Homeowners associations (HOAs) are key players in local urban governance regimes, especially in metropolitan areas with substantial construction of new housing. Membership in these organizations is mandatory with the purchase of a unit in a planned development (in any variety of single-family housing, townhouses, and condominiums) and they have powers to substitute for public service delivery (garbage collection, security, amenities, etc.) as well as regulate personal property usage for their members. Although fundamental research on HOAs has examined their impact on localized democracy, the homogenization of residential living by socioeconomic status and race, and their effect on property values, no work has investigated HOAs' important interaction with private management companies with which they often contract out day-to-day responsibilities. Using data obtained via a public records request from the Nevada Department of Business & Industry's Real Estate Division and a networks approach, this project depicts the changing HOA-management landscape in the state over the last nearly ten years. To my knowledge, this is the first use of network visualization under the HOA context. I investigate the increasing dominance of a handful of management companies, in addition to the growth of HOAs in general and their geographic concentration. I also outline next steps in this developing research project, which will be the basis for a dissertation chapter. This work has implications for local and state policymakers seeking to regulate HOAs and better understand the ways in which they exercise exclusionary legal and financial power through third party actors, notably in the booming Sunbelt region.

This research analyzes the Colombian Armed Conflict from 1970 to 2016, focusing on its historical context, revolutionary and military antecedents, and the country's multiple, often unsuccessful, peace attempts. It explores the 2016 peace agreement and the post-conflict period, particularly concerning reparations and community reconstruction. This study is based on a theoretical framework that includes intersectionality theory (Lugones, 2008), critical race theory (Curiel, 2016), gender theory (Segato, 2021), decolonial theory (Quijano, 2007), and post-conflict theory (Larkin & Rudolf, 2023). Using qualitative methodology, a central aspect of this study is the analysis of testimonies of armed conflict victims collected by the Truth Commission (2022) with particular emphasis on the experiences of racialized Colombian women such as Black, Afro-Colombian, Indigenous, and rural, who were victims of this conflict. This research aims to answer the following questions (1) In what ways did the intersecting concepts of race, gender, and colonialism affect the experiences of peasant, Black, Afro-Colombian, and Indigenous women during the Colombian armed conflict from 1970 to 2016?; (2) how did racialized women, as victims of armed conflict, engage in the creation of collective memory and the reconstruction of their communities in the post-conflict period? This poster presentation will focus on the testimonies provided by women and illustrate how racialized female victims of the Colombian Armed Conflict reconstructed their communities in the post-conflict period through collective memory processes. It is crucial to emphasize that this work facilitates a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of conflicts and their profound impact on society. Moreover, it offers valuable frameworks and methodologies for conflict resolution and peacebuilding, essential for fostering sustainable peace in conflict-affected countries. Refences: Lugones, María. «Colonialidad y Género.» Tabula Rasa 9 (2008): 73-101. 2023. Curiel, O. (2016). Feminism, Race, Transnationalism 14, no. 2 (2016): 46–55. Smith College. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/meridians.14.2.04?seq= Segato, Rita. La guerra contra las mujeres . Prometeo, 2021. Quijano, A. (2007). Coloniality and Modernity/Rationality. Cultural Studies, 21(2–3), 168–178. https://doi.org/10.1080/09502380601164353 Larkin, C., & Rudolf, I. (2023). Memory, violence and post-conflict reconstruction: rebuilding and reimagining Mosul. Peacebuilding, 12(3), 281–298. https://doi.org/10.1080/21647259.2023.2247722

According to recent estimates, approximately 37% of Americans indicate an inability to cover an emergency $400 expense using liquid savings. One such expense is fines for traffic violations. If unpaid, the original fine not only increases in nominal value but may result in suspension of driving privileges and even incarceration. Unpaid traffic fines result in instances of failure to pay (FTP) or failure to appear (FTA). Existing work highlights the detrimental consequences of traffic fines on household finances. We, however, lack knowledge about the determinants of FTP or FTA. In this paper, I examine how exposures to natural disasters affect the FTP or FTA likelihood. I construct novel data on traffic citations by scraping the Oklahoma State Court Network (OSCN). With information on the initial appearance date and the onset of natural disasters, I use the RDD empirical framework to uncover causal estimates of natural disaster exposure on the likelihood of FTP or FTA instances. Natural disaster exposure increases the likelihood of an FTP or FTA instance on a traffic citation by 5.7 percentage points, an increase of 26.14% over the pre-natural disaster mean. The increased likelihood of FTP or FTA instances persists for more than 100 days following the natural disaster onset. Preliminary estimates suggest that disadvantaged subpopulations--black and lower income--have a more pronounced increase in the likelihood of an FTP or FTA instance after the natural disaster. I also find that there is a marked increase in total costs associated with traffic citations after natural disasters.

