Lend a Hand: Make Your Mark Music and Rap A.D.D.’s to the Soul - One Organization’s Journey to Send a Positive Message to All

by Davi Kallman

March 9^th and 10^th were very momentous days for A.D.D. as the organization raised over $500 towards a scholarship fund for students with disabilities. Members of the organization spent the two days spreading awareness through fliers, paint, pens, song, and rap. The whole point of the event was to spread awareness in a positive manner that focused on abilities rather than disabilities. Even students who weren’t members spent the entire day helping collect donations and bring their own unique twist to spreading the word. One vivid example is a student named Mike who is an undergraduate engineering major whose hobby is rapping. In five minutes mike was able to come up with an insightful and inspirational rap that directly related to the event and cause.

“So viewers like cable, we got a cause running here lets affect the disabled and who better than you, because you seem to be abled , so feel free to give and donate at this table, you all learned to share since the womb and the cradle, and trying to think the opposite is a myth like a fable, handicap, healthy, they are all really just labels, but the last time I checked we aren’t just packages we are human, lets help each other out by digging deep in (I don’t mean your pockets but that helps too) so instead of throwing in the bag, you can throw it in this basket and by this evening you could say, hey, I actually helped someone today. Feel free to do something as simple as walking across the street, anything will help.”

Thanks to Mike and other students like him, A.D.D. was able to spread the message in a positive manner through song, through lyrics, through the heart. We are grateful to those who see music as a method of healing. 

12 Spoons: “Once they are gone, they are gone” - The Spoon Theory: Chicken Soup for the Positive Deviant Soul in All of Us

by Davi Kallman

You might ask how this story relating to Lupes explains positive deviance or even how it relates to chicken soup for the positive deviant’s soul. Well this story resonates close to home as it shows the difficulties someone with Lupes has in performing everyday functions and the most difficult part is knowing that you have no control. As positive deviants our goal is finding those unusual suspects in our community, those members that come up with positive solutions to a problem with the same resources as everyone else, and against all odds are able to come up with the solutiuon. This story reminds me of one of my members in my organization A.D.D. (Appreciation of Diverse Dispositions), Elisa who was diagnosed with Lupes 6 years ago. Everything she does is a struggle in her life, but she knows she has the power to make everyday better. She is proactive and is constantly looking for ways to make her life and the lives of others around her better. Having Lupes is one thing, but having Lupes and having the responsibilities of motherhood added on, is probably one of the most difficult things anyone could have to endure. Even with the illness Elisa has proved to be a positive member of the community and against all odds has continued to be the solution to her own illness. She has joined a disability awareness group to tell others her story as well as being a good student and a terrific mother. Elisa sent me a lovely article explaining what it is like to be diagnosed and live with Lupes. She sent me this article in order to put on A.D.D’s blog to give others insight into a different perspective, someone living with the disability in terms that are easy for everyone to understand. By relating the disability to a spoon, it gives others a way to relate to the illness in a manner that appeals to utensil lover in all of us. The metaphor of 12 spoons relates to the tasks each of us have to do daily and this includes simple tasks such as opening up your eyes as you roll out of bed. While this activity might seem simple for people without Lupes, this simple activity can be one of the most difficult things to do especially if you do not do it correctly. Learning to give up certain tasks is another big issue for those living with Lupes, but Elisa does it every day and she does it with a smile on her face. You could say that Elisa feeds all of us through her spoons of knowledge and awareness.

 The Spoon Theory

by Christine Miserandino www.butyoudontlooksick.com

My best friend and I were in the diner, talking. As usual, it was very late and we were eating French fries with gravy. Like normal girls our age, we spent a lot of time in the diner while in college, and most of the time we spent talking about boys, music or trivial things, that seemed very important at the time. We never got serious about anything in particular and spent most of our time laughing.

As I went to take some of my medicine with a snack as I usually did, she watched me with an awkward kind of stare, instead of continuing the conversation. She then asked me out of the blue what it felt like to have Lupus and be sick. I was shocked not only because she asked the random question, but also because I assumed she knew all there was to know about Lupus. She came to doctors with me, she saw me walk with a cane, and throw up in the bathroom. She had seen me cry in pain, what else was there to know?

I started to ramble on about pills, and aches and pains, but she kept pursuing, and didn't seem satisfied with my answers. I was a little surprised as being my roommate in college and friend for years; I thought she already knew the medical definition of Lupus. Then she looked at me with a face every sick person knows well, the face of pure curiosity about something no one healthy can truly understand. She asked what it felt like, not physically, but what it felt like to be me, to be sick.

As I tried to gain my composure, I glanced around the table for help or guidance, or at least stall for time to think. I was trying to find the right words. How do I answer a question I never was able to answer for myself? How do I explain every detail of every day being effected, and give the emotions a sick person goes through with clarity. I could have given up, cracked a joke like I usually do, and changed the subject, but I remember thinking if I don’t try to explain this, how could I ever expect her to understand. If I can’t explain this to my best friend, how could I explain my world to anyone else? I had to at least try.

