Field study · Southwest Detroit & Walkerville
Neighbors before parties
Eight weeks of participant observation on two riverfront neighborhoods, mapping how residents resolve conflict when no election is pending.
n = 84 interviews
Herald Research · Detroit · Windsor · Southeast Michigan
Strait Review
Ethnographic research on nonpartisan peace across Detroit, Windsor, and Southeast Michigan. Long-form participant observation, resident interviews, and public-record analysis on both sides of the Detroit River.
Strait peace index
68.4
▲ +1.9 q/q
Cross-border trust (survey)
61%
▲ +3 pts
Nonpartisan ballot literacy
44%
▼ -2 pts
Public-meeting comment rate
12.7
▲ +0.8
Current research
Ethnography · public records · open instrument
Field study · Hamtramck
Two square miles, five publics
How a majority-immigrant city negotiates shared space across mosque, parish, council chamber, and school gym.
n = 61 interviews
Records analysis · Wayne, Oakland, Macomb
What the counties publish
A standing audit of civic-record availability across three counties and one Ontario municipality, scored for public usability.
412 records reviewed
Methods paper
Measuring peace without measuring parties
The instrument behind the Strait peace index: conflict frequency, repair speed, cross-group contact, and institutional trust.
v1.2 · open method
Method
01
Live in the record
Every study begins with public documents — agendas, minutes, budgets, filings — on both sides of the Detroit River.
02
Sit with residents
Long-form participant observation and unhurried interviews. No push questions, no candidate framing, no slate.
03
Score, then publish
Findings are scored against the open peace instrument and published in full, including what failed to replicate.
Strait Review is the research arm of the Hamtramck Herald. Fieldwork is funded by Kotcher and published independently; no research product endorses a candidate, party, or ballot outcome. The Hamtramck Herald is part of the Kotcher family of organizations and editorially distinct from it. Kotcher funds the Herald's civic reporting; the Herald endorses no candidate, party, or ballot outcome.