The Tift Site (GA HSI #10393), situated in East Point, Georgia, embodies a pressing environmental justice issue that has persisted since 1995. This abandoned industrial site is contaminated with twenty-one hazardous substances in both soil and groundwater, posing significant health risks to the local ecosystem and surrounding community. A particularly alarming indicator of this contamination is the visible blue discoloration of the South River's headwaters, which might indicate direct pollution flowing from the Tift Site. The affected community, primarily consisting of people of color, bears an inequitable burden of these environmental hazards. We initiated a Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach in response to decades of regulatory neglect. This methodology emphasizes the importance of engaging and educating community members about the risks associated with contamination and advocating for necessary remediation efforts. Our project fosters collaborative partnerships among local leaders, geoscientists, and environmental organizations to collectively tackle the contamination issues impacting the South River. As part of our efforts, we conducted water and sediment sampling with community members to monitor the migration of contaminants within the South River watershed. Preliminary analysis of heavy metals and metalloid concentrations in both water and sediments reveals that elevated levels are present near the Tift Site, decreasing progressively as one moves downstream from this hazardous waste area. This data underscores the urgent need for remediation and community support to address the environmental injustices faced by local residents in Eastpoint

This study examines the correlation between grandchild care intensity (hours per week and number of care recipients) and depression levels among Chinese grandparents. Data from the 2018 China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study include 7,488 grandparents aged 45 and above. T-tests and chi-square tests compare depression scores, demographics, disability, living arrangements, and satisfaction between caregivers and non-caregivers. ANOVA compares depression differences among non-caregivers, those caring for one grandchild, and those caring for two or more. Ordinary Least Squares regression analyzes the impact of caregiving intensity on depression, controlling for social, psychological, and biological factors. This study aims to shed light on the influence of childcare intensity on grandparents’ depression, while exploring the potential impact of various factors to understand the nuance of caregiving impact on depression. The findings inform family policy makers in the importance of respite care for grandparents and the necessity of accessible childcare services in China.

Older adults aged 65 and older are increasing in Metropolitan urban areas across the United States. Adequate nutrition and a variety of healthy food opportunities are integral to healthy aging and a good quality of life. Urban areas can concentrate poverty, but they can also offer opportunities provided by proximity to neighbors, close food establishments, nearby health services and public transportation. Despite the recognized need for healthy food access for all ages, there is a gap in the literature whereby urban older adults describe their access to the food environment and document it photographically. The objective of this study was to examine the food access environment of senior center participants living in two urban communities in the city of Atlanta, Vine City and English Avenue, using photoelicitation. This study was based on 9 focus groups conducted at two senior centers from May to August 2023. Focus groups were recorded with two recorders, transcribed, and then checked for accuracy. Photoelicitation uses photographs or other mediums in focus groups to generate discussion based on the topic and pictures taken; thereby creating data and knowledge. Based on their photos, participants discussed the complex interplay of individual and system-level factors influencing their food access, including but not limited to personal preferences, transportation, and finances. Furthermore, they highlighted the importance of adjusting to various changes outside of one’s control. The application of the sociological framework across these results presents several levels whereby nutrition professional can and should intervene.

Internet use among individuals involved with gang activity has become increasingly prevalent in the last two decades. This usage goes beyond simply organizing or boasting about criminal activity. Rather, it has become similar to general usage of the internet including posting content that contributes to an overall image of themselves or their gang. Moreover, as social media has become more common among the general population, those involved in gang activity have also followed suit. Previous studies have noted several themes communicated that are in social media posts made by self-proclaimed gang members. These themes include violent imagery, intimidation, revenge, grief, wealth, and success. This thesis sets out to fill a gap in the current literature by examining Tik-Tok, a social media platform launched in 2017 and applying a social learning framework to explore violence exposure and its repercussions. Limitations, such as verification of gang involvement, policy implications, and directions for future research are discussed in depth.