“Traditional Birth Attendant” is a term assigned to women who assist in labor and delivery care using traditional methods, usually without authorized health care licensing or regulated trainings. While the practices of these women have often been documented for the purpose of historical or anthropological research, this study aims to document the modern day contribution of these women in the Ugandan women’s healthcare system. This study uses in-depth interviews and group counseling sessions with currently practicing Traditional Birth Attendants and is supplemented with data from the 2011 and 2016 Uganda Demographic Health Surveys. Analysis of these interviews yielded six primary themes, which are: training/introduction to the practice, prenatal care, postnatal care, traditional family planning/medicinal herb use, relationship counseling, benefits and challenges of the profession, and labia pulling. These findings provide evidence for policy reform that would allow Traditional Birth Attendants to support their communities as maternal and child health advocate.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many educational stakeholders to rethink the purpose and function of public education. The COVID-19 mediasphere and politically divided climate has ushered legislative stakeholders and the public’s attention to the need for media literacy education. Critical media literacy addresses the goals of media literacy education but also offers an explicit focus on addressing the relationships between audiences and media, information, and power. Because critical media literacy emphasizes challenging how power maps onto information and reproduces injustice, it requires an embodied stance that dissents against hierarchical forms of education and hegemonic systems, structures, and ideologies. Critical media literacy necessitates an embodied critical engagement (ways of being) with the world and critical pedagogical practices (ways of doing) at the classroom-level (Vasquez et al., 2019, p. 300). While there has been growing interest in the field of critical media literacy in the United States during the pandemic, more research is needed with practitioners to understand what shapes their critical embodiments and practices of critical media literacy.

This critical qualitative collective case study examined four secondary teachers’ embodiments and practices of critical media literacy during the COVID-19 pandemic in California. Two questions informed this study: 1) How do teachers describe their embodiments (ways of being) in relation to critical media literacy?, and 2) How do teachers’ practice (ways of doing) critical media literacy in their classrooms?. Building from Kellner and Share’s (2019) multiperspectival approach, this research was guided by several critical social theories, including: cultural studies, democratic inquiry-based pedagogy, critical pedagogy, and intersectionality. Data collection included: qualitative semi-structured interviews and artifacts (e.g., teachers’ lesson plans, student work samples, etc.). Data was analyzed through two rounds of coding: in vivo and axial. Findings indicated that teachers’ embodiments of critical media literacy were influenced by their journeys to criticality and rooted in transformative worldviews. Teachers' practices of critical media literacy relied on co-constructing safe and critical communities and scaffolding critical media analysis and production. This research study establishes a starting point for subsequent critical media literacy education research, theory, practice, and policy by providing examples of teachers’ embodied perspectives and practices.

To truly provide inclusive learning spaces for all students, inclusive education must be provided for people with disabilities during the transitional period from compulsory school to employment. M�xico’s 2011 law of inclusion provides rights to people with disabilities for access to education and professional training. In the interest of understanding inclusive education for people with disabilities during higher education and vocational formation, this research examines the networks of actors supporting this policy in practice through an analysis of its networks of support. It seeks to understand the construct of disability, actors, collaboration, and supports across the levels of implementation. A Vertical Case Study was adapted to examine the actors, collaboration, and supports across the macro (global), meso (government), and micro (local) levels of this policy in practice. Qualitative analysis was used to analyze two types of data: documents and interviews. First, a systematic review was conducted to find policies and declarations from M�xico and global organizations focused on inclusion and people with disabilities. Next, interviews were conducted with those working in key government entities, program directors, and adult students with disabilities in higher education or vocational formation programs to understand what supports them in the implementation of this inclusive policy. Through an analysis of policies and declarations over time, it is clear the policy definition and construct of disability is not reaching local practitioners, nor is it permeating the full networks of support. The networks of support involved within this implementation in M�xico include supports from the government, community, schools, institutions, and resources. These networks are collaborating through their information sharing, provision of accommodations, and program implementation. This research can inform policymakers and program directors of the supports necessary for this policy in practice. It highlights the importance of these supports in providing inclusive spaces for students so that they might be successful in their education. It demonstrates the need for collaboration across and within departments through information sharing, development of institutional structures, and allocation of funding. Furthermore, it points to the requirement that these networks both instill an inclusive culture and provide access to this education and labor practice.

This study explored how U.S.-born children of Central American immigrants develop a sense of belonging through their engagement on social media. With young people already using technology as a tool for individual expression and political engagement (Jenkins et al., 2009; Kahne et al., 2016), this study sought to understand how belonging is developed and maintained within online spaces. The need to belong fulfills a basic desire to maintain attachments and relationships, but its absence can lead to a number of negative physical and psychological effects (Baumeister & Leary, 1995). Understanding the factors that encourage or hinder feelings of belonging for children of Central American parents is necessary as their community has been routinely vilified, particularly on social media. With more young people likely to be exposed to divisive anti-immigrant rhetoric online as more people flee violence and corruption in Central America, this study focused on how participants perceive of themselves and shape their sense of belonging from these online experiences at a time of rising nationalism and xenophobia.

