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Refugees from disparate locations are consolidated and reconsolidated under the refugee label as they are displaced and later resettled, and the accumulated layers of movement and categorization also create new layers of acculturation. But in addition to the experience of negotiating and internalizing multiple cultures, the way you are asked about that process, what you are asked about it, and in what context can also influence acculturation attitudes. Being consistently asked about negative psychological states through mental health screening tools that quantify depression, anxiety, or PTSD may not allow for the occupation of multiple, simultaneous states of acculturation, nor do they allow for acculturation and emotional experience as a dynamic process. Continuing to over-apply these screening tools in clinical and non-clinical practice and in research recapitulates the homogenization of traumatized groups, acting to create categories defined by trauma and anxiety, and obscuring important dimensions of resilience. As a partial result of international and domestic refugee resettlement policies, refugees are created as a homogenous, traumatized category. The statistical instruments that characterize refugee mental health further legitimize this category and are used too broadly in clinical, non-clinical and scholarly contexts. According to my empirical evidence, a paradigm shift towards wellbeing and resilience would better align with self-characterizations of mental health by refugees and clinical and non-clinical professionals working on the ground in resettlement. Importantly, it would also undermine the homogenous category of the traumatized refugee.

Personal injury lawyers aid clients who see themselves as victims of medical, commercial, or other forms of negligence and who seek compensation through the civil justice system. Previous studies have suggested that these lawyers are highly selective, accepting only a small percentage of potential cases with which they are presented. Yet little is known about the actual process of screening. How do lawyers decide which cases to accept and which to decline? Do lawyers agree on the factors that make a good case and those which make a bad case? How might local legal and cultural environments influence the screening process? These questions, and related issues of access, inequality, policy, and justice, are at the core of this dissertation.Using in-depth interviews and an experimental vignette study given to 83 lawyers who specialize in medical malpractice and products liability, I examine the case screening process, paying particular attention to the roles of tort reform and the legal cultures and environments in which lawyers work. Half the lawyers I interviewed practice in states which are considered to be difficult jurisdictions for the practice of personal injury law due to tort reform and conservative political climates (Texas and Colorado), while the other half work in states that have been relatively unaffected by tort reform and are considered to be more "plaintiff friendly" (Pennsylvania and Massachusetts).Lawyers respond not only to legal rules and changes to those rules, but also to their perceptions of how jurors will respond to and evaluate their case. My analyses show that while lawyers in both types of states accept roughly the same percentage of cases, they do so using different approaches and theories of liability. When making distinctions between good and bad cases, lawyers in states without tort reform emphasize the importance of a client's "likeability" and jury appeal, while lawyers in states with tort reform place more importance on characteristics related to the defendant, particularly the strength of liability and causation. I address the implications of intended and unintended consequences of tort "reform" for inequality, access, and the growth or inhibition of tort law itself.

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As the pressures of urban development progressively threaten the preservation of greenfields, it is increasingly understood that sustainable development and smart growth strategies must include the remediation and redevelopment of brownfields. As the support for brownfield redevelopment strengthens, and frameworks for brownfield planning become more prominent at municipal levels, it is important that municipalities not only ensure the proper remediation of old brownfield sites, but also identify a place for civil society within brownfield plans. The legal, financial, social, environmental, and health complexities of redevelopment, as well as the impact of brownfield sites on the community, make civil society involvement an essential component of a successful brownfield strategy. This case-based thesis research examines the role of civil society in brownfield remediation and redevelopment through themes of social capital, social learning and risk perceptions. The two cases studies are former landfill sites; the Rennie Street landfill in Hamilton, Ontario and the Belle Park landfill in Kingston, Ontario. Both cases involved civil society using legal action as a reactive approach to contamination leaching from the respective sites into nearby water bodies. The research was conducted through participant observation, interviews with key stakeholders in the Belle Park and Rennie Street landfill cases, and a comprehensive review of written information. The literature review informed the development of a conceptual framework, which was used to guide the research and the evaluation of results. The thesis reveals examples of civil society bringing awareness to brownfield issues through a reactive strategy, followed by proactive community involvement in brownfield programs. In both cases, civil society’s perceptions of the associated risks informed the reaction to the suspected contamination. The results of the study suggest that the establishment of networks and trust, as well as the reflective process that occurred throughout the legal action contributed to civil society’s ability to influence decision making. It is anticipated that the Rennie Street and Belle Park case studies will highlight for brownfield stakeholders the significance of engaging civil society in municipal brownfield planning. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2009-04-24 17:18:47.46

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