Canadian urban food security discourses have been explored by academics, local community organizations, practitioners (e.g., health and education) with the intention of understanding the histories and impacts of food insecurity and co-creating long-lasting solutions. In various urban centres, community initiatives and educational institutions have been collaborating on school gardening programs as a way to address food insecurity. Central to these conversations and projects have been how to make more inclusive spaces for people to share their own complex and diverse perspectives of food security—based on their local foodscapes (matrix of relationships between people, place, and food) and cultural worldviews. Pervasive power structures and narratives, however, have privileged certain voices over others and there are limited inquiries into cultural perceptions of food security. Children’s and youth’s own experiences and contributions to the discussion on foodscapes and food security have been marginalized, resulting in a knowledge gap of how young people situate and represent themselves. This research project works to amplify young people’s narratives surrounding their multifaceted relationships to foodscapes within three school gardens located in Treaty Six Territory (Saskatoon, SK). The aim is to make space for the fulsome perspectives and solutions that children and youth offer, as social change agents, towards food security discourses. Adopting a community-based approach, I collaborated with Agriculture in the Classroom Saskatchewan (AITC-SK), the Saskatoon Public School Division (SPSD), children, youth, and their guardians. Co-participants involved in the project included eleven children (between the ages of five and twelve) and seven adults who were connected to the three school gardens. Drawing upon theoretical frameworks rooted in narrative analysis, thematic analysis, and visual participatory action research (VPAR) methodologies, this project practiced meaning-making, which was both collaborative and interdisciplinary. The participating young people used digital cameras to take photographs during four garden workshops facilitated from July to September, 2013. In addition to the workshops, I conducted unstructured interviews with each adult co-participant that contributed to understandings on how children and youth interact with diverse foodways. Children and youth co-participants’ voices, shared in this study, add to current conversations on Saskatoon food security issues—namely the focus on cultural acceptability and accessibility to food. Their oral and visual narratives shed insight into how to re-imagine and expand dominant food security concepts—cultural acceptability and access—to foster inclusive foodscapes. Culturally acceptable foods for young co-participants, for example, was not limited to food products but to cultural relationships infusing foodscapes. Children and youth also blurred boundaries existing in Saskatoon community garden dichotomies of private and public, which had the potential to challenge hegemonic neoliberal views around access. School gardening and food ideologies— steeped in educators’ and program coordinators’ worldviews—were broadened by young people as they reflected upon their garden-based foodways. The inclusion of more children’s and youth’s perspectives on how food security is conceptualized, experienced, and addressed can be used to build greater resiliency in urban school gardening initiatives. By supporting genuine participation of young people in decision-making, alternative actions towards social change can be implemented. / Graduate / skukh075@uvic.ca

