Developing transformational curriculum to educate social work students about Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledge

While efforts to recruit Indigenous social work students must be continued, social work educators need to ensure that non-Indigenous social work students are learning about the history, culture, and wisdom of Indigenous peoples. Additionally, social work students need to become aware of the impact the social work profession has had on this population. This awareness and understanding will help social workers practice from a place of being an ally and will assist in altering the views many Indigenous people have about social work. There are three products in this banded dissertation that focus on engaging social work educators in a dialogue regarding how to teach social work students about Indigenous peoples in a culturally sensitive manner. The conceptual framework that guides this scholarship agenda is a Mi’kmaq concept called “two-eyed seeing”. This means one eye sees the strengths and contributions of Indigenous knowledge, the other sees the strengths and contributions of Western knowledge, and merging the two is beneficial. The first product in the banded dissertation includes slides and a summary of a conference presentation that took place at the National Indigenous Social Work Conference in October of 2016 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. This presentation reviews the pedagogies of service learning and cultural immersion; and introduces the concept of cultural service immersion. Service learning connects students with a community where the student provides a service while integrating classroom knowledge and leadership skills. Cultural immersion engages students in a culture different from their own for an extended period of time. Cultural service immersion blends both service learning and cultural immersion. The second product explores the use of cultural service immersion with Indigenous people as a transformational learning method. Not only is it proposed that cultural sensitivity and humility will increase among social work students engaged in cultural service immersion but it is expected that through learning about the history of Indigenous peoples, the profession of social works impact on Indigenous peoples, and the traditions and knowledge of Indigenous peoples social work students will be better prepared to engage in a process of allyship. The final banded dissertation product is a qualitative phenomenological research study that explores the lives of seven Indigenous recipients of social work services. This study provides social work educators insight about curriculum content that can further students’ knowledge and understanding about the history of Indigenous peoples. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of cultural humility and offers approaches that can lead to healing the relationship between the social work profession and Indigenous peoples. This banded dissertation highlights the intersections of cultural service immersion with Indigenous cultures and knowledge. Themes uncovered included: the importance for social work students to know the historical trauma Indigenous people have experienced, the need for students to be aware of stereotypes and prejudices, and for students to honor and respect Indigenous knowledge and ways of healing. What’s more, this dissertation stresses the need for western academics to incorporate Indigenous methods when teaching about Indigenous peoples. This can be done by allowing Elders to teach in the classroom and by social work educators taking students into the community in order. Lastly, this banded dissertation emphasizes the need for the social work profession to repair its relationship with Indigenous peoples. Meaningful relationships and allyship can blossom when social work students work alongside Indigenous peoples, while accomplishing a common goal. Keywords

Human Factors Ground Test Assessment and Protocol Development for Space Radiation Protection Concepts

Human factors evaluations and procedures were developed in a series of ground tests in order to assess novel radiation protection concepts developed by industry leaders in aerospace. In addition, NASAs current prototype space radiation protection vest and storm shelter concept were tested using the newly drafted human factors assessment materials. Evaluation procedures and wearable garment technology were tested at Johnson Space Center (JSC) using a small sample of current NASA crewmembers for garment testing. Results for the garment analysis indicated that the current radiation vest ultimately did not hinder task performance or impede mobility. Results from the storm shelter analysis indicated that crew were able to construct the shelter within the time allotment without difficulty and limited reference to instruction materials. These data will be used to further develop wearable garment technology and storm shelter designs. Newly developed procedures will be used in future ground tests to further assess novel radiation protection concepts

Returns To Canadian Straight Preferred Stocks (1957-1980)

1. Research Problem. The general aim of this research is to provide investors and academics with a better understanding of TSE traded straight preferred stocks as an investment vehicle. More specifically, the thesis describes the major market characteristics of preferred stocks traded on the TSE over the period 1957-1980; it examines the overall risk-return characteristics for these stocks and it analyzes the effect of preferred stock features and the taxation of preferred income on the risk-return characteristics of preferred stocks.;2. Research Methodology. This research required three stages: Stage I involved the identification of the information necessary to answer specific research questions. Stage II consisted of data collected from raw sources and the construction of a large computerized data bank for 373 issues of TSE straight preferred stocks traded over the period 1957-1980. The data bank contains information about the terms of each issue, their trading characteristics and market indexes. Stage III was dedicated to the specific methodologies used to answer each research question. The issuers of preferred stocks were compared to other firms. An analysis of the distribution of the returns for these stocks and the estimation of their risk characteristics was performed. Some statistical tests were used to look at the effect of the terms and marketability of each issue on its risk-return relationship. Residual analysis was used to verify the impact of tax changes on preferred stock returns.;3. Results and Conclusions. This study shows: (1) that the issuers of TSE traded straight preferred stocks are large firms with higher leverage than firms in general; (2) that those stocks had higher yields than long-term bonds at the beginning of the period under study and lower yields at the end of the period; (3) that their risk-return characteristics place these stocks between bonds and common stocks; (4) that the CAPM is useful in explaining the risk of TSE traded straight preferred stocks; (5) that liquidation preferences, partial retirement plans and the strictness of dividend payments reduce the risk and the returns for preferred stocks and (6) that changes in the Canadian taxation system have had an impact on the prices and returns of preferred stocks.;4. Implications. While this study provides researchers with a large data bank on preferred stocks, it also gives investors a better understanding of these stocks. This research describes the market for preferred stocks, their risk-return characteristics and the sensitivity of these stocks to tax changes