This study addressed the following research questions: 1) What types of immigration-related content do children of Central American parents confront on social media, 2) how do they respond and engage with this content, and 3) how do these interactions shape their sense of belonging as U.S. citizens and members of an ethnic community. These questions were guided by Nira Yuval-Davis’s politics of belonging framework (2006) which identifies the social locations, personal identifications, and attachments where belonging is constructed and maintained. My study diverged from her framework by including online spaces as locations where belonging is also constructed. I also drew on James Banks’s failed citizenship framework (2015) to understand how participants’ sense of belonging or exclusion can produce different conceptions of citizenship. While fully recognized and accepted citizens develop strong attachments with the nation-state, those who experience failed citizenship feel alienation if they are excluded based on their race or culture. These feelings can however lead to different actions such as the pursuit of social justice and equality through civic action (2015).

Interviews were conducted with 10 participants, five male and five female, over the age of 18 who were born in the United States to two foreign-born parents of Central American heritage. Participants were recruited from organizations serving the Central American community in the Southern California area and from student-led college clubs. The findings show that participants’ engagement on social media has had an impact on their sense of belonging, helping them maintain stronger ties to their ethnic communities while negatively affecting their identification with the nation. While this suggests an example of failed citizenship, participants are using social media to engage in acts of transformative citizenship, solidarity, and activism to counter common narratives within the immigration debate and increase the visibility of the Central American community.

The early childhood ecosystem is comprised of individuals, organizations/institutions, and microsystems (health, education, etc.) which support young children (ages 0-5). This ecosystem is path-dependent because of historical and ecological barriers and facilitators. These barriers and facilitators are sustained by social, political, and economic structures that perpetuate patterns of inequality in early childhood outcomes.The purpose of this research is to (1) identify these barriers and facilitators from the perspective of families in Los Angeles in Los Angeles as they seek to access informal and formal early childhood services and resources, and (2) understand the role of the early childhood system—encompassing the individuals, institutions, and microsystems centered on childhood development embedded within the early childhood ecosystem— in helping families. This research used qualitative methods to interview families, service providers, government officials, and community members across Los Angeles County, California (LA). LA was selected given the complexity of its early-childhood ecosystem. This research suggests that barriers and facilitators exist across the macro, meso, and micro-levels of the early childhood ecosystem - and contribute to the perpetuation of inequalities. Some of these barriers include poverty, gentrification, social isolation, language, and complicated bureaucracy. However, there are also facilitators expanding policy interests, increasing financial investments, and building social networks. Furthermore, this study found that while much of the early childhood system (embedded within the early childhood ecosystem) perpetuates patterned inequities, there are some individuals, organizations/institutions, and sub-systems that mitigate these barriers. Some of the characteristics of an effective early childhood system are strong governance and accountability, sustainable financing, strong partnerships, and empathetic and responsive programming. Findings indicate implications for policymakers, practitioners, and academics. For example, policymakers should create policies that accounts for the early childhood ecosystem, practitioners should design relational programming, and academics should seek to understand how the early childhood system can be leveraged to influence the early childhood ecosystem.

Executive Functions are those cognitive mechanisms that moderate regulatory behavior, self-directed behavior and adaptive behavior. When executive functions are impaired, it is often, but not always, associated with a developmental disability. An impairment in executive functions may result in maladaptive behaviors which can lead to poor social integration and poor academic outcomes. Interventions designed to improve executive functions are gaining interest in the scientific literature, specifically mindfulness-based interventions. Mindfulness-based interventions are designed to improve cognitive functions through the regulation of attention and early studies demonstrate improvement in cognitive functions, emotional regulation, physical health and neurological function. However, few studies have examined the feasibility and acceptability of mindfulness-based interventions, particularly for adolescents with executive function impairments. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an adapted Mindful Schools middle school aged mindfulness program for adolescents with executive function impairment. Participant observation, interviews and document review were utilized to gather qualitative data from three adolescent males with executive function impairments. Direct interpretation and categorical aggregation were used to analyze the data. Results demonstrated that the adapted mindfulness program was feasible and acceptable to these three adolescents with executive function impairments.