BACKGROUND: School discipline—how schools manage and respond to student misbehavior—is a central component of how schools seek to create safe and productive learning environments. School suspensions have been a popular discipline strategy in recent decades. Yet, recent studies have demonstrated the association between punitive discipline strategies and poor outcomes in youth, including increased high school dropout rates, decreased odds of enrolling in postsecondary school, and increased mental health concerns. There is an urgent need to examine alternate mechanisms for addressing school discipline other than punitive exclusionary or reward-based systems. This dissertation seeks to develop an integrated model of promising approaches and define how such a system could work. OBJECTIVES: This dissertation is made up of three studies addressing three aims: (1) to synthesize the existing literature on how school discipline has been constructed and its impact on student well being; (2) to develop a novel conceptual model for an alternate discipline approach, "kind discipline," and; (3) to develop and validate a measure for assessing the practice of kind discipline in elementary and middle schools. METHODS: Study one is a theoretical review utilizing a social ecological model to frame how school discipline models address an individual, relational, or structural level. Study two is a formative evaluation that develops a novel conceptual model for an alternative discipline approach. This study utilized concept mapping to elicit and integrate perspectives on school discipline from teachers, administrators, school staff, and other stakeholders involved in school programming. The concept mapping included a brainstorming phase, a statement analysis phase, a sorting and rating phase, and multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis of the collected data. It culminated in a map that visually represent the group's ideas and how they are interrelated. Study three validated a newly developed measure of kind discipline through an assessment of the measure’s internal consistency, an exploration of convergent and discriminant validity, and a descriptive analysis of the strength of relationships between kind discipline and school-level discipline frequency. RESULTS: The theoretical review illustrated how different school discipline approaches address disparate explanations of what may lead to student misbehavior. The formative evaluation developed a conceptual model for kind discipline in which three core themes emerged from 11 identified clusters in the conceptual model: (1) proactively developing a positive school climate, (2) responding to conflict with empathy, accountability, and skill, and (3) supporting staff skills in understanding and sharing expectations. When mapped onto a social ecological model, the identified components of kind discipline encompassed all levels of that model including the individual, relational, environmental/structural, and even community levels. In the study validating a measure of kind discipline, teacher and student assessments of kind discipline were strongly correlated (Pearson’s Correlation -.772, p=0.005). Convergent validity of the measure was supported by our finding that the more positively students assessed kind discipline in their schools, the lower the school disciplinary action rate (β=-0.759, p=0.05). Mixed linear models showed teachers' perceived kind discipline at the school level predicted individual students' perception of kind discipline. Girls reported higher levels of kind discipline than boys; and students in higher grades reported lower levels of kind discipline than students in lower grades. CONCLUSIONS: Effective school discipline programs may need to operate on multiple levels. There is increasing support for the importance of a relationship-level component to disciplinary approaches. This contrasts with the dominant individual-behavioral discipline approaches that focus on fewer levels and may not lead to sustained student and staff motivation. The findings from the concept mapping illustrate the importance of setting and communicating clear expectations and the need for them to be collaboratively developed. The student and teacher measures for assessing the level of kind discipline in a school show promise as tools for evaluating schools working to improve approaches to discipline and for guiding interventions that aim to promote positive and relational motivation strategies.

There is a growing body of research on psychopathic traits in non-clinical populations. This emerging research has documented the prevalence of psychopathic traits in the general population and demonstrated that psychopathy has a similar latent structure as well as similar correlates (e.g., violent behavior, alcohol abuse, and lower intelligence) to forensic/offender samples. Relatedly, there is strong evidence insecure attachment patterns in adulthood are associated with many personality disorders, including psychopathy, but only a few studies have examined the relationship between attachment and psychopathic traits in non-clinical samples (albeit, convenience samples of college students). Thus, two aims of the current study are to: 1) describe and explore the manifestation and expression of psychopathic traits in a large, community-based sample and 2) examine associations between adult attachment disturbances and psychopathic traits in diverse sociodemographic subgroups. Using a cross-sectional design, results showed mean-level psychopathy factor score differences existed only when considering single sociodemographic factors (e.g., age), not an interaction of those factors. Psychopathy factor profiles were also consistent across groups, with higher levels of lifestyle followed by interpersonal, affective, and antisocial traits reported. Regarding the second aim, findings indicated support for the positive association between disturbed attachment patterns in adult relationships and psychopathic traits, although these associations differed in males and females of different age groups. Finally, there was some support for attachment processes acting as a social development pathway toward psychopathy, as insecure attachments in adulthood partially mediated the relationships between age and interpersonal, affective, and lifestyle traits of psychopathy.

Through collaboration between the Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA) and several community partners, a need was identified for a new measurement tool to gather comprehensive client histories for program evaluation and development. The purpose of this study was to (1) develop a culturally relevant and organizationally appropriate mechanism for the collection of comprehensive client histories and (2) to provide the opportunity for staff to engage in a new process of developing and implementing data collection strategies. As a result of the use of a community-based participatory approach, (1) a missed opportunity for program evaluation and development was identified, (2) a community-based research study was developed, (3) staff were invested in development of the tool, and (4) staff engaged in a capacity-building exercise in which they were provided the skills and tools needed to replicate this process independently in the future.

