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A Phenomenological Study of the Retirement Experiences of Elite Female Tennis Players in the United States
No full textThis phenomenological qualitative study investigated the retirement experiences of elite female tennis players in the United States. Particular attention was paid to the physical and psychological features during participants’ critical transition from elite sport and how specific factors, including sport type and gender, influence and interact with developmental processes and overall well-being. Using data from 12 interviews, data analysis yielded five primary themes, including (1) contemplation stage of retirement, (2) final and defining moment of athletic career, (3) reconciliation of retirement, (4) formation of new identity and self, and (5) post-retirement phase and ten-plus years following sport termination. Results revealed the range of contributing factors (physical, psychological, emotional, social, and developmental) that influence the decision-making process as subjects prepare for the complex transition from sport. The wide range of responses to retirement, including feelings of sadness, loss of direction or purpose, and uncertainty provide critical information regarding the lengthy nature of this critical transition even after the decision-making process and retirement has culminated. Implications for current practitioners supporting athletes and future research are discussed
Kashmir and Conflict: The Risks of Water Scarcity
No full textAs global warming increases, natural resource scarcity consistently becomes central to interstate tensions and local dissatisfaction. As water supplies dwindle, countries are becoming more desperate to cling to any accessible water supply, often at other groups\u27 expense. The tension that grows over water scarcity can compound with pre-existing identity-based tensions. Kashmir is an ideal region to examine these concerning patterns, as it is an essential water source tied to interstate conflicts between Pakistan and India. My goal was to analyze three water scarcity types determined by Lyla Mehta and their potential to engender conflict in Kashmir. After looking through multiple case studies and trying to decipher the relationship between water scarcity and conflict, there is little evidence to prove that water scarcity in Kashmir will aggravate interstate tensions or lead to more local fatalities within Kashmir. Although no discernible empirical evidence illustrates a causational relationship between water scarcity and conflict, the consistent local frustration with new infrastructure and debates over longstanding water management treaties are a cause for concern. However, the lack of violent retaliation as a method of water preservation is an encouraging sign. Ultimately, this research showcases an optimistic example proving the potency of effective bilateral negotiations and international arbitration
Death and Words as Witness in Post-War Literature: Salvation Narratives in Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief
No full textDeath didn’t used to be so taboo. As late as the 18th century, death was a prominent aspect of literature, and people of all ages were invited to the deathbeds of family members and friends alike. In the Victorian era, death was so much a culture as was living. But with the rise of preventative medicine in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the view of death in the western world, specifically, took a turn. As Geoffrey Gorer argues in his 1955 article “The Pornography of Death,” higher mortality rates allowed for greater familiarity and intimacy with death, while in the 20th century, death became “unmentionable” as a natural process. Where the Victorians censored sex and sexuality, modern society has made space for sex in discourse, while essentially outlawing mention of death. As recently as 1958, the Christian Science Monitor prohibited the publication of the word “death” in any of its columns
Gendered Islamophobia, Religiosity, and Well-being: Exploring Muslim Hijabi Women’s College Experiences
No full textGiven that approximately 26% of Muslim Americans attend college, it is crucial to identify trends that could impact their well-being in academic settings. Despite the numerous studies exploring the effects of religious discrimination on Muslim Americans, limited research exists on their experiences in college. Similarly, there is a lack of literature on the experiences of Muslim women in academic settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate Muslim hijabi women’s experiences regarding Islamophobia, religiosity, well-being, and microaggressions in college. Using a phenomenological approach, fifteen Muslim hijabi women in the United States participated in this study. The study revealed ten overarching themes with several subthemes: (1) childhood experiences of growing up Muslim in the U.S., (2) levels of religiosity and what it means to be religious, (3) identity negotiations, (4) the meaning of the hijab, (5) friendships with other Muslim hijabi women, (6) feeling the need to conform to certain behaviors, (7) experiences of religious microaggressions, (8) effects of microaggressions and Islamophobia, (9) coping with microaggressions, and (10) the ability to process past experiences. This study provides recommendations regarding counseling and multicultural competency for school-based personnel and mental health professionals
Welcoming the Stranger: Abrahamic Hospitality and Its Contemporary Implications
No full textEmbracing hospitality and inclusion in Abrahamic traditions
One of the signal moments in the narrative of the biblical Abraham is his insistent and enthusiastic reception of three strangers, a starting point of inspiration for all three Abrahamic traditions as they evolve and develop the details of their respective teachings. On the one hand, welcoming the stranger by remembering “that you were strangers in the land of Egypt” is enjoined upon the ancient Israelites, and on the other, oppressing the stranger is condemned by their prophets throughout the Hebrew Bible.