At that moment, the spoon theory was born. I quickly grabbed every spoon on the table; hell I grabbed spoons off of the other tables. I looked at her in the eyes and said “Here you go, you have Lupus”. She looked at me slightly confused, as anyone would when they are being handed a bouquet of spoons. The cold metal spoons clanked in my hands, as I grouped them together and shoved them into her hands.

I would become?

I asked her to count her spoons. She asked why, and I explained that when you are healthy you expect to have a never-ending supply of "spoons". But when you have to now plan your day, you need to know exactly how many “spoons” you are starting with. It doesn’t guarantee that you might not lose some along the way, but at least it helps to know where you are starting. She counted out 12 spoons. She laughed and said she wanted more. I said no, and I knew right away that this little game would work, when she looked disappointed, and we hadn't even started yet. I’ve wanted more "spoons" for years and haven’t found a way yet to get more, why should she? I also told her to always be conscious of how many she had, and not to drop them because she can never forget she has Lupus. I asked her to list off the tasks of her day, including the most simple. As, she rattled off daily chores, or just fun things to do; I explained how each one would cost her a spoon. When she jumped right into getting ready for work as her first task of the morning, I cut her off and took away a spoon. I practically jumped down her throat. I said " No! You don’t just get up. You have to crack open your eyes, and then realize you are late. You didn’t sleep well the night before. You have to crawl out of bed, and then you have to make your self something to eat before you can do anything else, because if you don’t, you can't take your medicine, and if you don’t take your medicine you might as well give up all your spoons for today and tomorrow too." I quickly took away a spoon and she realized she hasn’t even gotten dressed yet. Showering cost her spoon, just for washing her hair and shaving her legs. Reaching high and low that early in the morning could actually cost more than one spoon, but I figured I would give her a break; I didn’t want to scare her right away. Getting dressed was worth another spoon. I stopped her and broke down every task to show her how every little detail needs to be thought about. You cannot simply just throw clothes on when you are sick. I explained that I have to see what clothes I can physically put on, if my hands hurt that day buttons are out of the question. If I have bruises that day, I need to wear long sleeves, and if I have a fever I need a sweater to stay warm and so on. If my hair is falling out I need to spend more time to look presentable, and then you need to factor in another 5 minutes for feeling badly that it took you 2 hours to do all this.

 I think she was starting to understand when she theoretically didn’t even get to work, and she was left with 6 spoons. I then explained to her that she needed to choose the rest of her day wisely, since when your “spoons” are gone, they are gone. Sometimes you can borrow against tomorrow’s "spoons", but just think how hard tomorrow will be with less "spoons". I also needed to explain that a person who is sick always lives with the looming thought that tomorrow may be the day that a cold comes, or an infection, or any number of things that could be very dangerous. So you do not want to run low on "spoons", because you never know when you truly will need them. I didn’t want to depress her, but I needed to be realistic, and unfortunately being prepared for the worst is part of a real day for me.

We went through the rest of the day, and she slowly learned that skipping lunch would cost her a spoon, as well as standing on a train, or even typing at her computer too long. She was forced to make choices and think about things differently. Hypothetically, she had to choose not to run errands, so that she could eat dinner that night.

When we got to the end of her pretend day, she said she was hungry. I summarized that she had to eat dinner but she only had one spoon left. If she cooked, she wouldn’t have enough energy to clean the pots. If she went out for dinner, she might be too tired to drive home safely. Then I also explained, that I didn’t even bother to add into this game, that she was so nauseous, that cooking was probably out of the question anyway. So she decided to make soup, it was easy. I then said it is only 7pm, you have the rest of the night but maybe end up with one spoon, so you can do something fun, or clean your apartment, or do chores, but you can’t do it all.

 I explained that the difference in being sick and being healthy is having to make choices or to consciously think about things when the rest of the world doesn’t have to. The healthy have the luxury of a life without choices, a gift most people take for granted.

Most people start the day with unlimited amount of possibilities, and energy to do whatever they desire, especially young people. For the most part, they do not need to worry about the effects of their actions. So for my explanation, I used spoons to convey this point. I wanted something for her to actually hold, for me to then take away, since most people who get sick feel a “loss” of a life they once knew. If I was in control of taking away the spoons, then she would know what it feels like to have someone or something else, in this case Lupus, being in control.

