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Intersecting Identities, Education, and Economic and Subjective Well-Being: A Qualitative Testimonio Study Among Latina Single Mother Community College Students
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the gender inequities of unpaid household and childcare labor, especially for Black and Latina mothers who are also breadwinners. Notwithstanding, higher educational attainment has been found to be an important predictor of earnings and reentry into the labor market although disparities of earnings for women of color remained even among those with higher education degrees. This study explored how the intersecting identities of Latina single mothers, who were community college students, shaped their educational aspirations, and how cultural and gender norms influenced their career pathways, which, in turn, affected their economic and subjective well-being. Using an intersectionality lens and guided by the methodology of testimonios, this qualitative study situated Latina single mothers as holders and producers of knowledge. Six themes emerged from participants’ testimonios, which are nuanced insight into the barriers and challenges of Latina student mothers: (a) College Pathways, (b) Traditional Latina Gender Norms, (c) Latino Values, (d) Motherhood/Motherwork, (e) Subjective Well-Being, (f) Economic Well-Being, and (g) Nontraditional Student. By extension, the findings of this research can inform and highlight gaps in policy and academic services at community colleges, which predominately enroll this unique population. This study contributes to the existing literature by centering the needs of Latina student single mothers and exploring factors that lead to their degree attainment and academic persistence
Cocreating Space for Engagement in Numeracy Education: Empowering Familial Linguistic Capital
No full textResearch suggests that mathematics achievement is associated with future socioeconomic success and opens the possibility of social mobility for many individuals. However, disparities in mathematics achievement indicators expose inequitable opportunities and inconsistent access to appropriate educational models for a broad range of students. This study used the principles of Improvement Science to explore the problem of underachievement in numeracy for English language learners. This paper builds on Barton et al.’s ecologies of parental engagement framework and Yosso’s community of cultural wealth framework to examine how a school district empowered families to use linguistic capital when engaging with their children about mathematics. The convergent mixed methods design examined how participating in Parent University influenced parental beliefs about mathematics, their use of time engaging with their children about mathematics, and their understanding of linguistic capital. Findings indicate that parents\u27 beliefs about the usefulness of mathematics and their capacity to engage in mathematical tasks influenced how they used their time engaging with their children about mathematics. The parents’ affirmation of native language capital impacted their use of mathematical discourse with their children at home
Increasing Kindergarten Student Engagement through the Use of Social Emotional Learning and Improved Teacher Practice
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic caused a radical change in the way teachers deliver instruction. Educators and parents expressed deep concerns for kindergarten students’ social and emotional learning (SEL) in remote environments. The purpose of this mixed methods Improvement Science study was to apply and learn from SEL practices that improve students’ connections to teachers and each other. The primary drivers for the study were 1) strengthening teacher practice in building and sustaining connections with students through a collaborative critical inquiry group and 2) embedding social emotional learning into daily professional and classroom activities through Yale’s RULER (Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, Regulate) approach, focusing on the Charter and the Mood Meter. Use of RULER’s Charter and Mood Meter increased overall connection and engagement, especially for students learning remotely. In the pre-survey, 14.0% of parents with remote-learning students “never” felt confident about their children’s education and well-being; after the study, 50.0% parents reported “always” feeling confident. Teachers shared daily reflections in their critical inquiry group, encouraging all voices to be heard; they reported that they were better able to learn from each other’s experiences and use those new learnings to build on their own practice. In the pre-survey, teachers felt “not at all prepared” (50.0%) to create connections and engage with their remote learners; after the study, teachers reported feeling “very prepared” (76.0%). These results align closely with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Framework
Salmon Says: An Examination of Salmon Farms and Sustainability
