“Once again, a meth lab exploded and somebody died”: Narratives of volatility and risk in the rural drug war

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Revier
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Rural Poverty ◽  
The United States ◽  
Law And Order ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Drug War ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Upstate New York

Methamphetamine (“meth”) has received a massive amount of media attention in the United States over the last decade. In reporting, journalists, politicians, and police commonly link meth to widespread risk, violence, criminality, and rural decay. Although the rise in meth use, addiction, and crime has been largely overstated, such imagery legitimizes an expansion of surveillance and policing to rural landscapes. In this research, I examine the way meth and meth makers are represented in case coverage of a meth lab fire sited in upstate New York. I find that reporters narrate a more general meth lab “social problem formula story” with caricature villains (meth makers), victims (community members), and heroes (law enforcement and legislators). Significantly, this model of storytelling conveys a distorted and exaggerated understanding of meth as a social problem, turning the atypical meth lab case into the “typical,” while legitimizing law and order solutions. In contributing to the contemporary “methamphetamine imaginary,” this formula story forgoes a structural analysis that considers the prevailing global drug war, rural poverty, or broader capital inequality.

Immigrant Sanctuary Policies and Crime-Reporting Behavior: A Multilevel Analysis of Reports of Crime Victimization to Law Enforcement, 1980 to 2004

2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 154-185
Author(s):  
Ricardo D. Martínez-Schuldt ◽  
Daniel E. Martínez
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Public Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Crime Reporting ◽  
Immigrant Community ◽  
Crime Victimization ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Reporting Behavior

Sanctuary jurisdictions have existed in the United States since the 1980s. They have recently reentered U.S. politics and engendered contentious debates regarding their legality and influence on public safety. Critics argue that sanctuary jurisdictions create conditions that threaten local communities by impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts. Proponents maintain that the policies improve public safety by fostering institutional trust among immigrant communities and by increasing the willingness of immigrant community members to notify the police after they are victimized. In this study, we situate expectations from the immigrant sanctuary literature within a multilevel, contextualized help-seeking framework to assess how crime-reporting behavior varies across immigrant sanctuary contexts. We find that Latinos are more likely to report violent crime victimization to law enforcement after sanctuary policies have been adopted within their metropolitan areas of residence. We argue that social policy contexts can shift the nature of help-seeking experiences and eliminate barriers that undermine crime victims’ willingness to mobilize the law. Overall, this study highlights the unique role social policy contexts can serve in structuring victims’ help-seeking decisions.

Tightening the Gap

2019 ◽  
pp. 154-176
Author(s):  
Maria Ray Langheim ◽  
Ann Maureen McCaughan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
School Violence ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
School Shooting ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Essential Step ◽  
Successful Communication ◽  
Common Goals

Between January 1, 2012 and January 30, 2018 alone there were 27 school shooting incidents, accounting for 62 victim deaths, 108 victims injured, countless witness and community members affected, and 10 assailants who committed suicide or were killed by a police officer during the attack, at schools or campuses across the United States (U.S.). Clearly, further intervention and prevention strategies are necessary for school personnel and law enforcement, as well as our greater communities, in reducing instances of school violence. Identification of individuals and groups who are at higher risk for violence toward self or others is one essential step in prevention. When prevention is unsuccessful, a student may begin down a path toward violence, eventually posing a threat to the extent that identifying and intervening becomes necessary. Encouraging law enforcement and school personnel to become well-versed in both, so that they might successfully support each other's efforts and develop common goals, is essential to successful communication regarding students and groups of concern.

scholarly journals Forestland Parcelization in Upstate New York Despite Economic Stagnation and a Declining Population

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 280-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
René H. Germain ◽  
Kevin Brazill ◽  
Stephen V. Stehman
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
New York State ◽  
Forest Products ◽  
The United States ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Central New York ◽  
Parcel Size

Abstract Nonindustrial private forestlands (NIPFs) account for a majority of the forested working landscape in the eastern United States. Throughout the United States, NIPF average ownership sizes continue to decline. Smaller parcel sizes create declining economies of scale for forest managersand timber harvesters, threatening the viability of the forested working landscape and, in turn, wood supply. This study documents the parcelization of NIPF holdings in a central New York State county during the last 25 years of the 20th century. The findings indicate the average parcel sizeof NIPFs decreased from 36 to 24 ac over the study period, despite a decline in population in the county. Although average parcel size is declining, a large percentage of the rural forestland remains in acreage classes suitable for forest management, as long as the forest products industrycan adapt to changes on the landscape. North. J. Appl. For. 23(4):280–287.

COPING WITH COVID-19: RESILIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (7) ◽  
pp. 561-570
Author(s):  
Edward D. Sturman
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Introduction: As the novel coronavirus rapidly spreads around the world it will become increasingly important to understand its psychological impacts on the larger population. Few studies have been conducted in this regard, which is unsurprising considering the sudden emergence of the disease. Methods: The present study looked at mood (anxiety and depression), stress, resilience, grit, perceived control, happiness, and satisfaction with life in two samples hailing from small towns in upstate New York. These outcomes were assessed at two time points: pre-coronavirus (November/December 2019) and peak-coronavirus (mid-April 2020). Results: Contrary to expectations, the results indicated no significant differences on any of the variables between the pre-coronavirus sample and the peak-coronavirus sample. Discussion: The results suggested that people, at least in this region of the United States and more broadly in smaller towns, may be psychologically coping with the pandemic to a better degree than might be expected. This finding may be useful to policy makers and health care workers.

