Welcome, CODE Scholars! Orientation starts tomorrow, and we are so excited to meet you. During orientation, we’ll talk about this year’s theme of “Resiliency and Spatial Justice in the Face of Climate Change” and learn about how it relates to Alton and to the work of our community partners. You’ll also get to choose your research team – the professor, community organization, and classmates with whom you’ll explore specific dimensions of the theme.
The Theme: Resiliency and Spatial Justice in the Face of Climate Change
As a Mississippi River town, Alton has a storied past. After the Missouri Compromise, Alton was a key stop for the Underground Railroad and a hub of activity for abolitionists and those escaping from slavery. The city was also the site of racial segregation throughout the twentieth century. Redlining meant that black communities were relegated to parts of the city at the mercy of the river’s frequent flooding. Extreme flooding again hit Alton in spring 2019 leading to concerns about racial justice in the context of climate change. Working in their research teams, Scholars will consider water quality, flood management, housing practices, and segregation in the context of history, literature, geography, and environmental science.
Teams will work to define what spatial justice should look like in this region, a concept that Edward Soja explains as “fundamentally, almost inescapably, a struggle over geography.” Spatial justice is “the fair and equitable distribution in space of socially valued resources and opportunities to use them” (2009). Contributing to the work of spatial justice, our community-engaged approach can foster online environments in which project participants consider their subject position in relationship to power and privilege as it operates in everyday interactions as well as in broader global contexts. Scholars may create a story map of flood plains paired stories of past and present flooding and include a connective exhibit relating the effects of climate change in other regions of the U.S. or in other countries, for example.
How do CODES faculty think about spatial justice?
The CODES faculty have been thinking about spatial justice for a long time through their research, teaching, and work in the community. Dr. John Matta, for instance, has worked on the intersection of geography, racial justice, and public health:
My original research as a professor was a spatial justice problem having to do with the “stroke belt.” The stroke belt is the southern region of the United States, named because its residents (and particularly African Americans) are more likely to suffer strokes than residents in other parts of the country. We identified specific traits that were consistent with increased risk of stroke, and were able to identify a group with increased risk of death: relatively young diabetic African American women who require more than 1 pillow to sleep and wake at night due to trouble breathing.
Dr. John Matta, Assistant Professor of Computer Science
And what we do in our research and in the classroom has tangible impacts on our communities, as Dr. Maurina Aranda reminds us:
When I reflect on Resiliency and Spatial Justice in the face of Climate Change, I think about the inequitable impact of climate change on marginalized communities. Personally, it makes me think of my Latino ancestors and their work as laborers in farms, and how the increased temperature directly impacts both their work and the community as a whole. This fuels me to consider my impact as a scientist and what I can do to combat the change in climate to help future generations of my community.
Dr. Maurina Aranda, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
So exploring this theme means thinking about the past, the present, and the future. As Dr. Isais W. Smith writes, this theme helps us explore ways to enact justice:
Resiliency and Spatial Justice in the face of Climate Change means having toughness and heart to fight the good fight for our society, even through any difficulties that life and opposition can bring. For me, spatial justice is an important concept here because it reveals that we stand in solidarity with the oppressed, especially those in underprivileged spaces, and a passion to bring about justice through the research that we are committed to doing. This research is important and meant to provide awareness, educate others, and promote change. Climate change is real and affecting our society in so many ways. Therefore, we will use what we learn as a tool to help generate solutions and build a better future for all.
Dr. Isais W. Smith, Assistant Professor of Sociology
Those experiences shape how they think about the CODES research theme. For Stephanie Batson, for instance, her work in applied communications studies prompts questions about how the historical and contemporary dimensions of spatial justice play out in interpersonal relationships:
As a communicator, the theme this year has me wondering about the conversations, the community and culture built. Defining culture as a set of learned behaviors shared by a group of people, I am interested in hearing stories and interactions from families in the community. How did the racial segregation impact the way culture was built in the community? How did family generations sustain in this region vs other regions? What actions/decisions made a family member or community member an “outsider” of the culture?
Stephanie Batson, Instructor in Applied Communication Studies
How do you think about spatial justice?
Your professors and your community partner will help guide your discussions throughout the year. But the research team is also about you! You and your teammates will get to ask questions and explore dimensions of the theme that resonate with you, pique your curiosity, or connect to things you’re learning in other classes. We’ll start brainstorming in our Idea Generation session on Wednesday!