Since 1975, over 1.3 million Southeast Asian refugees have resettled in the United States from the Southeast Asian nations of Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam (Office of Refugee Resettlement, 2014). Many Southeast Asian refugees fled their home countries after the Vietnam War to avoid political persecution. As a result of forced migration, Southeast Asian refugees experience high levels of psychological distress attributed to premigration trauma and postmigration. Stressors may include adjusting to a new culture, finding housing, establishing employment, financial hardship, learning a new language and the feeling of identity loss of their homeland. In considering these stressors, this study sought to understand how a lack of access to affordable healthy food may be impacting Southeast Asian refugees’ social, mental, and physical health. Using basic qualitative research, nine structured participant interviews were conducted. Findings suggest one way to alleviate some stress for refugees was to increase access to culturally congruent food. Additionally, increasing economic opportunities and transportation services were identified as critical to improving access to healthy food options. The theoretical framework that guided this study was resilience theory. This framework brought to light the hardship and stress experienced by refugees. I then used it to outline ways that community gardens may build individual resilience to overcome personal hardships through social support structures. The findings highlight the importance of resettling refugees in communities close to families to build individual resilience and the need for refugee resettlement practitioners to continue to offer resettlement support beyond initial arrival to the United States and until economic self-sufficiency is achieved. Additionally, four central themes emerged from individual stories of each participant’s perceptions of how food access impacts their social, mental, and physical health. The four themes were: (1) postmigration traumas create hardships among Hmong refugees, (2) poverty and physical and mental health disabilities impact food access, (3) food cultivation is deeply rooted in the Hmong culture, and (4) gardens build social communities and give hope. The study also uncovered two unexpected findings. The first was the strong cultural belief in natural healing using herbal medicine known as “tshuaj ntsuab Hmoob” or Hmong green medicine, and, secondly, the prevalent cultivation of Hmong herbal medicine plants in the gardens. For practitioners developing housing for resettled refugees, creating green space for refugees to cultivate their traditional green medicine is vital to Hmong refugees’ identity and culture. One way to provide such access would be to incorporate green space into resettlement housing arrangements so refugees may cultivate fruits and vegetables native to their home countries. Creating green spaces for refugees may help to preserve their rich culture and empower refugee communities to practice their cultural beliefs and traditions. Lastly, I conclude the study with a proposal for development of a nonprofit community garden called Garden of Hope. My vision for the Garden of Hope is to address findings of this study through program services, which may increase access to culturally congruent food and promote individual resilience through entrepreneurship. The goal is to teach refugees how to grow and market their organic fruits and vegetables to local restaurants and or sell them at local community farmers markets. Addressing postmigration stressors for Southeast Asian refugees through the Garden of Hope may improve individual economic mobility and uplift improvised communities through entrepreneurship.

Intimate partner violence [IPV] is a preventable and costly societal issue that has reached epidemic proportions. Women are often the victims of IPV, and millions of children are exposed to it annually. The purpose of this study was to explore experiences of Puerto Rican mothers and their perceptions of how IPV exposure may have impacted their children using resilience theory. Data were collected via audiotaped individual interviews with 9 Puerto Rican mothers who endured an array of escalating IPV, often exacerbated by the perpetrators use of alcohol or drugs, and had IPV-exposed children aged 6 -11 years. Data analysis integrated content and thematic procedures. Interview data was transcribed, read, audited and coded based on compelling statements, quotes, and sentences made by the participants. The coded clusters were further evaluated, reduced to significant statements, then grouped into themes that captured the essence of the participants lived experiences and of the group. The mothers separated because they feared for their lives and the effect of IPV on the children. Once separated the mothers felt isolated, lived in shelters which were unconducive to childrearing, and had challenges navigating the system. They perceived their IPV-exposed children exhibited a multitude of behaviors including PTSD but that most were showing signs of resilience. Their IPV was perpetrated by males who were mostly the biological fathers of their children who used controlling behaviors towards the kids. The potential positive social change impact of this study is to empower Puerto Rican mothers to disclose IPV and to better inform health care providers regarding the impact of IPV on children aged 6 -11 years in an effort to increase the health, well-being, and resiliency of this vulnerable population.

My goal for this thesis is to investigate the concept of (mis)labeling female protagonists in contemporary British fiction as mentally ill—historically labeled as madness—when subjected to traumatic events. The female protagonists in two novels by Sophie Mackintosh, The Water Cure (2018) and Blue Ticket (2020), and Jenni Fagan’s 2012 novel The Panopticon, are raised in environments steeped in trauma and strict, hegemonic structures that actively work to control and mold their identities. In The Panopticon, this system is called “the experiment”; in The Water Cure, it is personified by the character King and those who follow him; and in Blue Ticket, it is the social structure as a whole reflected in the character of Doctor A. To simply label these novels’ woman protagonists as ill would be to ignore that their behavior is not mental illness but in fact rational behavior produced by the traumatic dystopian environments.

The study explored how storytelling develops resilience in Black women, enabling them to thrive after overcoming adversity. Storytelling can be conducted in a variety of ways, such as through writing, interaction with others, and self-analysis, however, this study will focus on the value of informal oral storytelling through the interactions with others. Studies reveal that Black women are disproportionately impacted by inequities concerning equal rights, employment, equal pay, education, discrimination, affordable healthcare and housing, criminal justice, and voting rights. Despite these inequities, Black women are significant contributors to the workforce, economy, and society, demonstrating resilience. There is limited research that includes Black women’s voices in counter response to inequities and how storytelling increases their resilience, enabling them to thrive. The study reviewed literature of Black women’s history, Critical Race Theory, intersectionality, adult personal resilience, Resilience Theory, storytelling, and narrative inquiry. I interviewed Black women and, in that process, invited them to share stories and artifacts demonstrating their resilience. The study examined who shared stories with these Black women and who they shared their stories with. The study explored whether Black women increased their resilience to thrive through storytelling. The study applied the qualitative research approach using narrative inquiry and Resilience Theory as the theoretical framework. The study aimed to diminish the literature gap and provide a counter-narrative on how Black women increase their resilience to thrive through storytelling.

