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The purpose of this ethnographic study was to examine the process of a family therapist entering and then navigating the cultural system of working with substance abusing Seminole tribal clients. The study also utilized two tribal members sharing their opinions about how Seminoles view therapy. As noted in the interview questions and responses, the research presented guidelines for family therapists to follow when working with tribal members. Because there has been no study conducted with family therapists providing clinical services to tribal members, this study introduced tools for clinicians to keep in mind and utilize when working with tribal clients. The interviews illustrated what specific routes therapists may take with tribal clients in order to join and connect. This study provided the field of family therapy an opportunity to become familiar with the Seminole tribe, and guidelines of how to remain mindful when working with this unique population. These results were supplemented by the researcher providing personal reflections on her experiences with tribal clients.

With almost 4 million registered Syrian refugees, the UN has called it the world’s worst refugee crisis. The influx of 628,000 asylum-seekers to neighboring Jordan has tested its strength and protection capabilities. The UNHCR is the organizational spearhead of the international refugee regime, the set of rights and procedural structures upon which signatory States agree to protect refugee rights. This ethnographic research contributes lived experience to the existing quantitative scholarship on the Syrian refugee influx in Jordan. Spending the long days of Ramadan with young adult Syrian national urban refugees, I learned about the gaps between respondents’ hardships in establishing secure lives, and the rights the UNHCR guarantees for them in Amman. This thesis argues that respondents’ experiences reflect the systematic failure of refugee protection due to inherent weaknesses of the refugee regime. Gaps in protections are the logical result of the expanding role of nation-states, as self-interested actors, in making important decisions in the enforcement of refugee rights. I argue that the expanding interest of Northern States’ to limit immigration since September 11th has rendered the UNHCR incapable of providing refugees the levels of protection they are guaranteed. The refugee regime makes certain assumptions of the host country’s carrying capacity, as well as assumptions that other nation-states will willingly open its doors for Syrian refugee resettlement. Since the UNHCR cannot rely upon Northern states committing themselves to third country resettlement, refugees can no longer expect the refugee regime to uphold its mandate that it was founded to ensure.

Historically, Appalachia has been stereotyped as being a culture bred in poverty and ignorance. Much research has shown that stereotyping reveals a pattern of behavioral change and an impact on psychological well-being for the stereotyped (e.g., Pinel, 1999; Woodcock, Jernandez, Estrada, & Schultz, 2012), and has largely been centered on race and gender (e.g., Byrnes, 2008; Tuckman & Monetti, 2011). Less is known about the development of culture-specific stereotypes such as those related to Appalachians – a highly stigmatized group (Daniels, 2014; Otto, 2002). The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of how adolescents in rural Appalachia develop awareness of stereotypes about Appalachia. Stratified random sampling was used to select twelve students (Grades 6-12) belonging to a small school district located in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky who were invited to participate in individual interviews. Eight of the participants self-identified as Appalachian, but for distinct reasons. Students characterized Appalachia for its strong sense of community, accessibility to nature, and lack of opportunities. All students readily identified negative Appalachian stereotypes, but most, particularly older students, were quick to defend the integrity of their culture and community. When discussing cultural stereotypes, the richness of student responses varied by grade-level.

This research is an ethnographic case study that asks the questions “what is transformation?” and “how does art transform individuals and their communities?” The narrative describes key moments in the researcher’s journey to South Africa in search of answers to these questions. Findings describe the village of Hamburg’s developing art practice, and include the artists’ own voices and views on this topic. Hamburg is a Xhosa village in South Africa that has faced many challenges due to the spread of HIV/AIDS. One response to the impact of HIV/AIDS on family and economic structures has been the development of an extensive community-based art practice, including large communal tapestry work. To engage questions regarding how visual art transforms people, the researcher reviewed existing Western and Eastern literature on transformation, and compared this with the Southern ethnographic interviews conducted whilst living in the village of Hamburg, where she joined the women for two months as they made their art. The interviews, which were informed by feminist thinking and community based action research, are deeply moving, and form the data from which conclusions were drawn. It iii  was found that the gritty, embodied nature of this community’s experience with transformative art processes can perhaps stimulate more inquiry into transformative art practice within art education itself, that, to date, does not engage much with a deliberate practice for human transformation. Findings in this study can also broaden the existing, sometimes disembodied, academic understandings around transformation within educational, therapeutic and spiritual discourses, which, to date, include mostly linear, hierarchical models, as well as anecdotal descriptions from mostly White, male perspectives. As yet, there is not much inquiry outside of feminist discourse into women’s transformation, which tends to be more organic and community orientated. The researcher’s findings suggest that literature on transformation through art is needed within art education, which should include female, Black African experiences. The researcher’s conclusions are applied to classroom and studio practice, where she challenges educators, researchers and practitioners within art education to take the link between art and transformation much more seriously, as a powerful technology for growth, empowerment and resilience. Findings can also be applied to other disciplines such as feminism, art therapy, education, psychology and spirituality. / Graduate / 0273 / 0357 / 0621 / sadnams@uvic.ca