No full textThrough increased commercialization and consumption, our style of living has become destructive to the planet. Every part of our lives will have to adapt to these new issues that will arise in our future, a future shaped by climate change, including our food systems. This paper explores salmon farms and discusses them from a historical, economic, and ethical point of view. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the salmon industry, some introductory information, and statistics regarding salmon farming. Chapter 2 dives into the historical significance of salmon and the development of farms. Chapter 3 discusses the economics of the salmon industry, analyzing our need for and consumption of the fish, as well as exploring how we can reduce and repurpose waste. In this chapter, I use what I have learned through my internship in salmon industry sustainability. Chapter 4 examines the ethical implications of keeping salmon in farms, utilizing the philosophical ideas of various scholars. It also touches on the current regulations in place regarding the fishing industry. The final chapter draws on information from the previous chapters and concludes with policy recommendations that could hopefully make sustainable changes throughout the industry
State Run Dry: How California Manages Inevitable Drought Due to Climate Change
No full textThis thesis paper addresses the severe drought brought on by climate change that California is currently experiencing and examines methods to counter the drought in order to minimize water usage and increase water levels. Historically, California has experienced several periods of drought which are increasingly becoming more detrimental to the environment. It is crucial to mitigate the drought as California has already been feeling its major effects from it. As temperatures rise and the atmosphere becomes drier, the water supply in California could be diminished by 10% by 2040. Chapter 1 uses several studies and reports on the California drought to analyze the rate of water loss and reveals the negative effects of water shortage. It also provides data on the increasing severity of climate change and the factors that induce it. Chapter 2 explores the negative externalities the drought has brought on the economy, especially in the agriculture industry, as water is in higher demand, more than ever. California is America’s Garden, producing most of the fruits and nuts grown in the United States. However, the future of the agricultural economy does not bode well with the current drought. Chapter 3 focuses on the history of drought as it has been prevalent in California, with the first severe drought dating back to 1924. While there has been some progress from the previous droughts, such as an increase in water recycling, the groundwater supply continues to be critically low. Chapter 4 draws on policies and regulations set by the California government as well as how effective media is in conveying these messages to reduce water usage. Chapter 5 lists policy recommendations, drawing from the previous chapters that will not only work to aid California residents in combating the drought but also aim to help the state reach its water level target
The Green Core of The Big Apple: The Significance of Urban Green Spaces in New York City & Beyond
No full textThis paper addresses the politics of urban green spaces which includes the issue of their inequitable distribution as well as related issues that can arise when communities do not have access to such spaces. There are a variety of types of urban green spaces, however, this paper will be focused on public parks. Together, such outdoor spaces can create cultural, recreational, and community building opportunities that are able to improve environmental and human health. Chapter 1 presents data about the existence and usage of urban green spaces around the world and in New York City in particular. Chapter 2 uses the discipline of history to look back at the emergence of urban green spaces, what they were used for, and how they continue to develop. Chapter 3 looks through the lens of environmental justice to address the ethical dimensions surrounding access to and availability of urban green spaces. Chapter 4 uses the discipline of political science and examines governance issues regarding the existence and availability of urban green spaces in New York City. Chapter 5 recommends policy changes for New York City with a focus on government policy. My internship at the Marine Park Alliance in Brooklyn is used as a case study throughout this paper
Comparing Propensity Score Weighting Schemes with CBPS and XGBoost in Causal Effect Estimation
No full textPropensity score is the conditional probability of an individual being in the treatment group based on its pre-treatment covariate values (Rosenbaum & Rubin, 1983a). It can be used to equate the treatment and control groups on distribution of covariates to accurately estimate treatment effect in a non-randomized design. There are several methods to estimate the propensity scores. Traditionally, it is estimated with logistic regression, which requires a correctly specified propensity score model. With the advance of machine learning techniques, non-model-based methods such as XGBoost (Chen & Guestrin, 2016) has been the state-of-art algorithm in propensity score estimation. Another propensity score estimation method that is robust to model misspecification is the covariate balancing propensity score (CBPS) method (Imai & Ratkovic, 2014), which models the propensity score while optimizing the covariate balance using the generalized method of moments (GMM) framework. This study compared logistic regression, XGBoost and CBPS as propensity score estimation methods and evaluated their performance with five different propensity score weighting schemes under various conditions of covariates and outcome model complexities. A large comprehensive simulation study was conducted to achieve this goal
