SOC315 - Domestic Violence

University of Toronto
Department of Sociology
SOC315H1S: Domestic Violence
Winter, 2018
COURSE DETAILS

Term Day Time Location

S Wednesdays 4:00pm-6:00pm RW117

The prerequisite to take SOC315H1 is 1.0 SOC at the 200 or higher level (SOC212H1 is
recommended). Students without this prerequisite will be removed at any time discovered and
without notice.

INSTRUCTOR AND TEACHING ASSISTANT CONTACT INFORMATION

Instructor: Amanda Couture-Carron

Email: [email protected]
Office: Room 335, Department of Sociology, 725 Spadina Avenue
Office hours: Wednesdays 2:00pm-3:00pm or by appointment

Teaching Assistant office hours: Will be set as needed. Announcements will be made on
Blackboard.

Note: You should always try to reach me by email first. Please send emails to the above
addresses NOT to the email link in BlackBoard – or you will not receive a reply. You can
generally expect a reply within 48 business hours (i.e., not on weekends).

This course (including its reading materials, lectures, class and online discussions, and
assignments) will cover issues related to intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and the like.
As such, it may be triggering to survivors. If you require support, please see the resources
available at the University of Toronto https://www.future.utoronto.ca/current-students/safety-
support

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course will provide an overview of the different forms of domestic criminal violence,
concentrating primarily on intimate partner violence and child abuse. We will focus on the
methodological problems in assessing the nature and extent of these types of violence, the risk
factors and correlates of both offending and victimization and the theoretical explanations that
have been offered for these crimes. We also consider the social and legal responses to intimate
partner violence and child abuse.

This course will highlight an intersectional understanding of domestic violence by drawing

attention to the relevance of multiple social locations such as race, immigration status, and class.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

COURSE OUTCOMES

After taking this course:

§ You will have a good grasp of the issues within the study of domestic violence (e.g., the
forms and extent of domestic violence; realities of the resources available to survivors;
changes in the social and legal responses to domestic violence).
§ You will have an understanding of domestic violence at the intersections of various social
positions (e.g., race, class, immigration status). You will be able to think critically about
issues within the area of domestic violence.
§ You will recognize the diversity of survivors and their experiences according to
the intersection of race, class, immigration status, etc. You will know how these
intersections shape how abuse is experienced, how useful services are, how police
responses are received by survivors, how survivors resist their abusers, escape,
etc.
§ You will improve your critical reading skills and ability to use academic sources to make
convincing and well-grounded arguments.

METHOD OF EVALUATION

Activity Worth Due Date

Throughout semester
20% (5% completion + First post: Tuesdays 3pm
Online portfolio
15% quality assessment) Second post: Sundays
11pm
Test 20% February 7, 2018
Major paper - film analysis 35% March 28, 2018 by 4:00pm
TBA - determined by the
Final exam 25%
Office of the Registrar

Online Portfolio (4 topics - 2 posts each - an initial post and a response post) - 20% (5% for
completion; 15% for quality)

At the beginning of the course, you will be assigned a group on Blackboard. Throughout the
semester you will write entries that will result in a cumulative portfolio. For each topic this
semester, there will be corresponding questions based on the course materials to guide your
writing. Based on your interest and schedule, you have the opportunity to pick (only) 4 of the
available topics. For each selected topic, you will write two portfolio entries that you will post to
your group on Blackboard. Both of your entries will utilize the course readings.

Portfolio entry one: The first entry is due the TUESDAY at 3pm PRIOR to the day that topic is
covered. For each topic, guiding questions will be available on Blackboard in advance.

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Portfolio entry two: The second post is due SUNDAY at 11pm AFTER the topic is covered in
class. This post will build off of or respond to one of your fellow classmates’ post one. You are
encouraged to draw on what was discussed during class time. Since you are encouraged to utilize
the lecture material, your second post should occur after the lecture time.

