Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Enduring Scourge: The Evolution Of Trafficking In Women For Forced Prostitution In Bosnia-Herzegovina, Elizabeth Longino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the late nineties, in the post-conflict period of rebuilding and peacekeeping, trafficking in women for sexual exploitation emerged as a major problem in Bosnia-Herzegovina. For years, the country was considered one of the principle destination and transit countries in the region, until a combination of internal and external factors caused the situation to change. Internally, the government passed legislation, created action plans, and designated special police forces to combat trafficking across borders. Apart from these actions, regional political changes and the withdrawal of international troops also contributed to the closure of bars and brothels in which trafficked women were …

Turkish – Eu Relations: Let’S Just Say, It’S Complicated, Cora Allie Treske

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Turkey’s goal of being accepted by the West began with the “westernization” of its culture in the 1830’s under the Ottoman Empire’s sultanates. Turkey’s application to the EU is the newest aspect of Turkey’s westernization project, and its potential membership represents a complete acceptance of its modern, secular identity, both as a people and as a state. The decision of membership is not only important for Turkey’s evolution, but also the European Union’s. The identities of both are at stake; the evolution of each will depend greatly on the course taken by the other. This paper argues that it is …

The Flavor Of Money: The Vanilla Industry And The Economy Of Antalaha, Elizabeth Packer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objectives of my research were to understand how the vanilla exporting business has changed in Antalaha in recent years, to assess the impact of cash crops on people’s livelihoods, to examine the benefits and drawbacks associated with vanilla cultivation, and to explore the economic impact of the vanilla industry on the town of Antalaha and its inhabitants. Through my research, I wanted to understand how the fruit of an orchid becomes the flavoring of ice cream, to look at the many processes and people involved in the vanilla supply chain. I was also interested in getting to know how …

Reviving Ancient Traditions: A New Approach To The Emancipation Of Malian Women, Claire Crowley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Being immersed in a Malian family for over three months has given me an opportunity to observe and experience certain dynamics of the culture not afforded to the average traveller. It was this very experience which served to inspire this project, a diversion from my original research topic of polygamy. While the textbooks focused on the compliance and submission of Malian women, each day spent immersed in the culture and my family hinted at something more. My family’s lifeline and backbone are the women who manage the household; particularly my Maman and sister. While many acknowledge that Malian women carry …

“Darle Cariño” Los Sentidos De Género Y Las Experiencias De Salud Sexual En Adolescentes Y Jóvenes Embarazadas Y Madres Usuarias Del Centro De Salud De Presidente Derqui. = “Give Them Care” Sentiments Of Gender And The Experiences Of Sexual Health For Pregnant And Teenage Mothers At The Public Health Center Of Derqui., Tahira Khalid

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The study of gender focuses on traditional social roles associated with the sexes and their subsequent forms and representations within society. Similar to topics such as class and race, gender can be used as a manner in which to investigate the constructs and confines of a culture. This study in particular chooses to examine the issue of adolescent pregnancy within Argentinean society from the perspective of gender norms. In particular, this project looks to examine the ways in which gender affects the experiences of sexual health for a number of pregnant adolescents and adolescent mothers who regularly visit a public …

Addressing The Crisis Of Orphaned And Abandoned Children In Bamako, Jennifer Campbell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The family constitutes the nucleus of life in the country of Mali. Within the family, great importance is especially placed on children. Children’s central and vital role within the family is based on their ability to contribute both economically and domestically, whether it be helping with cooking and cleaning at home or assisting with the economic activities of the family, such as farming or selling goods. It is, therefore, especially striking and shocking to see children who have no home or family within this country which places such high value on them. The problem of orphaned and abandoned children in …

O Movimento Dos Atingidos Pela Barragem De Tucuruí: Uma História Oral, Susan Beaty

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project presents a critical oral history of the movement of communities affected by the Tucuruí Dam in Tucuruí, Para. Like the many other hydroelectrics constructed during the 1970s and 80s, the Tucuruí Dam was built to deliver power and profits to influential economic entities, namely nearby bauxite and aluminum mines, while local communities incurred the costs. Due to inadequate pre-project studies and irresponsible resettlement and indemnification programs, the construction of the dam and its reservoir brought devastating social and environmental impacts to the surrounding region. In the wake of this devastation, a social movement emerged to defend the rights …

