INVISIBLE COLLISIONS: ENERGY POVERTY AND EXTREME HEAT PUSH THE MANUFACTURED HOUSING GAP WIDER

Abstract

Science communication is a field that is growing in importance because information is at a premium and there remain barriers of access, complexity, and jargon. This thesis research project describes a methodology for communicating complex convergence research to a variety of audiences using the case study of extreme heat risk in manufactured home (MH) communities. Convergence research is the intentional collaboration of interdisciplinary researchers to tackle “wicked problems” – problems with social, political, financial, geographical, and ecological dimensions. Heat is the number one weather-related killer and MH residents are disproportionately affected. Heat is an invisible threat, and the struggles of manufactured home communities are largely invisible as well. When these invisible factors collide, people can lose their lives. The outputs of this thesis include three highly detailed infographics, a brochure, and a feature article that all follow the principles of equity framing, which is a way to re-center disadvantaged communities at the heart of research that concerns them. The stories of mobile home residents in Tucson, Arizona and the barriers they face deserve to be told, as the questions raised, and conclusions drawn from these stories have the potential to save lives.