These sentiments are repeated in the New Testament and the Qur’an and elaborated in the interpretive literatures of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Such notions resonate obliquely within the history of India and its Dharmic traditions. On the other hand, they have been seriously challenged throughout history. In the 1830s, America’s “Nativists” sought to emphatically reduce immigration to these shores. A century later, the Holocaust began by the decision of the Nazi German government to turn specific groups of German citizens into strangers. Deliberate marginalization leading to genocide flourished in the next half century from Bosnia and Cambodia to Rwanda. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the United States renewed a decisive twist toward closing the door on those seeking refuge, ushering in an era where marginalized religious and ethnic groups around the globe are deemed unwelcome and unwanted.
The essays in Welcoming the Stranger explore these issues from historical, theoretical, theological, and practical perspectives, offering an enlightening and compelling discussion of what the Abrahamic traditions teach us regarding welcoming people we don’t know.
Welcoming the Stranger: Abrahamic Hospitality and Its Contemporary Implications is available from the publisher on an open-access basis.
Published by The Fritz Ascher Society for Persecuted, Ostracized and Banned Art and the Fordham University Institute on Religion, Law and Lawyer’s Wor
The Role of Professional Development with a Social Emotional Learning Lens on Educator Social Emotional Competence
No full textCurrent literature often focuses primarily on students when thinking of avenues to increase their academic achievement and/or social and emotional well-being, rather than increasing teacher professional capacity to directly impact students by developing their own social and emotional well-being. Therefore, there is a need to explore adult social emotional learning (SEL) as an avenue to address systemic challenges in education. This study hypothesizes that the use of educator PD time as an intervention increases the professional capacity of teachers to model the skills that students need for post-secondary success. This study is a cross-sectional mixed-method descriptive study that uses teacher professional development (PD) intervention with an SEL focus to develop adult SEL. Participants will receive an author-generated survey of three parts after participating in a 60-90-minute PD session with a New York-based educational nonprofit organization. There is one cohort of participants: those who attended a PD session with the organization focused on self-awareness and/or self-management and that will take the survey retrospectively. Initially, there were two cohorts of participants, but had to adjust this research design. Overall findings are that teachers who engage in PD with an SEL lens will increase their SEC due to increased SEL knowledge
Beyond the Tap: The Flint, Michigan Water Crisis as an Issue of Environmental Racism
No full textThe following paper provides insight into the Flint, Michigan water crisis of 2014 through the lens of environmental racism. The Flint, Michigan water crisis saw the contamination of the municipal water supply of the town of Flint as a result of the decision to switch the main water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River as a temporary measure as the town of Flint switched to the Karegnondi Water Authority contract to supply their municipal water. Flint is a majority minority community, and the facets of race and socioeconomic status played a significant role in how the crisis was addressed through failed government action at all levels, as well as in the political sphere as the crisis became a symbol of environmental justice. The first chapter of this paper analyzes the historical context of the Flint, Michigan water crisis and analyzes the harm done to the citizens of Flint, Michigan via the various ecosystem services provided. The second chapter explores the role of race and poverty within the Flint, Michigan water crisis through the lens of environmental politics, exploring the failure of all levels of government to intervene on behalf of Flint, as well as the political nature of the crisis. The third expands upon these concepts by analyzing the response through the lens of environmental racism and analyzes the lack of effective response as an intersection of racial/socioeconomic composition of Flint. The fourth chapter begins by historically introducing the environmental justice movement in the United States and the concept of environmental justice in regard to Flint, then addresses these issues through the lens of comparative analysis. Drawing on these ideas, the final chapter poses policy recommendations to reconcile the health and trust of minority communities of Flint, Michigan, while also introducing proposed USEPA municipal water policy changes to ensure crises of a similar nature are as unlikely to occur as possible
Rap in the United States and Cuba: A Genre Uniquely Emblematic of The Paradox of (De)Colonization
