Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Primacy Of Context: An Exploration Into The Causes Of Food Insecurity In Kitere, Kenya., William O. Aludo

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study was to explore the specific reasons why households in Kitere village, Kenya experience persistent food insecurity every year while the region enjoys the advantage of two planting/harvest seasons in a year. Kitere village lies within the lakeside region of Nyanza Province in Kenya, generally considered to be one of the more agriculturally productive parts of the country. The Participatory Rural Appraisal method was employed to gather qualitative data on the causes of food insecurity in Kitere village. The data sources were focus groups and a self-administered, one-time survey of random and non-random samples of key …

Access Abroad: A Design In Equitable Access To Education Abroad, Matthew Zielsdorf

Capstone Collection

Access Abroad is an innovative short-term, faculty-led education abroad design that increases accessible, transformative study abroad programming and enhances academic and intercultural program quality for students enrolled in the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) at The College of New Jersey. The unique design of Access Abroad harnesses key institutional and financial resources at the college to allow 12 EOF undergraduate students to study in La Paz, Bolivia for four weeks in May 2015 with a faculty leader from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. The curriculum will foster student exploration of culture, identity, and community and contribute to the development …

Reexamining Cultural Orientation Provided To Newly Arrived Refugees, Sara E. Matchulat

Capstone Collection

The provision of cultural orientation is one of many services required by the contract between resettlement agencies and the federal agencies overseeing refugee resettlement, the Cooperative Agreement. This paper explores World Relief in Moline, Illinois as a case study for how small resettlement agencies can provide meaningful and memorable cultural orientations. In order to accomplish this goal, this research utilizes the Empowerment Theory to explore how recently resettled refugees’ perceptions can be taken into consideration as orientation materials are examined. Research sought to compare Cooperative Agreement requirements to current orientation materials, interviewed service providers and recently resettled refugees, and utilized …

"Fighting Against Ourselves, Why History Continues To Repeat Itself?", Rysheema J. Dixon

Capstone Collection

My capstone will focus on how self-mobilization among Blacks and Indians can affect change in the United States and India to build a stronger sense of community and improve their rights to education. This paper outlines multiple approaches to fighting against oppressors, combating ethnic to ethnic conflicts and obtaining educational rights. Many cultures have difficulty teaching and learning from one another and it inhibits them from fighting for their rights as citizens. Indians in India and Black Americans have similar background stories in reference to slavery and the caste system but live in two different realities. Identity also plays an …

The Assessment Of Nigerian Diaspora In The Usa And Exploring Its Potential Contribution To Sustainable Development, Binyam Shimelis Aseffa

Capstone Collection

Increased migration is inevitable in an integrating world economy; Nigeria is one of these developing countries with a high migrant or diaspora population. This research is conducted to assess Nigerian Diaspora in the USA and explore its potential contribution to sustainable development. The research used secondary data collection and analysis to come up with the findings. The major findings of the research include; Nigeria is one of the developing countries with the highest migrant population all over the world. Nigerians have left their home in the last few years in droves and today can be found in every part of …

Using Privilege To Dismantle Privilege: Stories From Anti-Racism Work And Other Liberation Struggles Through The Eyes Of A Middle Class, White Man, Nicholas Cream

Capstone Collection

This paper is part of a Course-Linked Capstone with Training Design for Experiential Learning and Training for Social Action. The primary reason why I chose to pursue a Course-Linked Capstone with these courses is because of the depth of learning I experienced while at SIT and the continuation of this learning into my Reflective Practice Phase. These courses were instrumental in my learning about myself as well as about the importance of experiential learning in relation to training and facilitation.

Because of my particular experience at the SIT Graduate Institute, I cannot detach training and facilitation from understanding of my …

Samar Basi – “We Go There Together” The Local Peace Committees And Their Effect On Building Peace In Nepal, Jessica Faye Babcock

Capstone Collection

“We have ears but no hearing. We have eyes but no sight. But I hope our children do not have to go through a similar fate of ignorance.” – Kattike Nepali (Jumla)

From 1996 to 2006 Nepal experienced a horrible, civil conflict taking over 13,000 of its citizens, displaced another 25,000 with many more unaccounted for. With the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006, between the Government of Nepal and the Maoists insurgents, the violence ceased but the long road to recovery and peace began. Nepal is currently transitioning towards a democratic government. The establishment of a Constitutional …

