In response to increasing patterns of socio-spatial segregation, Swedish cities have adopted policies to promote social mix, which is generally considered positive due to its effect on spatial justice and social cohesion. However, institutional changes have negatively impacted the possibilities of fulfilling this policy objective. Moreover, there is a suggested discrepancy between objective and outcome. This paper is a comparative study on the operationalisation and outcomes of social mix policies in Sweden, focusing on two large-scale urban development projects; Stockholm Royal Seaport and RiverCity Gothenburg. Qualitative content analysis of planning documents and interviews with key actors have been conducted and the results demonstrate that in both cases, social mix has been promoted to some extent by planning for a diverse housing structure. In Gothenburg, additional measures have been taken in order to safeguard affordability. However, the absence of such measures in the case of Stockholm has resulted in the exclusion of low-income households. I argue that while there is a perceived inability among the planners of Stockholm to influence housing costs, the planners of Gothenburg have found ways of utilising the current institutional setting in favor of social mix. By applying a social justice perspective, I conclude that a policy approach safeguarding the affordability of housing is critical for combating residential segregation and spatial injustice.

Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, has suffered through centuries of disenfranchisement, poverty, slavery, environmental disasters, internecine racial prejudice, and foreign infringement. Its people won independence from France in 1804 but only at the cost of huge human and financial losses. Since then, Haiti has known little freedom or democracy. In 1991, the first truly democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was elected (with a 67% majority). Nine months later, he was deposed by a military coup d'état. During that time and the chaotic years that followed, groups of human rights observers traveled to Haiti in an attempt to record and report publically, officially, what was actually happening to the Haitian people and their institutions. Although much has been written about the country during that period, there have been no studies focused on the human rights observers who were intimately involved with the people and the country. These groups and other groups participating in similar situations have not been studied and, yet, research in that area might provide important insights in the field of social justice. It is important to identify what encourages individuals to become a part of the effort to make a positive difference in the lives of others, in the most adverse situations, the process by which human rights observers become engaged, and how that engagement affects their lives both during and after their in-country experiences. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to see if there are commonalities (e.g., socio-cultural influence, self-directed learning readiness, etc.) among the initial in-country experiences of several human rights observers and further to discover what, if any, effect those experiences had on their leadership styles. The study identified socio-cultural influences (self-directed learning readiness and familial, religious, educational impact); motivational factors; methods of processing the experience (immediate responses of connectedness/love and reasoned responses involving individual and group reflection); and multiple outcomes (spiritualty, social action, and creativity). The overarching findings included identification of transformational learning in the participants and the evolution of their leadership from the servant model into a transformational/chaos model, including reflection in and on action as an operating context. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Thesis advisor: Larry H. Ludlow / Preparing and supporting teachers to enact teaching practice that responds to diversity, challenges educational inequities, and promotes social justice is a pressing yet daunting and complex task. More research is needed to understand how and to what extent teacher education programs prepare and support teacher candidates to enhance the achievement of all learners while challenging systematic inequity (Cochran-Smith, Ell, Ludlow, Grudnoff, & Aitken, 2014). One piece of empirical evidence needed is a measure that captures the extent to which teachers enact teaching practice for equity. This study developed an instrument – the Teaching Equity Enactment Scenario Scale (TEES) - to measure the extent of equity-centered teaching practice by applying Rasch measurement theory (Rasch, 1960) and Guttman’s facet theory (Borg & Shye, 1995). The research question addressed whether the TEES scale can measure teachers’ self-reported enactment of practice for equity in a reliable, valid, and authentic manner. This study employed a three-phase design, comprising an extensive process of item development, a pilot study and a final full-scale administration. Fifteen scenario-style items were developed to capture the enactment levels of six interconnected principles of teaching practice for equity. Using the Rasch rating scale model the outcome was a 15-item TEES scale that reliably and validly measures increasing levels of teaching practice for equity progressing through low, moderate, and high levels of enactment. The distribution of the scenarios confirmed their hypothesized order and the instrument development principles of Rasch measurement - unidimensionality, variation and a hierarchical order of the items, as well as a uniform continuum defining the construct. The scale also provides meaningful interpretations of what a raw score means regarding one’s equity-centered teaching practice. The overall findings suggest that the novel approach of combining Rasch measurement and facet theory can be successful in developing a scenario-style scale that measures a complex construct. Moreover, the scale can provide the evidence needed in research on preparing and supporting teachers to teach with a commitment to equity and social justice.