The history of transportation planning in New York City has created disparities between those who have sufficient access to the public transportation network, and those who face structural barriers to traveling from their home to education, employment, and healthcare opportunities. This thesis analyzes the legacy of discriminatory policy surrounding the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and city and state governments that have failed to support vital infrastructure improvement projects and service changes to provide multi-modal welfare to New York’s working poor. By exploring issues of transit equity as they pertain to the New York City subway system, this thesis raises the question: which communities lack adequate access to public transit opportunity and what are the policies and historical developments that have created these inequities? Through examination of grassroots community-based movements towards social justice and transportation equity, this thesis will review the proposals, campaigns, and demands that citizen-driven organizations have fought for in New York City. These movements, I argue, are the most effective method to achieve greater transportation justice and intergenerational equity.

The thesis was originally done for the Center for Intercultural & Folk Studies which no longer exists.

Extreme weather events can result in natural disasters, and climate change can cause these weather events to occur more often and with more intensity. Because of social and physical vulnerabilities, climate change and extreme weather often affect coastal communities. As climate change continues to be a factor for many coastal communities, and environmental hazards and vulnerability continue to increase, the need for adaptation may become a reality for many communities. However, very few studies have been done on the effect climate change and mitigation measures implemented in response to climate change have on a community’s adaptive capacity. This single instrumental case study will examine the effects of climate change and policy responses to climate change on the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe located in Pointe aux Chenes, Louisiana, in order to discover how climate change affects the adaptive capacity of an indigenous population intricately tied to the surrounding ecosystem. This study will provide information on how the community plans to adapt to climate change, and the urban planning and hazard mitigation methods that can be used to facilitate the process. It also posits how government agencies can empower local communities to participate in mitigation planning, and provide local knowledge in order to make those plans more effective. As climate change continues to affect our coastal environments, it will continue to have an effect on our coastal communities. Understanding the strength and longevity of community adaptation in Pointe aux Chenes will help the community respond to the changes and increasing hazards in the environment. This understanding can be applied to all coastal communities facing similar challenges the world over.

For decades, healthcare access and quality in central and southern Appalachia have trailed the rest of the country. Entrenched poverty and low educational attainment compound healthcare problems. This study examines the healthcare obstacles women encounter in southern and central Appalachia and analyzes how technology use, such as Internet searching and social media affect women’s healthcare decisions. Data were analyzed from four focus groups conducted with women from the region. Results indicate that seeing a physician or not did not influence women’s propensity to search the Internet for health-related information or to seek support through social media sites. Additionally, women reported facing many barriers including trust in local physicians, access, availability, cost, and quality of healthcare. These issues often impede women’s access to preventative care and place burdens on their health and an already strained healthcare system.

This research assessed the perceived and actual roles of Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) in their community and in working with offenders and their families in relation to the Criminal Justice System (CJS). Additionally, the research study evaluated this issue on the local level in an attempt to ascertain whether FBOs still do what they have historically been perceived to do or whether their involvement with the CJS has shifted in any way. Particularly, the research study also examined perceptions of staff members from FBOs regarding services and support provided for families of offenders. The sample was selected using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling. Group sizes ranged from 2-5 participants. A total of 14 participants interacted in the focus groups. Each focus group lasted approximately one hour. All focus groups were recorded using a digital audio recording device, and transcriptions of the focus groups were prepared. The transcripts were prepared using a combination of edited and intelligent transcription techniques. Researchers reviewed the transcriptions for recurring themes. Twenty-four initial themes were generated. Researchers then reviewed the themes for redundancy which resulted in 10 themes being identified. The transcripts were then coded based on the 10 revised themes. These themes focused on issues related to the perceived and real roles of FBOs in relation to the Criminal Justice System. As expected, the researchers found that FBO programming difficulties and concerns (f = 65) and misperception and lack of church involvement in the lives of offenders and the CJS (f = 50) were the most recurring themes. Miscommunication and lack of connection between the CJS and community was found to be the third most recurring theme (f = 15), followed closely by lack of reunification of offenders with their families (f = 14). Perceptions of participants such as clergy and mental health practitioners confirmed the researcher’s expectations that offenders often express deep anxiety and concern over being separated from their families. Thus, current programming efforts may reflect a lack of emphasis on services designed to rejoin offenders with their families or reintegrate them in family systems based on participants’ perceptions. Analysis of the data is ongoing. Researchers will return to the data to further discuss theme coding and to determine if additional themes emerge. All identified themes will be further assessed for inter-rater reliability.