For example, if you want to write a portfolio entry on citizenship and immigration, your first post
is due no later than Tuesday, February 27 at 3pm. Your second post is due after Wednesday’s
lecture, but no later than Sunday, March 4 at 11pm.

Purpose: Participating in this exercise encourages you to engage with and reflect on the readings
and put the course materials into your own words. This will help you develop your critical
reading and writing skills. You will strengthen your ability to make convincing arguments using
academic resources to support your claims. This exercise also facilitates cooperative learning –
by reading your fellow classmates’ posts, you will see how others understand the materials and
you will learn other perspectives on the course materials. This opportunity will help you to
succeed in your final paper and final exam.

Expectations: A strong portfolio post will draw on multiple readings and lecture material.
Exceptionally strong posts will make connections across the topics covered throughout the
semester (this demonstrates your ability to connect the course material). The posts should NOT
be strictly opinion based without supporting course content. You can draw on other sources (e.g.,
news articles, etc.) to illustrate your points, but these sources should not replace using course
materials. Use the course material to illustrate and/or support the argument you make. I welcome
critical engagement with the course materials - you do not have to agree with all the course
materials. Please be respectful of the student you are responding to. Weak response entries will
simply reiterate the posts of other students - please assume we have read the original post you are
responding to. Each post should be NO LESS than 2 paragraphs. Ensure you provide proper
APA citations and a reference list.

Evaluation: 5% of the total 20% is based on completion. If you make the required number of
portfolio entries throughout the semester that meet the minimum length requirement AND use
course material, you will receive the full 5% credit. 15% of the total 20% is based on the quality
of your posts. Throughout the semester, the TAs and myself will provide the class with general
feedback. This feedback will draw your attention to areas where the class is struggling as well as
what types of posts are particularly well done. This will allow you to assess the quality of your
posts and make necessary adjustments. You are also welcome to discuss your individual posts
with the TAs and/or myself.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

Major Paper - Film Analysis (10-12 pages) - 35%

Due date: March 28, 2018, 4:00pm

For this assignment, you will critically assess an assigned film’s depiction of domestic violence
and related issues based on what you have learned this semester through the course readings,
lectures, and in-class activities and discussions. You will have the opportunity to consider
whether and how the film is consistent or inconsistent with the academic literature in the area of
domestic violence - you will compare and contrast the content of the film to the content of the
domestic violence literature. Your paper will provide insight into what message the film conveys
about issues within the area of domestic violence and its accuracy. You will utilize the course
readings to support your arguments. Use of outside literature is NOT required. If you use outside
literature, do not prioritize it over the course readings. In other words, the course readings should
be prominent in your paper above all other literature.

You can work in a group of up to 3 people total. You can chose your own group and all group
members will receive the same grade.

I will provide you with more detailed instructions later in the semester. Note: it is important to
have some of the course content under your belt before starting this assignment.

Purpose: The main goal of this assignment is to assess the thoroughness and extent of your
understanding of the course readings and your ability to use those materials to support your
arguments. As such, this assessment will enhance your reading and writing skills. You will also
develop the ability to critically assess content you consume outside of the classroom.

Test - 20%
Date: February 7, 2018

The test will include short answer and essay-style questions. The test will be based on assigned
readings and lecture material. I will provide sample questions and study tips in advance.

Purpose: This test will allow you to assess your understanding of the course content part way
through the semester. You will be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge of
BOTH the required readings and the lecture material. This assessment will help prepare you for
the final exam.

Final exam – 25%

Date: TBA - set by the Office of the Registrar [examination period: April 9-30]

The final exam follows the same approach as the test described above.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

COURSE SCHEDULE AND REQUIRED READINGS

Topic Required Readings

Week 1 - January 10, 2018

Syllabus

Sokoloff, N.J. & Dupont, I. (2005). Violence at the intersections of

race, class, and gender: Challenges and contributions to
understanding violence against marginalized women in diverse
communities. Violence Against Women, 11(1), 38-64. (start on p.
39 second paragraph and end at p. 44; read the section
‘tensions between culture and gender’ starting on p. 45)
Introduction to the
Sokoloff, N.J. & Dupont, I. (2005). Domestic violence: Examining
course and
the intersections of race, class, and gender - An introduction. In
intersectionality
N.J. Sokoloff & C. Pratt (Eds) Domestic Violence at the Margins:
Readings on race, class, gender, and culture (pp. 1-10).
Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

These articles will introduce you to intersectionality as a

perspective for understanding domestic violence. This perspective
will serve as the foundation for how this course looks at domestic
violence issues.

