CLAS WEEKLY NEWSLETTER, January 16, 2020

https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/grad_field_research

https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/clas/grad_field_research

Currently at the Pitt Global Hub:

Ramón Gómez de la Serna Exhibit 

Featuring a sample of items from this remarkable collection of one of the most innovative literary figures in Spanish literature of the 20th century. A prolific Spanish-Argentinian poet, novelist, and essayist, Gómez de la Serna is especially known for creating a new literary genre he named the “greguería.” Ramón himself defined the greguería as a mathematical equation:  Greguería = Humor + Metaphor. Others have characterized it as a brief, humorous insight expressed in metaphoric language.

It was a pleasure and a challenge for me to dig-into the Ramón Gómez de la Serna papers to select 16 items from the approximately 60,000 pieces that compose the collection. The ones selected for the exhibit are intended to present a glimpse of the scope of the collection, the range of topics, the physical formats (handwritten notes, drawings, caricatures, manuscripts) and Ramon’s untraditional approach to express his views on the subject matters. Numerous cross-outs and colorful marks can be found throughout his work.

Kari Johnston, Communications Support Specialist for the ULS, printed the images and designed the artistic display. Many thanks to Kari for her valuable contribution.

Edward Galloway, Associate University Librarian for Archives & Special Collections, provided valuable advice and support. Many thanks to Ed. 

The exhibit will be on display throughout the spring and a talk about the collection will be scheduled later in the semester. 

I will welcome questions and comments about the exhibit.

Please send them to:  Martha E. Mantilla martham@pitt.edu

Librarian, Latin American Studies and Eduardo Lozano Collection

For more information about the Collection, visit:

https://digital.library.pitt.edu/collection/ramon-gomez-serna-papers

FIELD METHODS: CORE SKILLS FOR QUALITATIVE RESEARCHERS

ADMPS 2356/ EDUC 2205

CROSS LISTED : GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND WOMEN’S STUDIES & CULTURAL STUDIES

This course is designed to provide a first-hand understanding of key modes of methodological inquiry central to a range of qualitative research. The organizing umbrella format for research is the semester-long ethnography. Under this parent concept I will introduce core methods and techniques used to secure a fieldsite, establish rapport and trust, take worthwhile fieldnotes, explore and map the cultural scene, successfully engage with and interview respondents, begin data analysis, and write up a simple research portfolio using cultural themes as a guiding framework. Project debriefings include the social construction of gender, identity, group belonging, and social movements as well as whose knowledge counts and how GSWS topics are linked to ways of knowing. Each methodological component is tied to numerous demonstrations of proficiency, applied seminar activities, and constructive collegial critique and discussion. All of these are aimed at fostering competence and confidence in the beginning fieldworker.

Throughout the course, illustrations are drawn from feminist ethnographic texts and scholars of all backgrounds and sexualities. Principles of feminist research and pedagogy will be woven into the seminar. GSWS students will be able to design a semester long exploratory project that helps them to fulfill undergraduate or graduate requirements. It can be a hands-on way for you to learn how to ethnographically assess, evaluate, connect to, and help represent complex GSWS community groups. How can we, as GSWS scholars and activists, partner in reciprocal and decolonizing ways to generate useful and authentic data? How do we represent the vantage points of women, gender, and sexuality as they intersect with project topics?

Advanced undergraduate and masters degree students will gain essential skills useful in many careers. Doctoral students will find that these foundational field methods will serve as a strong springboard to further intermediate coursework in specific research methodologies and advanced coursework in data analysis and dissertation/thesis composition and rhetoric. Graduate students with prior introductory coursework in qualitative research will find that this workshop facilitates considerable needed individualized skills refinement. For all, final projects can demonstrate competencies greatly sought out in applications for future degrees, as well as for scholarships, and further research, evaluation, or consulting.

Students can work on a pilot project, their own BPhil, (pre-)thesis or dissertation work, or a faculty-led project, but are responsible for securing the necessary prior IRB clearances if they opt to apply the weekly course skills to their own project. Students who are using the exercises only to build their repertoire in order to fulfill class requirements do not have to complete the IRB review. However, insight into the ethical conduct of research will remain central to the class.

No matter your discipline or next evaluation or research project, laying a foundation for these core capacities provides readily transferrable and highly employable skills. Becoming more aware of how to read a cultural scene is also a key skill as you prepare for international internships and study abroad. Improve the scope and rigor of your qualitative fieldwork and embark on your next adventure through this course.

