Digital Commons Network^™

The Road To Recovery: Economic And Social Development In Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Erinn Lachner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Srebrenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina is recreating itself. This municipality, located in the Republic of Srpska, is the setting of the 1995 genocide, which murdered 8,000 Muslim men and boys. Destroyed by the war, this municipality is rebuilding its economy, infrastructure and civil society from scratch. Srebrenica has made a large amount of progress in the past ten years, with the help of international and local donors. These donors have contributed millions of dollars to the effort. However, Srebrenica still faces many obstacles, namely, high unemployment, lack of physical infrastructure and poor attention to social welfare. While slow, progress is made everyday in …

History And Society: Fact, Fiction And Reform In The Serbian Education System, Valerie Ullrich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

History instruction is a means of disseminating political and cultural “truth” in societies all over the world. History occupies only a small space in the educational schemes that socialize and politicize children to their societies, but it could be argued that it plays a disproportionate role in these processes. In societies with contentious historical records and/or histories of conflict, it is particularly important to examine the role that history instruction does in fact play, as it can have positive or disastrous consequences over the long term. Serbian society provides one example of the potential effects of incomplete, politically influenced historical …

Maternity, Sexuality, And Capability: An Exploration Of The Aesthetics Of The Rural Moroccan Female Body, Carlye Warren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper provides an intimate look at the rural female body and its nuances – aesthetics, self-perception, sexuality, maternity, and purity. Based on this research conducted in the rural village of Loutichina, it seems apparent that almost unrealistic demands are traditionally made on the rural female body, most noticeably the demands of reproduction and physical labor. Local perceptions and attitudes towards maternity and sexuality are also explored, as is the way in which the rural female body undergoes basic biological changes and cycles and is simultaneously affected by surrounding social and cultural pressures. Ethically, I was confronted with issues of …

Abortion: The Reality For Women Of Praia Grande, Anna Tawse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Under Brazilian law, abortions are prohibited in all cases except for pregnancies resulting from rape or sexual violence and pregnancies which present possible death or harm to the mother. Upon a closer look, however, it is obvious that regardless of the illegality, Brazilian women are getting abortions. In light of this, I conducted a research project to uncover more about the reality that Brazilian women, specifically located in Praia Grande (a small community on Ilha de Mare off the coast of Salvador), face given the simultaneous existence of the two situations listed above (which I refer to as the “abortion …

Gender Based Violence In Jordan: Domestic Violence And Honor Crimes, Danielle M. Becknell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper analyzes the social, psychological, religious, and legal interactions of gender-based violence that manifest themselves within the Jordanian society in various ways. Honor crimes are the ultimate manifestation of this phenomenon in this culture, and as such cannot be separated from the society, gender-relations, or violence against women. Interviews with specialist within the field allow for a more in depth exploration of the topic.

The Silence Around Them: Aids Ngos, Scaling Up And Aids Fatigue In University Students, Carolyn Holmes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

HIV/AIDS is undoubtedly one of the most talked about aspects of the political scene in South Africa. This epidemic is expected to ravage the South African population, wholly changing the country’s demographic landscape. The most infected and affected generation is also the first generation to come of age in the democracy for which their parents fought. In this study, the author examines the attitudes and opinions of students within the aforementioned generation; current students at the Howard College Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal in Durban. Largely, the students were found to be apathetic and overexposed to NGO’s campaigns …

The Role Of Malagasy Women In Community Development: Analyzing The Potential For The Creation Of A Women’S Association For Alternative Livelihoods In Ifaty, Amanda Fencl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Integrated Conservation and development projects (ICDPs) have increased in number worldwide as conservation organizations have to come to terms with the importance of involving and addressing the needs of local human populations to order to achieve their conservation goals. Madagascar’s unique biodiversity, environmental degradation, and plaguing poverty has made ICDPs crucial in achieving national goals of tripling the area of natural heritage conserved and poverty reduction through socially, economically, and ecologically sustainable development. In order to understand how such sustainable development can be achieved, it is essential to spend time enhancing one’s understanding of the local mentality and worldview. On …

Crafting A Co-Operative: Lessons On Women’S Education, Artisans’ Livelihoods, And Rural Development In Morocco, Jenifer Humphrey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project started out as part of a larger plan; the plan was for three students to do the background research necessary to start a women’s weaving co-operative in the rural village of Loutichina, located northeast of the city of Boujad in Morocco. The initial goal of my portion of the research was to understand the mobilization process that takes place when a co-operative is created; ethical considerations included understanding whether or not a co-operative is an organization that the community in Loutichina truly desires and ensuring that we did not create false hopes that a co-operative would form and …