“Art As Direct Political Action:” An Investigation Through Case Studies And Interviews, Emily Meinhardt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 1970, Artforum, an international magazine of contemporary art, conducted a survey of various important artists asking the following question: what is your position regarding the kinds of direct political action that should be taken by artists? The question was asked in relation to the “deepening political crisis in America,” the Vietnam War. The development of television brought images of war into American homes more dramatically and immediately than any previous conflict. Though the war was taking place abroad, the violence was made real to audiences, including artists, many of whom felt pressure to respond to the political situation. Around …

Past Meets Present: History Education In Northern Ireland, Will Ehrenfeld

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The inevitable question as a society emerges from conflict is how to deal with the past. Commemorate and remember or forget and move on? More importantly, how does this choice affect the participants in the conflict and other members of society—how is commemoration or disregard transmitted to the population? Looking around the world at societies emerging from all types and degrees of conflict, divergent approaches to this seminal question are taken at every turn. Centrally, societies must decide how to deal with perpetrators of violence; South Africa may have the most famous method for dealing with victims and perpetrators of …

An Assessment Of Housing Decisions Among Shabia Residents, Allison Bream

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mention the term “shabia,” or “social housing,” to any Omani, and a handful of associations come to mind: poverty, violence, lack of education. Social housing is a concept burdened with assumptions, assumptions that often reflect poorly upon its residents. Using the Asset-Based Community Development framework, this paper seeks to dispel notions regarding the Shabia by endeavoring to understand how its residents perceive their community and how this affects their housing decisions. What about the Shabia encourages residents to come, and remain, there? Why would they consider leaving? How have they addressed the challenges associated with living in social housing? This …

Smarter Mothers, Healthy Children, Smaller Families: A Look At The Impact Of Women’S Education On Family Planning Decisions In The Sultanate Of Oman, Kerala Hise

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is there a single, perfect, cure-all policy that a government can enact to achieve sustained development? This is a question international organizations and individual leaders ask themselves every day. There will always be ‘less-developed’ nations, this is a reality of having ‘developed’ nations, but there is no reason that humanity should allow there to be ‘under-developed’ nations, not when we have at hand the tools and knowledge to enact immediate, sweeping changes now. However, because different people, different groups feel that their idea or proposal is of the utmost importance, that change is often never realized. Often, too much value …

The 2008 Municipal Elections According To Nicaraguan Women: Nihilism, Hope, And Pragmatism, Teresa Cheng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

“Chaque Femme A Son Histoire:” Exploring The Lives And Voices Of Sub-Saharan Migrant Women Living In Morocco, Silvana Rueda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The topic of migration can be easily viewed as a purely academic and abstract concept, discussed only in terms of theories and ideas, of policies and statistics. While it is imperative to understand the different theories behind this phenomenon in order to obtain an engendered perspective of the issue, it is all too easy to loose the human value behind migration while studying it. Decontextualized numbers lack any emotion; academic theories are devoid of a human face behind them. More than ever, it is becoming increasingly pertinent to study migration in a humanistic light and to comprehend the stories of …

Educating The Forgotten: Non-Formal Education In Urban Kampala, Eleanor Huntington

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the practicum period, the student researcher interned at MYDEL to gain a better understanding of the challenges and successes of the non-formal education (NFE) sector in urban Kampala, and in particular the Kisenyi neighborhood of Mengo. In the slum areas of Mengo, many children and youth are unable to afford school fees and thus are more susceptible to turn to a street life, which entails the following: extreme poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, young marriage, early childbirth, rape, or sexual abuse. MYDEL as an organization works to combat this cycle by instructing the children …

Code-Switching Among Tunisian Women And Its Impact On Identity, Krista Moore

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

When France made Tunisia a protectorate in 1881, they introduced language policies that established French as the language of the public sphere and restricted Arabic to religion and the home. Until Tunisian independence in 1956, French was officially the language of social and economic mobility and even after the establishment of the republic French persisted unofficially as the language of the public sphere. It maintained this role despite the establishment of Arabic as the official language and the ultimately failed policies of Arabization. This study will focus on code-switching in Tunisia, or the habitual switching between French and Arabic that …

Sacred Work: Transforming Spirit And Community In Lucena, Paraíba, Jenny Schneider

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There has not been a great amount of research that has been conducted on Santo Daime. As such, my research will make a significant contribution to the body of knowledge available to those who are curious about the church, its practices, and their social implications. There is much stigma, prejudice, and even persecution of Santo Daime. Hopefully a more intimate look at the social ramifications of work with Santo Daime will ease these preconceptions.

