Institute for Society, Culture and Environment (ISCE)
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ISCE's mission is to foster a creative, interactive, multidisciplinary structure for socially significant research and creative efforts in the social sciences, humanities, and arts at Virginia Tech.
As one of Virginia Tech's three research investment institutes, ISCE serves the entire university, with its primary constituents being faculty members in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, College of Science, Pamplin College of Business, and College of Architecture and Urban Studies. Thus, the range of academic disciplines, research and scholarly pursuits, and artistic endeavors that ISCE promotes and supports is broad and deep.
ISCE primarily supports faculty activities that have the potential for extramural funding. In so doing, ISCE makes available financial and technical assistance that supports the development of individual faculty members and promotes participation in interdisciplinary teams.
ISCE provides a forum for both relatively inexperienced and very seasoned faculty members to collaborate on contemporary social issues or by integrating the human element into technology and science-based research and practice.
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- Grandfamilies: Parenting Satisfaction and Family FunctioningDolbin-MacNab, Megan L.; Sanford, Nicole M.; Rodgers, Brandon E.; Stewart, Shelley K.; Finney, Jack W.; Roberto, Karen A. (Department of Human Developmen, Department of Psychology and Center for Gerontology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, 2006-10)Previous research has demonstrated that grandparent caregivers experience high levels of physical, psychological, and relationship stress. However, few studies have examined how psychosocial and relationships. perspective, this exploratory study examined predictors of parenting satisfaction and family functioning among 40 grandmothers raising grandchildren. Parenting satisfaction was associated with lower levels of financial burden and better family functioning. More optimal family functioning was associated with higher parenting satisfaction, more social support, and grandmothers’ mental health (i.e., less depression and anxiety). Unexpectedly, higher financial burden was also associated with better family functioning. Findings suggest that the quality of custodial grandmothers’ family relationships is influenced by both individual and contextual factors. However, because social support and financial burden had the strongest influence, practitioners should pay particular attention to the impact of contextual factors on the quality of relationships within grandparent-headed families.
- Surviving Hurricane Katrina: Resilience and Resources of Aging FamiliesRoberto, Karen A.; Henderson, Tammy L.; Kamo, Yoshinori (Center for Gerontology and Dept. of Human Development Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universi, 2006-11)
- Research on Persistent Pain in Late Life: Current Topics and ChallengesHolland, Alissa Kate; Roberto, Karen A.; Perkins, Susan N. (Developmental and Biological Psychology, Virginia Tech, 2006-11)
- “It Was Like An Elephant Sitting on My Chest”: Older Women’s Experiences With Coronary Heart DiseaseHusser, Erica; Roberto, Karen A. (Center for Gerontology and Dept. of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2006-11)
- Engagement, Participation and Community Efficacy: Insights into Social OrganizationMancini, Jay A.; Bowen, Gary L. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2007-05)
- Building Community Capacity: Sustaining America's Promise Partnerships in the Aftermath of Hurricane KatrinaMancini, Jay A.; Marek, Lydia I. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2007-07-19)
- The Influences of Community Social Organization on the Well-Being of Older AdultsMancini, Jay A. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2007-09)
- Farm Policy Reform in the United States: Past Progress and Future EvolutionOrden, David R. (Virginia Tech, 2007-10-29)This chapter examines the issues facing U.S. farm policy in 2007 and beyond in an historical context. Reforms of the main commodity programs along a cash-out and decoupling path peaked when prices were high in 1995-96. Recent buyouts, driven largely by declining production levels and revenues, have also ended supply-control quota programs for peanuts and tobacco. Then, in a setback to reduced subsidies, countercyclical payments were re-institutionalized for the main commodities in 2002, although farmers retained substantial planting flexibility. The radical option of a broader buyout of the commodity programs is an idea whose time has not arrived. Instead, farm groups sought to retain their traditional programs in 2007, despite another commodity price boom. Under budget pressure, direct payments that represent the most decoupled instrument of support of farm incomes came under scrutiny in the domestic debate but were defended by subsidy recipients.