Week 2 – January 17, 2018

DeKeseredy & Schwartz (2011). Theoretical and definitional issues

in violence against women. In C.M. Renzetti, J.L. Edleson, R.K.
Bergen (Eds), Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. – an
electronic version is available on the UofT library website.
(Read up until the section “theories of violence against women
in intimate relationships”)
Background:
Definitions, extent, Basile, K.C. & Black, M.C. (2011). Intimate partner violence
methodological issues against women. In C.M. Renzetti, J.L. Edleson, R.K. Bergen (Eds),
Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. – an electronic version is
available on the UofT library website.
(Read up until the section “why women cannot easily leave”)

Jaquier et al. (2011). Research methods, measures, and ethics. In

C.M. Renzetti, J.L. Edleson, R.K. Bergen (Eds), Sourcebook on

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

Violence Against Women. – an electronic version is available on

the UofT library website.
(Read up until the section “methodological issues”)

DeKeseredy and Schwartz provide information on definitional

issues. They discuss the importance of definitions and debates that
exist on how we define domestic violence.

The Basile and Black reading speak to definitional issues as well as

the extent of domestic violence.

Jaquier and her colleagues speak to how research in the area of

domestic violence is done. This reading discusses the use of
qualitative and quantitative data.

Week 3: January 24, 2018

DeKeseredy & Schwartz (2011). Theoretical and definitional issues

in violence against women. In C.M. Renzetti, J.L. Edleson, R.K.
Bergen (Eds), Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. – an
electronic version is available on the UofT library website.
(Start with the section “theories of violence against women in
intimate relationships”)

Lawson, J. (2012). Sociological theories of intimate partner

violence. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment,
Theories and risk 22(5), 572-590.
factors
The readings for this week provide an overview of sociological
theories of intimate partner violence. Lawson, in particular,
highlights what distinguishes sociological perspectives from others.
She also describes a theoretical divide that exists within this body
of scholarship and attempts to integrate the two sides of the divide.
In this article, you will see some interesting discussion of the terms
we use to refer to domestic violence or intimate partner violence,
etc. and the issue of gender symmetry.

Week 4: January 31, 2018

Abraham, M. (1999). Sexual abuse in South Asian immigrant

Race and culture, part marriages. Violence Against Women, 5(6), 591-618.
I
Dasgupta, S.D. & Warrier, S. (1996). In the footsteps of

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

“Arundhati”: Asian Indian women’s experience of domestic

violence in the United States. Violence Against Women, 2(3), 238-
259.

These two readings will provide you with an understanding of the

cultural context in which domestic violence can occur. These
readings are examples of South Asian experiences.

Week 5: February 7, 2018

In-class test

Week 6: February 14, 2018

South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (n.d.). Who, if, when to marry:
It’s a choice- Forced/non-consensual marriages toolkit for service
providers. Available at:
http://salc.on.ca/Documents/SALCO_FM_Toolkit.pdf (Read pp.
10 - Sandeep’s reflections, 13-19)

Anis, M., Konaur, S. & Mattoo, D. (2013). Who, if, when to marry:
The incidence of forced marriage in Ontario. Available at:
http://salc.on.ca/Documents/FM/SALCO - Who, If, When to Marry
-The Incidence of Forced Marriage in Ontario (Sep 2013).pdf (read
pp. 4-24, 29)
Race and culture, part
II
Fontes, L.A. & McCloskey, K.A. (2011). Cultural issues in
violence against women. In C.M. Renzetti, J.L. Edleson, R.K.
Bergen (Eds), Sourcebook on Violence Against Women. – an
electronic version is available on the UofT library website.

