Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

Resource Quality And Defense: Feeding Behaviors And Female Territoriality In Two Species Of Tropical Hummingbird, Briana Grether

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The study "Resource Quality and Defense: Feeding Behaviors and Female Territoriality in Two Species of Tropical Hummingbird" investigates the feeding behaviors and territoriality of hummingbirds at a flowering shrub of the Gesneriaceae family, Besleria solanoides. Four 1.25-hour observation periods were completed each day, rotating between four different observation sites. During each observation period, the sugar concentration of nectar and number of flowers on each bush was measured, and each time a hummingbird entered the area the following data was recorded: species, sex, time of arrival, duration of visit, number of flowers probed, number of perches, duration of longest perches, any …

Demise From Within: Factionalism In Maoist Parliamentary Politics In Nepal, Jehdeiah Mixon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the last decade, the Communist Party of NepalMaoists Center (CPNMaoist Center) has suffered from fragmentation. Currently led by Prime Minister and chairman Prachanda, tensions within the CPNMaoist Center have resulted in former CPNMaoist Center chairman Mohan Baidya splitting with the party in 2012, followed by former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai in 2015. Prachanda, Baidya and Bhattarai, who are credited for igniting the Maoist People’s War (19962006), now lead three separate political factions within parliament. Standard explanations for the splits point to ideological differences as the basis of the splits, due to the CPNMaoist Center’s history of factionalism along …

Making It Work: Supporting Contemporary Artists In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Michael Curran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Following the country’s political transition to democracy in the 1990s, a generation of Mongolian artists constructed an art movement rooted in the issues of the new society: transitional national identity, corrupt political and economic systems, and a growingly complex relationship with nature. The liberalization of the economy, however, hasn’t nurtured sustainable creative resources or helped artists reach domestic or international markets, pressuring them to find alternative ways to create livelihoods out of their craft. This study considers how emerging multidisciplinary artists sustain themselves through both formal and informal means, and the motivations behind their creative lifestyles.

Central to the study …

Breast Is Best: Determinants Of Breastfeeding In Bali, Leah Hardenbergh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Breastfeeding greatly benefits the health of newborns, providing them with needed antibodies and protection from numerous diseases, including some of the leading causes of infant mortality. This paper explores breastfeeding practices in Bali, and the wide array of factors that have led to these practices. After discussing how breastfeeding fits into the larger context of maternal and newborn health, I explain factors in Bali that affect a woman’s decision to breastfeed and experience while breastfeeding. Determinants include those related to health, financial position, and social status. I explore the history of formula companies and formula as an alternative to breastmilk, …

Actually, Let’S Not Talk About Sex: The Value-Laden Sex Education Received By China’S Young Women, Allyson Tsu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Media In Rwanda: Internship With The New Times, Rhiannon Snide

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report examines the effects and expectations of media in Rwanda today, specifically in reference to the New Times daily newspaper. I spent one month interning with the New Times as a news writer, spending approximately 45 to 50 hours a week with the institution. Within this month, I was able to use both primary research and secondary research to analyze the role of media in Rwanda’s society today. Interviews with head editors of the New Times and conversations with paid journalists from the New Times provided me with much of the information specific to the news outlet, while desk …

Tomando En Cuenta: Perspectivas Sobre Las Tomas Del Movimiento Estudiantil Chileno / Taking Into Consideration: Perspectives On The Tomas Of The Chilean Student Movement, María Navarro-Gutiérrez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hoy día, actores en el movimiento estudiantil de Chile utilizan varias formas de protesta para comunicar sus deseos e ideas. Entre ellos, la toma de la escuela chilena, durante la cual los estudiantes “ocupan” a su escuela por un periodo de tiempo, se ha convertido en una de las formas de protesta más comunes y emblemáticas del movimiento. Muchas tomas ofrecen un espacio seguro, fuera de las calles, donde los estudiantes pueden instigar un dialogo entre ellos y la administración sobre sus preocupaciones. Sin embargo, aunque las tomas seguidas producen resultados positivos para ambos lados, acusaciones de la pérdida de …

Geospasial Indonesia: The Utilization Of Spatial Data Through Geographic Information Systems Across Indonesia In Various Environmental Contexts, Kaitlyn Bretz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Spatial planning and mapping in Indonesia have had a precarious history for the past several decades. Laws controlling the creation of maps for land use planning have fluctuated greatly between executive administrations and the country is still struggling to create a single, unified national map. With the One Map Policy the future of mapping is optimistic, but in the meantime spatial data analyses are lacking. Geographic information systems (GIS) is a computerized system for the capture, storage, querying, analysis, and display of spatial data, and is used predominately by the government, private companies, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) across Indonesia. Community …