An Improved Approach to Capitalism: Trust, Authenticity, and Balance
No full textCapitalism is the best system on offer as a way of organizing human economic and social affairs. At its core, capitalism is the ability to anonymously exchange goods and services that a human being produces for other goods and services that the same human being needs or wants and allows for the free and voluntary exchange of goods services in a market. There are a number of “flavors” of a capitalistic system and there are flaws in each flavor ranging from inequitable opportunities presented to individuals based on their societal standing to the endless creation of manufactured “needs” in order to allow unchecked growth which leads to deleterious outcomes for individuals, society, and the planet. The most common philosophical approach to capitalism usually involves some type of utilitarian framework which views the maximization of shareholder (owner) value (money or economic well being) as the proper way to conduct a capitalist endeavor. Unfettered self-interest is the goal. This view of capitalism has a number of flaws and deleterious outcomes for individuals, society, and the planet. Given that capitalism will continue to be the primary form of economic organization (in many of its several flavors) then this thesis claims that a framework based upon virtue ethics is necessary and required training for those pursuing careers in commerce. It is as important to habituate virtuous behavior as it is to learn the mechanics of finance, accounting, and marketing. The goal of maximizing profits and shareholder value must be tempered by the “triple bottom line” theory that profits, planet and people are all taken into consideration when making commercial decisions. Companies can still flourish while sincerely adhering to these principles. Patagonia company is a prime example of a company using virtue ethics to guide its behavior while still making a profit, helping the planet and supporting its people (employees). The thesis addresses criticisms of capitalism posited by Marx, Brown and others and outlines a course of study which should be integrated into all business schools. While the author is not naive to the challenges posed by educating future commercial leaders, Ethical training is crucial for the continued evolution and survival of the human species
The Role of Data-Driven Decision-Making in Organizational Transformation: A Case Study Analysis of Leadership and Organizational Actions
No full textPrincipals at Hunter School District, a pseudonym, lacked capacity for using data, a reflection of the district’s lack of a culture of data-driven decision-making. HSD was located in New York City, with 23 schools serving 11,600 students; students were 90% Black or Latino with 90% coming from low-income families and 20% living in temporary housing. HSD students were 10% Multilingual Learners and 30% students with special learning needs. Using an Improvement Science Approach, three primary drivers were identified to address this problem of practice: 1) creating systems and structures with a strategic data focus; 2) implementing districtwide tools for information management and utilization; and 3) creating a data-driven district culture that modeled effective data use. Two sequential Plan-Do-Act-Study cycles were used to teach 23 principals how to use Improvement Science. Using a case study approach, the intervention was assessed through the lens of leadership using adaptive leadership theory, a communities of practice framework, and organizational change theory. The study concludes that these theoretical approaches to districtwide change were effective in creating a data-driven culture of continuous change when supported by district leadership, engaging principals as partners, and allowing sufficient time for learning and change
Sociocultural Influences of Sleep Health Among Latinx Youth
No full textSleep is critical to the development of adolescents. However, insufficient sleep duration and quality are frequently reported among Latinx youth in the United States, often attributed to experiences of racial discrimination and sociocultural stress. Despite the well-documented impacts of racial discrimination, little is known about the implications of other sociocultural factors that may promote or otherwise influence sleep health. Based on previous models of ethnic-identity development and socio-ecological influences on sleep, the current study explored associations between actigraphy-measured sleep processes (sleep duration, sleep quality, and waking minutes) and three key sociocultural factors among Latinx adolescents: racial discrimination, ethnic identity affirmation, and bicultural comfort. Participants included 55 adolescents, aged 11 – 15 years old, that completed four consecutive nights of surveys, daily diary logs, and wore actiwatches. Multilevel models were used to examine between and within-person differences between key sociocultural factors and sleep processes. There were no significant differences found between racial discrimination and sleep in either the between-person or within-person levels. However, both between-person and day-to-day effects were observed with sociocultural factors of ethnic identity affirmation and bicultural comfort. These findings suggest that ways in which Latinx youth perceive their identity and interacting with members of other ethnicities may influence their sleep outcomes