9575 research outputs found
Sort by
Small Towns, Texas-Sized Problem: Examining Poverty and Homelessness in the Panhandle of Texas
Full text linkThis Banded Dissertation focuses on rural poverty, with special attention on homelessness in the Panhandle of Texas. This was done through a conceptual framework looking through the lens of othering, rabble management, and social contact theory, a quantitative analysis study, and the creation of an undergraduate course. Product One is a conceptual manuscript examining the recent trend in the United States to increasingly criminalize activities associated with poverty, especially homelessness. Examining this trend through the concept of othering, it is suggested that social work educators utilize activities focusing on positive social contact interaction to counteract negative perceptions held by students towards those in poverty. Product Two is a quantitative, descriptive analysis of recent Person in Time Counts (PIT Counts) that were held in Amarillo, Texas. This study explored the purpose of the PIT Counts and threats to its internal reliability. A descriptive analysis was used to assess the quality and quantity of data collected by Amarillo Continuum of Care (CoC) over the course of nine PIT counts. It was noted that PIT counts conducted in the summer had a considerably higher number of responses, however response rate as whole was below the recommended rate for in-person surveys. Finally, Product Three is an undergraduate course designed to introduce students to poverty both as a concept and as a social construct. Objectives for the course include understanding the dynamics of poverty nationally and as it relates to the Panhandle region of Texas, exploring the different theories of poverty, and critically analyzing anti-poverty efforts
Writing a Peculiar Resistance: Cultivating a Positive Antiracist White Identity with Autoethnographic Poetic Inquiry
No full textIn the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the following social uprising in my neighborhood in Minneapolis, Minnesota, I sought to examine my White racial identity development while engaging in autoethnographic poetic inquiry to better understand the influence of Whiteness in my life, relationships, and in conjunction with other intersectional identities (such as being the mother of two adopted people of color). As someone training to become a psychologist, the literature regarding educating White clinicians suggested that we are more likely to be able to treat people from other backgrounds in a culturally responsive fashion if we have an understanding of our own culture and race (Mallot, 2019; Spanierman & Smith, 2017; Sue & Sue, 2016). Over the course of eight months, I wrote research poetry as a form of data and analysis in response to reading Janet Helms’ book A Race is a Nice thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person or Understanding the White Persons in Your Life (2020) and engaging with White Dialectics theory, developed by Todd and Abrams (2011), in the hope I might cultivate a positive, antiracist White identity. With the expectation that this process would be challenging intellectually, socially, and emotionally, the purpose of this study was to artfully render in poetry my thoughts, feelings, behaviors, experiences, observations, and personal evolution related to identity development. I attempted to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the lived experience of a White woman training to become a culturally responsive psychologist? 2. What is the developmental process of cultivating an anti-racist White identity for a White psychologist-in-training? 3. How does poetic inquiry help cultivate a positive White antiracist identity? My research poetry was evaluated according to standards defined by Sandra Faulkner in Poetic Inquiry: Craft, Method, and Practice (2020) and through working with a poetry coach for two years to develop the study, establish the approach to poetic craft, and the revision of research poetry produced. Results suggested progress in cultivating a positive, antiracist White racial identity in conjunction with increased awareness regarding the influence of additional intersectional identities. Further study of the use of autoethnographic poetic inquiry in conjunction with the study of White racial identity development may be warranted in training White clinicians in the field of psychology
Making Space: Teaching Social Justice in Social Work
No full textThe social work profession promotes social justice in advancing the rights of all persons. Social work education requires students to possess knowledge of structures of oppression, discrimination, and unfairness and tools to dismantle practices that perpetuate power and privilege for dominate cultures. Teaching social justice in social work while required has not been operationalized. A dominant narrative influences teaching social justice mostly excluding a BIPOC perspective. This banded dissertation adds to the discussion, bringing to the forefront how Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) infuse social justice in their curriculum. Included are three scholarly products: a conceptual article, a qualitative content analysis research article, and a poster presentation. Critical race theory underpins this work, theorizing the connection between race and its effect on policies, laws, and culture. The first product, a conceptual article, explores the underreported value of social work education at MSIs. The second product is a research study conducting a qualitative content analysis of 12 undergraduate social work course syllabi. The third product is a poster presentation at the Association of Baccalaureate Program Directors (BPD) 39th Annual Conference. The banded dissertation makes the case to amplify voices of the marginalized in operationalizing teaching social justice in social work
Qualitative Analysis of the Experience of Minnesota Somali Parents with Students with Disabilities in Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Full text linkThis qualitative analysis study uses phenomenology methodology to explore the experiences of Somali parents with K-12 students with special needs in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has shown that all K-12 students faced challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic distance learning (Pozas et al., 2021, p. 35). However, these challenges’ impact on specific communities and how they dealt with them was unknown. The use of interview data from parents with special needs children makes a case for addressing the issues within online learning. Access and inclusion for students with special needs in K-12 education have an implicit bias, specifically in marginalized communities during times of crisis. This phenomenological study details the strength and sacrifices parents with children with special needs endured and how they navigated the difficulties of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, this study explores the personal stories of Somali parents with K-12 children and how they navigated and made meaning of their new roles and responsibilities during COVID-19 distance learning. Finally, by using disability and stigma theories to unpack challenges and negative experiences, this study recommends that parents, practitioners, and policymakers acknowledge that online learning is a mutual responsibility between home and school. Online learning calls for a greater collaborative approach and understanding of what is needed to make distance learning effective for students with special needs and all students