Exemplary work by students

Click on the proposal title and/or SRP titles to get the full text

Proposal example #1 (146 words, courtesy of Rebekah Barlow 2002):
“Healing the Hmong: A study of cross-cultural issues in healthcare delivery”
Researchers have found that Hmong immigrants in California lack trust in Western medicine. Part of the problem stems from language and cultural barriers. Consequently, the Hmong suffer lost opportunities for disease prevention and treatment. This study examines how healthcare workers adapt their behavior to facilitate communication and make medical encounters less threatening to Hmong immigrants. The research design is based on in-depth interviews with healthcare providers, members of the Hmong community, and scholars from various fields. Other data sources will include Hmong and American films relevant to the practice of medicine (e.g., documentaries and practitioner training videos), census data, government policy reports and other archives. The study will contribute to the literature on medical anthropology, public health, and ethnic studies. The results will be shared with healthcare providers in the hope that findings will facilitate better communication between practitioners and patients, resulting in improved health outcomes. (Note: This is an edited/shortened version of the proposal abstract by Barlow in the course reader).

Proposal example #2 (135 words, courtesy of Lauren Haring 2004):
"Developing an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Policy: Understanding the relationship between science and society in environmental policy"
The City of San Diego is currently developing an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Policy and Program, which is an important new type of environmental policy. This study will look at the interaction between science and government, between government and other organizations, the role of public participation, and how knowledge is transferred and shared between these realms in regard to policy development. This study is significant because it will examine how this policy fits into the framework of Sustainability Science. These issues will be addressed by conducting extensive interviews, engaging in participant observation, surveys, and analyzing documents. This research will contribute to the current literature about Sustainability Science, and will provide information how these theories are being utilized in a city context, which policy-makers can learn from and use when developing other types of innovative policy.

Proposal example #3 (176 words, courtesy of Donald Povieng 2004):
"The Impact of Real Estate Investment on Housing Markets"
In Southern California, the Imperial Valley has recently witnessed massive growth rates in its housing market. This growth has been widely compared to the growth of the “bedroom community” of Temecula, in that the growth itself is merely spillover from San Diego housing markets, where people seek affordable housing alternatives. However, investors recognize these communities as investment opportunities and have drastically changed the dynamic of the respective housing markets. This study seeks to determine how housing markets of “bedroom communities” continue to grow with investors inflating housing prices which ultimately undermine the very principle of bedroom communities. This study will focus on current market studies of housing growth models and how housing census data from the Imperial Valley figures into this model and the economics of housing markets. This study will add to a growing literature on economics of housing, and growth of bedroom communities. By understanding the phenomenon of the housing market in the Imperial Valley, public policy makers and private homebuilders may more effectively and efficiently develop strategies to anticipate and serve future markets.

 Here are three exemplary SRP abstracts (the finished product of the proposals outlined above).

SRP abstract example #1 (190 words, courtesy of Rebekah Barlow 2003):
“Healing and the Hmong: A study of cross-cultural issues in healthcare delivery”
Obtaining quality healthcare can be challenging for immigrant populations. Barriers to care affecting immigrant populations include language differences, lack of health insurance, and different cultural beliefs. A prime example visible in California is the Hmong community. Prior research on the Hmong, though limited in scope, confirm instances of these barriers at work. This leads to a lack of trust in Western medicine and lost opportunities for disease prevention and treatment. In extreme cases it has even lead to death. This Senior Research Project examines satisfaction with the healthcare system, utilization of health services, health beliefs and practices, and the medical encounters of Hmong students living in San Diego. The results demonstrate that in order to provide effective healthcare to immigrant populations, healthcare providers must be aware of and willing to work within that culture's schema in order to facilitate trust. This study includes surveys and interviews with Hmong students. The inclusion of dual control groups—students whose parents were born in the United States, and students whose parents immigrated but are not Hmong—enable distinction and separation of uniquely Hmong experiences from those of other immigrants and those of non-immigrants. (Note: This should be shortened to fit the 150 word limit).

SRP abstract example #2 (158 words, courtesy of Lauren Haring 2005):
"Developing an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Policy: Examining the relationship between science and society in environmental policy development"
The City of San Diego is currently developing an Urban Heat Island Mitigation Policy and Program, which is an important new type of environmental policy. The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction between science and government, between government and an outside entity, the role of public participation, and how knowledge is transferred and shared between these realms in regard to policy development. The purpose of looking at different actors was to see who influenced the policy and how action was coordinated. Data was gathered through interviews, participant observation, and primary documents. This study found that while the development of this environmental policy does incorporate some of the core beliefs of Sustainability Science, it does not fully utilize all of the principles. This study provides information about how theories of Sustainability Science are being utilized in a city context and allows other policymakers to begin to consider new and different ways to collaborate on environmental policy.

SRP abstract example #3 (176 words, courtesy of Donald Povieng 2005):
"The Impact of Real Estate Investment on Housing Markets."
In Southern California, Imperial Valley has recently witnessed substantial growth in its housing market. This growth has been widely compared to the “bedroom community” of Temecula, in that the growth is merely spillover from San Diego housing markets where people seek affordable housing alternatives. However, investors recognize these communities as investment opportunities and have drastically changed the dynamic of the respective housing markets. The presence of these investors directly lead to inflated housing prices, which ultimately undermine the very principle of bedroom communities that are supposed to provide relief from the very same inflated housing prices. Utilizing data obtained from recent homebuyers in Imperial Valley, this study determines the role of, and impact of investors in the Imperial Valley housing market through comparative economic analysis of the housing market with and without investors. This study will add to a growing literature on economics of housing and the growth of bedroom communities. By understanding the phenomenon of the housing market in the Imperial Valley, public policy makers and private homebuilders may more effectively and efficiently develop strategies to anticipate and serve future housing needs.