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Transgressing Linguistic Supremacy: Reimagining Public Speaking Through Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
No full textThis essay reimagines public speaking education through a culturally sustaining and transgressive lens that challenges dominant norms of language, professionalism, and communication competence. It critiques the ways in which public speaking courses often reinforce linguistic supremacy by privileging standardized English and marginalizing multilingual and culturally grounded speech practices. Drawing on concepts such as translanguaging, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (CSP), and transgressive pedagogies, the author calls for a shift in pedagogy that centers students’ lived experiences, community-rooted knowledge, and linguistic norms. Rather than asking students to conform to hegemonic standards, this approach empowers them to speak on their own terms, resist assimilationist pressures, and use language as a tool for identity, resistance, and liberation. By transforming the public speaking classroom into a space for critical reflection and empowerment, educators can cultivate more inclusive and equitable models of communication instruction
“I Didn’t Understand How Powerful This Could Be”: The Synergy of Arts-Enhanced Literacy Instruction and Multicultural Literature in a Rural Classroom
No full textGuided by culturally sustaining pedagogy, this study examined how an elementary language arts teacher engaged with a yearlong project that focused on enhancing literacy instruction through the synergetic power of using multicultural children’s literature combined with arts. The case study conducted in a context with strict policy guidelines on literacy instruction demonstrated the teacher’s growing understanding of how to integrate multicultural children’s literature and arts in her instruction and powerful shifts in her view of students’ potential for empathy and engagement with complex social issues. The discussions of the books and creative artwork made by her students reshaped the teacher’s view of her students and her professional self. This study confirms that teachers can and do pursue culturally sustaining pedagogy–informed practices despite the restrictions of scripted literacy curricula and policy constraints on the topics of equity and diversity
Interview with Raymond Gant
No full textRaymond Gant was interviewed as part of SHARE’s Reparations in the Black World oral history collection which was developed in partnership with the students in a Black Reparations course at Western Michigan University. Mr. Gant was interviewed by Elijah Vaughn and Kadin Walker, students in the aforementioned course. During the interview, Mr. Gant discussed the following topics: His childhood; The impact that his parents and his family history had on him; The importance of knowing Black history; Redlining and its current effects; The disenfranchisement of Black people through U.S. policies; The resilience of the Black community; The necessity for reparations; Bettering oneself and building community; The pollution issue in Kalamazoo\u27s north side; Congress Bill H.R. 40, and; The power of perseverance and patience in making change.https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/reparations/1001/thumbnail.jp
Beyond Barracks: Addressing the Psychological Impacts of Military Housing Through Design
Get PDFMilitary personnel sacrifice their lives to safeguard the country yet often return to inadequate living conditions that fail to support their needs after facing the rigors of duty. Beyond Barracks explores the impact of military housing on the mental health and well-being of service members.Prevalent concerns such as insufficient privacy, limited space, and poor facility conditions can exacerbate the physical and emotional challenges already faced by those in service, diverting their energy from service duties to unnecessary complications.
This body of research and design examines the shortcomings and successes of current military housing to provide a comprehensive overview and identify more supportive solutions. By reimagining military housing, the goal is to create environments that build mental resilience and enhance occupant quality of life while maintaining military order and functionality.
Through interdisciplinary research, including collaboration with active-duty and retired military personnel, Beyond Barracks builds an understanding of the correlation between living environments and mental health. It employs qualitative methods, such as interviews and surveys, to gather firsthand accounts of living conditions and their effects on service members.Additionally, quantitative data is analyzed to identify correlations between housing conditions and mental health outcomes. The study focuses on various aspects of military housing, including space adequacy, privacy, maintenance, and access to essential amenities.
This capstone project proposes recommendations for remedying military housing by prioritizing the needs of service members within the design process and applying evidence-based research to ensure they live in healthy, functional, and dignified spaces
The Internal Flame
Get PDFThis body of research and design explores the vital relationship between interior environments and the well- being of firefighters. Challenging the traditional assumptions about how fire station design impacts their health and recovery. Firefighters endure significant physical exertion, psychological stress, and exposure to traumatic events, yet many fire station interiors remain focused primarily on operational functionality rather than personal wellness.
This research underscores the urgent need for fire station design to transcend traditional assumptions and evolve into a model that actively supports holistic recovery. Firefighters require spaces that address the cumulative impacts of their profession, both physical and mental taxation. To this end, the research explores how fire station interiors can be re-imagined to promote recovery across all dimensions—physical, mental, and emotional—through thoughtful and evidence-based design strategies. This research examines the impact of spatial design elements—including lighting, acoustics, air quality, spatial organization, and designated rest areas—for active-duty firefighters. By highlighting the interplay between these factors, the study demonstrates how thoughtfully designed interiors can play a pivotal role in mitigating stress, enhancing physical and mental recovery, and fostering long-term resilience. The project seeks to address the unique challenges faced by firefighters, aiming to improve their health during active service and support the development of healthy coping mechanisms that can extend into retirement.
Through an in-depth analysis of the built environment\u27s influence on the human body and psyche, Internal Flame delves into both the immediate and long-term effects of interior environments on well-being. By doing so, it emphasizes the critical role fire station design in promoting a healthier, more sustainable approach to occupational stress and recovery, offering actionable insights for the creation of environments that prioritize safety, comfort, and support.
Ultimately, this research aims to redefine fire station design as a fundamental component of firefighter well-being, advocating for an architectural shift that prioritizes not only efficiency and functionality but also the physical and psychological restoration of those who serve on the front lines of public safety
Effects of Yoga on the Mental Health of Women with Gynecological Cancers: A Systematic Literature Review
Get PDFBackground: The diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers have substantial psychological impacts. Occupational therapists use relaxation and mindfulness techniques to manage pain, distress, and other mental health symptoms associated with cancer. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of yoga on the mental health and quality of life of women diagnosed with gynecological cancers.
Methods: A systematic search of five databases was conducted from their inception to the present. Grey literature was searched via Google Scholar and relevant conference proceedings. Eligible studies reported on the effect of yoga on mental health symptoms in women with gynecological cancers. A narrative synthesis was used to summarize the findings of the review.
Results: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Most of these studies demonstrated that yoga led to notable improvements in anxiety, stress, depression, and overall quality of life for the participants. No adverse events related to yoga were reported.
Conclusion: The results of this review indicate that yoga is a safe and beneficial intervention for women with gynecological cancers. The observed improvements in mental health symptoms imply better occupational performance. However, to establish a more definitive conclusion, larger randomized controlled trials in occupational therapy settings are necessary
Graduate School Accessibility for Undocumented and DACAmented Scholars Across the United States
Get PDFLiterature on higher education accessibility for undocumented and DACAmented (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students has mostly focused on undergraduate students. This paper discusses a comprehensive study of the undocumented graduate student policies of 50 universities across the United States. Using systematic web searches and follow-up interviews with institutional liaisons, we evaluated admissions, tuition classification, funding, and social support practices through an institutional theory lens. This theory posits that institutions prioritize alignment with other institutions, which can lead to a lack of action in providing systemic services. Our findings fit within institutional theory, as many webpages were often confusing or missing critical information—particularly about funding—that is essential to undocumented student success. In addition, we assessed patterns of accessibility among Association of American Universities (AAU) members and California institutions, where we found notably higher levels of support compared to non-members. Our results echo the individual testimonies of undocumented graduate students (undocugrads) from previous literature, contribute nuanced perspectives to extant literature, and provide recommendations for practice and future research. As undocumented students continue to navigate the ever-changing and oftentimes exclusionary policies in the United States, we must continue to question higher education policies to improve the conditions undocumented students face when navigating graduate school