Sentido De Comunidad: Conectando La Teoría Con La Práctica En El Sector La Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador / Sense Of Community: Connecting Theory With Practice In The Mariscal Sector, Quito, Ecuador, Matthew Sant-Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En este ensayo, analizaré las maneras en que la teoría del sentido de comunidad se traduce en la práctica. Para cumplir con este análisis, me enfoco en una organización barrial, Operación Urbana Sostenible (OPUS) – La Mariscal, que se ubica en un barrio al norte de Quito, Ecuador. Después de repasar la literatura académica actual y presentar el marco teórico, proveo información básica de fondo tanto del barrio La Mariscal como de la organización OPUS. Luego, considero la temática de la aplicación de la teoría del sentido de comunidad a través de un análisis de tres temas principales que OPUS …

Benthic Algae And Diatom Communities In Seagrass Meadows Under Three Different Human Impact Regimes In Bocas Del Toro, Panamá, Averyl Cheng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Bocas del Toro, Panamá, widespread tourism has been the main source of revenue and has become an increasing threat to seagrass meadows and the organisms they support. This study aimed to investigate and describe algae and diatom communities under three different regimes of anthropogenic disturbance: high, medium and low human impact. The biodiversity was analyzed by measuring the algae and diatom assemblages with Shannon-Weiner’s Biodiversity Index, Evenness Index and Sorensen’s coefficient. The data obtained from these three diversity indices were compared to the areas along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient of high, medium and low impact. A total of 12 …

Pink Parenthood: An Exploration Of Lesbian Parenting In The Netherlands, Sophia Ladner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is an explorative study of Dutch Lesbian parents and their experiences having and raising children in Dutch society. This research explores the social attitudes surrounding lesbian parents in Amsterdam and another city to see how their experiences are shaped by factors including their sexual orientation, their construction of family, and the relationships and values they feel are important to impart on their children. 5 qualitative interviews, four with married couples, and 1 solo interview, laid the groundwork for the research. The data from the interviews was analyzed using existing texts on LGBTQ, within a framework of social constructionist theory. …

Pelear Por La Dignidad: La Lucha De Las Mujeres Trabajadoras Sexuales Voluntarias Por Derechos Laborales En Un Clima Estigmatizado Políticamente / To Fight For Dignity: The Fight Of Female Voluntary Sex Workers For Labor Rights In A Politically Stigmatized Climate, Rosalind Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Argentina is a country with a rich history of social movements and popular mobilization. Currently, the issue of women’s equality is highly prevalent in the national and political dialogue. An area that is frequently referenced as a divide in the feminist movement is sex work. Argentina has adopted a series of laws and regulations that have created an ‘abolitionist’ political atmosphere, outlawing the sexual exploitation of individuals and persecuting ‘pimps’, per se. The politics surrounding sex work, on paper, are meant to eliminate human trafficking rings and lower the amount of victims exploited through trafficking. However, the application of the …

Evaluation Des Impacts Sociaux Et Ecologiques De La Gestion Communautaire De La Forêt D’Analabe, Nicole Israel-Meyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Le transfert de gestion des forêts de l’Etat vers les communautés locales est l’une des approches que le gouvernement malgache a implémentées pour à la fois conserver la biodiversité locale et continuer le développement rural. Cette étude cherche à comprendre les impacts sociaux et écologiques de la gestion communautaire de la forêt d’Analabe par le VOI Fanarenana. La forêt d’Analabe se trouve dans le secteur d’Antanandava du district Majunga II dans le nord-ouest du pays. En utilisant une méthodologie mixte, l’étude a exposé que dans les trois ans d’opération du VOI Fanarenana, la forêt est plus saine et la majorité …

El Rol De Los Supermercados Chinos En La Integración Social De La Población China En Buenos Aires / The Role Of Chinese Supermarkets In The Social Integration Of The Chinese Population In Buenos Aires, Dana Marrero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Aunque la inmigración china es algo relativamente nuevo en la historia de Argentina, las personas de aquel país han tenido una presencia fuerte en la sociedad de Buenos Aires, la ciudad Capital. En gran parte, esto es debido al nicho económico en el que muchos de los trabajadores chinos se han concentrado: los supermercados. Los pequeños mercados de barrio manejados por dueños chinos son tan comunes que a menudo los porteños simplemente dicen frases como “voy al chino” para referirse a estos comercios. Y con razón: en el 2011, aproximadamente el 35% de todos los mercados de Argentina pertenecía a …

Developing Nations And Disadvantaged Populations: How The 2009 H1n1 Influenza Pandemic Exacerbated Disparities And Inequities, Rebecca Lebeaux

