The purpose of this study is to explore how community organizations advocate for social change. This included exploration of coalition building as well as strategies and tactics used such as racial/ethnic composition, social capital, or socioeconomic status. This project also serves as a learning experience for MSW students in the co-PI's qualitative research in particular social and political contexts. We are particularly interested in how these efforts play out in communities that are diverse in various ways. These students were added to the protocol once they were provided proof of requisite HIPAA and CITI completion and had been provided with training in class. Data collection, completed in December 2019, included 43 interviews and 62 observations. Interviews include questions regarding their motivation for and experiences engaging in community advocacy and what factors facilitate and impede collaboration within their group and with other groups engaged in advocacy. Respondents were chosen specifically for their engagement in organizing efforts that explicitly seek to join diverse groups together in a shared cause, and questions are designed to elicit discussion about this. This is a qualitative study comprised of observations, interviews, and narrative analysis of publicly available media posts, flyers and news coverage.

This dataset was used to overview the taxonomic composition of the gastrointestinal microbiomes during the first two years of life with the intent to better understand the effects of the invasive pathogen, Shigella. Data was collected through a two year longitudinal study of a mother-infant cohort in Malawi, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to characterize the gastrointestinal microbiota. Rectal swab samples were collected every 6 six months during well-child visits or when an infant visiting the clinic presented diarrhea to diagnose Shigella infection. 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries yielded an average of 23,720 reads per sample with a total of 8,729,027 reads and a total of 325 taxa were identified after quality filtering.

This dataset was generated from a qualitative, exploratory study to understand how the Baltimore Specialized Prostitution Diversion Program (SPD) operated and was experienced by those working and participating in it. Qualitative data included observations of participants during their interactions with the court and SPD staff as well as interviews with twenty-one SPD clients. Administrative program data was collected in 2010 on 616 arrestees and included demographic information, self-assessment for areas of need, and participants’ goals. Administrative court data collected by SPD staff was also examined for 221 eligible participants and included court dates, weekly attendance, and program completion. The semi-structured interview guide allowed participant input with questions centered on their understanding and experience of the program, what impeded or facilitated their participation and engagement with the program, and general recommendations.

This research examined newly implemented prostitution diversion programs in Baltimore City and Philadelphia from the perspectives of program participants and program staff. Via interviews, focus groups, and observations this qualitative longitudinal study examined the program participants’ motivations for participating in the problem-solving court models as well as how they negotiate with court professionals to meet their needs and achieved their goals. A series of 1 to 5 interviews per person were conducted during and after participation in the respective program. To explore concerns around trauma, substance abuse, and stigma 5 brief questionnaires were administered during the second interview. Also evaluated were quantitative data such as participant demographics, program take-up and compliance rates, and types of services requested. One-time interviews were also conducted with program social workers, public defenders, prosecutors, probation officers, and judges to explore personal and professional beliefs, resources constraints, and general views on program participants and prostitution. All interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim. Observations were also conducted in court, prison, probation, and street settings. Current partial dataset consists of 1 TXT README file, 8 document PDFs, and 21 interview PDFs and will be supplemented by additional materials as they become available