Santo Daime is the only completely Brazilian religion: a unique syncretism of indigenous Amazonian traditions, Portuguese Catholicism, African spiritualism, and Kardecist Spiritism, whose convergence reflects Brazil’s …

‘Everything Is For Him’: Mothers Of Autistics As Agents Of Social Change At Casa Da Esperança, Alexandra Levin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project explores mothers of children with autism as social actors. I conducted the research at Casa da Esperança, which is school and therapy intstituion, and social organization, for autistics in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A group of mothers founded Casa da Esperança based on a policy of inclusiveness towards autistics and their families. Casa da Esperança’s structure reflects its collective and communal philosophy, as demonstrated by the family program. Many mothers of autistics participate in this program on a daily basis when they stay at Casa da Esperança while their children are in class. Casa da Esperança is a …

Transnational Anti-Imperialism: A Case Study Of Witness For Peace And Their Relationship With El Regadío, Estelí, Sam Menefee-Libey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nicaragua: Revolution, Transformation, and Civil Society

Traditions In Transition: A Musical Perspective In A Changing, Developing Samoa, Colin Kiley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper was compiled during November 2008. It was a research project that sought out the perspectives of various diverse musicians in Samoa at that time. These musicians included music school instructors, Peace Corps volunteers, Samoan orchestra composers and conductors, traditional Samoan composers, traveled Samoan musicians as well as contemporary Samoan artists. The paper examines how the purposes of music in Samoan society have shifted, altered or changed from traditional times to current-day Samoa in the face of development, a growing economy and increased contact with outside influences. Although the music of Samoa, its purposes, values, uses and aesthetics have …

A Portrait Of Perseverance: A Glimpse Into The Life Of One Family In Edehara, Tunisia, Kathryn Graves Tindell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Excerpt from Introduction:

What follows is a short story providing a glimpse into the life of Naïma and her family. The entire story is based on fact, each person is real in every detail and each event described occurred; however, the sequence of events is fictionalized. For example, I did not see the pottery made from beginning to end, but rather saw different steps of the process throughout the course of my seven days. In total, I did view every step except for retrieving the clay from the mountains, but as they told many stories about this, I have a …

“Ahora Es Cuando”: La Lucha Por El Derecho A La Ciudad En La Villa 31 = “Now Is The Time”: The Fight For The Right To The City In Villa 31, Margaret Scott

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Villa 31, an extensive informal settlement in the heart of Buenos Aires, thousands of precariously constructed brick homes reach four, five or even six stories and stretch shakily toward the sky. Beneath poorly constructed foundations, the land on which the villa’s thousands of homes rest is valued at up to $6000.00 (U.S. dollars) per square meter. Villa 31 finds itself in the “heart” of Buenos Aires, built up against extensive railways (bus and train), a central automobile artery, and the city’s well developed port, all of which give the villa the potential to be some of the city’s …

Samoa: A Truly Religious Place? Views Toward Religion In Samoa, Angelica Saada

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this study was to explore the ‘religiosity’ of Samoa. Specifically, this study attempted to understand how ‘religious’ the average Samoan is, as well as examine the implications of being ‘religious’ in Samoa. It also sought to investigate the plurality of religions in Samoa, the existence of individuals moving between churches, and attitudes towards religious plurality. In addition, this study explored differences between the religiosities of younger and older generations and attitudes toward Samoan youth. Based on the results from interviews and surveys, it was concluded that Samoans view themselves and their country as ‘very religious.’ Being ‘religious’ …

“Left In The Forest And Forgotten” Land Policy And The Plight Of The Benet, Anne Dirkse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In carrying out my independent study project on the issue of the Benet being displaced by the creation of Mount Elgon National Park, I had three main objectives in my mind. My first objective was to investigate and gain a balanced perspective of the effects of the Benet’s most recent eviction from Mount Elgon National Park. Secondly, I wished to analyze the government’s role as a duty bearer in compensating and resettling the Benet for their land. Lastly, I wished to explore the Benet Community’s options for redress within the legal system.