Michigan State University Libraries invites applications for research grants for the summer of 2020. The grants are intended to help scholars who live more than 100 miles from East Lansing whose research would benefit from on-site access to the rich primary source collections housed in MSU Libraries’ Special Collections. The 2020 grants are made possible through the generous support of Char Mollison and MSU Libraries Special Collections Endowment.

Five grants of $3,000 will be awarded based on the overall promise of the research project and the significance of MSU’s Special Collections to the work. The on-site research period must run for at least one week between May 1 and September 30 of the year awarded.

Research strengths of MSU Special Collections are deep and varied, including an outstanding comic art collection; American radicalism on the extreme right and left; extensive holdings on Latino and Chicano activism and artists; popular culture; zines, Africana; exceptional rare book holdings in cookery, the history of science, veterinary medicine, Italian unification, conduct books; one of the country’s oldest LGBTQ+ collections; a peerless collection documenting the contemporary men’s movements; and the papers of numerous Michigan writers including Richard Ford, Diane Wakoski, and Thomas McGuane. Please consult their collections page for more information on MSU’s unique holdings.

How to Apply

Any researcher, including undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, artists, activists, or independent researchers, residing more than 100 miles from East Lansing, is eligible to apply. International scholars are responsible for obtaining the appropriate visa, which may have travel limits. Current or incoming MSU students are not eligible.

Please submit the following documents, preferably as a single PDF, to SPC Summer Research Grant Applications (lib.dl.spcgrants@msu.edu) by January 31, 2020.

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae of no more than six pages
• Description of research topic, its significance, and specific materials within MSU Special Collections to be used (two pages maximum)
• First and second choice of dates in residence. On-site research period must run for at least one week between May 1 and September 30. Please note: our summer reading room hours are Monday-Friday 10am-5pm.
• One letter of recommendation from a professional and/or academic reference speaking to the value of your project and the quality of your work. Recommendation letters can be submitted with the application or separately to the same email address.

A travel guide has been prepared to assist all recipients, once they have been notified of acceptance: https://libguides.lib.msu.edu/spc-research-grant-local-info

All grant recipients will give a presentation about their research at the library during their visit. Recipients are also asked to acknowledge the grant in any publications resulting from funded research in MSU Special Collections and to provide a copy of the final publication. Grant recipients may be subject to tax implications, depending on how the awarded funds are spent. For international award recipients, this may include tax implications in the United States and in their country of origin.

The grants committee will begin reviewing applications promptly after the deadline and grant recipients will be notified by March 16, 2020.

For more information, click here.

CALL FOR PAPERS:

What is the Human: Concepts and Controversies

Binghamton University Comparative Literature Graduate Conference

April 17, 2020

Contact Us: Social.Moments.Student.Journal@gmail.com
https://www.socialmomentsjournal.com/

Call for Faculty Papers:
Transformation and Continuity in Cuba

International Conference

March 20-21, 2020

The main theme in our Year of Cuba Conference invites interdisciplinary approaches to the multiple, enriching, and conflicting intersections taking place in this country. This forum, in partnership with CIFAL Atlanta, serves as a platform to engage in scholarly conversations that will contribute to understanding the complexities of Cuba, generating new forms of engagement and learning, and appreciating the many forms of Cuban’s resiliency and contributions to the world. 

At a historic news conference in Havana back in 2016, former President Barack Obama reflected on the nuevo día dawning for Cuba and the United States: “Cuba’s destiny will not be decided by the United States or any other nation. Cuba is sovereign and rightly has great pride. And the future of Cuba will be decided by Cubans, not by anybody else.” This speech marked the reaffirmation of a transitional period that started in 2014 called the Cuban Thaw, an overture to reestablish relations between both countries after a period of estrangement that began back in 1959 with Fidel Castro’s Revolución. The end of this 60-year hostility could become a reality with the lift of the trade embargo; the culmination of the Castrista dynasty; the ease of American travel to Cuba; the long-awaited release of political prisoners; and the development of dozens of bilateral projects that would foment the performing arts, culture, sports, the ecological landscape, and medicine. Undertaking drastic economic reforms and striking a balance between rupture and tradition, however, have proven in a post-Castro era to come with promises and shortcomings. 

