2014 Interdisciplinary Research Grants

A Holistic Model of Wellness and Care for LGBTQI People

Rachel Williams (Art & Art History and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies, CLAS, University of Iowa)
Janette Taylor (Nursing and Gender, Women’s & Sexuality Studies, CLAS and College of Nursing, University of Iowa)
Nicole Nisly (Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Iowa)

Dr. Nicole Nisly in clinic with researchers.
Dr. Nicole Nisly in clinic with researchers

Learning about the health care experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex (LGBTQI) people will inform a holistic wellness model that addresses medical issues as well as legal ramifications, unintended consequences, discrimination, and social stigmas. Since last summer, this research group has developed a model of care based on feminist ethics and a bio-, psycho-, and sociocultural approach. The model will be valuable to many groups who experience disparity and discrimination.

Rethinking the Triumph of U.S. Internationalism: A Joint Project on Nationalism and Internationalism in Domestic Debates over America’s Role in the World

Michaela Hoenicke Moore (History, CLAS, University of Iowa)
Christopher McKnight Nichols (History, Oregon State University)
Axel Schäfer (American Studies, Keele University, United Kingdom)

Responding to Clifford Geertz and Robert Westbrook’s call for “a social history of the moral imagination,” the group asked how foreign policy has been transformed by the impact of U.S. soldiers, religious groups, immigrants, and intellectuals. In 2016, they will edit a special issue of Diplomatic History, the main publication of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations, to which they will each contribute an essay. They are also working toward a conference and book project on the same topic.

Understanding the Causes and Consequences of Racial Inequality in Academic Grouping and Disciplinary Practices within America’s Schools

Sarah Bruch (Sociology, CLAS, University of Iowa)
Rene Rocha (Political Science, CLAS, University of Iowa)

What is the extent to which second-generation discrimination continues to exist in American schools? Bruch and Rocha worked to document and understand how political and residential environments make academic grouping and racial disparities more or less likely. They examined how black and Latino educational outcomes are affected by patterns of second-generation discrimination, drawing on data from the Office of Civil Rights, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Project for Equity, Representation, and Governance.

Linguistic Analyses of Structured Written Emotional Expression: Revealing What Is Revealed

Jean K. Gordon (Communication Sciences & Disorders, CLAS, University of Iowa)
Howard Butcher (College of Nursing, University of Iowa)

Across the country, caregivers struggle—often alone—to meet the needs of elderly and infirm people. How can we promote their health and well-being? One answer is structured written expression (SWEE), which asks participants to write their deepest thoughts and feelings about a traumatic experience. Butcher and Gordon studied the benefits of SWEE, drawing upon journal entries by caregivers of persons with dementia. Their research is now under review.

Learn more about our Interdisciplinary Research Grants here.

Further outcomes—An Obermann Project Reaches a Crescendo

During the summer of 2013, Paul Kalina (Theatre Arts, CLAS) and John Rapson (Music, CLAS) spent barefooted days at the Obermann Center watching French films that combined music and physical comedy, listening to accordion music from around the world, reading about current policies in K-12 education, and exploring the rich mask-centered theatre tradition of commedia dell’arte. Their work at the Center culminated in a UI Theatre production, Crescendo. Combining a jazz score, Italian-made masks, and physical humor, the piece sharply critiqued our current educational system. Collaborators included master mask maker Matteo Destro, Italian director Paola Coletto, College of Education Associate Dean David Bills, and a cast and crew of more than 50 undergraduate and graduate actors and musicians. More recently, Rapson released a recording of the music he composed for Crescendo, while Kalina is planning a European production.

Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Theatre Department.
Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts
Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Theatre Department.
Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts
Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Theatre Department.
Crescendo production photo, courtesy of the University of Iowa Department of Theatre Arts