University of Massachusetts Boston
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Dismantling Digital Inequalities: Urban High School Students\u27 Perspectives of Smartphones Use in Education
Get PDFThe purpose of this research is to evaluate the use of and the attitude towards smartphone technology for in school and remote learning by urban high school students to reduce digital inequalities. High school students use smartphone technology in today’s society as an integral part of their lives. Yet the majority of the large school districts in the United States ban the use of students’ mobile phones in schools. Furthermore, while policy makers, school district personnel, and school administrators each year negotiate the school’s technology budget, technology use agreements, network maintenance, and which Internet application tools to adopt, almost all students are bringing into schools an advanced computing technology device that imposes no additional cost to the school, the district, or the state. More consistently than pencils, papers or even textbooks, students bring their smartphones into schools every day. But rather than enhancing ways to incorporate students’ smartphone technology into the school’s curriculum and instructions, school districts around the country have developed policies and procedures to prohibit or strictly monitor their use in the schools. This research project was conducted from a Culturally Responsive Computing (CRC) theoretical framework using the culturally responsive teaching lens to examine technology use, technology education, and technology accessibility from students’ perspectives. The study involved a quantitative design methodology using an online web survey which explored students’ use and attitudes in three areas: usefulness of smartphones for school, students’ beliefs and understanding of smartphone policies in school, and how smartphones for student enables connections. In addition, three open-response questions within the survey were analyzed using qualitative design coding methodology to identify emerging themes
Beyond Good Intentions: Black Feminist Praxis on White Saviorism in Social Responsibility Organizations (SROs), Conscious Consumerism, and Transracial Adoption
No full textThis research explores the intersection of social responsibility organizations (SROs), conscious consumerism, transracial adoption, and white saviorism. Utilizing frameworks such as white savior industrial complex (WSIC) theory and critical theory as well as Black feminist thought as a philosophical paradigm, this scholarship unveils power imbalances, contradictions, and unintended consequences within SRO practices, also shedding light on how conscious consumerism and transracial adoption allow capitalism to perpetuate exploitation and commodification. The overarching research question guiding this work is: How does white saviorism show up in various contexts and at the intersection of race and gender? ● In Chapter 2, specifically in how SROs engage: What is the impact of race and gender on social responsibility organizations (SROs)? ● In Chapter 3, within the context of conscious consumerism: What factors influence conscious consumerism, especially related to race and gender identities? ● In Chapter 4, with the backdrop of transracial adoption: What is the relationship between transracial adoption, conscious consumerism, faith, and the white savior industrial complex (WSIC)? This scholarly contribution also elucidates how SROs, conscious consumerism, and transracial adoption intersect with race, gender, and the perpetuation of the WSIC. Through interviews with 45 SRO stakeholders, the working hypothesis was confirmed – that white saviorism exists in SROs, conscious consumerism, and transracial adoptions and causes and contributes to social exclusion. By interrogating white saviorism and the white savior industrial complex (WSIC) and their relationship to race and gender this dissertation’s contribution is relevant, timely, and valuable; bringing forth novel ways to explore and understand how and why white saviorism manifests in these three contexts contributing to social exclusion. Moreover, this interview study underscores the need and importance to critically examine and address these dynamics to mitigate harmful effects and promote more equitable practices within social responsibility initiatives and beyond
Front Matter and Table of Contents
Get PDFFront matter and table of contents for Volume 36, Issue 1 of the New England Journal of Public Policy
Editor\u27s Note
Get PDFThis issue of the New England Journal of Public Policy, with Lord John Alderdice as the guest editor, examines how, with the advent of sophisticated technologies and AI, the conduct of wars and peacemaking in the opening decades of the twenty-first century has changed, with implications for the future of both and society at large
SGM Health Inequity: Exploring Sexual and Gender Minority Curricula in U.S. Medical Schools for Inclusive Medical Education
Get PDFSexual and gender minorities (SGM) have worse health outcomes than heterosexual, cisgender individuals due to a heteronormative, cisgendered society that has created inequitable access to healthcare and increased health disparities. In 2014, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published guidelines to facilitate implementation of SGM health content and institutional climate changes to reduce the burden of health disparities and increase medical student competence treating SGM patients, however, no publication to date has assessed the efforts of medical schools to implement these guidelines. Sensitivity and cultural training of medical students is imperative to increase comfort, knowledge retention, and clinical skill acumen to increase accessibility to and quality of healthcare, and to decrease and eliminate SGM health inequities. This research study examined SGM health inequities and investigated culturally responsive best practices for implementing an inclusive SGM curriculum in U.S. medical schools. Through a survey of medical schools in the U.S. assessing the efforts of medical schools to adopt the AAMC SGM curricula and climate change guidelines, the study explored the total hours of SGM content taught, the competencies that were included in the curriculum, if assessment of SGM content was occurring, and what resources were available and needed for both faculty and students of medical schools. The results show an increase in overall hours of SGM content taught (from 5 hours in 2011 to 8.9 hours in 2021), however, SGM content and competencies are inconsistently implemented across medical schools. The study also shows there is limited information on student assessment and SGM content efficacy with only 23% of respondents performing assessment. This further reinforces the need for comprehensive SGM curricula that empowers medical students and future physicians to accurately and comfortably treat SGM patients. This study contributes to improving healthcare quality and access for SGM individuals as the results indicate that while there has been progress in SGM rights over the past several decades, healthcare education and practice lag in ensuring and inclusive medical education for students, which prevents equal access and quality healthcare for the SGM community