We invite proposals for academic papers across the disciplines that think critically about Cuba related topics, not limited to the following:

Social Issues – Same-Sex Marriage, Journalism, Social Justice, and Community Development
Economic Issues – Equity, Mobility, Tourism, Remittances, Investment and Healthcare
Cultural Studies - Race, Class and Gender; Cuisine, Sports, Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Artivism
Historic Preservation – Architecture, Memory, Storytelling, Museum Studies
Religious Studies - Cuban Santería, Jewish Heritage, Christianity, and Secularism
Cuban History –Slave Trade, Colonialism, Revolución, Post-Castro Cuba
Environmental Studies- Climate Change, Disaster Response, and Sustainability
Cuba-U.S. Relations - Spanish American War, the Embargo, the Cuban Thaw, and the Role of Baseball
Cuban Americans & Transnational Cuba – Cuban Communities Across the Globe
Technology & Science –Internet, Youth Activism, Advances in Medicine and Emergency Response 

For additional context on the Year of Cuba and the conference visit https://dga.kennesaw.edu/yearof/cuba/)

Guidelines for Submission of Abstracts: To participate, please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words describing the focus of your proposed paper or panel, the methodology employed, and the general argument. At the top of the abstract, type your name, institutional affiliation, position or title, contact phone number, and e-mail. If you wish to propose a panel, please submit the title and abstract for each paper, along with the names and institutional affiliation of all panelists. Save in one Word or RTF document and attach the document to an email message. Type “Year of Cuba Conference” in the subject line and send it to Dr. Dan Paracka at dparacka@kennesaw.edu.

New book from Dr. Pilar M. Herr - an assistant professor of history and the coordinator for the Vira I. Heinz Program for Women in Global Leadership at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg

Contested Nation: The Mapuche, Bandits, and State Formation in Nineteenth-Century Chile. 

Throughout the colonial period the Spanish crown made numerous unsuccessful attempts to conquer Araucanía, Chile’s southern borderlands region. Contested Nation argues that with Chilean independence, Araucanía—because of its status as a separate nation-state—became essential to the territorial integrity of the new Chilean Republic. This book studies how Araucanía’s indigenous inhabitants, the Mapuche, played a central role in the new Chilean state’s pursuit of an expansionist policy that simultaneously exalted indigenous bravery while relegating the Mapuche to second-class citizenship. It also examines other subaltern groups, particularly bandits, who challenged the nation-state’s monopoly on force and were thus regarded as criminals and enemies unfit for citizenship in Chilean society.

Pilar M. Herr’s work advances our understanding of early state formation in Chile by viewing this process through the lens of Chilean-Mapuche relations. She provides a thorough historical context and suggests that Araucanía was central to the process of post-independence nation building and territorial expansion in Chile.

By Gonzalo Lamana

Clínicas Pediátricas y de Vacunación Gratuitas
Segundo Sábado de Cada Mes
8:30 AM to 12 PM*
Lugar: Salvation Army (Centro de Donaciones) 54 S. 9th Street South Side Pittsburgh, PA 15203
865 Cabot Way, Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
No se necesita cita o seguro de salud

Clínicas Pediátricas Gratuitas
Cuarto Martes de Cada Mes
2 PM to 3:40 PM
Lugar: Salvation Army (Centro de Donaciones) Calles Carson y 9 South Side
(Carson Street and 9th Street) Pittsburgh, PA
54 S. 9th Street South Side Pittsburgh, PA 15203
865 Cabot Way, Pittsburgh, PA, Pittsburgh, PA 15203
No se necesita cita o seguro de salud

Para hacer cita y para confirmar que la clínica no ha sido cambiada de fecha
llamar al 412-692-6000 opción 8

Mayor información: 412-692-6000, opción 8
http://www.chp.edu/saludparaninos
 
Más información: https://gallery.mailchimp.com/245884769436f3da161023045/files/896de567-dab2-44ef-9bf4-2648307d678f/SALUD_PARA_NIÑOS_flyer_2019.doc

For more information about event sponsored by LACU please CLICK HERE

For more information about events and information by LFC please CLICK HERE

The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh is seeking a qualified Administrative and Program Assistant. The Administrative and Program Assistant will provide administrative support within the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS). 

Primary duties include analyzing and organizing operations for CLAS, handling confidential and timely materials, scheduling appointments for the staff, making travel arrangements for staff and students on CLAS-sponsored programs, processing payments and reimbursements, distributing mail, handling foreign visitors and other duties assigned by the Associate Director. 

