In the field of rural development there is an increasing appreciation for the need to involve local people in all aspects of their own development. This situation has led to the emergence of many different participatory approaches that attempt to respond to this changing development paradigm. Participatory approaches strive to enable people to value and build upon the knowledge and power that already exists in their own community. Paulo Freire's work on transformative education has greatly influenced the process, content and expected outcomes of the different methodologies used to attain popular participation in rural development. Academics and development practitioners believe that by engaging in a participatory process, people will gain greater control over their own development which can lead to physical, behavioral, attitudinal, organizational and philosophical transformations within individuals and communities. Yet, little has been done in evaluating the range of outcomes and longer term impact a participatory approach may have on the individuals and communities involved. Thus, the development field operates with an incomplete understanding of the potential benefits and limitations of participatory methodologies as they are applied to rural communities. This study partially addresses such a deficiency through an in-depth, qualitative investigation of the short term outcomes generated by a training intervention based on critical pedagogy. The training took place in the communities of San Francisco Menéndez and Tacuba, El Salvador to respond to issues that emerged with the establishment of El Imposible National Park. Qualitative research methods were used to assess the program's effects on the participants. These data, along with products and outputs generated by the participants during the training programs, were analyzed to develop a framework for assessing the short term impact of participatory training on rural development. The research findings show that changes in consciousness level are highly individualized and could only be assessed from the researcher's in-depth interactions with the training participants and from the perspective of the participants' life situation and history. The study challenges policy makers, social researchers and development practitioners to consider the plurality of endogenous and exogenous community interactions as key components to the participatory process in rural development.

abstract: The pace of segregation of races continues to increase as the gap between wealthy people, and the rest of the human race, increases. Technological advances in human communication ironically decrease human communication as people choose news and social media sites that feed their ideological frames. Bridging the sociopolitical gap is increasingly difficult. Further, privileged hegemonic forces exert pressure to maintain the status quo at the expense of greater humanity. Despite this grave account, some members of the privileged hegemony have moved away from their previous adherence to it and emerged as activists for marginalized populations. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Pedagogy for the Privileged, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Transformative Learning Theory and Critical White Studies, this study asks the question: what factors lead to an ideological shift? Fifteen participants agreed to an in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interview. There were four main themes that emerged. Most participants experienced significant childhood challenges as well as segregated environments. Additionally, they possessed personality traits of curiosity and critical thinking which left them at odds with their family members; and finally, each experienced exposure to new environments and new people. Most notably, in an attempt to satisfy their curiosity and to remedy the disconnect between the imposed family values and their own internal inclinations, most actively sought out disorienting dilemmas that would facilitate an ideological shift. This journey typically included copious reading, critically analyzing information and, mostly importantly, immersion in new environments. The goal of this study was to understand which factors precipitate an ideological shift in the hope of using the data to create effective interventions that bridge ideological gaps. It was revealed that some of the initiative for this shift is innate, and therefore unreachable. However, exposure to disorienting dilemmas successfully caused an ideological shift. Critically, this research revealed that it is important to identify those individuals who possess this innate characteristic of curiosity and dissatisfaction with the status quo and create opportunities for them to be exposed to new people, information and environments. This will likely lead to a shift from White hegemonic adherent to an emerging advocate for social justice. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Justice Studies 2020

abstract: Tucked peacefully into mountains just north of the City of São Paulo, the largest metropolitan area in South America, sits the Cantareira Reservoir System. This massive water catchment network received worldwide coverage in 2014 and 2015 as one of the worst droughts in a century hit the region, threatening to collapse the system. In the years since the peak of the drought, the media has changed its focus, the reservoirs have begun a slow recovery, but the people of the region have had to live with the consequences of this difficult period. Faced with an uncertain future, the people continue to grapple with the historic struggles of rural life, while being faced by new threats to the social, environmental, and technological order that has for a long time stabilized the region. My thesis explores the narrative imaginaries that individuals have pertaining to their personal future and that of the region. It delves into the identity of the Rural Producer, the battle to conserve and preserve native forest, issues surrounding the governance of common resources, and what actors perceive to be the biggest advantages and threats to the sustainable future of the region. Utilizing a set of twenty expert elicitation interviews, data was collected from a variety of actors representing a number of roles and positions within the system. My analysis connects disparate individual narratives, illuminating how they connect together with the narratives of other respondents, creating a regional narrative that illustrates a set of desired outcomes for the region. This paper does not attempt to operationalize solutions for the issues that face the region, it does however serve to provide a context for the historical and contemporary issues that exist, a means by which to consider how they may be approached, and ultimately as a tool for policy makers to make more informed decisions going forward. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Global Technology and Development 2019

Wellbriety is a multifaceted concept utilized in Native American communities that demonstrates meanings of health in Native-based discourse. Conceptually, wellbriety symbolizes strength through resilience. During this ethnographic study, I spent two years working within an Urban Indian Health Service facility where I used community-based participatory research methods. I examined complex intersections between meanings of urban native identities, colonization, and tribal sovereignty. Through deconstructing structural violence, I seek to place current urban native health status in a socially-informed context. This research explores how Native peoples define wellbriety and wellness through the lens of healthworld, which addresses how Native communities attempt to heal from traumas inflicted by the U.S. Federal Government. Additionally, I analyze dimensions of food sovereignty among Native community members by exploring how the act of consuming food shapes social and identity meanings which impact community members’ health.

The problem was to define the present status of the Social Research Studies and Information Center libraries in Saudi Arabia and to suggest ways in which they could be improved. The purposes of the study were two-fold: (1) to analyze and evaluate the current status of these libraries and to develop and improve the role and functions of these libraries; and (2) to consider the possibility of cooperation between these libraries.

Food programs that provide employees free meals have become increasingly popular at tech companies. Through the use of multiple research methods including photo documentation, observations, and interviews, this thesis will explore the foodscape created by Airbnb’s food program. This thesis seeks to understand the ways in which a company can promote health, sustainability, and commensality in a food program and avoid inadvertently causing negative health outcomes. The research presented here will help offer insights into how offering free meals can affect the culture of the workplace and the health of employees with the hopes of identifying areas for future research.

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