Collection

Starting a new career can be daunting; however, alum David Louis proves that it is never too late to do so. Louis served 20 years as a combat medic in the United States Army, and after doing so, received a J.D. degree from the St. Mary’s University School of Law in 2020. With his knowledge in Law and his experience in the military, Louis has found his new career as a clerk for the Supreme Court of Texas. While pursuing a degree is beneficial for many reasons, Louis found it especially beneficial for himself and his family due to the …

Do Bisexuals Thrive In The Corridor? Liminal Identity, Communication, And Well-Being, Katie Kassler

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

In this dissertation I aim to test direct and moderating associations between bisexual liminal identity, social identity complexity, micro-aggressions and micro-affirmations, and well-being. In Chapter One, I offer my theoretical definition of and position bisexuality as a liminal identity. Next in this chapter, I (a) hypothesize a direct association between bisexual liminal identity and well-being, (b) posit competing hypotheses related to social identity complexity as a positive cognitive appraisal moderator (i.e., social cure perspective) and negative cognitive appraisal moderator (i.e., uncertainty identity perspective) of the main effect, and finally (c) posit hypotheses related to individual- and group-aimed micro-aggressions and micro-affirmations …

Identity-Driven Targeted Violence: Attending To Identity, Emotion, And Personality-Related Predictors Of Attitudinal And Behavioral Prejudice, Patrick Timothy Mcgonigal

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Identity-driven targeted violence driven by gender identity, sexuality, race, and religion overwhelmingly impacts marginalized groups of individuals. Existing evidence suggests that acts of bias on college campuses are often unreported by students, leaving those who engage in these behaviors to continue without proper redress. A great wealth of data illustrates the deleterious impacts of identity-driven behavior on student victims, including heightened psychological distress, poorer academic performance, and lower retention. In contrast, limited research has examined relevant underpinnings of perpetrating identity-driven harassment. The current dissertation developed and disseminated a large survey to undergraduate students spanning three years of data collection. The …

Cops/Metro Alliance-Stmu Oral Histories With Rose Araujo-Iracheta, Sarah Neal

COPS/Metro

In this interview, Rose Araujo-Iracheta discusses her involvement with COPS/METRO and the environmental and community improvements in the southwest side of San Antonio, particularly focusing on drainage, flooding, and infrastructure.

Cops/Metro Alliance - Stmu Oral Histories With Steve Mendonza, Qiuying Chen

COPS/Metro

In his interview, Steve Mendoza reflected on the history of redlining and resource inequality in San Antonio and the impact it’s had on the neighborhoods COPS/Metro serves. He also discusses demographic changes within the COPS/Metro organization. He prides himself on the success of COPS/Metro’s Project Quest education program that has benefited the people living on the Westside. Looking to the future, Steve hopes COPS/Metro develops more programs for the changing needs and demographics of San Antonio.

Cops/Metro Alliance-Stmu Oral Histories With Robert Mueller, Theresa Pohl

COPS/Metro

Robert Mueller spoke about the impact that COPS has had on the city of San Antonio and the surrounding neighborhood. The topics included; gun control, corporate meetings, community impact, how COPS works, and more.