Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

L’Association "Alliances Et Cultures Nord" : Son Rôle En France Et Mon Rôle Avec Elle, Carolyn Raithel

France: Language, Community and Social Change

Alliances et Cultures est une association dans le quartier Nord en Toulouse. Elle sert du centre social et elle offre beaucoup de programmes différents pour tous les âges et leurs besoins. J’y ai travaillé avec un programme spécifique qui s’appelle « Contrat local d’accompagnement à la scolarité », ou « CLAS » en acronyme. C’est un programme national dont il y en a aux plusieurs centres sociaux en France. Ce programme a le slogan « pour apprendre autrement ! » et il donne une opportunité qui est rare en France aux enfants de recevoir l’aide individuelle à la scolarité au …

Illusion Or Ununderstood Reality: Spiritual Or Psychic Healing And Protection In Southern Madagascar, Henri Lucien Sandifer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Far from the hospital room and its doctor, the medicine and philosophies of Lakazy and its Ombiasa pertain to a domain largely untouched by western logic and science. Their practices appear to be effective and unique enough to have survived the advent of compelling new theological and scientific belief systems and the vastly different perspectives on community health and stability which these systems have brought to Madagascar. The prime examples of these new arrivals are Christianity and modern medicine, respectively. Within and without their sacred space, the mission of the true Ombiasa is to support their community and for this …

Le Cap Centre, Lauren Rowse

France: Language, Community and Social Change

Le CAP Centre est une épicerie sociale qui donne l’aide financière pour l’alimentation. Elle permet aux personnes qui ont des difficultés passagères au niveau financier de faire des économies pour réaliser leur « projet de vie ». Projet de vie est un terme utilisé pour décrire un soutien qui permet aux gens d’économiser pour qu’ils puissent faire des choses normales et habituelles de la vie quotidienne. « Normales et habituelles » : à définir dans le contexte culturel français C’est aussi l’idée que tout le monde devrait avoir l’opportunité de participer dans une vie sociale car beaucoup des bénéficiaires des …

Los Determinantes De La Diferencia En La Tasa De Fecundidad Adolescente Entre Comunidades Pobres Y Ricas En Buenos Aires, Emily Turner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Buenos Aires has some of the lowest rates of teenage fertility in Argentina (Gogna, Binstock, Fernández, Ibarlucía, & Zamberlin, 2008). However, this aggregated number obscures the huge variance within the city. In the most current available data (2010/2012) from the government of the city of Buenos Aires (GCBA) broken down by comunas (areas) highest fertility rate for 15-19 year olds was 81.6 births (per 1000) versus the lowest fertility rate which was only 6.2 (D. d. e. d. GCBA). This discrepancy is huge and reflects the incredible economic disparity in Buenos Aires. The comunas with the three …

La Realidad De Comercio Justo: Una Investigación De Las Fallas Y Los Éxitos Del Sistema En El Valle De La Convención, Perú, Desde La Perspectiva De Los Productores, Katy Keisling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este informe es el producto de mi proyecto de investigación sobre el funcionamiento del Comercio Justo en el cultivo del café en el Valle de la Convención, Perú. El Comercio Justo fue creado hace 25 años con el objetivo de mejorar la vida del pequeño productor a través de un sistema de comercio que valora la democracia y pago justo. Ahora, muchos investigadores han estudiado el tema para analizar sus impactos – pero la mayoría de literatura existente sobre el tema falta la voz del productor. Por esta razón, ubico mi estudio en la perspectiva del pequeño productor. Utilizando la …

There Are No Fat People In The Netherlands: Embodied Identities, Hypervisibility, And The Contextual Relevancy Of Fatness, Jean Ochterski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research is the product of a month long exploratory study on fatness in the Netherlands and how it intersects with other marginalized identities, including race, class, and queerness. The primary question it answers is the ways in which hypervisibility of fat bodies interplays with the silences surrounding size as an axis of identity. The research removes fatness from solely conversations in the public health field and re-situates it in a feminist, academic framework. Data was obtained through oral history interviews with seven self identified fat people currently living the Netherlands. The results show that childhood, dieting practices, standards of …

Fros, Weaves, And Kinks: The Social And Political Significance Of Hair For Black And Coloured Women In Cape Town, Carol Antunez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project seeks to explore and understand hair performance by black and coloured females in Cape Town and understand 1) its possible political significance and 2) its social role. This ISP will attempt to explore the construction of hair as a symbol of class and beauty by looking at its historical significance. In this paper, I will investigate how young women in Cape Town, specifically black and coloured women, choose to represent themselves through hair and explore the connotations attached to their particular hairstyle choice. Furthermore, in this paper I will try to answer the following questions 1) Do black …