These readings speak to domestic violence within the larger family

(i.e., not just between intimate partners). The first two readings
shed light on forced marriage as a form of domestic violence. The
Fontes and McCloskey reading provides an overview of various
manifestations of culturally based violence against women.

Week 7: February 21, 2018

Reading week – NO
CLASSES

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

Week 8: February 28, 2018

Dasgupta, S.D. (2005). Women’s realities: Defining violence

against women by immigration, race, and class. In N.J. Sokoloff &
C. Pratt (Eds) Domestic Violence at the Margins: Readings on race,
class, gender, and culture (pp. 56-70). Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers
University Press.

Menjivar, C. & Salcido, O. (2002). Immigrant women and domestic

violence: Common experiences in different countries. Gender &
Society, 16(6), 898-920.
Citizenship and
Raj, A. & Silverman, J. (2002). Violence against immigrant
immigration
women: The roles of culture, context, and legal immigrant status on
intimate partner violence. Violence Against Women, 8(3), 367-398.
(Don’t focus on the tables)

These readings speak to the unique experiences of domestic

violence among immigrant women. You will see discussion of the
particular challenges immigrant women face including how their
experiences with abuse are exacerbated by their vulnerable
positions. The readings also touch on the unique forms of abuse
that immigrant women can encounter.

Week 9: March 7, 2018

Abraham, M. (2005). Fighting back: Abused South Asian women’s

strategies of resistance. In N.J. Sokoloff & C. Pratt (Eds) Domestic
Violence at the Margins: Readings on race, class, gender, and
culture (pp. 253-271). Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.

Bui, H.N. (2003). Help-seeking behavior among abuse immigrant

women: A case study of Vietnamese American women. Violence
Against Women, 9(2), 207-239.
Help seeking,
resistance, and escape
Abraham’s reading looks at how South Asian women fight back or
resist the abuse they encounter. Abraham’s research challenges the
stereotype of South Asian women as passive and submissive by
examining the ways in which South Asian women resist abuse.

Focusing on Vietnamese American women, Bui provides insight

into their help-seeking behaviour and what affects their decision
making.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

Week 10: March 14, 2018

Shirwadkar, S. (2004). Canadian domestic violence policy and

Indian immigrant women. Violence Against Women, 10(8), 860-
879.

Miller, S.L., Iovanni, L. & Kelley, K.D. (2011). Violence against

women and the criminal justice response. In C.M. Renzetti, J.L.
Edleson, R.K. Bergen (Eds), Sourcebook on Violence Against
Women. – an electronic version is available on the UofT library
website. (Read up until the section “sexual assault” and read
the conclusion)

McGillivray, A. (1999) Black eyes all the time: Intimate violence,

Aboriginal women, and the justice system. Toronto, ON: University
of Toronto Press. Chapter 4
Responses to domestic
violence Shirwadkar demonstrates how cultural, social, and family ties
affect women’s ability to receive help. She points out limitations of
existing Canadian domestic violence policies and programs. This
reading highlights how polices and programs are not always
effective for all women.

The reading by Miller and her colleagues looks at criminal justice

responses to violence against women in general. You will see
discussion of pro-arrest policies, the issue of dual arrests, pro-
prosecution policies, and so forth.

McGillivray’s chapter examines Aboriginal women’s experiences

with various parts of the criminal justice system in Canada. This
reading begins with a history of legal responses to domestic
violence in Canada.

Week 11: March 21, 2018

Purkayastha, B. (2000). Liminal lives: South Asian youth and

domestic violence. Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless,
9(3), 201-219.

Across the life course Tam, S. & Neysmith, S.M. (2006). Disrespect and isolation: Elder
abuse in Chinese communities. Canadian Journal on Aging, 25(2),
141-151.

