According to the National Institute on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), approximately 37 million Americans suffer from some degree of hearing loss, which impacts their ability to communicate fluently with the hearing world. This number includes up to 17% of the adult population, many who have experienced post-lingual or late-deafness. While hearing loss is known to be one of the most prevalent chronically disabling sensory conditions, little is known about the impact it has on individuals’ cultural identity and sense of well-being. There is somewhat of a deficit in the research literature addressing these issues of cultural identity, especially as it relates to post-lingually deaf adults. Improved knowledge of these dimensions of hearing loss is needed—a knowledge which could lead to more effective resources for late-deafened people. Though hearing loss can be disabling, access to American Sign Language and the Deaf culture may compensate for social and cultural loss and potentially improve well-being within late-deafened individuals. Using the framework of Social Identity Theory and Neil Glickman’s Deaf Identity Development model, this study sought to identify late-deafened adults who fall into the marginal category, placing them at greater risk of becoming socially marginalized and experiencing diminished well-being. Subjective well-being was then measured by the Flourishing Scale to determine how being socially marginal may impact one’s sense of self, personal prosperity, social efficacy, and sense of social competency. Results showed that marginal individuals do experience diminished subjective well-being, a fact which should be further explored by researchers, especially in the context of developing more effective interventions and services for late-deafened individuals.
The impact of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) is supported by evidence from physical and life science fields, especially when student-apprentices work in traditional laboratories. Within social sciences specifically, some excellent student outcomes associated with UREs adhere to non–lab-based modalities like course-based research experiences (CUREs). Here, the authors evaluate the laboratory-based undergraduate research experiences (LUREs) as a potentially valuable approach for incorporating social science undergraduates in research. Using comparative analysis of survey data from students completing three types of social science-based UREs (n = 235), individual research experiences (IREs), CUREs, or LUREs, students perceived gains overall regardless of the type of experience, with some indication that LUREs are the most effective.
Many population centers in the American West rely on water from the Colorado River Basin, which has faced shortages in recent years that are anticipated to be exacerbated by climate change. Shortages to urban water supplies related to climate change will not be limited to cities dependent on the Colorado River. Considering this, addressing sustainable water governance is timely and critical for cities, states, and regions facing supply shortages and pollution problems. Engaging in sustainability transitions of these hydro-social systems will increase the ability of such systems to meet the water needs of urban communities. In this paper, we identify historical transitions in water governance and examine their context for three sites in the Colorado River Basin (Denver, Colorado, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Phoenix, Arizona) to provide insight for intentional transitions towards sustainable, or “water sensitive” cities. The comparative historical approach employed allows us to more fully understand differences in present-day water governance decisions between the sites, identify past catalysts for transitions, and recognize emerging patterns and opportunities that may impact current and future water governance in the Colorado River Basin and beyond.
Complexities and uncertainties surrounding urbanization and climate change complicate water resource sustainability. Although research has examined various aspects of complex water systems, including uncertainties, relatively few attempts have been made to synthesize research findings in particular contexts. We fill this gap by examining the complexities, uncertainties, and decision processes for water sustainability and urban adaptation to climate change in the case study region of Phoenix, Arizona. In doing so, we integrate over a decade of research conducted by Arizona State University’s Decision Center for a Desert City (DCDC). DCDC is a boundary organization that conducts research in collaboration with policy makers, with the goal of informing decision-making under uncertainty. Our results highlight: the counterintuitive, non-linear, and competing relationships in human–environment dynamics; the myriad uncertainties in climatic, scientific, political, and other domains of knowledge and practice; and, the social learning that has occurred across science and policy spheres. Finally, we reflect on how our interdisciplinary research and boundary organization has evolved over time to enhance adaptive and sustainable governance in the face of complex system dynamics.