The Trajectory Of Warwick Junction As A Site Of Inclusivity In Post-Apartheid South Africa, Kara Van Schilfgaarde Van Schilfgaarde

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Warwick Junction, a thriving trading hub in the inner city of Durban, has long been considered one of the best examples of collaborative urban management practices between the local government and informal traders. In a post-apartheid South Africa, there was a national desire to transform the old systems of governance, which in Warwick translated to city government institutions making an effort to include informal traders in the policymaking and management processes. This paper tracks the history of Warwick Junction, using its oppressive past to frame common perspectives of informal trade. It considers the legacy of the post-apartheid era South Africa, …

Challenges Affecting Street Children In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: Case Of Gulu Municipality, Annie Weber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Northern Uganda has been beleaguered with political unrest and rebellion for over two decades. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has wreaked havoc on the entire northern population, causing lives to be lost and leaving a stain of physical and mental trauma that will last forever. Children, having been the most affected during the war, are still feeling the influence that the LRA has left behind. This study sets out to try to understand the phenomenon of street children in post-conflict northern Uganda, specifically in Gulu Municipality. The phenomenon of street children is considered to be one of the most prevalent …

Gender Disparities In Access To Hiv Testing And Antiretroviral Treatment Services, Wyatt Lombard Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout a six-week practicum period at TASO Mulago in Kampala, Uganda and St. Francis Naggalama Hospital in Naggalama, Uganda, the researcher aimed to find methods to increase male engagement in all facets of comprehensive HIV/AIDS care. Women and children generally receive most global attention on the issue of HIV/AIDS in Uganda but men are beginning to demand more attention. Antiretroviral treatment has been critical in allowing countless people to live functionally with HIV but many research projects have hypothesized that delayed access to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention methods has resulted in men exhibiting higher mortality rates upon initiation of this …

A Case Study Of Rural Finance Self-Help Groups In Uganda And Their Impact On Poverty Alleviation And Development, Rebecca Flynn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of financial Self-Help Groups (SHGs)on poverty alleviation and development in rural areasof Uganda and evaluate their successes, limitations, and potential for sustainability.An extensive literature review ofpovertyin Uganda, development theories and development in Uganda,andrural finance self-help group methodology and theorieswas conducted in order to provide a broader context for the research.

The participants in the research were members of SHGs in Central Uganda under the Self-Help Group Approach Uganda (SHGAU) organization andemployees of SHGAU.The primary methods were personal interviews and focus groups. Thesegave the researcher insight into the goals and structure …

Old And Alone: Analyzing The Developed And Inherent Social Avenues For Elderly In A Modernizing Society, Haley Sanner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Worldwide populations are experiencing dramatic demographic shifts in the number of older? people due to improved medical care and family planning campaigns that have both decreased fertility and increased life expectancy. It is predicted that within the next few decades half the world’s population will be over 50 and in developing countries the elderly population will increase four-fold (Adhikari, 2012, 1). Since the aging process is accompanied by the loss of physical and mental abilities due to health-related issues, this shift will create many new challenges for Nepal. Modernization has increased the presence of globalized labor and migration to urban …

Himalayan Heritage: Local Organization And The Role Of Tradition In The Community Development Of The Thakali People, Erik Svedberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the communities of the Thakali people of Mustang, Nepal, decisionmaking power has traditionally been held by the local chieftain, the Mukhiya. However, this traditional authority appears to be threatened by two trends of Nepali development: the institutionalization of the Village Development Committee (VDC) as the official entity of local government, and the proliferation of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as part of a development push to expand community participation in decisionmaking. Current scholarship has deeply explored the sociocultural dynamics of the Mukhiya as well as how the sociopolitical landscapes of Thakali societies are changing, but a scholarly link between the …

“The Gift Of Gab”: An Investigation Of Self Help Groups As Sources Of Women’S Empowerment In Udaipur, Rajasthan, Leigh Thomas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India as a rising global superpower continues to be plagued by rampant poverty and gender inequality that has left it ranked 136th on the UNDP’s Human Development Index (UNDP). In its attempts to counter these trends, an assortment of development schemes have historically been employed to varying degrees of success. Recently, the grassroots model of the Self Help Group (SHG) has been widely adopted by government programs and NGOs alike as a community-based development model that can be especially utilized to address the status of women. SHGs are broadly defined as small informal associations formed so members can gain economic …

Los Colores De La Edad, Kerry Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La vejez ecuatoriana está a punto de convertirse en la población más importante del país en las siguientes décadas. El estado está elaborando planes para establecer la infraestructura de apoyo que necesitará la población de ancianos que está creciendo, pero es importante que entendamos cómo ayudarlos de la manera más adecuada. La tradición del cuidado en la casa de los hijos está cambiando, pero no es necesariamente un retraso si es que en otro lugar encuentran la compañía, el amor y las amistades que necesitan. Dentro de un asilo de ancianos es posible crear estas características si uno recrea en …