Global emergencies resulting from conflict, human rights violations, and natural disasters have displaced more than 90 million people worldwide, half of whom are under 18. While the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) calls for sustainable (i.e. long-lasting) access to inclusive and quality education for all people by 2030, global education systems have thus far fallen short, particularly in emergency settings. In Myanmar, a country affected by multiple state-led conflicts and genocidal acts against ethnic minorities, access to quality and inclusive education is severely limited. In response to the state’s neglect of education amid war, several ethnic minority communities have created their own education systems. These community-based schools (CBS) are one type of non-state schooling (i.e. private or nongovernmental) where all financing and provision of education is owned and managed by local community actors. The research on CBS shows demonstrated benefits in the areas of culturally relevant curriculum and local ownership of organizational practices, though challenges like inconsistent quality and lack of attention to inclusivity have also been found. Few studies have been conducted on CBS operating amidst active conflict. Accordingly, this qualitative and participatory research study investigates, through an in-depth case study, the macro-level sociopolitical history of institutions, meso-level organizational practices, and micro-level curriculum development processes of CBS operating amidst emergencies in Myanmar. In my analysis, I draw from a range of academic and practitioner-based theoretical approaches to present findings on how these macro, meso, and micro level community-based education practices reflect sustainable access to quality and inclusive education in emergencies. Ultimately, I argue that a rich historical understanding of community and their sustained engagement with CBS, from visioning to implementation and refining, are necessary to best realize educational goals. I conclude with recommendations for CBS efforts in Myanmar specifically and how this case might inform and inspire practice and research surrounding other instances of community-based education in emergencies globally.

The Republic of Korea (hereafter, Korea) has historically affirmed that the country is ethnically homogeneous and this belief is often expressed in the nation's government compiled and issued textbooks. However, this dogmatic view does not correspond to the trends of globalization with mass global migration. International organizations also urged the Korean government to alter its emphasis on mono-ethnicity and revise this notion in the curriculum. Given both the external recommendations and the internal demographic transformation, the government eventually revised curriculum and initiated multicultural education. This study examines how Korean elementary school teachers recognize multicultural contents in textbooks and how they analyze and communicate them in class. In order to investigate this, three research questions were raised: a. What multicultural content is in elementary school textbooks? b. How do elementary school teachers consider the subject of multicultural education? c. How do teachers communicate multiculturalism to their students at the elementary school level? To answer these questions, I analyzed fifth grade Korean Language and sixth grade Korean Language and Social Studies textbooks utilizing Christine I. Bennett's "Conceptual Model of a Comprehensive Multicultural Curriculum." Interviews were also conducted with fifth and sixth grade teachers to explore how they recognize and communicate multicultural content in class.

The study had two major findings. First, most interviewed teachers thought that multicultural education material should relate to multicultural family issues. These teachers perceived the term multiculturalism and multicultural education as referring to multicultural families, that is, foreign workers and marriage immigrant families. This was due to how the government initiated multicultural education and defined these families. Second, teachers interviewed had difficulties communicating multicultural materials with their students regardless of whether multicultural family students were in the class or not. If these students were in class, teachers did not want to draw special attention to them. On the contrary, if these students were not in class, teachers articulated their lack of experience with multicultural education or direct contact with multicultural families. These findings shed light on a gap between the Korean government's intentions regarding multicultural education and teachers' perceptions on multicultural materials and its practical use in instruction.

The rapid evolution of globalization and neoliberal economic policies has resulted in U.S. agro-corporations exporting their operations south of the border to Mexico in order to benefit from cheaper land and labor. While working families previously cyclically migrated during harvest seasons, many have been able to permanently settle in the San Quint�n Valley due to the year-round demand of labor in the region over the past two decades (Zlolniski, 2011). Consequently, migrant youth have increasingly had the opportunity to attend formal schools in the San Quint�n Valley without repeated disruptions in their school attendance (Evaristo, 2006). However, despite increased school opportunities, many migrant youth continue to work in the fields alongside their parents. While migrant families widely acknowledge that formal education is crucial to accessing higher paying jobs and improved living standards, a critical question arises: Why do migrant youth continue to work despite increased educational opportunities? Accordingly, this study examines the schooling and working experiences of migrant youth to illuminate how neoliberal economic policies and globalization processes have shaped their lived realities; particularly their educational experiences and perceptions of life trajectories.

My study explored shifting aspirations in school and work settings among migrant youth working for agro-corporations in the San Quint�n Valley by employing ethnographic methods. While this study is based on six months of fieldwork, I also draw upon previous interactions with the community built upon sixteen years of close relationships and active involvement in a local elementary school. Through participant observations, in-depth interviews and semi-structured activities, I focused on the narratives of local youth describing their working and schooling experiences in the community. My fieldwork was guided by three research questions: 1) How does the labor market in the community affect study youth’s schooling experiences? 2) How do youth's relationships within their social networks shape their aspirations?3) What is the relationship between youth’s aspirations and perceptions of their life trajectories?

The findings of my study reveal the ways in which the restricted labor market, close proximity to the United States and presence of gangs in the community shaped the perceptions of life trajectories, particularly aspirations, amongst migrant youth in San Telmo. While most youth acknowledged that formal schooling is a critical means to accessing higher wages and living standards, the restricted labor market in the community provided little motivation for them to continue their schooling beyond primary school. Consequently, the aspirations of youth in this study varied from moving to the United States for higher wages to gaining respect in the community through involvement in local gangs. Despite my study participants’ attempts to resist their structural constraints through differing aspirations, the limits of such resistance is evident as many of them ended up working for agro-corporations only a year after my study.