Deportation, Due Process, and Deference: Recent Developments in Immigration Law

The American immigration adjudication system has witnessed profound change in recent years. Starting in the 1980s, a series of legislative and administrative shifts has produced an immigration adjudication system that increasingly mirrors the criminal justice system. This phenomenon, termed the "criminalization of immigration,” reflects a paradigm shift in the discourse on immigration law and policy. Historically focused on the exclusion and removal of the undocumented, immigration law and policy now increasingly prioritize removal of non-citizens with any criminal history. These developments have both revealed and exacerbated internal tensions in the Supreme Court’s treatment of immigration law, leading to a moment of unparalleled dissonance between the Supreme Court’s doctrine on immigration and the reality of the American immigration enforcement and adjudication systems

A song for Eurydice.

A SONG FOR EURYDICE tells the tale of the human refugees living in the desert wasteland of Terra Arcturus, hundreds of light-years from their obliterated home, Old Earth. The story follows Captain Orion Andersen of the former Scandinavian Kingdoms of Northern Europe (SKONE), whose arrival on Terra Arcturus has effectively curtailed further military advancement; his murdered girlfriend, Niki Alsecco, whose death reveals more complex political twists than surface tensions would suggest; and the distant gods of Orion and Niki's ancestors, upon whom Orion calls when battle with Rhialt, the chief deity of the native Nessians, appears imminent. The story is told from the point of view of a nameless Scribe in service to the Judges, who, in the absence of God-of-Old, determine the eternal fates of their human charges. With political unrest straining relations amongst the Judges, the Scribe finds that telling the tale of Orion and Niki could be the key to saving the remaining human refugees from eternal damnation. A SONG FOR EURYDICE asks the question, "Who determines what is real?" It explores the relationship between reality and madness; religion and science; and history and the future. This novel seeks to show the futility of describing subjective experience as objective truth through use of metaphor. Ultimately, the novel decides, reality exists only in your head. It is what you choose to do with that knowledge that determines who you are

Women’s Political Leadership in Massachusetts

The Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy (CWPPP) at UMass Boston’s McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies has been tracking the election of women at the municipal level in Massachusetts since 1996. In 2003, the Project expanded to include all New England states. CWPPP remains the only research center in the United States that regularly tracks women’s political representation at the local level

An ethnomedical study of the role and impact of cannabidiol (CBD) treatment of women living with endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Over the last few years, there has been a notable increase in popularity in the use of cannabidiol (CBD) as a form of alternative medicinal treatment for various illnesses. CBD, a by-product of the cannabis plant, is an isolate and does not contain the psychoactive agent, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Endometriosis and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) are chronic reproductive health sicknesses that are increasingly experienced by women. In the absence of cures, biomedical treatment for these diseases aim to manage symptoms, for example; heavy bleeding, heightened levels of pain, and insomnia. CBD offers an alternative to women who feel that biomedical interventions are no longer able to maintain their health and well-being. CBD positions itself as a natural remedy claiming to be safe and effective. This research study, mainly through qualitative data collection, focused on experiences of Zimbabwean and South African women living with endometriosis and/ or PCOS, who have turned to CBD to manage their symptoms. The importance of this study was to position itself within patients’ lived experiences. The research study found that CBD indeed has numerous benefits, including pain management, alleviating stress, and anxiety. Through the emergent themes from the data, it became clear that women are marginalised and treated unequally in the biomedical healthcare sphere. Feminist Anthropology and Structural Violence was applied to analyse the data collected to explore the patriarchal nature of the biomedical healthcare system and the experiences that women have, which has led them to turn to alternative treatments.Thesis (MSocSci) -- Faculty of Humanities, Anthropology, 202

A Social Media Give and Take: A Study of What Young Adults Would Give up to Stay Connected

Background: Social media presents both opportunities and risks for young adults. Although they may experience increased connectivity and creativity, excessive use can result in neglect of other aspects of life (e.g., physical activity, sleep). Purpose: Investigate social media usage patterns and addictions among young adults, while exploring what trade-offs they would be willing to make to stay connected on social media. Methods: Participants (N = 750) completed an online survey containing questions concerning demographics, social media usage patterns, relationships with social media, and trade-offs participants would make to remain on social media. A weighted least squares hierarchical multiple linear regression was performed to examine whether usage patterns/addiction predicted total trade-off scores. Results: Most participants (n = 727) had 2+ social media accounts, with Instagram (n = 693) being the most popular. Almost half of the sample (n = 342) reported checking social media 9+ times/day and more than three quarters spend at least one hour/day using social media (n = 626). More participants were willing to make food/drink or hobby-related trade-offs than health or life-related trade-offs. The regression was significant, F(6, 733) = 21.941, p \u3c.001, R2 = .390, with the number of social checks/day (p \u3c 0.05), time/day spent on social media (p \u3c 0.01), and social media addiction (p \u3c 0.001) all predicting increases in the number of trade-offs participants were willing to make. Conclusion: Higher social media usage rates/addiction can increase young adults\u27 willingness to make trade-offs in their personal lives to remain on social media

Foreign Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing in Somali Waters Perpetuates Conflict

Somali waters have high fisheries production potential, but the sustainability of those fisheries is compromised by the presence of foreign fishing vessels, many of them fishing illegally. The Somali domestic fishing sector is small and relatively nascent, but foreign vessels have fished in Somali waters for at least seven decades. Some foreign vessels and their crew have been a direct, physical threat to Somali artisanal fishers. Many foreign vessels directly compete for fish, reducing fish populations and destroying marine habitat through bottom trawling. In this paper, we reconstruct foreign catch in Somali waters from 1981–2014 and classify the health of seventeen commercial fish stocks. Foreign fishing has increased more than twenty-fold since 1981, and the most rapid increase occurred during the 1990s after the collapse of the Federal government and ensuing civil war

Research Proposal: The Effects of Therapeutic Interventions on Illicit Drug Abuse Among Homeless Adolescents

Aim: To compare case management versus community-based therapy on illicit drug abuse among homeless adolescents Background: Homeless adolescents are at high risk for illicit drug abuse. Methods: • A quasi-experimental, multiple baseline time series design • 52 sessions over a 12-month period • Baseline assessment and survey on demographics • Follow-up: closed-ended questionnaire (every four months) Analysis: Repeated ANOVA test and dependent t-test Limitations: Lack of recent evidence-based research, a small sample size, self-report data, and length of the study

Relational Values Resonate Broadly and Differently Than Intrinsic or Instrumental Values, or the New Ecological Paradigm

Value orientations used to explain or justify conservation have been rooted in arguments about how much and in what context to emphasize the intrinsic versus instrumental value of nature. Equally prominent are characterizations of beliefs known as the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), often used to help explain pro-environmental behaviour. A recent alternative to these positions has been identified as ‘relational value’—broadly, values linking people and ecosystems via tangible and intangible relationships to nature as well as the principles, virtues and notions of a good life that may accompany these. This paper examines whether relational values are distinct from other value orientation and have potential to alleviate the intrinsic-instrumental debate. To test this possibility, we sought to operationalize the construct—relational values—by developing six relational statements. We ask: 1) Do the individual statements used to characterize relational values demonstrate internal coherence as either a single or multi-dimensional construct? 2) Do relational value statements (including those strongly stated) resonate with diverse populations? 3) Do people respond to relational value statements in a consistently different way than NEP scale statements? Data for this work is drawn from an online panel of residents of northeastern US (n = 400), as well as a sample of Costa Rican farmers (n = 253) and tourists in Costa Rica (n = 260). Results indicate relational values are distinct as a construct when compared to the NEP