She grabbed the spoons with excitement. She didn’t understand what I was doing, but she is always up for a good time, so I guess she thought I was cracking a joke of some kind like I usually do when talking about touchy topics. Little did she know how serious

I rarely see her emotional, so when I saw her upset I knew maybe I was getting through to her. I didn’t want my friend to be upset, but at the same time I was happy to think finally maybe someone understood me a little bit. She had tears in her eyes and asked quietly “Christine, How do you do it? Do you really do this everyday?” I explained that some days were worse then others; some days I have more spoons then most. But I can never make it go away and I can’t forget about it, I always have to think about it. I handed her a spoon I had been holding in reserve. I said simply, “I have learned to live life with an extra spoon in my pocket, in reserve. You need to always be prepared”

Its hard, the hardest thing I ever had to learn is to slow down, and not do everything. I fight this to this day. I hate feeling left out, having to choose to stay home, or to not get things done that I want to. I wanted her to feel that frustration. I wanted her to understand, that everything everyone else does comes so easy, but for me it is one hundred little jobs in one. I need to think about the weather, my temperature that day, and the whole day's plans before I can attack any one given thing. When other people can simply do things, I have to attack it and make a plan like I am strategizing a war. It is in that lifestyle, the difference between being sick and healthy. It is the beautiful ability to not think and just do. I miss that freedom. I miss never having to count "spoons".

After we were emotional and talked about this for a little while longer, I sensed she was sad. Maybe she finally understood. Maybe she realized that she never could truly and honestly say she understands. But at least now she might not complain so much when I can't go out for dinner some nights, or when I never seem to make it to her house and she always has to drive to mine. I gave her a hug when we walked out of the diner. I had the one spoon in my hand and I said “Don’t worry. I see this as a blessing. I have been forced to think about everything I do. Do you know how many spoons people waste everyday? I don’t have room for wasted time, or wasted “spoons” and I chose to spend this time with you.”

Ever since this night, I have used the spoon theory to explain my life to many people. In fact, my family and friends refer to spoons all the time. It has been a code word for what I can and cannot do. Once people understand the spoon theory they seem to understand me better, but I also think they live their life a little differently too. I think it isn’t just good for understanding Lupus, but anyone dealing with any disability or illness. Hopefully, they don’t take so much for granted or their life in general. I give a piece of myself, in every sense of the word when I do anything. It has become an inside joke. I have become famous for saying to people jokingly that they should feel special when I spend time with them, because they have one of my "spoons".

© 2003 by Christine Miserandino Butyoudontlooksick.com

PD Question

by Davi Kallman


Are there currently enrolled graduate students with physical disabilities (level of mobility/ severe or non severe) that are registered with the Disabled Student Services Office (DSSO), that have suffered from a disability related illness during their tenure at the university (that requires a couple weeks worth of makeup work), that have household responsibilities, have a job that requires them to work over 20 hours a week, and suffer from financial burden preventing them from having assistant care at home, and despite all these obstacles are able to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher and graduated from UTEP in four years or under?



Literature Review:
Thurlow, M.L., Sinclair, M.F., & Johnson, D.R. (2002). Students with disabilities who drop out of school - implications for policy and practice. Issue Brief- Examining Current Challenges in Secondary Education and Transition, 1(2), Retrieved from http://www.ncset.org/publications/viewdesc.asp?id=425


Source: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Data Analysis System
(DANS). Abstracted from 24th Annual Report to Congress, U.S. Department of Education, 2002. http://www.umaine.edu/issar/gradraterpt/Section%20IV.pdf

Positive Deviance Inquiry Update

By Jorge Luis Aguilar Cruz

 Our March 21^st Communicating Positive Deviance for Social Justice class meeting dealt with updating and informing each other about our semester case studies. In this class session we wrote our PD inquiry subject questions on the class blackboard. The purpose of this exercise was to further narrow down our inquiries, but more importantly to listen to suggestions, input, and ideas from our colleagues to strengthen our case studies. This was the second time we collectively shared our thoughts and suggestions, to narrow our inquiries down before starting our field work.

Before starting our field work, we have to be ready to know who it is that we are going to interview and talk to. All of us had already started our field work long before we even registered for the class, by that I mean that all of us at this point have established rapport and trust with the possible participants, this combined with our passion for certain social initiatives gave root to our PD inquires.  Our PD inquiries require careful selection criteria to successfully develop our project. My PD inquiry is: What are high school Junior and Senior students, who are 17 and older, are from El Segundo Barrio and Central, are in a single parent household that is low income, are drug free, make consistent A’s B’s and are either employed or involved in school or household activities, doing or enacting to breakaway from stereotypes that are expected from them?

Furthermore, I will also ask open ended question to allow for more in depth  and thorough responses to properly allow our participants to fully answer the questions, but more importantly give their opinion without judgement, fear, or discrimination. Although above the PD inquiry is stated above, I will still re-screen the participants before starting the open ended questions.

1.      Are you 17 or 18 year old high school student who resides in Segundo Barrio?

2.      Do you reside in a single parent household, and is your household considered low income?

3.      What kind of activities are you involved in and out of school?

4.      Are you drug free and make consistent A’s and B’s in school?

5.      When you aware of your sorroundings, an outsider looking in might expect certain behaviors or stereotypes from you, what do you think those behaviors and stereotypes are?