Más Allá De Las Fronteras: Pasos Hacia La Educación Intercultural Basados En La Experiencia Con Alumnos Migrantes En 6 Escuelas Primarias En Buenos Aires, Argentina Y Santiago, Chile, Kendra Layton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora los efectos y los beneficios de la inmigración en Chile y Argentina en el ámbito escolar al tomar como foco seis escuelas en Santiago y Buenos Aires. Situadas en tensión con culturas que prescriben al paradigma de la asimilación, el objetivo general es indagar sobre la presencia de programas interculturales que se adapten a los alumnos migrantes, una modalidad basada en la apertura, reconocimiento y enriquecimiento de culturas distintas. Para indagar que tanto las escuelas emplean el enfoque de interculturalidad, la investigación analiza el discurso del personal, observa su práctica en el aula y explora los alcances …

Interpretaciones Entretejidas De Justicia: Estudio De Caso De Los Talleristas Bolivianos En Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rebecca Mendoza

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

All over the world, so called, “sweatshops” have become a talking point on the social justice soap box due to some key incidents that have caught the public eye. These sweatshops are known for being informal labor subcontracted by large brand names, paid unsustainable wages – the brands score big as consumers indulge in the cheap fashion clothing. However, fires, disasters and recent discoveries of dangerous slave-like conditions have brought new debates to the surface about what is to be done. Initially one might desire to end the injustice in a rapid sweep of the poorest parts of the world, …

Una Lucha Contra La Corriente: Análisis De La Ley 779 Ley Integral Contra La Violencia Hacia Las Mujeres En Nicaragua, Christina Brown

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En ese mundo existe muchísima violencia contra las mujeres, y a veces tenemos la tendencia de tratar ese dato como un tabú, como algo de lo cual no podemos hablar en público. Sin embargo, el hecho es que en cualquier sociedad necesitamos tener conversaciones más difíciles de este tipo para encontrar la manera de prevenir la violencia y abordarla. Al lado de esa violencia existe también una grandísima lucha en que las mujeres de todas las edades, clases, y todas partes del mundo están uniéndose para defender su derecho de vivir sin violencia. En Nicaragua esa lucha se había logrado …

Blood, Self-Sufficiency, And The Government Dime, Elijah Ober

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project begins with an examination of the blacksmith trade in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, based upon the observation and limited apprenticeship of the author.

It then examines the caste system in Spiti. Th9is system more intense in certain regions than others, but throughout the region the Zoks, the metal-smith caste, are second from the bottom. This has two main effects on the caste. First, caste is keeping zoks who remain in the village in the lower class. Secondly, the fact that their historical profession is the symbol of their caste, combined with the fact that their Scheduled Caste Status makes …

A Village National: The Transformative Potential Of Fortifying The Preexisting Structures Of An Organic Nepal, Alexandra Sarazen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal is in the midst of a severe food deficit as well as in the process of recovering from a 10 year civil war. Today, nearly 80 percent of the population works in the agricultural sector which accounts for 38 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Recent declines in agricultural production have depressed rural economies, increased widespread hunger and catalyzed an influx of urban migration from outside of Kathmandu. Within its total population of 29 million people, 55% earn less than $1.25 a day, 29% of children under 5 years of age are underweight, and 41% of the same demographic …

How Far Would You Go With Him?: Interethnic Romantic And Sexual Encounters And Relations Among Men In The Dutch Context, Dillon C. Harvey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report seeks to explore the experiences and complications men face romantically and sexually when ethnicity and race are used as focus lenses to reflect upon the participants' past interpersonal interactions. The interviews and analyses within this article reflect the ways in which Dutch ethnic/racial norms and stereotypes shape attraction and desire, and how men who pursue other men romantically and/or sexually negotiate with said external constructions of identity. Research in this paper provides the reader with insight into race relations on an intimate level through the participants' personal narratives, revealing the complexity of Dutch race relations on the most …

Livelihood Security Among Refugees In Uganda: Opportunities, Obstacles, And Physical Security Implications, Karen J. Norris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project was designed to investigate the challenges refugees face in securing a livelihood, and to understand the extent to which the United Nations, the government of Uganda, and various aid groups are able to assist refugees in achieving self-reliance, and the capacity that refugees have to empower themselves. It also endeavors to expose any disparities between nationality groups, and the impact of these differences. Furthermore, this project aims to explore the impact of refugee livelihood security on regional physical security and community stability.