Doctor of Education / Department of Educational Leadership / W. Franklin Spikes / Non-profit organizations come in many shapes and sizes and in some cases, encompass a significant portion of community organizations. Since these agencies are largely sustained by the work of volunteers, it is a worthy subject to examine. The diversity and complexity of non-profits available among communities presents a need for volunteers’ to be skilled, trained, and experienced in an array of arenas. Non-profit organizations depend on volunteers and allow these entities to reach a larger population than exclusively with the limited staff members available (Fisher & Cole, 1993). This notion suggested the topic of motivation and retention of volunteers among community non-profits for the focus of this study to help organizations effectively deliver their mission. More specifically, this investigation centered on people who are considered high-functioning by the administrators with whom they work through the process of interviews. Non-profit organizations located in Denver, Colorado were selected to participate. The administrators of the chosen agencies were contacted and asked to identify volunteers in their program they classify as high-functioning. Once this list was identified, these individuals were contacted and asked to participate in an interview. This study focused on high-functioning volunteers for data collection because it was anticipated their characteristics and viewpoints will aid in the understanding of motivation and retention factors for anyone working with and supervising volunteers in the 21st century. The findings from the study provide a diverse assessment of the topic of volunteer motivation and retention. The data collected suggests that adult volunteers have varying needs and the importance for volunteer administrators to take these differences into consideration in their management and programming efforts.

There is a growing movement of indignation around the world that is calling out injustice and developing creative strategies to stand up to power and change the world. These are sparks that have flared up in the Arab spring, the occupy movement, idle no more, massive strikes in South Africa, environmental protests and many more. A growing body of literature suggests that movements such as these are not isolated instances but a growing global movement, despite what the mainstream media suggests (e.g. Brecher, Costello and Smith 2002; Hall, Clover, Crowther and Scandrett, 2012). This participatory action research tells the story of one grassroots environmental protest campaign. The protest campaign is ongoing and organized by non-native environmental kayaktivists in Coast Salish territory. It culminates each year in a five-day human powered flotilla of 100 people through the Salish Sea to connect communities and protest increased tanker traffic and a fossil fuel based economy. The research was both suggested and guided by the organizer activists. Their voices are openly represented in the research in order to reflect and appreciate their expertise and role in the research. The story this research tells demonstrates the role and value of protest campaigns in challenging root inequalities and presents practical strategies for building capacity for a global movement of social and environmental change that connects and addresses intersectional oppression globally. It also problematizes activist settler and First Nations relations. The research situates these campaigns as important sites of public learning and presents practical strategies for teaching and learning as if the world mattered. The organic and experiential approaches to learning revealed are applicable to informal, non-formal and formal learning practices. The research challenges the incestuous, white male, Eurocentric, hierarchical control of knowledge and knowledge making that has been used for centuries to justify and hide oppression and exploitation of imperialism, colonisation and war. This research emphasizes the need for creative solutions to the planetary crisis at hand, which require a reflection on the world and our position in it from diverse cultural perspectives. This means listening and learning from the wisdom of those who have been silenced. It requires a new type of learning that values wisdom over cleverness and places peaceful co existence at the centre of the curriculum. Learning in grassroots protest campaigns, such as the one represented in this case study, offer possible strategies for carrying out such learning. / Graduate / 0516, 0768, 0700 / capelton15@gmail.com

Master of Science / Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional & Community Planning / Huston Gibson / Communities are currently faced with the issue of integrating sustainable practices into citizen lifestyles, a problem that can be addressed through behavior changes strategies. Higher education institutions can provide a testing ground for different behavior change strategies, specifically the Fogg Behavior Model (FBM) and its application to the social structures that are important in community-based social marketing (CBSM). This research proposes to examine FBM among Kansas State University faculty and staff as a viable CBSM approach for sustainable behavior change. A targeted behavior and trigger for the targeted behavior were selected. The trigger was implemented among select university departments with both pre- and post-experiment surveys distributed to assess trigger effectiveness and limiting factors to ability and motivation. The research showed an increase to the targeted behavior due to trigger implementation and described ability and motivation limiting factors within those select departments. With further investigation into these limiting factors and a widespread trigger effectiveness study, FBM could serve as an effective model that addresses social behavior change within a CBSM framework. FBM’s potential success in a university setting bodes well for its success in communities and a community-based social marketing approach to create sustainable behavior change.