Concientious Cinema: Senegalese Cineastes As Preservers Of Cultural Identity And Promoters Of Social Change, Paula Fortner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Senegalese cinema was born with a conscience. From its earliest days, Senegalese films have been marked by tendencies to preserve cultural identity and promote social change. Using background research, film screenings, discussions, and interviews, this study categories these trends into a movement of “Conscientious Cinema,” and identifies the development of both of these objectives. This study first traces the trend of cultural identity preservation from the films of the founding generation to their evolution in the projects of young filmmakers today, and similarly explores the development of the trend of social-change promotion from between these generations. In the analysis, I …

People Living With, Not Dying From Disease: Patient Empowerment Through Anti-Retroviral Therapy And Possibilities For Social Change, Xin Wei Ngiam

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In South Africa today, it is estimated that there are 6.5 million people living with HIV/AIDS, at least half a million of whom require urgent treatment. On the continent of Africa as a whole the numbers are even more startling. Unfortunately, although the South African government has now committed itself to rolling out anti-retroviral therapy through the public healthcare system, progress has been slower than expected. Yet in numerous sites around South Africa, rollout centres have been established successfully, even in the most rural parts of the country. These programmes rely on existing community initiatives, community health workers and volunteers, …

Comparing Rural And Urban Primary Education In The Mekong Delta, Helen Behr

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the course of one month I conducted a study of primary education in the Mekong Delta of Vietnam. I compared rural and urban schools to determine what the differences were, how they are reflected in individual schools, and what effects these differences have on individual children. I visited and studied three schools in Can Tho City and three schools in rural communities outside of Can Tho. The differences expected were in enrollment, teacher qualifications, facilities, student motivation and ambition, and curriculum.

Data was compiled from classroom observations, interviews with principals and teachers, and surveys completed by students. Results indicate …

El Papel Homosexual Del Cine De Pedro Almodóvar Durante La Movida Madrileña = The Role Of Homosexuality In The Films Of Pedro Almodóvar During The Movida, Spencer Silverthorne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When I first arrived in Spain, I wanted to conduct my Independent Study Project on the relationship between machismo and homosexuality, and how these lifestyles were represented in the arts throughout Spanish history. Ideally, I would have liked to study the foundation of machismo, and how it was realized and enforced upon the Spanish people and culture, especially during the regime of Francisco Franco. Then, I would have liked to contrast that movement with the portrayal and the image of the homosexuality community, exhibiting how that broke such a traditionalist belief system. The reason why this subject fascinated me was …

“Apparently, I Am A Pedophile:” Living And Coping As A Child-Lover In The Netherlands, Andrew Extein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The term “pedophile” is among the most loaded and controversial in Western culture. In my study I seek to gain a better understanding of the men that would fall into the category of “pedophile,” a phrase that is more often than not misused and misrepresented by our society. To gain this insight I have interviewed six self-identified child-lovers or pedophiles about their life experiences with these feelings, how they came to realize their feelings, how they came to terms with their feelings, how they express their feelings, and how they cope with their feelings. The paper discusses and defines certain …

Finding A Sexual Dialogue With Children: A Dutch Model, Cassandra Baxter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the ways in which Dutch children, under the age of 12, learn about sexuality. This is a holistic investigation of three different avenues of education that children receive; parents, schools, and organizations. Through a framework of developmental psychology, I examine how the methods of, and dominant theories behind, education reveal a larger cultural conception of childhood sexuality.

Through in-depth interviews, I spoke with one parent who lives in Amsterdam, one primary school teacher from the De Theo Thysen School in Amsterdam, two primary school sex educators from the Hulpverlening Gelderland Midden in Arnhem, and a representative from …

El Movimiento De Mujeres Y El Estado Nicaragüense: La Lucha Por La Autonomía, Sarah Moberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Movimiento de Mujeres ha sido un movimiento social vital, diverso e influyente en la historia de Nicaragua, comenzando a mediados del siglo veinte. Ha tenido tres etapas en su evolución, bajo las tres diferentes estructuras del Estado: la dictadura Somocista, el gobierno Sandinista, y los gobiernos neoliberales. Durante las tres etapas, el Movimiento tuvo cambios en sus agendas, sus debates, su membresía y su forma de organización. La relación con el Estado es un gran factor en el rumbo de un movimiento social. Ha influido en las estrategias políticas y las formas de participación, las cuales también han influido …

El Servicio Militar Obligatorio En El Marco De La Democracia, Meagan Michelle Elliott

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the culmination of a month spent conducting interviews and researching the ways in which the armed forces and the civilian population of Chile relate to one another through the obligation of one year of military service for all 18 year-old males. Referencing Chilean history since the end of World War II, this paper overviews the arguments of progressive groups which constitute the movement against obligatory military service and discusses how they have come to understand the armed forces in the context of democracy.

