Theses
Katie McDougal
Title: A Study of Adult Women Who Exchange Sex for Money or Drugs on Toronto's Moss Park Stroll
ABSTRACT:
This research is a phenomenological case study on street-level sex work and the adult women that exchange sex for money or drugs in Moss Park, a particularly poor and crime-ridden neighborhood in Downtown Toronto. Hopefully, this research can be extrapolated and applied to other urban neighborhoods where street-level sex work is prevalent. By using ten qualititative guided one-on-one interviews as the methodology and while being careful not to impose an outside conceptual framework, it is hoped that this research will help continue to cultivate a dialogue with the women engaged in this form of labor and will join the ongoin disucssions regarding sex work, violence, health and well-being, and the individual's own identity and experience in street-level sex work.
Joshua Cooper
TITLE: Art Core Alliance: After-School Program for Disadvantaged Youth
ABSTRACT:
The Art Core Alliance (ACA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that has been created to improve the lives of academically and behaviorally challenged disadvantaged youth through creative after-school programming. The ACA will work through schools, beginning in 6th grade, to improve student grades and behavior and help students discover and improve their creative abilities. Through this program, disadvantaged students will become active and positive participants in school, thereby changing the course of their lives.
The ACA will begin by having their program, The Creative School, at Lakeside Middle School, a middle school in Millville, NJ, in the Millville School District. It will consist of four different creative arts programs heavily infused with student responsibility, leadership, and involvement. Students will be required to improve or maintain (depending on the student) acceptable grades and behavior during, both, school and the program. Program staff will support the goals of this program and provide students with the leadership they need to be successful in the program, in school, and in life.
TITLE: Selling Sex: The Victims of Human Trafficking
ABSTRACT:
Human trafficking is a global commerce that enslaves women, men, and children. The U.S. State Department defines human sex trafficking as “a commercial sex act [which] is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age” (Sanborn, 2008, p. 84). Poverty, previous sexual abuse, lack of education, drug addiction, unemployment, social acceptance, oppressive cultural traditions and customs, racial or ethnic discrimination, irresponsible sexual behaviors and myths, emergency or disaster situations, consumerism, information and communication technologies, and inadequate laws and law enforcement are all factors that increase a person’s vulnerability to commercial sexual exploitation. Of all the mentioned factors, poverty, previous sexual abuse, and lack of education are the most prevalent causes of exploitation. The thesis overviews international human trafficking and looks in depth into the situation in Houston, Texas and the efforts made to rescues victims and prevent trafficking.
Victor Gimenez
TITLE: How African American Fathers Conceptualize Fatherhood
ABSTRACT:
There is an unhealthy perception of African American males as fathers within the African American community. Not all African American males have grown up in a fatherless context. Many have grown up with positive father relationships in their lives. This study will examine the experiences of African American, Christian men and determine the common themes that have led to their own conceptualization of fatherhood. These themes will be compared to indicators of a healthy view of fatherhood. There were two focus groups in this study. The two groups of men were asked a series of fifteen questions that have been analyzed. The results indicated that fathers have strong opinions concerning their own fathers and how they view fatherhood. Fathers indicated that within the African American community, the perceptions of fatherhood need restoration.
Emily Inkpen
TITLE: Exploring Action Research As A Means To Develop An Empowering In A Church
ABSTRACT:
Both faith-based and secular organizations identify empowerment and holistic transformation as an important pathway for people who are poor to leave poverty. This study explored the empowering aspects of action research conducted by three men in recovery from addiction and a researcher who attends the same church as the men. Emerging themes showed that the men were very willing to engage in problem solving and made sincere efforts and progress on some goals, and achieved one goal of having a Bible Study. Relationships were important for both the areas where they made gains in changing their situation, as well as for the areas where they were not able to make progress. Ways in which the men and church could continue to collaborate are discussed.
Celmali Jaime
TITLE: Speak: The Power of Verbalized Poetry
ABSTRACT:
Poetry, in its most complete form, is verbalized. The purpose of this study is to encourage the verbalization of poetry, and offer a more complete view of poetry as an oral form of art. This study includes literature concerning the scope of poetry in the past and present, with an emphasis on its oral roots. It outlines theological perspectives on verbalization, and delineates the positive effects of verbalized poetry within the individual and community contexts. Two case examples are included, along with an introduction to the Power of Verbalized (PVP) Model, which illustrates the cycle of transformation within an individual and community when a poem is verbalized.