Thesis advisor: Janet E. Helms / Researchers have argued that whether Latina/o students and other students of Color resist their negative educational experiences with feelings of hopelessness or consider them challenges to overcome, depends on whether they have developed a Social Justice Orientation (SJO) (Cammarota, 2004; Diemer, 2009; Watts, Griffith, & Abdul-Adil, 1999). SJO is the motivation to promote justice and equality among all in society. The purpose of the present study was to develop and test a longitudinal model of predictors and outcomes of SJO among Latina/o youths, the SJOLY model. The constructs investigated were (a) environmental factors (i.e., school relational and language climates), (b) personal skills (English proficiency and Spanish language background) and characteristics (SJO and agency), and (c) social (i.e., community engagement) and academic outcomes (school behavioral disengagement, grades, and school dropout). The study was conducted with a subsample of Latinas/os taken from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988. Participants were enrolled in eighth grade (N = 1,472), sampled from different schools and regions in the U.S., and followed through three waves of data collection until the 12th grade. The age range of the participants at Time 1 was 13 years to 16 years (M = 14.46, SD = .65), and 49.6% were girls. The SJOLY model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that school relational climate was a positive predictor of SJO, which in turn predicted more community and school engagement, higher grades, and decreased likelihood of dropping out of school via its impact on personal agency. In addition, school language climate and language skills predicted greater sense of personal agency, which in turn predicted higher grades and decreased likelihood of dropping out. Gender differences were observed, as more SJO was associated with higher levels of personal agency for girls, but not for boys. Higher levels of personal agency were associated with less likelihood of dropping out of schools for boys, but not for girls. Implications of the study results for education, counseling, and research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2011. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology.

Thesis advisor: James F. Keenan / This study investigates the recent paradigm shift in bioethics to an approach that uses the language of human rights to work towards social justice and health equity. It follows the three stages of Kuhn's "paradigm shift": recognizing the fallibility of the first paradigm and proving its destructiveness, presenting the theoretical particulars of a new paradigm, and demonstrating how the new paradigm becomes operational. The case study of the organ trade shows the failure of the first model of bioethics, based on autonomy and non-maleficence. This model falsely depicts the true ethical challenges while shadowing the enormous harms it causes. An emerging bioethical model centered on human rights is presented as the best theoretical option to remedy the ills of the first paradigm and make sense of bioethical dilemmas across the globe. But the second paradigm cannot simply look better, it must be operational. Applying the human rights model, the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa achieved universal access to antiretroviral treatment, thus confirming the theory of the new paradigm in action. The study concludes with a call for an ethics of implementation within the new paradigm that balances the radical ideal of health as a human right with concrete and pragmatic improvements in healthcare; an ethics of "being on the way" to the ultimate goal of justice and equity in health. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2007. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: International Studies. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Thesis advisor: Lauri Johnson / This qualitative case study examined the perceived influence of social justice leadership on the job satisfaction of novice teachers in one Massachusetts school district. Social justice leadership was defined as leaders who “actively work to improve teaching and learning, so that all students have equitable opportunities to learn and excel” (Rivera-McCutchen, 2014, p. 749). Data collection included interviews with school and district leaders as well as a document review. Findings indicated that novice teachers and leaders identified specific building-based supports that helped novice teachers meet diverse student needs. The results of this study also found a discrepancy between leaders and novice teachers’ perceptions about opportunities for novice teachers to engage in critical self-reflection and the provision of professional development which supports social justice. This study supported the research that a determining factor in job satisfaction is whether or not novice teachers are able to meet student needs (Johnson & Birkeland, 2003). Recommendations include ensuring sustained social justice professional development by creating opportunities for novice teachers to engage in critical self-reflection and integrating culturally relevant pedagogy in order to help novice teachers meet the needs of diverse learners, which in turn may influence job satisfaction. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.