Moon, A. (2000). Perceptions of elder abuse among various

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

cultural groups: Similarities and differences. Generations, 24(2),

75-80.

The Purkayastha reading focuses on young South Asian’s

experiences with domestic violence. She argues that South Asian
youth living in the U.S. are in a liminal position - they are children
of non-white immigrants - not fully integrated as Americans nor
simply South Asian - they are also not adults nor children. The
author uses this to challenge traditional explanations of domestic
violence. She also looks this liminal position in relation to their
experiences with domestic violence.

Tam and Neysmith’s article examines elder abuse within Chinese

Canadian communities. The authors identify culturally specific
forms of abuse and demonstrate how a social exclusion framework
improves our understanding of racial minority elderly immigrants’
experiences with abuse.

The Moon reading is a review of academic literature that

summarizes similarities and differences in perceptions of elder
abuse across various cultural groups.

Week 12: March 28, 2018

Backup/exam
questions
This class is reserved
for any topics we need
to push forward.
Final paper due

COURSE MANAGEMENT AND EXPECTATIONS

Lecture Time
During class time, you can expect a combination of lectures, activities, and discussions. For each
topic, there will be a corresponding lecture during class time. It is expected that you will come to
class having read the assigned materials. With that expectation, the lectures will not simply
repeat everything you have read, but rather build off of it (preparing ahead will give you an
advantage in class in terms of understanding the content and being able to participate). During
the lecture portion of the class time, we will go in depth into the topic of the week and discuss
the more complex or challenging ideas from the course readings.

The remainder of the class time will be dedicated to class activities and discussions. Activities
will be used to provide you with the opportunity to engage with the course materials in creative
and thought-provoking ways. The purpose of these activities is: to enhance your understanding

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of the course materials, help you make connections across the materials, and spark your interest
in the course materials. These activities will also give you the opportunity to learn from your
fellow classmates.

Class discussions will be used for reasons similar to class activities. Sometimes I will use online
survey tools to gain a sense of your understanding and perspectives on the course materials. This
will be used as a jumping off point for students to elaborate on their positions and further discuss
the course materials. You are strongly encouraged to participate in these discussions because
they will give you the opportunity to put the course materials into your own words and express
your understandings. Furthermore, listening to other students verbalize their understandings will
also facilitate your learning – your peers may clarify ideas and/or you will learn new things from
your peers. As a whole, these discussions will enhance your understanding of the course
materials and help you retain that information, which will be helpful for the tasks you will
complete throughout the semester.

To facilitate note taking and to help you to follow along, I will post powerpoints prior to the
class time. These powerpoints will contain skeletal notes that outline the content for the lecture
portion of the class time. You can use these to structure your own note taking. Please note: these
powerpoints WILL NOT take the place of attending lectures. My lectures will go well beyond
the content on the powerpoint slides. As noted above, the lectures will include activities and
discussions that will not be captured by the powerpoints. Missing lectures will result in missing a
significant learning opportunity that cannot be reproduced by powerpoint slides.

Attendance
To do well in this class, it is necessary to keep up with course readings and attend class.
Although there will be some overlap between course readings and class lectures, there will be a
lot of material that is only covered in class. Students who attend class regularly are generally
rewarded. It will be difficult to do well on the course tasks (i.e., portfolio, test, etc.), if you have
not kept up with readings and/or not attended class.

Emails and Blackboard

Do NOT send emails via Blackboard. Please only email from your university provided email
address. Emails should only be sent to the email addresses listed above in the contact information
section of the syllabus. You can generally expect a response within 48 business hours.

Be concise and courteous with all online communications. Review what you have written before
you hit the send button. LOL, TTYL and☺do not qualify as appropriate language for academic
correspondence or writing. Please do not begin an email to me with “Hey Amanda.”

Please include the course number in the subject line and a brief description of the purpose of the
email.