Exploring The History And Challenges Of Monitoring And Evaluation In International Nongovernmental Organizations: Complemented By Intern Experience At Save The Children Usa, Scott Toscano

Capstone Collection

This paper examines the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system of a large international non-profit organization, Save the Children. An internship was used to support the central M&E unit and work on projects related to its needs. Projects included cataloging evaluation reports from the past two years and evaluation plans for the upcoming year, interviewing key informants about technical resource utilization and validating evidence about known gaps in Save the Children’s M&E system. A review of evaluation literature showing the evolution of the development evaluation practice is followed by a description of the mechanisms in Save the Children’s M&E system and …

The Remittance Intentions Of Second-Generation Ghanaian-Americans, Kirstie Kwarteng

Capstone Collection

Remittances have become an integral part of economies all over the Global South and Ghana is no exception. Official accounts estimate that remittances to Ghana have been as high as US $1 billion a year, although the true number is likely to be much higher as funds are also remitted through informal channels. This is a significant inflow of foreign currency, sent almost completely by first generation Ghanaian immigrants abroad. To maintain this level of inflows over the long run, however, would require that second-generation Ghanaian immigrants continue to remit at the same level as their parents. This study examines …

After The Sugarcane: A Case Study Of Community Development In Rural Dominican Republic, Heidi Larr

Capstone Collection

This is a qualitative case study of the relationship between MOSCTHA and the Savings and Loans Group demonstrating how both influence community development in Batey Antoncí, Dominican Republic. The purpose of this study is to discover and discuss the approaches used by both the organization and the group during the development process, and how the social identity and leadership styles of the women affected the community development initiative. Background and history of the community, MOSCTHA and community group is discussed. The methodology used throughout this process include: focus groups, diagnostics, verbal and written interviews, training and observations. The findings demonstrate …

Study Abroad And Identity: The African American Experience, Alicia Ranney

Capstone Collection

Not all students are alike, nor should they be treated as 'one size fits all' in study abroad. Students have different backgrounds, goals, and expectations of what they will gain from an international academic experience. Minority students face different types of challenges in study abroad than their non-minority counterparts.

This paper seeks to answer the question “does study abroad change the identity of African American students?” and examines the challenges of identity and racism and how those two factors may decrease participation rates of African Americans in study abroad. Students from Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan were surveyed before and …

Agroforestry And Smallholder Farmers: Climate Change Adaptation Through Sustainable Land Use, Colin Mccabe

Capstone Collection

Agriculture in the developing world will be extremely hard hit by climate change, and smallholder farmers in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) are among the most vulnerable to its impacts. There is a range of agricultural adaptations to climate change, and each context demands a unique appraisal of impacts and adaptations based on specific geography, local climate variability and expected change, and social conditions. The term “climate-smart agriculture” (CSA) has come to embody a set of practices in crop and livestock cultivation that 1) reduce greenhouse gas emissions (climate change mitigation), 2) build resilience to the impacts of climate change for …

Sharing What Works Through South-South Cooperation: The Case Of The Risk Reduction Management Centre Replication Project, Rachel M. Cohn

Capstone Collection

The Risk Reduction Management Centre (RRMC) Replication Project, an initiative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), aims to take a Cuban best practice in disaster risk reduction and adapt it to the local context of five other Caribbean countries. This project differs from most development projects in that the individuals and institutions providing the assistance (in this case technical training and know-how) are themselves from a developing country (Cuba). This model, wherein developing countries provide resources, information, and training to other developing countries, is known as South-South Cooperation (SSC).

This capstone uses the case of the RRMC Replication Project …

Eliminating Sexual Harassment Of Adolescent Girls In Bangladesh: A Comparative Analysis Of Multi-Level Strategies, Kristan Bakker

Capstone Collection

As a result of civil society and the government of Bangladesh’s commitment to reach universal education and gender equality, great strides have been made in secondary school enrollment with the number of girls attending now on par with that of boys. However, a consequence of the increased mobility of adolescent girls in public places is increased incidences of sexual harassment. In 2009 and 2010 there was a rash of suicides. Adolescent girls who had been victims of sexual harassment took their own lives to escape the pain and shame brought on by a culture that blames girls for men’s unwelcomed …