The State Of “Differently Abled” People In The Western Cape, South Africa, Joshua Wade Paul

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is a look into whether the current legislation and resources provided allow for the equality that is promised in the new constitution. I looked at legislation and community NGOs in order to establish what is being done in order to assure that people with disabilities have equal access to resources, including education, transportation, employment, healthcare, public awareness, and human resource development. In order to investigate these questions I worked with the Cape Mental Health Society and the Fountain House; I conducted interviews and observations looking at the community facilities of care. These community groups also provided insight into …

Evangelization And Religious Conflict In Chiapas: In Search Of Common Ground, Katie Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The religious conflict in Chiapas can hardly be called religious; politics, poverty, and indigenous identity issues are a few of the many factors that have shaped the cultural climate here, and have contributed to the violence and tensions. The deeply divided communities, thousands of people displaced from their towns, and the gruesome murders of the past 40 years have all been attributed to the Catholic-Protestant rivalry. But the reality of political power struggles, US and Mexican government involvement, economic need, and the influence of indigenous community organizing/uprising are all informing the current religious climate. The culture wars are as much …

The Bond And The Beautiful!, Nicole Rearick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My Independent Study Project (ISP) research was conducted in Mombasa, Kenya. I initial intention was to focus on Swahili beauty alone and then it led me to a more in depth study. I came upon the idea of women, beauty, and how they come together for beauty processes and how it creates a bond between them. I was aiming to focus on ways females pull together and help each other in order to become beautiful. I also wanted to discover the many traditions which Swahili women use to beautify themselves and what they consider to be beautiful.

The Inter-Communal Relations Among Ngos Operating With Cyprus, Shelby Reneé Port

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research paper is to demonstrate the dynamics of the inter-communal relations established between Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) operating in northern Cyprus and NGOs operating in southern Cyprus fulfilling a similar purpose or serving a similar population in their respective communities.

Supporting Ourselves: Maintaining Mental Well-Being Through An Hiv+/Aids Support Group In A Rural South African Community, Narda Hernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper primarily explores the importance of the support group for people infected and affected by HIV+/AIDS. At St. Matthew’s Clinic in the rural area of Qoboqobo, I invited women between the ages of 25-49 to freely participate in the focus group discussions. I believe that the health care sector could benefit from these groups, both as formal outreach services and informal support networks. There is a lack of healthcare services in rural areas. Of particular interest, PLWA are continuously encouraged to join an HIV/AIDS support group. This paper aims to explore how people are dealing with stress and HIV/AIDS-related …

Les Filles De Marianne: La Laïcité, La Libération, Le Voile, Et Le Féminisme Chez Les Femmes Françaises Ou Daughters Of The Republic: The Perspectives Of French Women On Laïcité, Liberation, The Veil, And Feminism, Kirsten M.Y. Wesselhoeft

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Bofes E Sapinhas: Lesbian Life In Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, Ronny R. Kraft

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For three weeks I studied lesbian women in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil through formal interview, informal interview and observation. I wanted to find out how lesbians interact with a machismo society that treats homosexuality as taboo and women as lesser. I discovered that lesbian women, in Salvador, mainly fall into two categories. The first category describes women that are masculine in nature and therefore are obviously homosexual to the public. The second category of lesbians is less distinguishable by their outward appearance and thus blends in with mainstream society. Through observation and interview I discovered that there is a higher amount …

As Filhas De Oyá: Warriors In The Eye Of The Storm, Sheela Bringi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study follows the trail of Oyá, a black feminine Orixá, or goddess, within the Afro-Brazilian spiritual tradition of Candomblé, through her elemental forces as the winds, storms, tornadoes, the river Niger, and buffalo. I unearth the influence of Oyá on the lives of three black female followers as she is manifested in the world as a black woman, a mother, a warrior and a lover.

I interviewed three black followers of Oyá and found that she is primarily a motherly force which provides protection, guidance and security for her followers. As a warrior, her energy inspires perseverance, determination, and …

What Do You See? Visualizations Of Sexuality Among Young Women In Rijeka, Croatia, Annika Shore

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Identities In Dialogue: Deconstructing The Dynamics Of Bošnjak-Muslim Identities In Novi Pazar, Christine M. Debacker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research was aimed at understanding how individual identify with larger, collective identities (national, ethnic, religious, etc.). In studying the history and current social situation of the former Yugoslavia countries, I learned that often individuals identify themselves within the terms of nation, ethnicity and religion. And I learned that often in this region those terms were used exchangeably. To better understand how differences among individuals and groups were conceived, I turned to the abounding academic theories written on the topics of nation, nationhood and nationalism.

In looking though the mass of theories, I realized that each academic creates theories of …

Feministica: Creating Feminist Consciousness In The Former Yugoslavia, Meghan Boone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Deaf Culture In Mombasa And Hiv/Aids Education, Krystel Viehmann

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ten years ago a crisis was recognized by the Kenyan deaf community when it was realized that the country’s roughly 1 million deaf citizens had received little or no education about the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In Kenya, as elsewhere, the deaf population has formed a community characterized by a common, shared language and experience as a disabled population. The intracacies of this unique culture affect their interactions with the majority hearing community as they have their own customs and ways of interacting with one another that are distinct from the hearing majority. In 2004, the first VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) …