Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University. / Problem. The problem of the dissertation is to determine the most effective strategic approaches to achieving the racial desegregation of The Methodist Church. The problem is posed by the fact that The Methodist Church, both on its local church and connectional levels, is deeply involved in the practice of racial segregation despite its frequently reiterated stand of opposition to all racial discrimination and segregation. It is hypothesized that desegregation can be achieved in The Methodist Church through planned strategy. In determining the effectiveness of strategies leading toward desegregation, it is assumed that they must be consistent with (1) the appropriate Methodist goal of a fellowship which is racially inclusive, (2) appropriate ethical presuppositions, (3) relevant principles and findings which have been contributed by the social sciences, (4) limitations and possibilities inherent in the institutional structures of The Methodist Church, and (5) limitations and possibilities suggested by the relationships between The Methodist Church and the wider community and culture of which it is a part. [truncated]

Not all children begin their educational journey on equal footing. The purpose of this study is to investigate how universal prekindergarten (UPK) can serve as a key to remedying issues surrounding educational inequity. In order to understand educational inequity, I dive into the history of neighborhood racial segregation in the United States, and how it led to our currently unjust system. Racial segregation, specifically city zoning laws, created racially separate neighborhoods that are still relatively homogenous to this day. In order to ascertain how UPK could combat these issues stemming from historic racial segregation, I evaluate programs in three states to highlight the approach to UPK that each has implemented: New York, Georgia, and Oklahoma. Program features in Oklahoma have produced high-quality standards and the program has reached a larger percentage of 4-year-olds. I discuss multiple dimensions of proposed education reform, particularly for students of color, including the culturally-situated nature of high-stakes testing and its inability to fully capture student and school progress. I propose a culturally empowering approach to UPK, situated within the Dallas community, as a solution to current educational inequity.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / This research study focuses on the community of Blue Downs and their associated problems. The study furthermore provides some insight on the history of Local Government, the past policies of the Government of the day with specific reference to separation of communities, which was based on racial segregation. In this context the distribution of wealth, resources and income was uneven and separate development of population groups was a deliberate policy of the previous government. Townships such as Mitchells Plain, Atlantis and Blue Downs came into being as a result of these policies, while no employment opportunities existed. This and other social factors all lead to hardship and poverty. It is commonly accepted and consensus exists that the continuing high levels of poverty are the single biggest threat to sustainable economic growth and democratic consolidation. It is thus important to understand and appreciate why Local Government can playa critical meaningful role in addressing these challenges. The purpose of the study is to identify the needs of the people in specifically the Blue Downs area and to look at ways to address and implement the findings of the research. The research can also be regarded as a blue print, which could be adapted to the needs of the communities in other areas within the Oostenberg Municipal area. The methodology adopted to achieve the objectives of this research comprises a literature review of relevant legislation, existing documentation on the Oostenberg Municipal socio-economic indicators and a literature review on any existing literature on Blue Downs. Public meetings were held during the months of June, July and September 2000. Whilst a quantitative approach in the form of open-ended questions was also undertaken. The research study is divided into the following 5 chapters: Chapter 1 sets out the scope of and the approach of the work, and draws together the themes and key fmdings of the research. Chapter 2 deals with a case study of Blue Downs, the historical perspective with relation to Local Government and the community and set the stage for job creation as determined in Chapter 4 of this study, which could be implemented to address the outcomes of the survey and workshops held with the community. Chapter 3 sets out the framework for analysing the data captured from the needsassessments, which was executed and provides descriptions of the key features and outcomes of the surveys. The ultimate objective of this research is to look at ways to improve the quality of life of the communities of Oostenberg, especially in the Blue Downs area. The research also paves the way for other research projects within the Municipal area or can be used or adapted for communities to address their own needs. Nonetheless, in a research of this nature, issues pertaining to communities are of vital importance. Where I have made comments and/or recommendations, it is important that these be reviewed for implementation. Chapter 4 looks at the existing and new economic opportunities that are available in the Blue Downs Area. Chapter 5 describes the fmdings of the research and recommendations. The research highlights the unemployment situation in the Blue Downs area. It is thus imperative that the local community, together with the Local authority becomes the driving force in order to ensure that the recommendations and implementation gets underway. The research study could be used as a tool for the upliftment of the local community by the community through a joint partnership with the business sector and local auth