No full textMusic, as a profound and resonant cultural expression, captures the nuance of societal dynamics, political climates, and the collective emotions of communities throughout time. Colonialism, more specifically the Atlantic slave trade and the experience of suffering, has been reflected in the music as much as it has pioneered styles of new global music in the present. Music, specifically rap, contextualized in the hip-hop movements of the United States and Cuba, reveals primary sources of the effects of systemic racism and the marks of slavery in the contemporary context. The United States and Cuba each have a close relation to the history of slavery as well as the ways in which black people have been systematically discriminated against ever since. In these two countries where systemic racism is so ingrained, rap’s positionality allows people to break from mindsets and economic/social policies that drag them down as a collective group. Rap further serves a similar function in the dialogue of the African diaspora and what it means for blackness in both of these countries, even though its reception from the government has been completely opposite in some respects. Based on recurring themes in the music as they related to colonialism and decolonization, I created 3 subcategories to analyze, applicable to both countries: revolutionary rap, rap embracing self-love and blackness, and everyday rap. I then selected 6 songs, 3 from each country to represent each category, to analyze for their lyrical contents in relation to decolonization theorists, exemplifying the pinnacle of music as a social force more than other mediums of scholarly analysis. The creation of music as a consequence of colonialism demonstrates how history influences music, and rap’s unique position further shows how a colonial creation can be the most effective in decolonizing countries, people, and mindsets
Pegasus in Hungary: Analyzing Hungary\u27s Use of Pegasus on journalists with Lessig\u27s Four Modalities of Regulation
No full textOver the last decade, technological advancements in the realm of cybersecurity has led to the growth of a multi-billion dollar commercial spyware industry, which puts highly privacy-invasive surveillance tools in the hands of both autocratic and democratic nations. This paper seeks to better understand why, and how democratic countries have been able to access these tools, and why they are willing to risk the reputational costs associated with illegal use of spyware. A field of scholarship is developing which seeks to find possible ways of eliminating or reducing the misuse of spyware on an international scale, under the presumption that finding ways to diminish the capacity of spyware firms to sell their products to governments who have a track of human rights abuse will translate into a meaningful reduction of privacy crimes aided by spyware. However, focused examination on the underlying factors or forces that presumably motivate, or incentivize a ‘democratic’ country to use spyware in the first place, and why other ‘democratic’ countries do not take a stronger stance against such misuse, is lacking. This paper will try to conduct such an analysis in a case study focusing on Hungary’s use of Pegasus spyware to surveil four journalists. The analysis will use Lessig’s “four modalities of regulation” – laws, markets, norms, and architecture (as expounded in his book Code 2.0 (2006)) as an analytical framework, to conceptually organize and understand the forces that hindered or motivated Hungary’s decision to use Pegasus on journalists, and how Hungary’s case may provide insight into the viability of proposals for future regulations
The Air We Breathe: Understanding Individual Exposure to Air Pollution
No full textEvery day, people are exposed to air pollution. But not all people experience the same levels of exposure. Human exposure to ambient air pollution is commonly represented by the concentration of pollutants in the air outside, but this is not accurate in revealing the complex and individual experience that is pollution exposure. This paper reevaluates how we represent exposure to ambient pollution and presents data from an ongoing study to broaden our understanding of the role of indoor air quality. Chapter one uses quantitative data to describe the relationship between humans and ambient air pollution and explain why the current measure of human exposure to these pollutants is inadequate. Chapter two introduces the history of air pollution and its health effects and how government policies throughout different time periods have impacted the way society interacts with pollution. Chapter three describes the issues of architecture and urban planning in relation to ambient pollution exposure, and the types of solutions that are being proposed in terms of infrastructure. Chapter four investigates the relationship between indoor and outdoor air quality by utilizing an ongoing study which measures indoor air quality in various classrooms at Fordham University as well as different types of housing on and near campus, and compares these indoor pollutant concentrations to the outdoor pollution and weather patterns that are collected in the same area. Finally, chapter five explains the necessary policies regarding city infrastructure and air filtration in housing and work places in order to protect people from the outcomes of weather events and pollution exposure