Strategic Growth Area: Equity and Social Disparity in the Human Condition (ESDHC)
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ESDHC explores and analyzes crucial issues related to diversity, especially those highlighted through the application of the analytical lens of intersectionality, emphasizes the simultaneous possession of multiple identities for all human beings, producing unique interactions among the identities and factors such as place and social institutions that have implications for experience and life chances.
Scholarship about social disparities and difference in the human condition build on VT strengths in the areas of Health and the Environment, Identities and Culture, and Institutions, Organizations, and Policy (e.g., education, political and policy systems, businesses, and markets). Thematic areas include food security and systems, the built environment, the natural environment, sustainable global prosperity, public health, or innovative technologies.
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Browsing Strategic Growth Area: Equity and Social Disparity in the Human Condition (ESDHC) by Department "Center for International Research, Education, and Development"
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- Climate Change and Agrobiodiversity in Nepal: A Gendered PerspectiveBhattarai, Basundhara (Virginia Tech. University Libraries, 2018-04-04)The WGD program at CIRED has conducted a monthly discussion series for over a decade. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend the discussions and bring their ideas and questions. The series offers an opportunity for scholars and development practitioners to share their research and knowledge surrounding gender and international development with the Virginia Tech community and beyond.
- Four Stories About Food Sovereignty: The Potential and Limits of Community Action and Transnational Solidarity under Conditions of Global CapitalismGill, Bikrum Singh (Virginia Tech. University Libraries, 2019-10-17)The Women and gender in International Development Discussion Series is organized by the Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) and is an Inclusive VT initiative of Outreach and International Affairs (OIA). The series offers an opportunity for scholars and development practitioners to share their research and knowledge surrounding gender and international development with the Virginia Tech community and beyond.
- Geography and the Environment Through Kitchenspace: Cultural Ecology in the House-lot Garden in Central MexicoChristie, Maria Elisa (Virginia Tech. University Libraries, 2018-03-16)The WGD program at CIRED has conducted a monthly discussion series for over a decade. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend the discussions and bring their ideas and questions. The series offers an opportunity for scholars and development practitioners to share their research and knowledge surrounding gender and international development with the Virginia Tech community and beyond.
- Recognizing Women’s Needs: A Key in Agriculture Production and Food SecurityAbaye, Azenegashe Ozzie (Virginia Tech Libraries, 2018-11-08)The Women and Gender in International Development discussion series offers an opportunity for scholars and practitioners to share their research and knowledge surrounding gender and international development. Dr. Ozzie Abaye will talk about her research in the developing world. Women have been denied access to both financial and land resources throughout history. Yet, they contribute more than their share to agriculture and food security on a daily basis. Through USAID-ERA (United States Agency for International Development – Education and Research in Agriculture (USAID-ERA) a project that aimed (delivered) to revitalize the agricultural sector through education, research, and discovery, and outreach, implemented several agricultural interventions at the community, private, and public sector levels using the land-grant model. Some of the agricultural interventions focus on those that have the explicit goal of improving food security by supporting women at the village levels. Two of such projects are a small-scale silage project designed to conserve forages to feed small ruminants during the dry season and the introduction mungbean, to diversify the diets mainly composed of cereal crops. Mung bean is a greater source of protein and fiber when compared to its cultural counterpart, cowpeas, and other staple grains. The presentation will focus on the initial contribution of these two women targeted projects on perceived women’s health and productivity.
- Virginia Tech Food Access and Security StudyHall, Ralph P.; Ranganathan, Shyam; Agnew, Jessica L.; Christie, Maria Elisa; Kirk, Gary R.; Lucero, Christian; Clark, Susan F.; Archibald, Thomas G. (Virginia Tech, 2019-10-30)There is growing evidence to suggest that a substantial number of college and university students in the United States grapple with food insecurity during their studies. One of the most comprehensive surveys on this issue was conducted by The Hope Center with 33 participating four-year institutions. They estimated that 41% of students had low or very low food security (Goldrick-Rab et al. 2019). A review of food security studies by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) (2018) found similar results and that few students who qualified for food assistance were aware of federal food assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP). In response to the increasing concern over students’ access to food, this study aims to document food security at Virginia Tech. The study was designed with two parallel goals: to contribute to the national conversation on food access and security amongst higher education students; and to inform a strategic response through data-informed programs and policies at Virginia Tech. The first phase of the study was conducted between Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 and consisted of semi-structured key informant interviews. The second phase was conducted between December 2018 and January 2019 and consisted of an anonymous survey distributed to 32,242 students (27,421 undergraduate and 4,821 graduate) located in Blacksburg. A total of 2,441 (8.9%) undergraduate and 589 (12.2%) graduate students completed the entire survey (for a combined response rate of 9.4%). This study finds that 29% (±3.8%) of undergraduate and 35% (±7%) of graduate students were classified as having low or very low food security based on the USDA food security instrument. These findings are comparable with The Hope Center study (Goldrick-Rab et al. 2019). Students with low/very low food security status were more likely to be Hispanic/Latino or Black/African American, be receiving a Pell grant or financing their education through sources that need to be repaid, have a low GPA, and/or have a disability. Graduate students were also more likely than undergraduate students to be unable to afford to eat balanced meals or have to cut the size of their meals due to a lack of available funds. In general, the proportion of graduate students experiencing food-access problems was greater than the proportion of undergraduate students. A diet diversity score (DDS) was also developed from the student survey to measure the foods consumed by an individual within the previous 24 hours. The DDS is a proxy for dietary quality and helps provide insight into the barriers that students might face in accessing nutritious foods. The study found that on average students classified as having low/very low food security also had a lower DDS. This finding confirms that low food security is associated with a lower diet quality in addition to not having access to enough food. Students who reported that they sometimes or often did not have enough to eat in the past 12 months were also asked if they have received benefits from a range of food assistance programs. Of the 219 students who were asked this question, only 9% (n=20) reported receiving some form of assistance. When asked why they had not used a food assistance program, the primary response was that they felt other people needed more assistance than they did. The next three most selected reasons were a lack of awareness about (1) whether they were eligible for a food assistance program, (2) what programs exist, and (3) whom to speak with about what resources are available. These findings are consistent with the GAO (2018) report. These results reveal that students who potentially need food assistance may not know where to look for help, and administrative and/or social barriers related to existing on- and off-campus services may prevent students from seeking help even if they know it is available. This report also documents a range of on- and off-campus food assistance services that are available for students and provides a summary of the feedback obtained from the key informant interviews on potential next steps that could be taken by Virginia Tech. These steps include enhancing the coordination among, and awareness of, existing food assistance programs on and off campus, and new ideas such as creating an on-campus food pantry or subsidizing the cost of dining for students in need. Regardless of which actions are taken, we believe this report reveals our collective responsibility to ensure that no student at Virginia Tech goes hungry or is unable to access nutritious foods, and to create a community that nurtures learning and growth for all of its members.
- “Women do light work, men do heavy work”: Male out-migration, the feminization of agriculture, and integrated pest management in the Nepali mid-hillsSpangler, Kaitlyn (Virginia Tech. University Libraries, 2018-04-19)The Women and Gender in International Development Discussion Series is organized by the Center for International Research, Education, and Development (CIRED) and is an InclusiveVT initiative of Outreach and International Affairs (OIA). The WGD program has sponsored a monthly discussion series for over a decade. Students, faculty, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend the discussions and bring their ideas and questions.