Morgan University Dissertation and Theses
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Item Tiny Houses and the Black Experience in Baltimore(2020-05) Fair, Justin; Campo, Daniel; Kargon, Jeremy; Department of Design and Planning; Master in City and Regional PlanningBaltimore’s contemporary housing culture is the result of decades of discriminatory housing practices. Decades later from those insidious roots, residents are rightfully skeptical of innovative and alternative concepts when traditional solutions have repeatedly failed at paradigm shift. Proposals must then hold specific regard to the very-human, emotional effects that racism plays in setting structural expectations; both literally and institutionally. To the former expectation, an account of the traditional and innovative building types with an account of past successes and failures by local government can regain public confidence. Yet only if an alternative proposal offers a pragmatic, financially achievable and proven scope. But to the latter institutional expectation, the public feels amiss but does not know why. Like a patient who cries to be healed but watches as their doctor cannot get the serum just right, Baltimore residents are used to illness spreading; more rowhomes being abandoned than being rebuilt. Yet residents expect the standard formula to somehow net a body-wide cure when the pain’s cause is layered, requires multiple visits, and must be accompanied by the faith of optimism to prevent nihilism. In Baltimore City, market values are painfully askew yet residents expect business as usual to net a magic solution; whilst furthermore, actively disbelieving that any other route could reasonably address the problem. Among the many building types available to supplement an affordable housing inventory, “tiny houses” – often standalone foundation-based dwellings of an especially small footprint, often less than 400 square feet– may be an increasingly attractive option. With an emphasis on Baltimore’s Black (AfricanAmerican) population, what follows summarizes historical concerns, identifies groups for which “tiny houses” are an appropriate housing solution, and documents neighborhood indicators for or against their application. Based upon a survey of recent literature and a compilation of local questionnaires, this research will review cultural attitudes towards “tiny houses.” Recommendations about how they may be reintroduced successfully into Baltimore’s housing market will also be accompanied by proposed changes to legislation recently under consideration by the City Council. Whereas foundation-based homes, alley rowhomes, carriage houses, and marinas, are already permitted, their homeowners’ values are not well communicated. These recommendations will provide verbal outreach messaging as well as land use and landscape strategies that planners and developers can use to address contemporary residents’ positive and negative preconceptions. Lastly, this research is a preliminary effort to provide such a guide, as well as to document the evolving cultural and historical framework within which “tiny houses” are contributing to a more robust and equitable housing market in Baltimore, Maryland.Item Reclaiming the Past: How a Legacy of Paternalism Affects Modern Efforts of Artifact Repatriation(2019-10-25) Guy, Michael; Terry, David T.; Berliner, Brett; Dibua, Jeremiah I.; History and Geography; Master of ArtsThe twenty first century has seen a push towards the righting of past wrongs, as social awareness has been on the rise. One such wrong that has currently caught the public’s attention is the repatriation of artifacts. Museums throughout the West are filled with objects that have been acquired through a variety of means, some, if looked at through a twenty first century lens would come across as immoral or even illegal. Museums in the West have been hesitant to hand over ownership of these objects back to the cultures that produced them. Though many of the reasons given for the reluctance to return the objects are legitimate, the notion of Western paternalism still looms large. My thesis will examine the link between repatriation and paternalism by primarily examining Nigeria’s efforts in seeking the repatriation of the Benin Bronzes from the British Museums. I will also look into repatriation claims to a lesser extent, including the Elgin Marbles and the repatriation of indigenous human remains in the US and Australia. Through the examination of historical newspapers, academic journals, monographs, I will argue that the hesitance in granting repatriation by Western Museum is directly linked to generations of paternalism from the West, towards these societies seeking repatriation. Furthermore, I will argue that this paternalism was fostered by the museums that hold these objects. The job of a curator is to tell a story through the objects in an exhibit. The story curators of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century told was one of cultural superiority. However, by analyzing the allocated funding for Museums in Britain, the US, and Benin, I will show that these concerns from the West, while steeped in paternalism, may still be warranted.Item Using Adaptive Intelligence and African American Learning Styles to Improve Literacy of African American Students of Low Socioeconomic Status(2019-12-06) Reaves, Kimberly; Bronner, LeeRoy; Nyarko, Kofi; Chen, Guangming; Engineering; Doctor of EngineeringStandalone traditional approaches to administering education are quietly disappearing. Teachers no longer rely on traditional tools such as chalk, chalkboards, and flip charts to convey their ideas, thoughts or to teach lessons. Instead, they rely on an amalgamation of teaching techniques, which include, Adaptive Intelligent Techniques (AIT) coupled with traditional tools. Within the public elementary school settings in communities of low socioeconomic status, even with all that technology has to offer, few models exist that include African American learning styles. In these communities, African American students lag behind their White and Asian counterparts where literacy is a concern (National Center for Educational Statistics). They are failing city and state-wide examinations (Maryland Department of Education). In light of the literature on African American learning styles, this research seeks to demonstrate how hybridizing African American learning styles and AIT into the curriculum might encourage engagement, and thereby improve literacy. Moreover, merging AIT and African American learning styles will enable educators to respond to a community of students that have been historically overlooked and undervalued in the classroom and society. This research uses Action Research Methodology, which is a