Julia Mallory
TITLE: Café Ujamaa: A Worker Cooperative Business Model
ABSTRACT:
Cooperative-business models exist in various forms; ranging from housing cooperatives to worker-run cooperatives. This project will deal with the latter, focusing on the worker-run cooperative as a community-economic business model that lends itself to increasing the economic self-sufficiency of urban low-income women-of-color. Overall, the findings explore the intersection of gender, race and class with a particular focus on welfare policies and wage discrimination and their ability to affect the economic self-sufficiency of urban low-income women of color. Furthermore, the main component of the final project is a worker-run cooperative restaurant business model that utilizes existing culinary skills of urban low-income women in the interest of growing their existing skill set, accumulating new skills and ultimately affords the opportunity for economic self-sufficiency.
David Melby-Gibbons
TITLE: Dust of the Saints: Moravian Hymnody and Songwriting for New Worship Settings
ABSTRACT:
In this thesis project the researcher explores “What makes Moravian hymnody and songwriting meaningful for new worship settings?” The written portion of the project seeks to join together the voices of past and present Moravian hymn writers and worship participants. In particular, the researcher considers how Moravian worship music inspires present-day Moravians to lead lives of service and devotion. Based on data gathered from focus group discussions and individual interviews, the researcher identified guidelines for re-imagining Moravian hymns and composing new hymns. Using these guidelines the researcher compiled recordings of hymns that were re-imagined or freshly composed for new worship settings. The researcher proposes the “dust of the saints” [DOTS] song sharing model as a process for disseminating re-imagined hymns and new compositions.
Rick Pekan
TITLE: Neighborhoods Undergoing Gentrification: Why it Matters and What the Church Can Do About it
ABSTRACT:
This study seeks to define gentrification, prove the church has a theological mandate to advocate for low income residents, and to depict methods the church can use to protect low income residents from gentrification. Often churches and faith based organizations are unaware or unable to handle the issue of gentrification. Gentrification is the process where people and forms of capital return to a low income community and change the existing character. Gentrification has various outcomes both positive and negative and each side of the argument for or against gentrification has strong views. The undeniable fact is that families are being displaced and they need an advocate to help protect them. Churches and faith based organizations are in a unique place to be able to affect change in gentrifying neighborhoods. Where government agencies may be concerned with tax dollars and social service agencies can be concerned with fixing specific problems, no one can care for the poor and lead change like a church that partners with its community to love its neighbor. This study concludes that churches can protect low income residents of a gentrifying neighborhood by becoming more involved in their community, opening dialogue between new residents and long time residents, and supporting affordable housing.
Brent Prorak
TITLE: When Walls Teach: An Architecturally Based Critical Pedagogy for Chicago High School Students
ABSTRACT:
This applied research project developed, implemented, and critiqued approximately two week's worth of curriculum for one Chicago high school classroom. The curriculum incorporated architectural and historical studies with that of the emancipatory teaching methods of Freirian critical pedagogy. The curriculum introduced the concept of reading the built environment like a book. Students then researched and presented to their classmates on buildings and spaces in their neighborhood that were chosen for their particular historical and architectural significance. The goal of this process was to teach students to examine the built environment around them critically and find a new awareness of pertinent social issues. In keeping with the tradition of critical pedagogy students also were encouraged to move to praxis (act in a practical and transformative way) based on their newfound critical understanding. Based on the experience and outcomes of the first implementation of this curriculum the conclusions of this research make suggestions for improving the initial derivation of the curriculum.
Joel Repic
TITLE: Reviving the Quip: Positive Youth Development in a Suffering Steel Town
ABSTRACT:
Aliquippa, Pennsylvania is a former steel town located just northwest of Pittsburgh that currently faces a slew of difficulties including high unemployment rates, incarceration rates, poverty rates, drug abuse rates, and crime rates. Due to the pervading poverty and lack of opportunity, the youth of this town especially suffer as they try to make their way to adulthood in a post-industrial era. This is why it is critical that youth development organizations such as Aliquippa Impact utilize existing theories and research in the areas of global education, literacy, the arts, and mentoring to help youth pave a new road into the future. If existing research is brought to bear on the situation in Aliquippa in contextually appropriate ways, youth will be better prepared to succeed in an era of globalization.
