Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: This Poster explores the history and dynamics of the Wiyot Massacre at Indian Island (Eureka, California) in 1860, the pre and post racialized dynamics of the community, and the 2006 transfer of 44 acres back to the Wiyot tribe by the Eureka City Council. In addition to exploring the structural and organizational shifts that allowed for the transferring of land back to the Wiyots, the Poster demonstrates how Whites employed different rhetorical strategies to explain their support for (and concerns about) returning land to the Wiyots. Alongside this is consideration of the perspectives of white evangelicals who engaged in a reconciliation process with local Hupa and Wiyots from 2002-2006, and the rhetoric and framing processes they used. Each of these groups employs different understandings of racism, race, and what it means to address historical and ongoing injustices. Ultimately, whites tend to see these actions as about the past, and not about contemporary injustices Indigenous people experience, while indigenous peoples articulate an ongoing process of survival activities and struggle.

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: The purpose of this research poster is to present preliminary findings for a telephone survey. The goal of the survey was to explore consumer health information (CHI) seeking behavior using Mark Granovetter’s (1973, 1983) strength of weak ties theory as the conceptual framework. The target population was African-Americans, ages 18-74 that live on the eastside of Buffalo, NY. There have been very few theory-based studies addressing consumer health information seeking behavior, especially as it pertains to minority populations.

Wilson (2000) defined information seeking behavior as the purposive seeking for information because of a need to satisfy some goal. In order to better understand CHI seeking behavior it was proposed that the strength of weak ties, a social network theory, can explain and possibly predict CHI seeking behavior (Baker and Pettigrew, 1999). In addition, Haythornthwaite (1996) observes that information is an important resource, one that depends on making and maintaining contact with the right people. This focus on patterns of relationships makes the social network approach applicable for studying information access.

Interviewers asked 216 respondents questions to determine where individuals go to seek CHI and to explore the “closeness” of tie relationships if the respondent sought CHI from an individual and/or if the information seeking was for someone else. I will present these findings as related to age, sex, employment status, household income, health status and insurance, education level and Internet access.

Poster Outline:

Introduction
Theoretical Framework
Research Questions
Methodology
Findings
Implications
Future Research/Research Questions
References and Acknowledgments (if space allows)

Publication Type: Poster
Abstract: As early as the 17th Century, England established Poor Laws to prevent poor from migrating from less generous parishes to more generous ones. Contemporary discussions of homeless service provision in the United States echo concerns over migration for services. Using data from the 1996 National Survey of Homeless Assistance Providers and Clients, I examine (1) the extent to which homeless service users move before receiving services (2) differential moving rates among groups of service users (3) the types of places different groups of homeless service users move from and to and (4) transiency or the number of times different groups of homeless service users move within a homeless spell.

A majority of homeless clients received services in the same city or town they were living in when they became homeless. Black homeless clients and female homeless clients were less likely to have migrated. Black homeless clients may have less of a need to move to find services, because services are more likely to be located near where they become homeless.

Previous research has shown that large central city areas have more service availability than smaller areas. Black homeless clients were more likely to both start their homeless spell in a large central city location and end up using services in that location or in another large central city. Homeless spells were longer for Black homeless clients, but were more transient for White homeless clients, who were more likely to stay in three or more towns during their spell.