method of validation without physical implementation that will be used to develop, test and validate the new educational model proposed by this research. This model will be used to bridge the racial literacy gap among elementary school students. The main objective of this research initiative is to produce outcomes that scholars and practitioners of culturally sustaining pedagogy will embrace in the future.Item Cultural Intelligence of Community College Presidents in Two Majority-Minority States(2019-03-31) Jones, Natalie Denise; Hicks, Wilbur; Gillett-Karam, Rosemary; Shorter-Gooden, Kumea; Community College Leadership Program; Doctor of EducationWith the growing diversification of the community college student body, as well as the nation, the level of cultural intelligence of the community college president of today is even more important than in times past. Based on research findings, cross-cultural leadership is cited as the number one management challenge of the twenty-first century and beyond. Research suggests that to lead and manage effectively, equitably, and excellently in our diverse and globalized world, leaders must possess a high level of cultural intelligence. Despite the growing recognition of the importance of cultural intelligence within the academy, there is a dearth of research studies on cultural intelligence in American higher education, and there are no studies on the cultural intelligence of the community college president. Thus, this quantitative study sought to explore the strongest and weakest cultural intelligence factors of community college presidents in two majority-minority states (California and Texas), as well as the relationship between their perceived multicultural competence and cultural intelligence. The theoretical framework used was cultural intelligence, a conceptualization of one’s capability to interact effectively across cultures. The Four-Factor Model, which includes metacognitive CQ, cognitive CQ, motivational CQ, and behavioral CQ, undergirds the theory. Data was gathered using the Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS) and the Multicultural Competency Questionnaire (MCQ). The MCQ self-asses multicultural competence in three subscales: multicultural awareness, multicultural knowledge, and multicultural skills. This research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and parametric statistics. The thirty-nine community college presidents who participated viewed themselves as having a relatively strong level of skills (metacognitive CQ) to behave appropriately in cross-cultural situations but also viewed their knowledge (cognitive CQ) of other cultural groups at a weaker capacity level. Furthermore, respondents rated themselves highest in multicultural awareness and lowest in multicultural knowledge. There was also a direct correlation between total CQS scores and total MCQ scores. For future research on the community college president and cultural intelligence, the researcher recommends including other majority-minority states, as well as states with majority White populations and combining the CQS self-assessment with the CQS observer report, a survey used to rate the cultural intelligence capabilities of another person.Item A Case Study Approach To The Impact Of Academic Advising On African American Men At Three Community Colleges In Georgia(2019-03-15) Cody, Philip Maurice; Hollis, Leah P.; Drew, Joseph; Parsons, Michael H.; Community College Leadership Program; Doctor of EducationThe purpose of this qualitative case study is to examine how African American men at three community colleges in Georgia perceive the academic advising process and how the academic advisor influences their retention. A declining number of African American men are attending and completing college. This trend is troubling not only because of its implications for the men themselves, but also because of the long-term economic, political, and social effects for the African American population. The qualitative case study examined African American men’s views of academic advising, and its impact on their academic persistence and achievement will thus address the problem of declining African American male enrollment in higher education and suggest the services or resources colleges can provide to combat the issue. The researcher used Wood and Harris’s (2014) Socio-Ecological Outcomes Model coupled with Schlossberg’s (1989, 2011) Theory of Marginality to assess student outcomes and how those outcomes affect African American male retention rates. All of the participants chosen for this study were African American male students, attending one of three community colleges in Georgia. There were twelve participants selected for this study. The researcher found that African American male students’ academic advising experiences had a considerable influence on their retention rates at community colleges. The researcher also discovered that poor academic progress, lack of support, from both the institutions and their families, and a lack of positive role models at their prospective institutions often influenced their futures and their retention.Item 1000 Paper Cuts: Linguistic Portraits Illustrating the Emotional Toll of Underrepresentation on African American Female Professors at Maryland Community Colleges(2018) Jackson, Carla Ray; Davis, Russell A.; Higher Education Program; Doctor of EducationWhile community colleges are experiencing an increase in the number of minority students enrolling, there has been a lack of substantial growth in the acquisition and retention of full-time minority faculty. For full-time African American female professors, this lack has resulted in the circumstance of underrepresentation. Studies demonstrate that underrepresentation leads to marginalization, resulting in negative outcomes for this population. These conditions compromise the professional identity and well-being of African American female full-time professors, limiting their ability to achieve career satisfaction and advancement. This qualitative study asked full-time African American female professors at predominantly White community colleges in Maryland, to explore the emotional toll of underrepresentation. Through the use of a portraiture research design, in-depth interviews were conducted to develop a written illustration of how African American female professors at predominantly White institutions fulfill their professional duties in an environment that has been shown to lead to emotional burnout. This study will add to the body of research that increases the understanding of the lived experiences of minority faculty, which will assist higher education leaders in creating campus climates that promote the well-being of underrepresented faculty and students.