This thesis is a critical review of two central theories in the modern sustainability paradigm – namely… (1) the theory that the Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere form a complex adaptive system – the Earth system, and (2) the theory that all human activities are intrinsically dependent on, and constrained by, non-anthropogenic states and processes in the Earth system. The thesis explains the origins and the logic of these theories, and subjects them to formal, semi-formal and comparative criticism. Ultimately, it refutes both on formal and comparative grounds. Most importantly, it shows that theories 1 and 2 are in conflict with the theory of evolution by natural selection, and with the hypothetico-deductive model of scientific research. It also shows that they are in conflict – both directly and indirectly – with the known laws of physics. While it is true that all human activities rely on biospheric resources today, there are no physical, or natural laws that make it impossible for us to break those dependencies over time. In fact, the thesis shows that it is possible in principle to satisfy any human need by strictly artificial means, and abiotic resources that exist in abundance both inside and outside of the Earth system. An important corollary to this finding is that social and economic progress is not inextricably tied – as the modern sustainability literature suggests – to the exploitation of finite and rapidly diminishing resources here on Earth. Theories 1 and 2 both contribute to this confusion, and hence, to the bleak and irrational Malthusianism that still permeates so much of the sustainability domain. In addition, they appear to blind many researchers to the ecological benefits of technological development. That humanity can break its dependence on the biosphere is a very good thing for its non-human inhabitants. As we become more technologically advanced, we will find it easier and easier to sustain ourselves without destabilizing the world's ecosystems. The Earth’s biosphere is an oasis of beauty, complexity and connection in a Universe that is overwhelmingly empty and boring. As the only animals capable of appreciating this fact, we have a clear moral duty to protect and preserve it. And we can protect and preserve it. If we just let go of the religious ideas that have dominated our field since its inception, we will find that our potential to do good in the world is far greater than we previously imagined.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, repressive legislative changes and tightened war-censorship prompted a new wave of media professionals leaving the Federation. This study explores how Russian journalists resettling in the Baltic states articulate their professional identity and view the Russian versus Baltic governments’ attitudes while adapting abroad. While recognizing the Russian oppositional sphere’s role in democracy promotion, this research draws insights from thirteen semi-structured interviews conducted in the fall of 2023 with exiled media professionals in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The study employs Mark Deuze’s ideal typical values on professional ideology (public service, immediacy, autonomy, ethics, and objectivity) supplemented by Patric Raemy’s take on resilience theory, utilizing a hybrid inductive-deductive methodology with apriori themes of a) oppositionality and ideology, b) logistics and migration as well as c) adaptation and resilience. Findings showed that exiled journalists’ articulations of anti-war positions were intrinsically connected to their professional roles. There were also strong commitments to transparent information access. In parallel, editorials experienced either de- or reiterated hierarchization stemming from working in crisis. Key professional challenges included circumventing censorship, financial struggles, and losing access to domestic informants. Adaptive and maladaptive mechanisms ranged from being psychosocial to technical. Adaptation overall was reflected in strengthened corporate solidarity and in exiled media outlets’ joint moral-legal responsibilities for proxy-reporters / Sedan Rysslands fullskaliga invasion av Ukraina har repressiva lagändringar och skärpt krigscensur föranlett en ny våg av yrkesverksamma inom mediebranschen som lämnat federationen. Denna studie undersöker hur ryska journalister som flyttat till de baltiska länderna artikulerar sin professionella identitet och betraktar den ryska kontra de baltiska regeringarnas attityder, samtidigt som de anpassar sitt arbete utomlands. Med emfas på den ryska oppositionella sfärens demokratifrämjande roll, utgår denna forskning från semistrukturerade intervjuer med tretton exiljournalister i Estland, Lettland och Litauen utförda hösten 2023. Studien nyttjar Mark Deuze idealtypiska värden kopplade till journalisters professionella ideologi (public service, omedelbarhet, autonomi, etik och objektivitet) vilka kompletteras av Patric Raemys bidrag till resiliensteori. Uppsatsen använder sig av en induktiv-deduktiv tematisk hybridmetod med tre apriori-teman: a) oppositionalitet och ideologi, b) logistik och migration, liksom c) anpassning och resiliens. Resultaten visade att exiljournalisters artikulering av sin antikrigsställning var inneboende kopplad till deras professionella rolluppfattning. Det rådde även en stark pliktkänsla i att försäkra transparent tillgång till information. Parallellt upplevde exilredaktionerna antingen försvagade eller förstärkta internhierarkier till följd av sitt arbete i kris. Professionella nyckelutmaningar innefattade kringgående av censur, ekonomiska svårigheter och en förlorad tillgång till inhemska informanter och källor. Så kallade ’adaptiva’ och ’maladaptiva’ mekanismer hyste alltifrån en psykosocial till teknisk karaktär. Gruppens anpassning överlag speglades i en stärkt företagssolidaritet och i exilmediers gemensamma morala och juridiska ansvar för sina proxyreportrar.

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