- Family Perceptions of Mild Cognitive ImpairmentRoberto, Karen A.; Blieszner, Rosemary (Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, 2007-11)
- Health, Spirituality and Environmental Concern: Older Women's Perspectives on the Natural EnvironmentHusser, Erica; Gigliotti, Christina; Roberto, Karen A. (Center for Gerontology and Dept. of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 2007-11)
- Patient Views of Mild Cognitive ImpairmentBlieszner, Rosemary; Roberto, Karen A. (Center for Gerontology, Virginia Tech, 2007-11)
- Building Community Capacity: A Collaboration Engagement FrameworkMancini, Jay A. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2007-11-22)
- Building Communities and Supporting Families: A Social Action FrameworkMancini, Jay A. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2007-11-29)
- Technical Barriers Affecting Agricultural Exports from China: The Case of Fresh ApplesOrden, David R.; Gao, Lili; Xue, Xiang; Peterson, Everett B.; Thornsbury, Suzanne (Virginia Tech. Global Issues Initiative, 2007-12)This report addresses technical barriers that limit the agricultural trade of China in the case of phytosanitary barriers to fresh apple exports. Apple production in China has increased substantially in recent years and now accounts for nearly half of the total global output. Correspondingly, in many of its discussions with trade partners about agricultural technical barriers, China has highlighted apples and pears as products for which it has sought market access. China‘s apple exports have skyrocketed as markets have been opened. In the 2004/05, China exported 850,000 metric tons of fresh apples, a nearly five-time increase in the export volume over five years. A large proportion of the increase in Chinese apple exports have gone to the Pacific Rim markets, such as Hong Kong and the Philippines.
- Linking Risk and Economic Assessments in the Analysis of Plant Pest Regulations: The Case of U.S. Imports of Argentine LemonsThornsbury, Suzanne; Romano, Eduardo (Virginia Tech. Global Issues Initiative, 2007-12)This study evaluates consideration to allow shipments of Argentine fresh lemons into the United States. Besides providing analysis of an on-going and still disputed systems approach, this case was viewed as a relevant test for feasibility of a prototype analytical tool that links economic and risk assessment for SPS measures. Political economy and empirical assessment shows that despite some apparent similarities among systems approach policies, the idiosyncratic nature of SPS issues limits application of a common quantitative method for such policies. Assessment within context of the lemon case reveals important lessons with respect to economic analysis. Scientific debate is likely to be more contentious and sustained in cases where the political stakes are greater, thus a priori economic evaluation is likely to be the most limited in those cases where it could prove the most valuable. Results highlight transitions in the political reality of WTO SPS agreement applications. Movement away from specificity in risk assessment limits common understanding and further assessment of regulatory policies. The dynamics of the lemon case shifted attention to credibility of domestic, as well as foreign, institutions. Confidence between regulatory agencies is important, but does not compensate for public trust.
- The Pending 2008 U.S. Farm Bill in PerspectiveOrden, David R. (Virginia Tech, 2008-01)This paper examines the issues facing U.S. farm policy in 2007 and beyond in an historical context. Reforms of the main commodity programs along a cash-out and decoupling path peaked when prices were high in 1995-96. Recent buyouts, driven largely by declining production levels and revenues, have also ended supply-control quota programs for peanuts and tobacco. Then, in a setback to reduced subsidies, countercyclical payments were re-institutionalized for the main commodities in 2002, although farmers retained substantial planting flexibility. The radical option of a broader buyout of the commodity programs is an idea whose time has not arrived. Instead, farm groups sought to retain their traditional programs in 2007, despite another commodity price boom. Under budget pressure, direct payments that represent the most decoupled instrument of support of farm incomes came under scrutiny in the domestic debate but were defended by subsidy recipients. In addition, agriculture now has a new policy tool and strengthened political clout through energy policy, and through this policy avenue substantial new power to influence agricultural prices.
- The Challenge Of Increasing Global Trade: How To Address Linkages And BarriersOrden, David R.; Peterson, Everett B. (Virginia Tech, 2008-02-22)Two specific cases of trade regulation are examined in this presentation. In the case of avocados from Mexico, the U.S. market has been opened following more than a decade of related rule making. Substantial imports now occur. In a second case, China has expressed interest in exporting fresh apples to the United States. There is not a related regulatory process underway, but China received approval to export fresh apples to Canada in 2004.
- Philippine Agricultural and Food Policies: Implications on Poverty and Income DistributionCororaton, Caesar B.; Corong, Erwin L. (Virginia Tech, 2008-12)The objective of this presentation was to examine how trade policy affects food prices and poverty in the Philippines.
- Providing Access to Resilience-Enhancing Technologies for Disadvantaged Communities and Vulnerable PopulationsKiefer, John J.; Mancini, Jay A.; Morrow, Betty H.; Gladwin, Hugh; Stewart, Terina A. (The Institute for Advanced Biometrics and Social Systems Studies, 2008-12)
- Getting Sorted Out: Vulnerabilities, Resilience, and HomelessnessMancini, Jay A. (Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, 2009-03-27)