Thesis (Ph.D.)--McMaster University, 2001 / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 336-362). Also available via World Wide Web.

This thesis aims to develop a workbook to assess social-ecological justice (SEJ) in projects, plans and processes. Social-ecological justice bridges many sustainability discourses in order to create a more inclusive and wider sustainability concept than previous ones (Gunnarsson Östling & Svenfelt, (Submitted Book Chapter)).  In order to fill the gap between SEJ theory and practically assessing SEJ in projects, plans and processes there is a need for a tool that can help and guide practitioners in their work. This thesis aims to fill the existing gap by developing the SEJ workbook. A lot of the developed SEJ methodology is based on an already existing workbook developed by the Resilience Alliance (2010) called: Assessing resilience in social-ecological systems: Workbook for practitioners. This workbook and SEJ have the same definition of what a social-ecological system is, and share a lot of similar theoretical aspects. The methodology of this thesis is a combination of a theoretical study of the SEJ concept, an analytic comparative study between a Resilience Assessment and the SEJ concept, and semi-structured interviews with practitioners that in different ways works with sustainable development today. The result is a five steps workbook that consists of the parts: 1) Identifying issues, defining the area and actor analysis, 2) History of the issues, 3) Dynamics of the issues and cross-scale interactions, 4) Governance and 5) Acting on the assessment. Each step has questions that aim to help the analyst complete the SEJ assessment. This entire process creates an inclusive and broad understanding of SEJ issues in projects, plans and processes. The complete SEJ assessment can help decision makers and actors in the area make well informed decisions for future sustainable development. It can also serve as a first step in an EIA (environmental impact assessment) with connections to social, ecological and socioeconomic aspects.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Columbia University, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 413-461).

The problem of racial microaggressions in the United States has important implications for counseling due to the mental and physical health concerns individuals who experience them may develop. Although the current literature addresses racial microaggressions among Black individuals and implications for counseling, no qualitative studies that included the voices of Black individuals using relational cultural theory were found. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of Black individuals who have encountered racial microaggressions and learn their perspectives on what counselors can do to help them in counseling. Adding this perspective will help fill this gap in counseling literature and aid counselors in promoting mental wellness among Black clients. Through semi structured interviews, 7 Black adults living in Florida shared their lived experiences with racial microaggressions and gave perspectives on how counselors can serve Black clients in counseling. Interpretive phenomenological analysis was the research design used in the study, in concordance the 6-step approach used to analyze the data, and relational cultural theory was the theoretical framework. The following 7 themes emerged from the study: lived experiences with racial microaggressions, emotional responses to racial microaggressions, intersectionality, coping with racial microaggressions, advocacy and social justice, neighborhood and community social support, and implications for counseling. These results provided implications for social change because they can add to counselors' knowledge on how to improve services to Black clients, which can improve their lives.

Last century witnessed an unprecedented growth of cities which has led to the consolidation of an eminently urbanised world population. Meanwhile, agriculture has adopted industrial methods of production in the shape of large-scale, chemical-laden crops in the countryside, which, together with the liberalisation of global trade, have undermined the livelihood of small-scale peasants throughout the world, forcing many of them out of business. The food industry has responded to the high rates of hunger and malnutrition with an extraordinary increase in production that has not solved food security problems, as these have turned out to be more a question of unequal access to food rather than insufficient supply. Furthermore, the activity of large agri-food corporations has resulted in the degradation of natural ecosystems and an increasing pressure over already overburdened critical resources for food production. Consequently, facing the imminent threat of climate change, more and more voices are questioning the sustainability of the current food system and rising against the burgeoning hunger and escalating inequalities resulting from it. Hence, several alternatives to the neoliberal food system are emerging these days with the aim of reducing social inequalities and curbing environmental degradation, being urban agriculture one of them. Precisely, this thesis explores, from a social-ecological justice perspective, whether urban agriculture can address issues of environmental stewardship and disparities in food distribution. Although the many virtues of urban farming might not be enough to subvert the structures of power that are deeply rooted in the foundations of the present food regime, it could still play a significant role in alleviating the gaps in food needs. However, food security comes only after the core reasons of poverty have been addressed and social justice is achieved in the larger society. The pathway towards a greater social and ecological justice seems to require not only to re-examine how to feed the urban population, but also a significant transformation that goes beyond aspects from the whole food supply chain and embraces societal systemic change.

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La recherche qui suit porte sur l’expérience du jardinage communautaire à Montréal à partir de l’exemple de l’un des arrondissements. Au cours des dernières années, à l’échelle globale, la popularité des jardins communautaires est allée en grandissant. Comment interpréter cela à partir du point de vue des participants? Quelle est l’expérience vécue par les jardiniers communautaires et quelle signification accordent-ils à ces pratiques sociales? Afin de répondre à ces questions, j’ai fait appel à une démarche qualitative, combinant l’observation et entretiens en profondeur avec des participants. Les résultats de l’étude découlent de 30 entretiens semi-directifs. Des participants avec des profils sociaux divers ont été recrutés. En faisant appel à la théorie ancrée, la recherche met en lumière des contextes spécifiques à partir desquels les jardiniers communautaires fournissent des significations à leur engagement dans ce type de jardinage. Considérée à partir de trois dimensions – économique, sociale et culturelle – cette étude met en lumière le fait que les significations que les acteurs accordent à leurs pratiques dépendent du contexte, mais découlent aussi de leur subjectivité. Ressort aussi l’importance de la dimension émotionnelle. Le jardinage communautaire est décrit sous l’angle d’une pratique transformatrice – en convergence avec d’autres formes d’action collective – qui permet aux citoyens en tant que jardiniers de mieux faire face aux défis de la vie quotidienne, que ce soit sur le plan financier, social, culturel ou environnemental. Par le biais du jardinage, les participants soutiennent qu’ils approfondissent leur identité personnelle, tout en construisant de nouvelles relations avec les autres ainsi qu’avec la nature. La recherche confirme qu’en ce qui concerne l’expérience subjective de jardinage, les participants parlent de retombées positives. / The present research addresses the subjectivity of the community gardening experience in the case of a Montreal borough. Community gardens have regained popularity worldwide. How to interpret this phenomenon from the perspective of participants? And how do they experience (community) gardening and make sense of their social practices? To answer these questions, this study takes a qualitative approach that combines observations and in-depth interviews. The findings drawn from this study are based mainly on 30 semi-structured interviews. Participants from diverse social strata were recruited. Guided by grounded theory, this research stresses the specific contexts under which community gardeners generate meanings from their community gardening experience. Examined from three dimensions – economic, social, and cultural – this study reveals that meanings and significance are context-sensitive, personalized, and fluid. The emotional dimension emerges as of particular importance. Community gardening is viewed as a transformative practice – converging with diverse forms of collective action – that allows citizen gardeners to address everyday life challenges, whether financial, social, cultural, or environmental. Through gardening, participants claim that they are reconnecting with themselves, with other people, and with nature. This research confirms that with respect to the subjective experience of gardening, participants generally claim positive outcomes.