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, although not as deadly or long lasting as initially projected, demonstrated that the world was and is ill prepared to handle a mass pandemic. As the first pandemic of the twenty-first century, the pandemic revealed global health insecurities and asymmetrical disease burdens for disadvantaged individuals and countries. This paper will analyze why both developing countries and disadvantaged individuals suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. Using the framework of structural violence, this paper will investigate how socioeconomic and political disparities encountered before and during the pandemic caused differential health, societal, political, and economic outcomes. These preexisting disparities …

Populist Radical Right Parties And The Securitization Of Migration In France, Ashley Middleton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper addresses the interrelationship between the securitization of migration and the influence of the French populist radical right party, Front National (FN), in promoting anti-migrant claims. By analysing how political actors have played a role in applying security terms to migration in Europe, the paper addresses the different types of socio-political factors that have influenced the anti-migrant sentiment in France. The paper also aims to summarize the role of the media in securitizing migration. Furthermore, the analysis continues with an exploration of French security policy with regard to migration to better understand how FN has benefitted from a …

Give A Man A Fish: A Narrative Approach To A Case Study Of Soup Kitchens In The Wentworth Community, Evelyn Shen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study uses a narrative approach to explore the role of soup kitchens in the predominantly Coloured and English-speaking Wentworth community. Many of the community’s churches1 and non-profit organizations host soup kitchens regularly, rotating so that there is a meal available each day of the week.

Qualitative data was gathered through volunteering with the soup kitchens as a participant observer and having conversations and open-ended interviews with soup kitchen guests and hosts. Institutional context was provided by interviews with the Convener of the War Room and the Ward Councillor, and representatives of three non-profits in the community. In order to …

The Complex Combatant: Constructions Of Victimhood And Perpetrator-Hood In Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Kyra Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the wake of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) conflict in Northern Uganda, both the local and international community struggle to define the “victims” and “perpetrators” of a conflict that transformed ordinary civilians into combatants. Made up primarily of child soldiers, the LRA forcefully abducted and conscripted children across Northern Uganda to fight in a guerilla war against the Ugandan government. LRA members were forced to murder their own families and terrorize their home villages in an attempt to disorient and desensitize them to lives of violence. Some became willing, even eager fighters; others struggled daily to live with their …

Exploring Access To Portable Water And Sanitation Practices In A Post-Conflict Environment: The Case Of Gulu District, Northern Uganda, Peyton Going

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the course of 30 days of fieldwork in October and November of 2016, data was collected through interviews conducted with local government officials, researchers and academics, and village community members of Gulu District.

The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which agencies have improved water and sanitation in the region. The case study of Gulu utilized in-depth interviews with key informants, focus groups, and observations, and sought to determine who the local stakeholders in water and sanitation are, the water sources and sanitation facilities available and their uses, the perception local people have about their …

Estigma Y Discriminación Hacia Hombres Que Tienen Sexo Con Otros Hombres (Hsh) Y Mujeres Trans: El Impacto En La Vulnerabilidad Y Riesgo Frente Al Vih/Sida / Stigma And Discrimination Against Men Who Have Sex With Men (Msm) And Transgender Women: The Impact On Vulnerability And Risk Of Hiv / Aids, Alessandra Scher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question – How does stigma and discrimination toward men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women affect their vulnerability toward HIV/AIDS?

Background – Although there has been progress over the years on improving attitudes towards, and knowledge about, sexual diversity, LGBT persons continue to be harshly discriminated against and stigmatized. The conservative and machista nature of Chilean society, as well as a lack of information about sexual diversity, perpetuates this treatment and marginalization of those who do not conform to the social expectations surrounding sexual relations and strict gender norms, specifically homosexual men and other MSM, as …

For A Public-Private Partnership To Achieve Migrant Health Equality In Morocco: A Cross-Analysis Of Integration Policies And Migrant Peer Educator Programs, Victoria Anders

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the Moroccan Ministry in Charge of Moroccans Living Abroad and Migration Affairs (MRE) released its National Strategy on Immigration and Asylum in December 2014, MRE has put forth various policies and action plans to improve migrant integration in Morocco, including the need for their integration into the national healthcare system. Before that, most of the needs of the growing migrant population in Morocco were provided for by civil society and non-governmental organizations, who worked with severely underserved and isolated migrants often fearful and distrusting of the government and authorities. To overcome this resentment, these organizations had to develop community …