6.      What good and bad examples do you see from your community?

Finalizing PD Inquiry...

By Jenny Cisneros

 I am still unsure on how to rephrase my inquiry coherently and concisely while including the following variables. 

“How have undergraduate Hispanic females who have experienced domestic abuse at an early age managed to escape a previously abusive relationship in the last five years? How was help sought? Is the relationship completely over?”

Seeking all positive deviants...

Student Questionnaire:

1. Are you an undergraduate UTEP student?
2. Are you a female?
3. Are you of Hispanic origin?
4. Did you grow up in a household where domestic abuse was present?
5. If so, in the last five years have you personally experienced an abusive relationship with a significant other?
6. Are still in the relationship? 
7. If you meet all the criteria and would be willing to have a small conversation with me, please contact me at JTCisneros@miners.utep.edu. My name is Jenny Cisneros and I am a UTEP Communication graduate student. All information will be kept confidential. 

With the help of this questionnaire I am hoping to identify the micro behaviors that are accessible to everyone, however, these positive deviants use certain methods to avoid abusive relationships. Also, to identify some possible outside influences that help these positive deviants in the process as well. 

Although my group mentors are Davi and Sandra, if anyone else has some helpful suggestions and/or criticisms on my inquiry and questionnaire, your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Essentially I am trying to ask these girls very personal questions, however, I want to structure my questionnaire in a way that makes them feel comfortable enough to share this information with me. My questionnaire needs a couple more revisions before I begin administering these to students. 

PD and Diffusion of Innovations

By Milena Murta


After being encouraged by Dr. Singhal to choose a book to read and do a “club presentation”, I decided to work with “Diffusion of Innovations” by Everett M. Rogers. The decision, I thought, could not be a better one considering the environment I’ve dived in since the past few weeks: I went to Ohio, for a conference where astounding scholars were celebrating the mentorship of “Ev” Rogers.

Besides new wonderful, valued and promising connections I’ve made over there, I came back home thirsty for Ev’s knowledge. And why not start with his most famous book? And guess what…right on the first example the author gave about how innovations may NOT be diffused, I found the positive deviance principles.

First, let me just give a brief overview of the theory: According to Rogers, diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of a social system (p. 5). Given that decisions are not authoritative or collective, each member of the social system faces his/her own innovation-decision that follows a 5-step process (p. 162):

1)      Knowledge – person becomes aware of an innovation and has some idea of how it functions,

2)      Persuasion – person forms a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the innovation,

3)      Decision – person engages in activities that lead to a choice to adopt or reject the innovation,

4)      Implementation – person puts an innovation into use,

5)      Confirmation – person evaluates the results of an innovation-decision already made. 

The example that first stroke me was about water boiling in a Peruvian village. Nelida, an outside researcher was interested on diffusing the “water boiling process” – the innovation, to some families which were suffering with diseases caused by contaminated water, drunk by the members of the village: a simple problem that could be solved by boiling the water before cooking or drinking. Nelida’s attempt failed. The village opinion leaders, who could have activated local networks to speed up the innovation process, were ignored by Nelida. What’s more…Nelida didn’t stop to learn about the village tradition…local tradition links hot foods with illness. She didn’t consider that. Nelida was “innovation-oriented” and not “community-oriented”.

Just to remember…these are some of the principles of PD:

- The community owns the entire process.

- All individuals or groups who are part of the problem are also part of the solution and hence the PD process involves all parties who affect the problem. “Don’t do anything about me without me.”

- The community discovers existing uncommon, successful behaviors and strategies (PD inquiry).

- The community designs ways to practice and amplify successful behaviors and strategies and unleashes innovation.

So great to see how Positive Deviance is ubiquitous…it is everywhere!   

   

Positive Deviants in New York

By Jorge Luis Aguilar Cruz

            On March 11^th I had the amazing blessing and privilege to visit New York City for a show, in which all proceeds went to a let’s say a well know children’s hospital. We raised over 218 thousand dollars.  Well, now to the point of this blog entry, before all the events I took part in several events that definitely had the theme of positive deviance and personal liberation, and its performers were those that were acting in a way that is absolutely not expected from them.

            Our first visit was to the children hospitals, this was my second visit, and as always it was a very emotionally intense 4 hours, we handed out actions figures and dolls to the patients, but more importantly we gave them hugs, kisses, love and conversations.  The deviance in this process had two components to it. First, despite having severe physical conditions, some life threatening, the children were deviants in that in every single aspect of their lives they were filled with hope, optimism, and a beaming light of desire, like that of the Phoenix.  The second aspect of this was in the realization that some of our problems as adults are dismal compared to what these children are going through, this definitely put things into perspective for those who got to know the children that day, life is too short, and we should embrace and love all that we have.

