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A Case for Changing the Age of Majority From 18 to 22 Years of Age in Massachusetts
Get PDFThe age of majority is when a person is considered legally responsible and culpable for their actions (Cox et al., 2022). Since the advent of the legal system, there seems to be no consensus regarding the ideal age of majority. This is demonstrated by the age varying from state to state and nationally. In the United States, the age of majority has been as low as 14 years old. Until the 19th century, 14-year-olds could be processed in the adult justice system as well as sentenced to the death penalty. As of 2019, 38 of the 50 states, including North Carolina, Illinois, and Connecticut, have raised their age of majority to 17 or 18 years of age (Tedeschi & Ford, 2015; Citizens for Juvenile Justice, 2024). As of 2020, Vermont raised the age of majority to 20 years old (Fitzgerald, 2023). This systematic literature review analyzes the potential benefits of increasing the age of majority to 22. By analyzing the history of the United States\u27 view of juveniles and the juvenile justice system, the benefits of using the juvenile justice system for more youthful offenders are evident. These benefits include a decrease of stigma, a decrease in long-term costs, rehabilitation, and public safety. Through examination, the differences between juveniles and adults are evident and play a significant role in identifying the benefits of raising the age of majority. These differences are seen in brain, social, and maturity development including neurotransmitter development, understanding of consequences, development of cognitive control, susceptibility and influenceability of peers, and propensity to engage in at-risk behavior. Through this investigation, it was noted that other Massachusetts agencies recognize older teens as a population in need of continued support. Many Massachusetts providers serve these youth through the transition into early adulthood. These include insurance and healthcare providers, the Department of Children and Families, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Disability 2 Services (Citizens for Juvenile Justice, 2024). Many of these services are eligible for youth ages 21 to 26. It is unclear why the age of majority within one or two departments was not consistent across all social service programming. This systematic literature review utilizes information and data to explore the benefits of increasing the age of the majority from 18 years old to 22 years old in Massachusett
Dr. Seitchik’s AI Research and Writing Companion: A Student\u27s Handbook for Leveraging Technology
Get PDFThis guide is intended to be utilized by students to help them use AI to assist in research and to scaffold their writing. Instructors can use it, if they allow AI to be used in their classes, to assist students in their research and writing endeavors. Some screenshots have been redacted for copyright reasons. A paper using this guide is under review and a citation will be provided when available. The guide can assist anyone when writing, especially research papers, but it is geared toward a student population for use in or outside of the classroom
Unlocking the Potential of the Lawrence Math & Science Program (LMSP): A Deep Dive into STEM Education, Community Engagement, and Service Learning to Foster Volunteer Engagement and Empower Student-Led Learning
Get PDFThe Lawrence Math and Science Program (LMSP) Strategic Plan focuses on enhancing volunteer and participant engagement to promote STEM education in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, including previous LMSP coordinators, faculty members, volunteers, and middle school teachers, insights were gathered to inform strategic planning efforts. The research topic addressed the need to sustain and grow the LMSP volunteer base while adapting the program to meet the changing needs of Lawrence middle school students. The population studied individuals directly involved in LMSP and its implementation. Methods involved qualitative data collection through one-on-one Zoom interviews, which were analyzed to identify key themes and recommendations. Results highlighted the importance of quality over quantity in volunteer recruitment, the value of dedicated student participants, effective communication strategies, and the potential impact of compensating volunteers. Implications of the research findings underscored the need for ongoing reflection, collaboration, and adaptation in community engagement initiatives. The application of these results can inform future strategic planning efforts within LMSP and similar STEM education programs, ultimately enhancing participant engagement and program effectiveness
Navigating Gentrification: Exploring the Relationship Around Immigrant Integration, Sense of Belonging, Social Capital, and Success
Get PDFGentrification and its impact on immigrant communities are complex and evolving phenomena deeply intertwined with the racial and immigrant histories specific to each city. Hwang (2015) argues that gentrification perpetuates racial and ethnic inequality across urban landscapes, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches to address its effects on immigrant populations. This study examines the intersection of gentrification, immigrant entrepreneurship, and community development, emphasizing the significance of fostering a sense of belonging and social capital within immigrant communities. Building on existing research, this capstone proposes a community project aimed at welcoming immigrants, integrating them into local communities, and facilitating their success in the United States. This proposed initiative seeks to connect residents with immigrant-owned businesses through storytelling, art, and community engagement activities. Through a qualitative research design, collecting data from interviews of key stakeholders in the community, this project was able to discern relevant information by posing questions surrounding the importance of integrating immigrants into a city where they are otherwise removed socially and economically. All respondents found that the project cultivated community pride, enhanced interpersonal relationships, and through exposing the public to historical and cultural contexts, created a positive reaction to foreign concepts. Through this effort, gentrified neighborhoods can move closer to realizing the goal of empowering immigrants, promoting collaboration, achieving economic stability, and encouraging resilience among diverse community members
Alt‐health influencers and the threat of social media deplatforming
No full textThe threat of deplatforming as a content moderation strategy works to reduce harmful anti-vaccine content and health mis/disinformation on particular social media platforms. However, through an analysis of alt-health influencers, I show how the perpetual threat of being deplatformed allows them to strategically grow their audiences while funneling users to fringe platforms where the alt-health influencers share anti-vaccine and extremist content. Alt-health influencers are thus able to “launder” their reputations and their content through mainstream social media platforms, acting in accordance with each platform\u27s specific content moderation policies, while persuasively deploying “deep stories” and developing parasocial relationships across mainstream and fringe platforms, building an alt-health influence network across platforms, and using threats of “censorship” on one platform to sell and legitimize their statuses as truth-tellers and informational authorities on another. The threat of deplatforming aids in the spreading of health mis/disinformation across social media platforms, demonstrating the necessity of addressing well-known alt-health influencers who are detrimental to the health of the overall information ecosystem through decisive, consistent, and multi-platform-coordinated deplatforming