You are required to check Blackboard and your university provided email regularly for any
announcements.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

Penalties for Late Assignment

Late work will be penalized at a rate of 5% for each 24-hour period following the deadline,
inclusive of weekends. Assignments submitted after the deadline (even if only a minute late)
will be considered late and appropriate deductions will be taken. Technological difficulties are
NOT a valid reason for submitting an assignment late. Please submit your assignment in advance
to prevent and address any technical glitches.

Assignments submitted more than 7 days late (inclusive of weekends) will not be accepted
UNLESS within three days you submit a written request for special consideration that explains
why the deadline was missed, accompanied by proper documentation from a physician or college
registrar. See below.

Late penalties will apply UNLESS within three days you submit a written request for special
consideration that explains why the deadline was missed, accompanied by proper documentation
from a physician or college registrar. See below.

Documentation From Your Physician Or College Registrar

If you miss a test or a paper deadline, do not contact the instructor or a TA unless you have
followed the steps described here. Telling the professor or TA why you missed a deadline or a
test will not be considered.
§ In case of illness, you must supply a duly completed Verification of Student Illness or
Injury form (available at www.illnessverification.utoronto.ca). You can also submit a
Student Health or Disability Related Certificate (this is provided by the University’s
internal doctors). A doctor’s note is not acceptable. The form must be placed in a sealed
envelope, addressed to the instructor, and submitted at class or during office hours.
§ If a personal or family crisis prevents you from meeting a deadline, you must get a letter
from your college registrar (it is a good idea anyway to advise your college registrar if a
crisis is interfering with your studies). The letter must be placed in a sealed envelope,
addressed to the instructor, and submitted at class or during their office hours.
§ If an on-going disability issue has made lateness unavoidable, you can submit an
Accessibility Services Letter. This should be done through the AccServ staff. The letter
must be placed in a sealed envelope, addressed to the instructor, and submitted at class or
during their office hours.

Missing the Test or Exam

Students who miss the test will receive a mark of 0 UNLESS within 3 days of the missed test,
students provide a written request to the instruction explaining why the test was missed. This
request MUST be accompanied the Verification of Student Illness or Injury form. See 7.4 in
Academic Handbook.

Final exams are administered and governed by the Office of the Registrar. Please contact your
Registrar directly and follow their protocol if you miss the final exam.

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SOC315 - Domestic Violence

General Expectations
I expect students to not disrupt the class in any way. I also expect students to have read the
syllabus. My classroom is inclusive. Discrimination, bullying, rudeness, harassment, and other
unacceptable forms of behaviour will not be tolerated.

Turnitin
Students are required to submit their major papers to Turnitin.com for review of textual
similarity and detection of possible plagiarism. In doing so, students will allow their essays to be
included as source documents in the Turnitin.com reference database, where they will be used
solely for the purpose of detecting plagiarism. The terms that apply to the University’s use of the
Turnitin.com service are described on the Turnitin.com website.

The major assignment for this course will be submitted on Blackboard via turnitin.

Assignments not submitted through Turnitin will receive a grade of zero (0%) unless you instead
provide, along with your paper, sufficient evidence of your work product (e.g., notes, early
drafts, updates submitted to me throughout the semester, etc.) to establish that the paper is your
independent work. Please contact me no later than February 14, 2018, if you do not want to
use Turnitin so we can discuss this process in greater detail.

Plagiarism
Cheating and misrepresentation will not be tolerated. Students who commit an academic offence
face serious penalties. Avoid plagiarism by citing properly: practices acceptable in high school
may prove unacceptable in university. Know where you stand by reading the “Code of
Behaviour on Academic Matters” in the Calendar of the Faculty of Arts and Science.

Students are expected to acquaint themselves with the rules of academic dishonesty including
plagiarism, cheating, and examination impersonation. Academic misconduct impedes the
activities of the university community and is punishable by appropriate disciplinary action. Not
knowing what constitutes plagiarism is no excuse. If you have any questions, ask the
instructor and/or TA.

ACCESSIBILITY

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you
have a disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to
approach me and/or Accessibility Services at (416) 978 8060; accessibility.utoronto.ca as soon as
possible.

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