            The second part of the positively deviant day was made possible by dear friends and ex classmates I met at NYU; we made the trip into beautiful Brooklyn.  Brooklyn has a strong Mexican, and Mexican American stronghold.  In this case, we went to a meeting between the Mexican and Mexican American community, but the focus was the treatment of immigrants in the area. Present were several immigrants from Mexico and Central America, also “politicians,” there to “work on a solution, to help you.”  This turned out to be a great session to speak about the communities issues, but more importantly, the focus was on the immigrants, they were deviants in the way that they acted out, many of us live in fear from immigration, and perhaps the general public, so we do not go out or involved, all we do is home, work, then home again.  The forum allowed for personal and community expression, a grassroots based forum to improve the conditions of the community as a whole.

            I was there to take part of world called show business, but in reality the trip and the activities we took part in, once again added to growing desire for social justice and compassion.  We took from this trip that really life is beautiful, we only have one to live, as one little 7 years old girl told me, “time flies, and choose to love.”

            

PD class - Plan for Next Few Weeks

Dear Class Participants,

Look forward to seeing you tomorrow, and here is a peek into what the class has in store for this week and the ones following it….

1.      Tomorrow, 3/21, we will finalize your PD Inquiry Topics and who will do what (in groups or individually) so that work can proceed for the next several weeks without much ado.

 When you come into class, please go ahead and write out – on the chalkboard, your “latest” PD inquiry question….

 2.      On Friday, March 25^th, from 9 to 3 p.m., we – as a class – are invited to do a workshop on PD with the El Paso network of non-profits.   This would be an invaluable “learning” opportunity and a place to make terrific contacts for your PD inquiry; or for later.  Tomorrow, in class, we need to chart out a game plan  for this workshop – so we should know for sure who will be able to attend, and what their role will be.   I had sent out information about registering for the workshop and trust many of you have registered.

 3.      After tomorrow’s class, you are “In the Field” – for the next three weeks – pursuing your PD inquiries.   We will not meet as a class on 3/28 and 4/4; as you will  be using both CLASS and OUT-OF-CLASS time for your PD Inquiry Fieldwork.   We will set up a system whereby you will have coaching and consulting help with your inquiries through email, phone, and skype, if needed.  Also, this is the time to also make progress on your book club readings.

4.     Positive Deviance Seminar: Books to Read……

Jenny Cisneros          The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande 

Mario                          The Essential 55: An Award Winning Educator’s Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child by Ron Clarke

Gabby                         Leading Causes of Life (Gary Gunderson)
Marisela                     Switch: How to change things when change is hard

Sandra                        Outliers: The Story of Success
Jorge                           Deviance, Action, Reaction, Interaction: Studies in Positive Deviance and Negative Deviance – by Jefferey Goldstein
Milena - Diffusion of Innovations by Ev Rogers

Davi

5.      And, please watch and enjoy this experience in information flows, sense-making, and collective action…..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9429529.stm

See you tomorrow.

Cordially

Arvind

A.D.D.ing to the community, One Student at a Time

By Davi Kallman

My name is Davi Kallman and I have dyslexia. For those who have had me in classes know that due to my recent confidence in my disability has allowed me to voice it to my immediate community. Throughout my life I have battled my learning disability and I used to lets its negative energy hinder me from being confident in social settings or in the classroom, but now that is a thing of the past. What I have learned throughout my journey through life is to not my disability control me or determine who I am, and in fact when I used to see the word “disability”  I would focus on the prefix “Dis” rather than its root, “ability”. What many people fail to see most of the time whether you are disabled or ablebodied is that in every negative situation there can always be a positive outcome. Several individuals have made this statement true among them are Albert Einstein, Beethoven, Stevie Wonder, Helen Keller just to name a few. These individuals all had some type of impairment that would otherwise hinder them from doing daily activities, however instead of letting their disabilities hinder them, they made the best out of their situation and became prominent members in society that all contributed to a sense of worth and wellbeing. These people are prime examples of what it means to overcome ones disability. Due to my own struggles with my disability I saw the difficulties of transitioning into higher education. My sophomore year of college I decided it was time to stand up and make a voice for students with disabilities. I created A.D.D. (Appreciation of Diverse Dispositions) to educate the community on disability issues. This is the organization’s first year on campus and strives to promote acceptance of students with disabilities takes on a positive deviance approach that is based on the observation that in every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviors and strategies enable them to find better solutions to problems than their peers, while having access to the same resources and facing similar or worse challenges. Through positive deviance we focus on the abilities of these students rather than their disabilities. Our organization consists of numerous individuals that are focused on the development of communication systems that will foster a positive attitude concerning the issues of disabilities at a University level. This organization was created due to the negative stereotypes that disabled students are given once they transition to higher education. Negative stereotypes and negative connotations have adverse effects for this minority population and we are focused on highlighting the positive aspects of these students. The most important thing I have learned from this class and from the students I work with is that we all need to focus on our abilities and what we can do rather than what we cannot do, because when it comes down to it, we all A.D.D. a little something to our community.