Thomas Rockett
ABSTRACT:
This research project was a program evaluation study to determine how well and to what extent small, alternative school institutions in urban communities impact their neighboring environments with positive social transformation By creating an evaluative tool to measure a school's impact on positive social transformation, this study identified six aspects of student and community development through schools that have the potential to shape healthy changes in neighborhoods of need. Through observation and qualitative research on four small, alternative schools in the Philadelphia area, the research examined philosophies, education principles, and practices which demonstrated a positive impact from each school on its neighborhood area.
Ultimately, the observations of this study show that small schools in urban areas have inconsistencies between their perceived level of commitment to the community, and the actual impact the school has in its neighboring area. These observations should lead to expanded research studies and seek to offer best practice suggestions for improving the actual impact of urban schools on community development.
Leah Samuelson
TITLE: Untying a Knot: a Model for Making Community Murals
ABSTRACT:
Transformation is growth through shared experience. A community arts project in which community members are designers, creators, and viewers is an axis for shared experience that provides opportunity for self expression and creative problem solving. Making a mural with volunteers anywhere in the world that enriches its community is possible following a plan of preparation and artistic skill blended with administrative flexibility. This model introduces a sample plan detailing steps for preparation, execution, roles, and challenges to look for in the mural process. The process creates space primed for mural facilitators to live and work with community members where both can be transformed.
Aleea Slappy
ABSTRACT:
There are a growing number of African-American grandmothers who are raising their grandchildren in Philadelphia. This autoethnography explores the circumstances surrounding seven African-American grandmothers who have raised or are currently raising their grandchildren. Among those grandmothers is the story of my 72-year-old grandmother who served as my primary caregiver. Based on in-depth one-on-one interviews, this research gives a voice to a culture of women whose stories needed to be shared. It highlights the social epidemics that led the grandmothers taking on this role while also exploring the reasons that have compelled these grandmothers to become second time parents. In addition to the research results, are five original monologues that are based on my interviews and observations of the grandmothers.
Megan Thomson
Title: A Training Curriculum for Volunteers and Short-term Staff Working with Urban Students
Abstract:
Over 80 million Americans volunteer their time every year. The time and efforts of these volunteers are essential for the existence of non-profit organizations. The problem for non-profits is retaining those who come to volunteer at their organizations. In fact, only 40 percent of newly recruited volunteers leave because of disappointing experiences. The two leading reasons why volunteers do not continue serving is because they do not feel connected to the organization and they are not properly trained. Using John 3:16 Mission’s Summer KIDS Camp as a model service opportunity for volunteers who are working with urban students this paper discusses a volunteer training curriculum that has the essential components to prepare individuals to serve. The volunteers are trained on the essentials of the organization they will be working with, their role as a volunteer, specifics on what they will be doing, how to interact with students, how to manage classrooms, where to go for additional resources, how to self-reflect, and how to get the most out of their service.
Thomas Stephens was a Campolo Scholar through the School for Social Change. After completing a year of research, he put together a working paper, which was presented at the 2006 Spring Graduate Research Forum.
Thomas Stephens
ABSTRACT:
This paper seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of the Christian community development (CCD) model and its ability to engage urban neighborhoods in faith-based community renewal that results in social transformation. The analysis uses a longitudinal demographic study of U.S. Census data from 1950 to 2000 for six urban neighborhoods where CCD ministries have been operating since 1989 or earlier. This 50 year trend line is intended to show neighborhood decline and renewal, if occurring, and what has occurred in the neighborhood since the CCD ministries foundation. Further, using an aggregate of the neighborhood data the study seeks to reveal the sum impact of the CCD model in comparison to national trends. Cities with neighborhoods featured in the study include: Atlanta, Georgia; Baltimore, Maryland; Chicago, Illinois; Pasadena, California; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The six CCD organizations work on community development through church planting, real estate development, small business creation, education, health care, advocacy, and other work intended to restore viability and sustainability to distressed communities. The study aims to determine the impact, best practices, limitations, and next steps of the Christian community development model for enacting restorative social change.
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