Diabetes is a leading cause of premature death and disability in the United States and vulnerable populations may be at increased risk. Racial residential segregation, population density, and other factors influence the built environment, which in turn affects access to health-related facilities. Using the theory of fundamental causes, this study aims to determine whether neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors, the built environment, and subsequent access to health-related facilities are associated with diabetes prevalence in Georgia’s population. A built environment assessment of all health facilities located in the state of Georgia was conducted using health data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and demographic data from the 2010 US Census. Geospatial techniques, including hot-spot analyses and the two-step floating catchment area method were used to determine the effect of racial concentration, socioeconomic status, and population density on access to health-related facilities and thus on diabetes prevalence. Linear and spatial regression analyses were conducted to determine the significance of the association between access to facilities and diabetes prevalence. The results of the geospatial and regression analyses show that socioeconomic factors significantly affect the built environment, which in turn significantly influence diabetes prevalence. This interdisciplinary study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between sociodemographic factors, the built environment, and diabetes prevalence in a southeastern state. Keywords: Diabetes, Disparities, Access, Racial Segregation, Urban/Rural, Built Environment Diabetes is a leading cause of premature death and disability in the United States and vulnerable populations may be at increased risk. Racial residential segregation, population density, and other factors influence the built environment, which in turn affects access to health-related facilities. Using the theory of fundamental causes, this study aims to determine whether neighborhood-level sociodemographic factors, the built environment, and subsequent access to health-related facilities are associated with diabetes prevalence in Georgia’s population. A built environment assessment of all health facilities located in the state of Georgia was conducted using health data from the 2014 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and demographic data from the 2010 US Census. Geospatial techniques, including hot-spot analyses and the two-step floating catchment area method were used to determine the effect of racial concentration, socioeconomic status, and population density on access to health-related facilities and thus on diabetes prevalence. Linear and spatial regression analyses were conducted to determine the significance of the association between access to facilities and diabetes prevalence. The results of the geospatial and regression analyses show that socioeconomic factors significantly affect the built environment, which in turn significantly influence diabetes prevalence. This interdisciplinary study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between sociodemographic factors, the built environment, and diabetes prevalence in a southeastern state.

In this set of essays, I grapple with issues related to the core questions of urban economics. Why are people so heavily clustered in urban areas? Why do some cities grow while others decline? What explains where people live within urban areas? My first essay focuses on understanding patterns of racial segregation within metro areas. One factor that has long been hypothesized to contribute to this divide, but has proven difficult to test empirically, is that local zoning regulations have an exclusionary impact on minority residents in some neighborhoods. I focus on variation in block-level racial composition within narrow bands around zone borders within jurisdictions. My results imply a large role for local zoning regulation, particularly the permitting of dense multi-family structures, in explaining disparate racial location patterns. The second essay returns to core issues of agglomeration and the role of cities. The fact that wages tend to be higher in cities, and that this premium grows with density, has been seen as strong evidence for urban agglomeration forces enhancing productivity. In modern data this density premium seems only to exist in areas with above average levels of human capital. Agglomeration models emphasizing learning and knowledge spillovers between workers in close proximity seem most compatible with the data. Finally, I investigate the impact of local governance structure on urban growth over the last 40 years. Some economists have touted the virtues of competition between fragmented local governments in efficient provision of local public goods, while regionalists have pointed to the need to coordinate planning and infrastructure across jurisdictions, and warned of the impacts of fractionalization on segregation and sprawl. While cities with regionalized governments have grown more rapidly, a small set of strong historical correlates with local government density can account for this. Impacts on segregation are more robust. / Economics

Racial residential segregation in Dallas public housing projects is analyzed before and after the implementation of the "central tenant assignment plan," adopted in May of 1975, Among the socioeconomically segregated population served by public housing, the effects of race and the nondiscrimination policy are investigated using project occupancy data. Indexes of dissimilarity are used to measure racial segregation, and the racial compositions of the communities in which the projects are located are described using 1970 U.S. census and 1976 Dallas City Profile Survey data. The findings indicate that the nondiscrimination policy was not effective in reducing the high levels of racial segregation. A small decline in segregation was noted after a change in project administrative personnel late in 1974.