We’ve Got Find a New World, and Make it Our Own

By Jorge Luis Aguilar Cruz

When it came down to choosing a Positive Deviance Inquiry Topic, my head was filled with all sorts of ideas, but then I decided to go with the youth of my community, for the purpose of this PD inquiry I will specifically focus on the youth who are immigrants and or are Mexican American, and who live in the Segundo Barrio to Ascarate Park section of Central El Paso, TX.  I grew up in this area, and it is concentrated by amazing hardworking and humble people, I am very proud to be from this part of El Paso, but often, when other people think about our community they feel sorry for us, and think it is very dangerous and sad.  Yet, against all odds including lack of education, and income, steps are taken every day by the youth, and elderly alike to be Positive Deviants, to be something else other than what it is expected from them.

            From previous engagement as an intern in Jefferson High School and having lived within the community for years, what is expected from us is crime, drug activity, and teen pregnancy, poor decision making from a lack of resources or parental figures. The youth I have spoken to say that this has been mention by their teachers, mentors, school officials, police officers, etc. Once again, against all odds, we can find positive deviants in our community, but more importantly contributing citizens to our community and society. I have been very fortunate to have access to the youth and more importantly their message, as Jay Pomales and Vernon Williams write in Effects of Level of Acculturation and Counseling Style on Hispanic Students’ Perceptions of Counselor, “subjects with a strong commitment to only Mexican-American culture expressed the greatest preference for a Mexican-American counselor, whereas subjects with a strong commitment to Anglo-American culture expressed the least preference for an ethnically similar counselor.”  Thus, as I am one of their own in many ways, it allows for access and trust to receive their messages and information.

 Latino Fathers: The Relationship Among Machismo, Acculturation, Ethnic Identity, and Paternal Involvement, authors Jon Glass and Jesse Owen state that “engagement, accessibility, and responsibility, are important familial obligations,” that can lead to the proper development of a young person.  Research has shown that “maternal and paternal involvement can have a direct influence on a child’s well-being, such as improved academic performance, enhanced self-esteem, and diminished depressive symptoms.”  In essence, authors state that having both parents, as well as other factors, can have a positive effect on the psychological and physical well-being on the youth.  As the literature has shown, the youth in my community are more comfortable speaking to one of their own, thus for this Positive Deviance Inquiry, it will grant me access to the specific demographic in my community.  Furthermore, the literature shows that with important familial roles being filled can lead to the development of the youth, but for this project I will find those who are going against “the strength of the river,” as one young lady said to me once. Seth Schwartz, writes “research suggests that among first- and second-generation immigrant emerging adults’ dimensions such as language use, ethnic identification etc. may be linked with many health risk behaviors, including drug and alcohol use, unsafe sexual behavior.” Furthermore, research indicates that highly acculturated individuals from immigrant families are more likely to take risks compared with their less acculturated counterparts. 

In closing, for this Positive Deviance Inquiry, I will seek to find youth to participate in the project that have only one parent at home, are from a “poor” socioeconomic background, and who are immigrants and or first and second generation Mexican Americans who are between the ages of 17 and 22.  

Breaking the Cycle

By Jenny Cisneros

Last week as a class we took the first steps towards formulating our own PD inquiry. Unlike most research inquires, the PD inquiry has been a mildly difficult task to complete. However, it helped to give one another constructive criticism. This past week I have given my initial PD inquiry a lot of thought and looking further into the literature on abusive relationships, I have decided to take my inquiry in another direction. Initially, my PD inquiry consisted of, “how have young Hispanic women (18-22) that don’t have a good relationship with either mom or dad have managed to not end up in an abusive relationship?” The most daunting task of formulating a PD inquiry is trying frame a complex social issue and create the worst case scenario. After careful consideration and given the helpful comments from my classmates, I have decided to change the direction of my PD inquiry. 

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in every four women will experience some form of domestic violence in her lifetime. Which begs the question, are some young women predisposed to falling into an abusive relationship?  Various literature suggests that a number of factors play into women falling into abusive relationships. However, the term “abuse” encompasses a number of different forms of assault.  The Oxford Dictionary definition of abuse, states that abuse is characterized by someone who is offensive, cruel, insulting and engaged in constant violence.  So what would entice a young girl to date someone who is offensive and cruel?  Zayas and Shoda (2007) argued that women who had had previous experiences with psychological abuse were more likely to seek out an abusive relationship on their own. The college-aged women surveyed in this study showed a stronger preference for dating an individual of was characterized to be one of the following traits; hostile, aggressive, violent, jealous, possessive, and impulsive. On the other hand, Zayas and Shoda (2007) studied men who admitted behaving abusively in previous relationships and asked if they sought out women who appeared to have a high attachment anxiety. High anxiety refers to Bowlby’s Theory of Attachment (1951) that argues that a person’s attachment to their caregivers appears as early as infancy. If the child is separated from its caregiver it will show signs of high anxiety and start to cry. Although Bowlby’s theory primarily focused on the infant and its caregiver’s relationship, he believed that as adults, people maintained an emotional attachment to others that exhibited similar behavior to a caregiver. Hazan and Shaver (1987) explored the attachment theory’s application to romantic relationships. Romantic relationships are similar to infant-caregiver relationships because some similar features emerge as the romantic relationship unfolds. Like infants, adults exhibit attachment behaviors by feeling secure with another individual. However, adults engage in intimate bodily contact which directly influences the attachment. If attachments are generated during infancy, are women who experience or witness different types of abuse more likely to end in an abusive relationship? 