Thesis advisor: Stephen J. Pope / Thesis advisor: Dominic Doyle / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2013. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Thesis advisor: Lillie R. Albert / Researchers have found that as students progress through school, the importance of language grows due to the content specificity that emerges, especially in the secondary grades, and due to the preparation of these students to enter adulthood once their schooling is completed. Even as students' instruction in various content areas becomes more in-depth and specialized, so does the terminology employed in the content. It is because of this specificity and union of language and learning that English-language learners' (ELLs') ability to comprehend and produce content-area academic language is crucial to their success. When questioning the quality of instruction ELLs are receiving in mathematics, the attention logically shifts to the pedagogical abilities of their teachers. However, historically, mathematics teachers have lacked language-acquisition knowledge and strategies necessary to adequately address the needs of linguistically diverse learners. In order to authentically promote and pursue quality mathematics education for all students, teachers of mathematics must be trained in recognizing the language demands of mathematics and in applying or developing strategies to address the nuances of the language in this subject area. The research in this study contributes to this work. This dissertation documents the effects of an intervention, woven into a secondary mathematics methods course and designed to prepare mathematics teachers to support ELLs' content and language learning. The study was based on the assumption that mathematics is much more than computations, and thus, requires a shift in the how the role of the mathematics teacher is viewed. Both qualitative and quantitative empirical evidence regarding the intervention's influence on the participants' attitudes and preparedness to teach the academic language of mathematics were generated. Twenty-nine students over the course of two years took part in this research. Five students from the second year were selected for an in-depth case study based on their range of experiences with learning other languages, interactions with linguistically diverse youth, and practicum placements for the subsequent spring semester. The larger group of preservice teachers was surveyed at the beginning and end of their enrollment in the course, and their course assignments were collected. In addition, case-study participants were interviewed at the start and completion of the semester, and their practicum-office submissions were examined. A framework to encourage pupils' acquisition of mathematical academic language is proposed. Essential outcomes indicate that the intervention not only affected the participants' beliefs and attitudes towards their own preparedness for teaching ELLs in mainstream mathematics classes, but also it imparted concrete strategies for the modification of teaching and learning experiences in the preservice teachers' future practices. The results of this study correlate to existing literature regarding linguistically responsive pedagogy and extend this theory by integrating language-acquisition strategies throughout a content-methods course for the middle- and high-school levels. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Teacher Education, Special Education, Curriculum and Instruction.

Thesis advisor: Susan Michalczyk / Bono, the lead singer of U2, has built a reputation as a champion of political issues, such as publicly taking a pacifist stance against the Troubles in Northern Ireland, and as a prominent social activist, especially known for working with Amnesty International. However, Bono’s lobbying to save the continent of Africa from its economic downward spiral bridged social justice with politics. Bono headed the American branch of the Drop the Debt/Jubilee 2000 campaign, co-founded his own non-profit group DATA, and is responsible for the success of the ONE campaign in the United States. As a celebrity, Bono uses his connections to influence his fanbase using U2 lyrics and performances. He also politicks with government officials and impresses them with his expert knowledge, tuning his argument to suit his audience. These tactics, combined with ceaseless passion and a grassroots movement, have made Bono the most effective social and political activist of the 21st century. Bono inspires others to take up a crusade and defend it using all of their power. If the rest of humanity were to follow his example, social justice would be a realized necessity in this new millennium. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2006. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Thesis advisor: David L. Blustein / Drawing upon their professional history embracing a social justice perspective in psychology, counseling psychologists have made substantial attempts to adopt social justice advocacy roles in research, practice, and training. Responding to social justice-oriented scholars’ call to promote mental health by creating positive social change, counseling psychology training programs across the United States have integrated principles of social justice work into the training of future counseling psychologists since the early 2000s. While previous literature has provided thought-provoking discussions on conceptual aspects of social justice advocacy as well as advocacy training, these studies mostly reflected the voices of psychologists in academia; therefore, advocacy work of those in clinical practice has been neglected. In addition, practical outcomes of social justice training in counseling psychology have not received enough scholarly attention. In an attempt to address these concerns, the present study has utilized a qualitative research methodology to explore the advocacy experiences of licensed clinicians who were trained in social justice-oriented counseling psychology doctoral programs. Specifically, I have employed a narrative inquiry method to analyze the interviews with 11 counseling psychologists across the United States. Using critical psychology as the theoretical framework of this study, interviews focused on participants’ personal and professional narratives, training experiences, and the factors that affect their engagement in advocacy roles in clinical work. In addition to the inspiring ways of advocacy in psychological practice, narratives of the participants depicted resources and challenges regarding incorporating an advocacy agenda into clinical practice. These factors have significantly shaped participants’ involvement in advocacy, indicating that counseling psychologists continue to grapple with systemic barriers which at times limit their advocacy actions— particularly macro-level advocacy. Implications for social justice research, practice, and training in counseling psychology are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.