Over the last fifty years, California has become one of the largest jailers in the world, incarcerating nearly 128,000 men and women on a $10.5 billion budget. The prison population has rapidly risen over this period, resulting in overly crowded, chaotic prisons and jails that became increasingly difficult to manage. As correctional officers and officials lost control over the prison social order, inmates looked to themselves and created a new set of social norms through race-based gangs. What began with the formation of the Mexican Mafia in 1957 now dictates prison social life, where racially segregated cells, cafeterias, yards, and gyms are the new norm. In an attempt to manage this new social structure, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation unofficially employed the use of racial segregation during the intake process for prison housing. The practice was challenged and eventually overruled in the 2005 Supreme Court decision Johnson v. California, but the State continues to struggle with compliance on multiple fronts. This thesis examines the history and development of race-based gangs in California in an attempt to understand how to manage the racially segregated world of prisons today. It finds that tensions between the courts, the State, and the inmates are ultimately perpetuated by the continuance of racially segregation policies, and it will ultimately take the political will of Department officials to eliminate race-based gangs and enact cultural change.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The Central Jurisdiction is a structure within The Methodist Church organization which almost completely segregates the Negro Methodist from his white fellow-Methodist at the jurisdictional, annual conference, and local church levels of organization. During the past few years the church has begun to move toward the abolition of this racial jurisdiction. During this period, however, the leadership of the Central Jurisdiction has refused to implement various procedures available to transfer conferences and churches into geographic jurisdictions according to Amendment IX of the Constitution of The Methodist Church. In this situation the question has been raised as to the role that the Central Jurisdiction is playing and has played in the developnent of an inclusive Methodist Church. Particularly, the question has been asked whether the Central Jurisdiction and its leadership has become a conservative institution concerned with its own interests over and above the elimination of the symbol of segregation in The Methodist Church. The aim of the present stuey has been to study these questions. The procedure has been to study the history of the Negro in Methodism and of the development of the Central Jurisdiction. In order to discover the effects of the Central Jurisdiction as an institution upon communication between white and Negro ministers, and to discover any differences in attitudes concerning the Central Jurisdiction between leaders and non-leaders, a questionnaire was sent to a random sample of the ministerial menbers of the Central Jurisdiction. Of 193 items in the sample 191 were returned. other instruments were also sent to the presidents of the Woman's Society of Christian Service and the Lay Leaders of the seventeen Negro annual conferences in order to determine the extent of conmunicat ion among Methodist laymen. A stuey was then made of the Central Jurisdictional Conference actions directed toward the elimination of the Central Jurisdiction, using criteria for effective minority action as a critical tool. These criteria were: (1) an insistent, virtually unanimous protest to the majority group; (2) a legislative program supported by the Negro; (3) the development of interracial contacts and activities. The conclusions of the study indicate that there is very little communication between clergy and laymen of different races at the conference, district or local level. The national leadership of the Woman's Society of Christian Service has encouraged inter-racial contacts but the results, although encouraging, are only beginning to appear. No statistical difference appeared between the leaders and non-leaders of the Central Jurisdiction in their attitudes concerning the Central Jurisdiction which would indicate the leaderships 1 actions were dictated by self-interest. In fact, on same issues the leaders took positions more favorable to an inclusive church than the rank and file. The actions of the Central Jurisdiction were found to be consistent with the purpose or creating an inclusive church, defining this in terms much broader than the mere abolition of the Central Jurisdiction. It was found that this concern with the more fundamental question of how to develop an inclusive fellowship in which the Negro will be accepted as an equal in all sections of the church was the reason for the reluctance ef the leadership te utilize Alaendment IX. With the pressure of the secular world building up around the church fer the elimination of segregation the Central Jurisdiction found it strategic to emphasize the importance of formulating an over-all plan for the development of an inclusive church before the Central Jurisdiction was abolished. The effect of the Central Jurisdiction, therefore, as an institutional structure was found to retard the develepment of an inclusive church, while as a policy making body it has been a force working for the end of racism in The Methodist Church. / 2031-01-01

This thesis traces the contours of the Black-White color line in modern America by illuminating how Whites' racialized political behavior varies across local geographic contexts. In a critical reinterpretation of the racial threat hypothesis, I argue that local geography conditions the relationship between Whites' racial orientations and their preferences on policies related to race - but not because Whites are passively threatened in proximity to a Black population. Rather, Whites are active, subjective perceivers of their surroundings who have an interest in maintaining their racial privilege. This conceptual shift not only challenges the assumed neutrality of Whites' vision; it also enables me to identify the range of contextual indicators that Whites might construe as threatening, and the range of White attitudes that are activated as a result. My empirical evidence comes from three case studies. The first two use geocoded survey data to analyze White opinion on welfare spending in 2000, and on affirmative action between 2006 and 2010. The third study draws on in-depth interviews conducted in 2016, exploring an issue related to school desegregation in Louisiana. Each study affirms the core findings of the thesis: Whites' policy preferences are polarized according to racial orientations in settings where race is salient; and a shared White perspective is evident even across polarized attitudes. My findings offer hope, showing that a sign of threat to some Whites may activate racially tolerant behavior in others; as well as reason to restrain our optimism, challenging the assumption that affluent Blacks, unlike the 'undeserving' Black poor, will not be perceived as threatening by Whites. Ultimately, only by recognizing the color line's responsiveness to local geography - and its resilience even as White attitudes liberalize and Black class positions improve - can we understand the line's persistence or the possibility of one day dismantling it.

Those who are given access to develop and plan our urban areas are in possession of great power and potential. With the vast sums of both private and governmental money associated with the creation and organization of urban areas, the motivations of those constructing plans and deciding developmental strategies need to be considered. When a city has a dual identity and is socially and spatially conflicted, then the task of planning equitably for all residents becomes even more complex. The extent to which planners address the needs of their community, and the divisions which may exist, reveals the intentions of the city regarding which residents are to be included within city life. This study examines these factors as they appertain to the city of St Petersburg, Florida which contains a population that is polarized racially, socially and spatially. St. Petersburg promotes itself as a city of consumption, with a focus upon the tourist trade and its related support services. There exists an excluded 'underclass' which is incongruous alongside this promotion of the city as a tourist destination, but essential to the maintenance of the services needed. Faced with these conflicting city identities, the Developmental Services Department is under pressure to address resident contentions and to provide equitably for the city. Vision 2020 is a recent development which seeks to address some of the residents' concerns, and plan for the future development of the city. The document makes claims to citizen participation and asserts that it has addressed the concerns of residents. However, methods employed to illicit citizen participation failed to actively encourage participation from all social groups within the city and potentially alienated low-income residents.