Research suggests that transgenerational patterns of violence in family units are directly correlated to a person’s learning of how relationships function. Champion (1999) explored the life stories of young Hispanic adolescents who had experienced various forms of physical and psychological abuse in their homes. These adolescents found themselves applying similar types of behavior in their intimate relationships with others. Males exhibited more hostility and violent acts towards significant others, while females engaged in less excessive behavior such as self defense tactics (Champion, 1999). Self esteem issues were not found to be a direct correlation between females and seeking out potentially abusive partners, however, women who had experienced previous psychological abuse were a a higher risk (Zayas & Shoda, 2007). 

Since the available literature suggests that abuse is a learned behavior, I decided to reframe my PD inquiry with the following, “How have young Hispanic females, who have experienced or witnessed physical or psychological forms of abuse at an early age, managed to either escape an abusive relationship or avoided one entirely?” By examining college aged women, I can research their sex-role identification and how it was shaped by their parents or guardians. Then find women who either witnessed or experienced various types of abuse and explore how it affected their intimate relationships as adolescents and then as adults. By creating a solid set of conditions, hopefully I can research how against all odds, some women have been able to break the generational cycles of abuse.

Against ALL Odds

By Gabby Morales

After doing some research I found an area that I would like to concentrate on, despite wanting to study health in the Hispanic population as a whole. Reading article after article on health-related issues that affect Hispanic women more than others, I decided to narrow my focus on breast cancer, specifically in Hispanic women, age 50 and up.

Reports, like one I read from CNN, discuss a major problem with Hispanic women and breast cancer and that is that Hispanic women tend to wait longer to visit a doctor because they have no insurance/cannot afford healthcare, deem the change they see as not worthy of attention, fear of diagnoses, and no time to schedule an appointment to see a doctor (CNN). The report also highlights how Hispanic women have another barrier going against them; some are not able to speak English, therefore, decide to not get checked or worse, are not aware of the options available to them at a free cost like free mammograms. Another very interesting find had to do with the relation of breast cancer and Hispanic women, “Despite the fact that Hispanic women have lower incidence rates for breast cancer than White non-Hispanic women, Hispanic women who do develop breast cancer are more likely to die of the disease” (Malley, Kerner, Johnson, & Mandelblatt, 1999, p. 219). The reasons cited before this quote seem to cover some of the major bases for why this disease affects the lives of so many Hispanic woman. These reasons seem to be the ones that contribute 100% to late detection and therefore make Hispanic women have a lesser chance of survival.

Reading about the reasons Hispanic women have given to research, the area of socioeconomic status plays a big role in this disease. My interest lies in women of lower socioeconomic status and by that I mean those women who fall under the medium average for household income in El Paso, TX. The medium income for households in El Paso is around $36,500. I want to focus on those women who average an annual income of less than $11,000 a year and I might take it a step further and concentrate on women who reside in public housing in some of the poorest zip codes in El Paso which are 79901, 79903, and 79905 (Alamito, Sherman, and Salazar).

Another criteria I would have to understand in order to fulfill this PD project would be the concept of regular check-ups and what this means to my project. Many asked what “regularly” stood for and I will tell you. According to the National Cancer Institute women over 40 years of age should get mammograms done every 1 to 2 years. Women who are more at risk because of breast issues and/or family history should have mammograms more often and before the age of 40. They would have to consult their doctor to get a specific schedule. For some women I have spoken to who are at risk they get a mammograms at least twice a year.

I want to be able to find those women who do not let their socioeconomic status get in the way of getting screened for breast cancer and are on top of their game when it comes to getting checked once every 1-2 years or twice a year if they are at risk. So in essence my question would be transformed to add these two, specific criteria.

Are there Hispanic women who are of low socioeconomic status (earning less than $11,000), live in public housing (Alamito, Salazer, Sherman), who speak little to no English and still have mammograms at least one every 1-2 years?