The Assistant will engage in event planning, manage the scheduling, logistics, publicity, and information for a range of Center activities, and help facilitate outreach events. Other major duties include providing administrative support to the Assistant Directors for Academic Affairs and for Partnerships Programming, and for CLAS-sponsored or administered study abroad programs.

 The Assistant must be cordial, professional and possess excellent communication and computer skills (knowledge of Windows, Microsoft software, and HTML coding software required) along with strong organizational skills, initiative, and interpersonal skills. Bachelor’s degree required and a minimum of one to two years of administrative experience. Knowledge or experience in Latin America and Latin American languages studies preferred.

Complete mastery of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, Access Database, and Internet essential, Adobe Pagemaker, and Microsoft Publishing useful; excellent verbal skills (ability to draft/modify routine correspondence and standard information documents; efficient and correct use of office equipment (Copiers, fax, etc.); Incumbent should be proficient in at least one Latin American language (Spanish, Portuguese, Kriol, etc.) in addition to English.

 The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and diversity. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled. 

The University of Pittsburgh is seeking a qualified Program Coordinator to assist the Director of the Center Adolescent and Young Adult Health (CAYAH) in the Department of Pediatrics with a variety of community-based programs and pilot projects. Specific tasks include implementation of the Trans Buddy Peer-Support Program, provider integration, volunteer recruitment, volunteer scheduling, outreach, training, and education around gender identity and sexual orientation to enhance and expand care for Transgender people. 

 This position requires attending community meetings and sites during the week, working off-site some evenings and weekends. Experience working with the transgender/gender nonbinary community is desired. Solid interpersonal communication skills, advocacy work, volunteer management, and education around issues of gender identity are a plus. Bachelor’s degree with one to two years of experience required. 

 Equivalent relevant work experience may be substituted for degree requirement. 

 PLEASE NOTE: The hiring range posted above is for a full-time position at 100% effort. The salary range for this part-time position will be prorated based on 80% effort. TB test and PA Child Abuse History Clearance, PA State Police Criminal Record Check, and FBI Criminal Record Check will be required as a condition of employment. EEO/AA/M/F/Vets/Disabled.

Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Bilingual Spanish speakers are encouraged to apply. Equivalent relevant work experience may be substituted for degree requirement.

Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) Job Postings

Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and experience in program administration and/or database management. Informational systems/data collection program skills needed. Excellent organizational and communication skills. Ability to work collaboratively with and follow direction of management team and staff required. Experience with non-English speakers a plus. Cultural sensitivity a must. Maintaining a valid PA driver’s license and insurance is a requirement.

Duties and Responsibilities

Application

Please email cover letter and resume to jobs@jfcspgh.org with “ISAC Administrative Coordinator” in the subject

REFUGEE & IMMIGRANT INTENSIVE CASE MANAGER

JFCS Refugee & Immigrant Services leads Immigrant Services & Connections (ISAC), a five agency partnership helping newcomers build their lives in the Greater Pittsburgh area by connecting immigrants to important resources, services and communities in Allegheny County and offering information & referrals, service coordination to assess needs and connect clients to a full range of community connections, and bilingual navigation.

Position Description
Make an impact on the lives of new immigrants in our region. As Intensive Case Manager, you will be responsible for providing case management to high-needs clients referred by ISAC partners and help the most vulnerable of our community meet their life goals.

Work together with clients, complete intakes and individual assessments, and develop and implement individualized plans.

Connect clients with resources spanning social services, medical, and government agencies, as well as to interpretation assistance and English classes to promote long-term self-sufficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in social work, psychology or related field (MSW preferred)
• Minimum of three years case management experience
• Experience with immigrant services, case management, service coordination or other social services
• Alert to cross-cultural differences in dealing with vulnerable immigrant clients and to their unique needs
• Excellent team player with organizational and communication skills
• Comfort working together with interpreters
• Comfort with inputting data into data management systems
• Proficiency in a second language a plus
• Maintaining valid PA driver’s license and insurance (requirement)

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify clients in partnership with ISAC staff
• Screen clients to determine and assess gaps in service, English proficiency level, medical needs, social service and other needs, provide referrals, develop case management plans and track progress on a regular basis. Assure proper documentation
• Develop individual plans, both short-term and long-term, to include, whenever possible, development of English proficiency as well as building competence in accessing services independently
• Case management to support connection to services and referrals with partner agencies, county human service providers, schools, healthcare and government entities, etc.
• Work, at times, in ISAC neighborhood drop-in sites around the Greater Pittsburgh area
• Work closely with navigators (bilingual community helpers) and interpreters.
• Take part in staff development and training opportunities
• Collect and record program data both electronically and in paper files
• Participate in delivery of training to external service providers and outreach to client/immigrant communities
• Other duties as needed

Application
Please email cover letter and resume to jobs@jfcspgh.org with “Intensive Case Manager” in the subject line.