The methods I utilized included a literature review, …

Human Mobility Through Closed Borders: The Impact Of Morocco’S European And Algerian Relations On Sub-Saharan Immigration, Caitryn Mccallum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to understand the domestic matters of any country, it becomes necessary to not only engage in the workings of its internal structures, but to also examine how its relations with foreign powers are shaping its function as a state. As is the case with Morocco, the sub-Saharan immigration that has become of prime concern to many during recent years, due to a growing and universal fear of the ‘other’ as a threat to nationhood, has not only had an impact on Morocco as a country to this day, but also continues to shape Morocco for the future. This …

Molding Memory: An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Representations Of Candomblé In Public Places Of Memory And The Afro-Brazilian Community, Lauren Hobby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over eighty-five percent of the population of Salvador, Brazil is of African descent, creating a rich history of cultural, political and social development. Nevertheless the majority of the museums in Salvador have historical spoken very little of this culture and its relationship to the city. In 1982, the Museu Afro-Brasileiro opened, introducing a small museum focused solely on the cultural exchange between Africa and Brazil as well as the development of Afro-Brazilian religiosity. Thinking critically about the importance of museums in the construction and dissemination of awareness, knowledge and respect for cultures as well as the current debates over the …

Fiji’S Relationship With India: The Answer To Or The Source Of Fiji’S Problems?, Julia Fogleman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fiji is a nation constantly confronted by the difficult realities of having a multicultural population. One of these delicate situations is its relationship with India, the country of origin of Fiji’s largest and most controversial minority group, the Indo-Fijians. India has historically taken a great interest in Fiji because of its large population of overseas Indians, a result of the nations’ shared colonial heritage. This paper thoroughly examines the nations’ past at times rocky relationship in light of race relations, both Indo-Fijian and ethnic Fijian struggles, and decades of political instability from indigenous Fijian eugenics. India’s current global standing and …

Factors Related To The Marital Satisfaction Of Malian Women In Polygamous Marriages, Lauren E. Troy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In anthropological research, polygamy is typically defined as “a marital relationship involving multiple wives” (Kottak, 1978 cited in Low, 1988, p. 189). The term polygamy, however, includes three different types of relationships. The first, polygynandry, is characterized by a group marriage in which multiple wives are married to multiple husbands, while the second, polyandry, refers to a wife married to two or more husbands. The third form, and that which is explored in this study, is polygyny. Hereafter referred to as polygamy, it is the marriage of one husband to two or more wives and is the most common form …

Faith And Freedom: A Profile Of The Religious Environment In Mongolia’S Emerging Democracy, Jeffrey Sinick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mongolia is a rapidly globalizing nation that became both democratic and capitalistic after their 1990 revolution. In its history Mongolia has always had a strong religious influence coming mainly from Buddhism, which prevailed throughout Mongolia before the 70-year long socialist period that preceded the democratic revolution. The socialist period destroyed much of the traditional religion in Mongolia and left a spiritual and political vacuum in Mongolia after 1990. Economic hardships and religious tolerance brought forth numerous Christian religious groups and social organization that have profoundly affected the new religious environment in Mongolia, while Buddhism struggled to rebuild and retain a …

Hambre Cero And Its Impact On The Holistic Health Of Its Female Beneficiaries, Chelsea Duttweiler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation focused on the study of Hambre Cero (meaning “Zero Hunger”), an anti-poverty program funded by the Nicaraguan government which gives voucher packages to poor rural women. Items given include pregnant cows, pigs, chickens, seeds, and technical assistance with the goal of generating profit for use by the families and women’s cooperatives. The study of this program is important for government accountability, and will also add to the body of knowledge concerning rural development, sustainable health programs, and the feminization of poverty so that more effective development programs can be developed in the future. I specifically studied the program’s …

Improving Beekeeping On Unguja Island, Larken Root

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current practices and methods for improvement of beekeeping on Unguja Island in Zanzibar. Beekeeping has been occurring for many years in Unguja but has retained traditional techniques with little improvement. Improvement can occur in the form of introduction of modern equipment, formation of beekeeping organizations, advancing and diversifying products, and gaining governmental support. Beekeeping is worthy of expansion because of its potential to increase rural income in a sustainable way as well as support conservation of forest areas. The study found that there has so far been little improvement of income …