My objective for this study is to find those Hispanic women who have been able to fall out of line with the rest of the statistics and have been making it a point to have mammograms even though they have all odds going against them. I have spoken to some already who live around the areas I want to focus on. The results have been very interesting to say the least, but I want to be able to find more positive deviants who go against the statistics and what they do in order to accomplish this. In the research I did, I found close to nothing regarding women who aren’t part of the statistics. Some research even deem Hispanic women and breast cancer as the “understudied group.” 

A.D.D. Wall of Signatures Lend a Hand, Make Your Mark March 9th and 10th 9:00 am to 2:00 pm UTEP Geology Lawn

By Davi Kallman

What Will Happen at the Event:

• Awareness booth with materials about disabilities
• We will be selling Braille Cupcakes
• Sensitivity Activities
• and Wall of Signatures: Which will be donation based in order to go to our ADD scholarship fund

A.D.D. is an organization that is dedicated on educating the community on disability issues. This is the organization’s first year on campus and strives to promote acceptance of students with disabilities takes on a positive deviance approach that is based on the observation that in every community there are certain individuals or groups whose uncommon behaviors and strategies enable them to find better solutions to problems than their peers, while having access to the same resources and facing similar or worse challenges. Through positive deviance we focus on the abilities of these students rather than their disabilities.
Our organization consists of numerous individuals that are focused on the development of communication systems that will foster a positive attitude concerning the issues of disabilities at a University level. This organization was created due to the negative stereotypes that disabled students are given once they transition to higher education. Negative stereotypes and negative connotations have adverse effects for this minority population and we are focused on highlighting the positive aspects of these students.

Updates

Dear Class Participants,


Here is a more or less finalized syllabus of our PD class (see resource center), co-constructed together….It is updated from the hardcopy that you walked away with in our last class sesión.

Please read the entire syllabus carefully, including a description of assignments, grading by our next class, and note that we have many things happening (and due from you) for March 7, including you choosing a Book (about PD) that you would want to read for this class I have provided several titles so you can google the books to come up with your top three preferences (due to me by noon, next Monday, March 7). Also note for March 7, we have a guest from Netherlands, and then a public lecture on PD toward the last hour.




CLASS SEVEN (3/7)


Finalization of Book Club Assignments
Finalization of PD Inquiry Topics: Problem Statements to be blogged with literature review insights.
Guest: Dr. Martine Bowman, Director, Center for Media and Health, Gouda, Netherlands. Conversation about PD and Mental Health project in Netherlands
4 p.m. Dr. Singhal lecture in Blumberg Auditorium (Main Library first floor)
The Strategic Value of Social and Cultural Deviance for Change Agents

Best wishes...
Arvind

Los Tigres Del Norte Positive Deviance Approach Towards Their Music and Fans

By Jorge Luis Aguilar Cruz



This past weekend I had the amazing privilege once again to be able to be on the road with famed Mexican musicians Los Tigres Del Norte, the most influential and socially important Mexican artist of all time.  All the time we spent together bring about conversations of life, values, women, Mexicans, and of course our Mexican mothers and food. Over coffee at a very quiet hotel room I spoke with Don Jorge Hernandez about my education, past classes, my proposed master’s thesis topic, and current classes, one class that really sparked a conversation was when I mentioned our PD class, and our class meeting.

            Los Tigres Del Norte are positive deviants in so many ways, some forms of which I have known for years, but even though they have gained so much success and fame, they have always remained the same. While being blessed and being on the road with prominent acts in the industry I have met so many people of fame, 85% of them are not polite and nice to their fans. That goes for both Mexican and American acts, but Los Tigres Del Norte are different, on many occasions the members have stayed up after a show until 5 in the morning signing autographs, taking pictures, and they would not leave until everyone was gone.  During their 3 to 4 hour concerts, only the first 10 songs are set then they play what the audience asks for. 

            Furthermore, the single most important fact about this band is that they are La Voz Del Pueblo, or The Voice of the Village.  Within that informal title given to them by their fans and media, Los Tigres Del Norte stray, and are positive deviants within the Regional Mexican music genre. That difference could not be more apparent than in the present.  Presently, the Mexican music genre as well as our community and youth are being flooded by narcocorridistas, Mexican acts that glorify the narco underworld through song, fashion and their own personal acts on and off stage.  Los Tigres Del Norte instead “we are the positive light, we want out people to remain positive, to work hard and take advantage of the opportunities in the United States, not only that, but to take advantage of the opportunities of life.”

In closing, Los Tigres Del Norte in there are deviant, in that they speak for those who often may not have a voice, songs about immigration, love, ranch life, the immigrant experience and life, and also singing about local issues such as “Las Mujeres De Cuidad Juarez,” a corrido which is censored in Mexico, highlighting the corruption and lack of accountability by the Mexican government to solve the issues. They sing of positive aspects in life, such as loving your family, never forgetting your roots in every aspect, but still manage to throw some fun songs in there, en fin, Los Tigres Del Norte have said even if you are not a fan, stick up for what is right, “este es reclamo del pueblo, lo que averigue la ley.”