Global Shifts
Exploring Migration Trends Across North American Countries View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Wendy Ziems-Mueller, Diego Arturo Hernandez Gomez, Perry Haan, Lisa Kahle Piasecki
Countries have formulated policies and strategies to manage the flow of people in and out of their borders. This non-empirical study explores migration trends among North American countries - the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This paper discusses how the development of national policies toward employment and higher education influences the migration of people. Additionally, the paper analyzes the efficacy and ethical dimensions of these policies and trends.
Unknown Victims: Unmasking the Link between Climate Change and Violence Against Marginalized Women
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Anneliese Schenk, Taylor June
Amidst the ongoing discourse on the impacts of settler colonialism, forced migration, and climate change, this study delves deeper into the relationship between these phenomena and their consequences on violence against marginalized women in the United States. Utilizing a quantitative analysis approach, we conduct an examination of data sourced from the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUS) spanning from 1940 to 2020. NamUS serves as a database that compiles and classifies information pertaining to missing individuals and unidentified remains throughout the United States. Additionally, we employ the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Storm Events Database, which offers meticulous insight into heat waves and droughts, our climate catastrophes of analysis for this study. Our findings offer crucial insights that aim to inform the strengthening of the United States transitional justice system. Foremost, intensified climate change mitigation efforts in vulnerable communities are needed, alongside gender-based violence policies, supported by adequate funding allocation. Likewise, robust data collection and mandatory reporting mechanisms are needed across states in missing and unidentified persons cases.
Worker Ownership for a More Equitable World: Action Research Toward Economic Democracy View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Warner Woodworth
I analyze my action research on worker ownership drawing on data with other scholars on worker empowerment from the U.S., Russia, Poland, and Belarus. First, within America, economic democracy is expanding legislation allowing the creation of innovative economic structures known as ESOPs, i.e., Employee Stock Ownership Plans. These laws encourage business owners to sell shares to workers and it provides incentives for banks to give loan guarantees. A related thrust is my analysis of the National Cooperative Bank that empowers lower income, blue collar sectors in preserving manufacturing jobs. Evidence shows both of these economic development approaches serve to reduce plant closings, aid communities that were losing their economic foundations, and create greater equality. ESOP strategies led to current statistics that include approximately 15 million Americans laboring in 7,000 firms that they own, many of them owning 100 percent of company shares with assets today of $2 trillion! Since 2021, the Biden administration has been rolling out even more worker-owned initiatives. Second, my paper shifts to European worker ownership by analyzing Belarus’ seeking to create labor-owned steel bearings plants, truck assembly factories and a watch factory. Nearby, in Poland, during the rise of the Solidarność union movement, I researched ways for labor ownership to become an integral part of Polish independence in the shipyards of Gdansk, and later within the telecommunications and steel industry. My paper concludes with pragmatic research suggestions for potential next steps in building a world of greater economic justice through shared power and worker ownership.