Humanity Balancing On A Turtle’S Back: Perceptions And Values Of Sea Turtle Conservation Among Different Demographics At Four Sites In The Bocas Del Toro Archipelago Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Roxanne Hoorn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Being the ancient, world traveling, iconic mega-fauna they are, sea turtles have found their way into cultures and traditions around the world, often holding great prestige. Along with their mystical qualities, sea turtles have also been intricately intertwined in the livelihoods of cultures around the globe, utilized for food, jewelry, income, and more recently, scientific research. The ways in which humans around the world perceive the value of this species varies greatly, often causing conflict between those who wish to protect and conserve sea turtles, and those looking to continue using turtles as either a source of income or food. …

A Road To Somewhere: Changing Trade And The Adaptation To Survive In Humla, Sophie Louaillier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an investigation of the changing trade in Humla, one of the most remote regions in Nepal. I particularly focus on the road being built from the village of Hilsa, which lies on the border of China and Nepal, to Simikot, the main town. This road will be accessible by all the villagers who live on the link trail now – the trail they walk on with their animals in order to reach the border site. Trade is especially important in Humla; there are no roads available to get there from the Nepal side, so everything must be …

Pathways To Positive Change: A People's Perspective Of Healthcare In Humla, Wensday Meyers Berman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The villagers of Humla have suffered from unreliable health services and unjust indifference from the Nepali government for too long. Many global health initiatives and international NGOs have tried and failed to step in and make an improvement of health within these villages, because they are lacking an understanding of how these villages are run, what villagers prioritize, and how to continue providing reliable, supervised support. Because of the remoteness of the Humla area, it is difficult for allopathic medicine to be sufficiently provided here, and access to emergency medical resources are limited. Global health organizations such as WHO and …

Watch Chöd Self: An Examination Of Chöd, Its Practitioners, And Its Music, Weston Conner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The practice of Chöd is a form of Vajrayāna meditation that involves cutting one’s attachment to one’s self and compassionately offering one’s body as a feast for various deities and spirits. This study examines the practice of Chöd in the context of Boudha, Kathmandu, where there is a large community of Chödpas, Chöd practioners. This work aims to document the history of the practice, the experiences of some current Chöd practitioners, and the role that music plays in Chöd. This knowledge was acquired through observing Chödpas, speaking with them directly, and sitting in on various learning opportunities to gain firsthand …

Relocation, Resistance And Resilience: Squatter Community Responses To Government Intervention For Urban Development In Kathmandu, Reilly Brooks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“Squatting,” or residing on public land illegally, is a modern urban phenomenon in developing countries. This phenomenon is attributed to rapid urbanization due to rural-to-urban migration, which leads to rising costs of living, exclusionary housing markets, a lack of affordable housing and urban inequality. Ultimately, unplanned urban growth encourages the formation and expansion of squatter settlements. These settlements are commonly characterized as slum due to the impoverished living conditions, highly congested spaces and lack of public services (water, sanitation, education, etc.) Without land certificates, squatters are denied their right to adequate housing and land security, which should be protected by …

Conservation As Mutualism: A Case Study Of Thulo Syafru, Jennifer S. Brady

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined the opinions, perceptions, and knowledge of residents of Thulo Syafru, a small village in the buffer zone of Langtang National Park, Nepal, regarding conservation efforts spearheaded by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the World Wide Fund for Nature. 26 community members were interviewed along with key figures in community leadership and the two aforementioned organizations. Thulo Syafru is an essential location for red panda conservation, leading to many conservation efforts being focused in the area. Overall, people expressed very positive opinions regarding red pandas and their protection, positive attitudes about conservation, and appreciation …

Human Rights Education: A Tool For The Cultivation Of National Human Rights Culture In Morocco, Page Benoit

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human rights have been taught in Morocco for twenty years. Since the process of Moroccan transitional justice, the aim of this human rights education has been to promote a national human rights culture. This research is a cross-comparison between how human rights education; for the purpose of creating a human rights aware society, is presented and enacted by the the Moroccan government and how it is presented and enacted by non-governmental bodies in a post transitional justice moment of history. The study was conducted through a qualitative data method. It includes interviews with the Inter-Ministerial Delegation of Human Rights and …

Powerful Words: An Exploration Of Linguistic Hierarchy In Moroccan Hospitals, Ellelan Degife

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco is a country of distinct diversity, which exists as a result of the settling of multiple peoples and European colonization. As a result of this diversity, many languages are employed in different settings and spaces, and of these languages, French represents remnants of colonialism and continual elitism in the country. One of the spheres that French commands in Moroccan society is medicine, which creates a dichotomy between the educated health care providers and the underprivileged patients in public hospitals. The aim of this paper is to explore the effect of French on the doctor-patient relationship in urban, public Moroccan …