Research for this study was conducted in Kyangwali and Nakivale Refugee Settlements in Uganda, as …

Rhetoric Or Results?: Tourism, The Aquarium, And The People Of Fortaleza, Molly Silvia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When one thinks of tourism, he or she conjures images of travel, exotic locations, and spending money. Yet rarely do people stop and think about where exactly their money is going. Nowadays, tourism is a booming industry that many countries believe contributes significantly to their GDP. But while tourism may contribute significantly to a country’s economy, it may not provide the people of that nation with any substantial improvements in their quality of life. This monograph questions why Brazil has chosen to invest its GDP in the tourism industry, while the nation has 21.4% of its population in poverty (The …

Misguided Saviors: An Analysis Of International Adoption Issues And Necessary Considerations For Prospective Adoptive Parents, Louisa Rich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

International adoption flows from poor countries to rich countries and in the past it has been regarded as a good way to help those in need, by giving impoverished abandoned children families. Recently, however, the need for adoption in these countries has lessened considerably, but the desire to adopt has not. With less children available for adoption and a high demand, combined with large sums of money pouring into less developed countries, adoption scandals and poor practices have been surfacing over the past few years. The right of the child is often not being protected in adoption procedures and associations …

“Breastfeeding Perceptions And Practices” A Comparative Study Of Two Opposing Socio-Economic Level Quarters Within Yaoundé, Cameroon, Alexandria J. Ross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project aims to identify and analyze the conditions that influence breastfeeding perceptions and practices within two opposing socioeconomic level quarters of Yaoundé, Cameroon: Bastos and Madagascar. According to the World Health Organization recommendations for optimal infant and young child nutrition, mothers are advised to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life after birth before introducing complimentary feeding. Cameroon since 2005 has adhered to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. It is classified as a Category 1 as a country which discourages commercial pressures to feed alternative forms of nutrition known as breastmilk substitutes.

This …

Hiv/Aids In Yunnan Province: A Study Of Stigma And Support, Sofia Haile

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted a qualitative study on the ability of peer-HIV-support groups in Kunming, China to lessen the effects stigma. There is a lack of quantitative studies of stigma in Yunnan, and no studies that address the ability of Kunming peer-groups to lessen the effects of stigma. Over the course of one month, I collected data via questionnaire, individual interviews, group interviews, and scholarly research. My study had sixteen participants (five female sex workers, seven former intravenous drug users, and four men who have sex with men).

My scholarly research revealed that peer-groups are an effective way to: disseminate knowledge to …

Movimento Dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra: Constructing Humanity, Phoebe Rosenheim

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Neo-Marxist theory suggests that capitalist structures are dehumanizing and that alternative structures should be constructed to re-humanize the people. Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) constructs settlements of small, self-governing family farms as an alternative to the large agricultural estates that dominate Brazil. The settlements have transformed the way workers see themselves. They have successfully developed a humanizing alternative; MST members see themselves as subjects. It is important for Social Justice movements to understand how MST has achieved such powerful differences from Capitalist societies in order to replicate humanizing social structures. My study sought to understand how MST’s agricultural …

"Let It Come From The People”: Exploring Decentralization, Participatory Processes, And Community Empowerment In Western, Rural Uganda, Rachel Harmon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study sought to understand the extent to which the participatory planning framework established in the Local Government Act of 1997 is utilized and to what extent it encourages and results in genuine community empowerment for rural communities.More specifically, it aimed to understand the extent of genuine citizen participation by assessing the degree to which community members feel that they are empowered to participate in strategies for rural development at all levels of the government. Additionally, this project sought to explore the position that the Epicenter Managers have within the participatory framework established for rural development, with a particular focus …

“Let’S Talk About Sex, Baby”: An Explorative Study Of Sexual Communication Between Heterosexual Couples In The Netherlands, Maggy Di Costanzo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is an explorative study of how sexual communication and satisfaction act within a Dutch, mixed-sex, monogamous, long-term relationship. This research also analyzes how roles are developed within a dyad based off gender formation and Social Exchange Theory. I conducted interviews with three couples, one sex coach, and one sexologist in order to research my topic. Data was analyzed through common themes found throughout the narratives of the couples in relation to theory. I found that couples directly associate high amounts of sexual communication with a sexually satisfying relationship. The majority of sexual communication between couples is non-verbal, although partners …

The Modern Opinions Regarding Polygamy Of Married Men And Women In Dakar, Hannah Fried-Tanzer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Polygamy is the practice in which a man takes multiple wives. While it is no longer legal in certain countries, it is still allowed both legally and religiously in Senegal, and is still practiced today. Traveling to Senegal from the United States, one might find that the opinions toward the practice vary by country. This study was conducted for three purposes. The first purpose was to define polygamy in a Senegalese context and discover how married men and women in Dakar regard the practice. The second was to determine whether these opinions vary based on gender, length of marriage, ethnicity, …