Children International is a nonprofit humanitarian organization working to eradicate poverty around the world. At CI, we believe that ending poverty starts with children. Without help, children in poverty become adults in poverty. Our vision is to bring people together to put an end to that through programs focused on health, education, empowerment through life skills and, ultimately, employment. Ours is a unique, long-term, customized approach that allows us to stay with our children for the first two decades of their lives. We’re in it for the long haul because we know that the 220,000 children we support in 10 countries around the world deserve a fighting chance.
Children International’s work is made possible by generous and caring sponsors, donors, corporations, more than 9,000 dedicated volunteers and approximately 1,600 employees. To ensure our programs give children the best possible chance of breaking the poverty cycle, we are elevating our practices for growing our people talent worldwide. That’s where you come in.

We are seeking an exceptional leader, passionate about health and programming for young people, to serve as the Regional Program Officer for Health and Nutrition – Latin America. We believe that health and wellbeing, both through prevention of disease and access to essential health services when needed, are critical to holistic child and youth development. Young people that can stay healthy throughout childhood and adolescence are better equipped and positioned in the world to access opportunities and break free from poverty.

This regionally based position will report to the Global Program Officer for Health and Nutrition, who is based in Kansas City, MO, and will influence our global portfolio of health programs across seven agencies in Mexico, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Colombia and Ecuador. The Regional Program Officer will collaborate closely with country-level management and health staff in this Regional Program Officer – Health & Nutrition process.

This position is responsible for providing people and thought leadership on health programs and
initiatives, including but not limited to supporting local execution of relevant prevention programs
focusing on hygiene, safe water, oral health, and adolescent sexual and reproductive health, along
with programs that aim to increase access to essential health services such as medical, dental and
nutrition services. This person will also provide oversight and technical support on the portfolio of
health programs regionally, especially related to design, implementation, and monitoring and
evaluation of these programs. As we evolve our program model, we look for a leader to manage
change, guide innovation, and set a precedent for intentional learning and reflection.
 

• Provide technical support to Health Coordinators at each agency in Latin America
• Coach on strategy and provide implementation support
• Support teams to experiment and innovate
• Knowledge management of learnings in health in the region
• Support program design (participatory needs assessment, secondary research, M&E system development)
• Review and approve annual health program plans and budgets
• Consolidate and review semi-annual data and facilitate learnings based on the data/results
• Lead thought leadership in the region, sharing best practices and opportunities with teams
• Review global and regional best practices, distill these practices, and make them actionable at the agencies
• Identify, establish, and support regional, national and local partnerships
• Create and manage technical working groups and forums to further the health agenda regionally
• Operationalize CI’s global health policy with country teams and guarantee that local plans are aligned with the health public policy in each country
• Support agency staff in the design and review of localized health curriculum and materials
• Represent CI at regional conferences and forums
• Collaborate with regional counterpart (Regional Health Program Officer – Asia/Africa) to ensure alignment of work globally
• Perform other administrative duties as assigned, including composing non-routine correspondence, trip reports, financial reports, and assisting with annual budgets

• Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree desired
  • Academic background – public health, community development, or related fields

• At least five years of program management experience
• Experience working with an international NGO or in the field implementing related programs
• Experience in program design, monitoring and evaluation, including quantitative data collection and analysis required
• Excellent verbal and written Spanish and English communication skills required
• Strong facilitation skills
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Additional Skills and Characteristics
• Experience working closely with families, communities, local or national government, and other partners to deliver effective programming highly preferred
• Understanding of a life stage approach and ecological model approach to health highly preferred
• Deep commitment and belief in the CI mission and organizational values
• International travel up to 25% is required
• Excellent interpersonal, relational and communication skills, with a history of inspiring collaboration across various functions
• Possess a passion for children and youth and be committed to making a difference in the world
• Flexibility and sensitivity to work with multiple cultures and languages