Browsing by Author "Borodina, Svetlana"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Needed Subjects: An Ethnography of the Formation of the Inclusion Complex in Russia(2020-04-24) Borodina, Svetlana; Faubion, JamesThis dissertation tackles the question “What is it that sustains the social inclusion of people with disabilities?” in the context of post-socialist Russia, a country that in the past decade has undertaken a shift from segregationist disability policies toward a cultural and political orientation of inclusivity. Through ratification of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights for Persons with Disabilities, Russia committed to adjusting their legislative, political and economic protocols as well as cultural practices according to the principle of inclusion. Despite inclusion’s international acclaim, little regulation exists for making it a functional organizational principle beyond an ideological commitment. Based on 21 months of ethnographic fieldwork, my dissertation examines attempts to produce and promote a sustainable culture of inclusivity among disabled and nondisabled individuals in Russia. It critically interrogates inclusion’s universalized moral value and documents the social effects produced by different, sometimes contradictory, interpretations of inclusion, which populate the contemporary Russian landscape of governmental and civic initiatives of social betterment. The study is situated at the intersection of cultural and medical anthropology, critical disability studies, and political anthropology, as it scrutinizes the emergence of a new citizenship regime that mandates responsible and collective participation by both the disabled and the abled in the building of the world of inclusion. My interlocutors, the largest part of whom are blind, pose a post-socialist inflection of inclusion that challenges liberal ideals of independence, liberty, and obligation to the self, others, and the state. This inflection of inclusion offers insight into the strategies and tactics of coalition building between the post-socialist state, businesses, and civic initiatives, aiming at social reformation and redress. Finally, my scholarship constitutes an unprecedented account of how blind citizens articulate social critique and reformation.Item Rice University: Fondren Library Sustainability Plan(Rice University, 2019) Fitzpatrick, Ashley; Borodina, Svetlana; Spiro, Lisa; Fondren LibraryAs awareness of climate change and other environmental and social problems grow, many libraries and librarians are dedicating themselves to sustainability, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”3 We call upon Fondren Library to practice and promote sustainability through its wise building practices, reductions in resource consumption, support for research and teaching, targeted collection development, and outreach activities. These recommendations were formulated in support of the global community’s response to climate change, the American Library Association’s embrace of sustainability as a core value of librarianship, and Rice University’s pledge to reduce its carbon footprint through the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. By implementing sustainability strategies and collaborating with other on-campus sustainability initiatives, Fondren Library can reduce environmental pollution and contribute to learning and knowledge on Rice University’s campus and beyond. To implement the proposed changes, we recommend developing an action plan, creating a library-based group focused on sustainability, appointing a sustainability liaison, and hiring a student “eco-rep” for Fondren.Item Trust and privacy in the context of user-generated health data(Sage, 2017) Ostherr, Kirsten; Borodina, Svetlana; Bracken, Rachel Conrad; Lotterman, Charles; Storer, Eliot; Williams, BrandonThis study identifies and explores evolving concepts of trust and privacy in the context of user-generated health data. We define “user-generated health data” as data captured through devices or software (whether purpose built or commercially available) and used outside of traditional clinical settings for tracking personal health data. The investigators conducted qualitative research through semistructured interviews (n = 32) with researchers, health technology start-up companies, and members of the general public to inquire why and how they interact with and understand the value of user-generated health data. We found significant results concerning new attitudes toward trust, privacy, and sharing of health data outside of clinical settings that conflict with regulations governing health data within clinical settings. Members of the general public expressed little concern about sharing health data with the companies that sold the devices or apps they used, and indicated that they rarely read the “terms and conditions” detailing how their data may be exploited by the company or third-party affiliates before consenting to them. In contrast, interviews with researchers revealed significant resistance among potential research participants to sharing their user-generated health data for purposes of scientific study. The widespread rhetoric of personalization and social sharing in “user-generated culture” appears to facilitate an understanding of user-generated health data that deemphasizes the risk of exploitation in favor of loosely defined benefits to individual and social well-being. We recommend clarification and greater transparency of regulations governing data sharing related to health.