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Show 119 THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH CHARLES H. MONSON PRIZE WINNER The Office of Undergraduate Studies administers the Charles H. Monson Essay Prize. This award honors Charles H. Monson Jr., who was a distinguished member of the University Philosophy Department from 1958 to 1974. Professor Monson earned both his bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Utah, and received his Ph.D. from Cornell University. During his years at the University, he served as chair of the Philosophy Department and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. He received the Univer-sity's Distinguished Teaching Award in 1970. Professor Monson was a renowned teacher with a deep commitment to the understanding of social change. In his honor, an annual prize of $600 is awarded to an undergraduate who writes an outstanding abstract and paper on social change. The abstracts are judged by a distinguished panel made of three members of the Undergraduate Council. The paper will consist of a thoughtful analysis on social change in a specific area of modern life. The Office of Undergraduate Studies at the University of Utah is proud to announce: Susan Akok Faculty sponsor Kim Korinek As the recipient of the 2010 CHARLES H. MONSON ESSAY PRIZE ARE THERE BARRIERS TO BASIC PRENATAL CARE IN REFUGEE COMMUNITIES? A CASE STUDY OF SUDANESE WOMEN IN SALT LAKE CITY Kim Korinek is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Utah. She received her PhD from the University of Washington in 2002 and has been teaching at the University of Utah since 2005. Dr. Korinek's research addresses a range of social demographic phenomena (migration, fertility, and employment) and their intersection with processes of social change and social mobility. Dr. Korinek's expertise in developing societies made her the perfect mentor for Ms. Akok. Her strong guidance and dedication has made her a popu-lar professor and mentor to many students. Susan Akok is a native of Sudan and resettled with her family in Salt Lake City, Utah several years ago. Susan is a senior at the University of Utah where she maintains an impressive GPA, majoring in Sociology. Ms. Akok won an academic Assistantship in the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program spring semester 2010 to exe-cute her research on prenatal care in refugee communities. Under the guidance of Dr. Korinek, Susan conduct-ed a case study of Sudanese women in Salt Lake City. Her exhaustive efforts earned her the university's Research Scholar Designation and as you will see in her work the accolades are well deserved. CHARLES H. MONSON ESSAY PRIZE 2010 Charles H. Monson Essay Prize presentation, April 6, 2010. Undergraduate Research Symposium, Olpin Union. Pictured, l-r: Karl Schatten, Kim Korinek, Sharon Schatten and Susan Akok 120 CHARLES H. MONSON PRIZE WINNER SPRING 2010 ARE THERE BARRIERS TO BASIC PRENA-TAL CARE IN REFUGEE COMMUNITIES? A CASE STUDY OF SUDANESE WOMEN IN SALT LAKE CITY The paper critically and qualitatively examines the extent to which the basics of ‘good' prenatal care are observed or made use of by child-bearing Sudanese women in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Sudanese bloody civil war which began in 1983 and ended in 2005 placed a heavy toll on the nation. Beside lead-ing to physical destruction, loss of property and innocent lives, it had also displaced and scattered many Sudanese people all over the world. Of those displaced and who later made a ‘second home' in Utah are Sudanese women, the subject of this study. Many of these refugee women have experienced cultural shock upon their arrival. Back home, most of the women didn't have access to modern technology or health care. They found it difficult to adjust to the American system due to the fact that America is a first world country. Because prenatal care is such an important form of care for pregnant women and their unborn babies, the paper seeks to ascertain whether Sudanese child-bearing mothers, ages 18-50, and who resettled in Salt Lake City, make use of the available resources for prenatal care. Data come from interviews with 30 Sudanese women living in Salt Lake City and nearby areas. In the interviews, women were asked about their experiences when pregnant; if information on prenatal care is available for them; and whether costs, language barriers, and distance to healthcare centers play roles in influencing their access to care. The results of the study show that language barriers, financial costs, lack of insur-ance, lack of information, distance to healthcare centers, transportation limitations, waiting in the hospi-tal or clinic, and lack of social connections and integration into the wider community are important bar-riers to obtaining prenatal care. Another common finding was that many pregnant women and their families face economic hardships which prevent their seeking healthcare in the U.S, yet they remained faithful in sending regular economic support to their families and communities in Sudan. These results are examined, along with existing research findings, to consider recommendations for policy-makers. Key words: Sudanese women, Refugees, Prenatal Care, and Social integration Susan Akok (Kim Korinek) Department of Sociology University of Utah Susan Akok Kim Korinek |