Facilitators and Barriers to Implementing the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative in Care Facilities in Upstate New York

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Caileen Harvey ◽  
Rachel Flemming ◽  
Julia Davis ◽  
Victoria Reynolds
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
New York ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Geographical Area ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Texture Modification ◽  
Care Facilities

Introduction: Dysphagia is a swallowing disorder that can result in aspiration, asphyxiation, or other complications. One method of facilitating safer swallowing is modification of the diet and fluids of individuals living with dysphagia. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a globally standardized framework for texture modification. Its implementation has been recommended in the United States, but adoption is not yet universal. This study investigated implementation issues by surveying health care professionals in health care facilities in rural, Upstate New York. Method: A questionnaire created through the SurveyMonkey platform was distributed to health care facilities within a predetermined geographical area in Upstate New York. The survey consisted of 22 questions and utilized a mixed-methods design. Results: Forty-six participants from 10 individual professions and nine types of facilities completed the study. Twenty texture modification labels and 10 fluid modification labels were described. Analysis of qualitative data yielded three main barriers to implementation: funding, education, and communication. Within each barrier, awareness and resources were recurrent themes. Discussion: The variety of modification labels in comparison with the sample size demonstrates a lack of standardization of texture modification processes across facilities. While nearly half the respondents had not heard of IDDSI prior to the survey, 89% agreed that a standardized dysphagia diet would improve patient health and safety. This demonstrated a willingness to adopt IDDSI and indicated that staff attitudes may not be a barrier to its implementation. Participants felt that training was needed for successful implementation and expressed concern about the lack of availability of financial resources. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.17270861

Play Me a Tarantella, a Polka, or Jazz

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine F. Zinni
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
San Francisco ◽  
The United States ◽  
Politics Of Identity ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Italian Americans ◽  
Italian American ◽  
Publishing Houses ◽  
And Performance ◽  
History Narratives

This chapter looks at the emergence of accordion schools and accordion bands in the United States established by Italian Americans. Approaching the subject from the perspective of grassroots oral history and performance theory, it maps the ways in which the efforts of Roxy and Nellie Caccamise (pioneers of the piano accordion in upstate New York) were connected to a longer history and larger matrix of Italian American musicians, composers, publishing houses, and manufacturers in New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco. The chapter also suggests how the interactions and interplay of peoples within, and through, these community-based networks functioned to create a parallel economy and a cultural space that was not only imbricated in the politics of identity but helped span gaps between folk and fame. Taking an actor/action-centered approach to life-history narratives, it suggests that the accordion schools created by Italian Americans operated through the interstices of two cultures and proved to be a strategic intervention in American cultural life with polysemous meanings.

Stop-and-Frisk Policing

Criminology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
New York ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Criminal Activity ◽  
Law Enforcement Officers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Class Action ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Stop And Frisk ◽  
Reasonable Suspicion

Stop and frisk is a proactive policing strategy that is widely used by police departments across the globe. In the United States, the origins of stop and frisk are rooted in the English practice of allowing night watchmen to stop and question individuals who were deemed suspicious. This ability to stop and question suspicious individuals serves two primary purposes. First, it gives law enforcement officers the ability to identify individuals who are looking to engage in criminal activity, stop those individuals, and prevent them from committing a criminal offense. Second, it may have a deterrent effect if potential offenders refrain from criminal offending because they do not want to risk being stopped. By the early 20th century, the implementation of stop and frisk in the United States varied by state. The Uniform Arrest Act, proposed in 1942, sought to standardize the practice. While several states adopted the Uniform Crime Act, which stipulated the circumstances under which a stop and frisk could occur, most states failed to do so. The practice of stop and frisk also faced constitutional challenges, with plaintiffs alleging violations of the Fourth Amendment’s prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures. In 1968, the US Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of stop and frisk. When law enforcement officers can establish reasonable suspicion, they can stop and question an individual. If there is reasonable suspicion to believe that a stopped individual possesses a weapon or poses a threat, law enforcement officers can also conduct a frisk. Stop and frisk has faced significant criticism and has been the subject of several class-action lawsuits, particularly in New York City. First, there is significant concern that nonwhite pedestrians are more likely than white pedestrians to be stopped, frisked, and subjected to the use of force. Next, stop and frisk may reduce perceptions of legitimacy and trust in law enforcement. The practice may also have adverse health consequences for those who are subjected to it or are in fear of being subjected to it. Finally, it is unclear whether stop and frisk prevents crime. It is also important to note that stop and frisk faces these same criticisms in other nations. The literature cited in this article summarizes key pieces on stop and frisk.

Whiteness Interrupted

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus Bell
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
White Privilege ◽  
White Teachers ◽  
The United States ◽  
Predominantly Black ◽  
Black Schools ◽  
Upstate New York ◽  
Racial Privilege ◽  
American Society ◽  
Depth Interviews

In Whiteness Interrupted Marcus Bell presents a revealing portrait of white teachers in majority-black schools in which he examines the limitations of understandings of how white racial identity is formed. Through in-depth interviews with dozens of white teachers from a racially segregated, urban school district in Upstate New York, Bell outlines how whiteness is constructed based on localized interactions and takes a different form in predominantly black spaces. He finds that in response to racial stress in a difficult teaching environment, white teachers conceptualized whiteness as a stigmatized category predicated on white victimization. When discussing race outside majority-black spaces, Bell's subjects characterized American society as postracial, in which race seldom affects outcomes. Conversely, in discussing their experiences within predominantly black spaces, they rejected the idea of white privilege, often angrily, and instead focused on what they saw as the racial privilege of blackness. Throughout, Bell underscores the significance of white victimization narratives in black spaces and their repercussions as the United States becomes a majority-minority society.

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