Master of Science - Agricultural Education and Communication / Department of Communications and Agricultural Education / Lauri M. Baker / Kansas and Oklahoma were in the top five cattle producing states in the United States. Beef cattle producers across Kansas and Oklahoma had access to best management practices (BMPs) for proper grazing land management, but were still underutilizing these practices. This study sought to understand why producers did not adopt grazing BMPs suggested by Extension professionals and to identify opportunities to improve communication and adoption. Under the postulates of elaboration likelihood model (ELM), if BMPs were communicated to producers in a way that persuaded them to adopt BMPs, the resiliency of the entire beef cattle grazing system, would increase. This study was guided by community-based social marketing (CBSM) and elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 43 producers in north central Oklahoma and south central Kansas during the summer of 2015. Initial participants were recruited using a purposive sampling method through Extension contacts with a snowball sample after initial participants were identified. Interviews were transcribed by a professional transcription service and analyzed using Glaser’s constant comparative method. Producers in the study were aware of BMPs like rotational grazing, prescribed burning, and the usage of alternative forages. The major themes discovered in this study include Producers had varying definitions of both rotational grazing and cover crops; Producers used each other, Extension and university materials and personnel as information sources; Practices producers used were determined by visual observations and past experiences. Barriers and social constrains to the adoption of BMPs that were discovered included: water availability and quality, land leases, time and labor, land lords, generational gaps, and a lack of skilled employees. Producers saw the benefits of burning practices and rotational grazing. Another major theme was drought tested the resiliency of producer’s operations. This study offers several recommendations for Extension professionals and research. The way that Extension agents were communicating BMPs should be researched and analyzed. The implementation of CBSM and ELM by Extension professionals could increase the adoption of BMPs in grazing systems. A major implication of this study was the need for Extension to more openly communicate with producers rather than just exchange information.

M.A. / Community corrections or correctional supervision, which falls under the Department of Correctional Services and was established in 1991 in South Africa, serves as an alternative sentence and to cater for people who are on parole. This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a life skills programme at Johannesburg Community Corrections rendered to probationers by social workers. Probationers are people who have been given a sentence of correctional supervision by the court. The probationers are compelled to attend one of the established programmes, for example, life skills programmes, as one of the conditions of their sentence. Community corrections B-Order (1991: 34) states that programmes are directly focused on the typical problem area or behaviour of the probationer and shall be aimed at: • preventing further crime perpetration; • improving general sense of responsibility; • acquiring social skills; • improving family relations; and • preventing alcohol and drug abuse. The aim of this study was to evaluate a life skills workshop presented by Johannesburg Community Corrections to probationers in 2000. A representative sample of twenty respondents who attended a life skills programme from April to May 2000 was used for this study. The findings indicated that the programme addresses the above-mentioned problem areas for probationers. From the findings of the study, it can be concluded that most of the probationers, after being exposed to the programme, show great improvement when it comes to the acquisition of social skills, a general sense of family responsibility, attitude towards crime, and family relations. They are positive about their future and they perceive the wrongs they have done as a learning experience. The research design was both quantitative and qualitative in nature and an interview schedule was completed for the purpose of data collection. The results of this study indicated that the programme is effective. The majority of the respondents stated that after being exposed to the programme, their perception, attitude, thinking and life style had changed. The programme has to be modified, as it does not address entrepreneurial and business management skills. Furthermore, it does not include entrepreneurial skills training, which would ultimately help and assist probationers to gain employment or to be self-employed through training in terms of being self-reliant and self-employed. / Prof. J.B.S. Nel

In the rural water scheme projects across sub-Saharan Africa, the participatory Community Based Management model has become the norm. Through initial financing by oustide funders, the goal is for communities to independently take on the financing of the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the improved water schemes, thereby ensuring sustainability and functionality of the pumps. Evidence has been gathering, however that this model, combining ideals of collective action with the logics of commodification, has been frequently failing, one in three hand pumps in Africa are out of function, and communities struggle to meet the financing needs of O&M in infrastructures which perpetuate isolation. This, however, does not lie fully in the fault of the communities, or implementation, but also in theoretical downfalls of the CBM. Looking at a community-based rural project in the Tikar region of Central Cameroon as well, this research reveals the limits of CBM to achieving sustainable water access, as well as reveal new angles and paradigms to pursue.