Digital Wellbeing: Gendered Disinformation and Social Implications
No full textGendered disinformation emerges as a particularly insidious threat, undermining women\u27s credibility in public life and exacerbating social divides. This dissertation explores the complex relationship between information technology (IT) and human wellbeing, with a specific focus on gendered disinformation and its impact on social media polarization. The first part provides a comprehensive literature review of the relationship between IT use and wellbeing within the information systems (IS) discipline. It synthesizes existing research, identifies key themes, theoretical foundations, and methodological approaches to understand how IT use influences wellbeing. This section emphasizes the areas that need to be addressed in future research. Building on the findings of the first part, the second part examines gendered disinformation and social media polarization in the context of social wellbeing. This study utilizes Facebook data and employs content analysis to identify gendered disinformation topics, drawing on Intersectionality theory. Additionally, it examines social media polarization based on affective polarization theory. By connecting the insights from the literature review on IT use and wellbeing with the investigation of gendered disinformation in social media, this dissertation highlights the interplay between IT, social media dynamics, and wellbeing. These two studies provide significant theoretical contributions and practical implications that enhance our comprehension of gendered disinformation, intersectionality, and affective polarization in the context of social media and wellbeing. The integrated approach underscores the importance of considering IT\u27s role in both promoting and undermining wellbeing, particularly through the lens of gendered disinformation and its polarizing effects on social media
Studies on Human Amyloids and the Effect of Divalent Cations on Insulin Amyloid Formation
No full textAmyloids are highly insoluble protein aggregates with fibrillar morphology and common physicochemical properties. The accumulation of toxic amyloids often leads to cell death or failure to function adequately; thus, they are associated with many human diseases termed amyloidosis. They are particularly prevalent in neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer’s disease but are also implicated in many systemic diseases such as type II diabetes, and cancer with increased impact on the aging population. In contrast to these toxic misfolded proteins, amyloids have also been shown to have specific biological functions within the human body. These functional amyloids exist in highly regulated environments and further understanding of the parameters surrounding their control will contribute to development of new therapeutic opportunities. Insulin is often used as a model amyloid and additionally exhibits cytotoxic effects making it an excellent peptide for amyloid studies. Calcium and zinc both contribute to the stability of insulin; however, metal cation dyshomeostasis has been linked to a variety of diseases including those linked to toxic amyloids. In this study, the effects of the Ca2+ and Zn2+ concentrations on insulin aggregation kinetics and morphology were investigated under acidic conditions using thioflavin T fluorescence spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Ca2+ exhibits an accelerating effect on fibril formation and generates polymorphic fibrils within a single sample. Zn2+ has an inhibitory effect on insulin fibril formation at concentrations of 25 mM or higher once the peptide reaches the elongation phase of aggregation. Cation identity altered insulin amyloid morphology yielding differing Raman signal for fibrils formed in the presence of Zn2+ or Ca2+ indicating distinct secondary structure of the protein. Unique branched fibrils and elongation kinetics were observed for samples containing Ca2+ or Zn2+ suggesting that these metal ions can alter the aggregation pathway. These results contribute to the current scientific knowledge on amyloid species to advance our understanding of these complex protein structures
Breaking Barriers: Exploring the Intersectionality of Minority Status, Migration Fear, and Diversity
Get PDFThis dissertation consists of three essays that examine the intersectionality of minority status, migration fear, and racial diversity: 1) The first essay discusses the importance of ethnic diversity in financial advisory firms. Studies illustrate examples of taste-based discrimination and the challenges faced by minorities in accessing capital. Furthermore, studies conclude a lack of trust in financial advisors, despite their significant role in the financial industry. This essay examines how racial diversity in advisory firms can foster representation and guidance for both minority and non-minority clients. 2) The second essay examines the association between minority entrepreneurial success and migration fear. Studies illustrate a spike in political discourse against immigrants and immigration. The financial and psychological challenges that immigrants are compelled to face are prominent. I demonstrate how such hostility witnessed during the last decade is responsible for detrimental effects on minority entrepreneurs seeking financial capital. I provide evidence that hostility against immigrants has caused funding shortfalls for minority entrepreneurs in a crowdfunding setting. 3) This essay investigates the negative consequences of migration-related fear on minority financial analysts, uncovering that a rise in the fear index is associated with an increase in both the magnitude of forecast errors and the level of forecast pessimism among minority analysts. Split sample analysis highlights the significant roles played by the information environment, analyst experience, and gender