Communication Commons^™

An Inclusive Economic Paradigm Shift, Jonathan Talbot

Capstone Collection

In this paper, the author begins with the question of how we can recognize whether or not we are in an opportune time to re-evaluate our current economic system. Through a literature review the canvas is set for the surveys of 63 people from across the United States about the way they feel about the economic system within which we currently find ourselves. Through the survey, he establishes that people who report having had a harder time during the “economic recovery” of the Great Recession were more likely to act in the hopes of bettering their community than those who …

Getting Them In The Door: A Study Of Programming Within Boys & Girls Clubs Of Vermont, Hannah Macon

Capstone Collection

While it is clear that strong, evidence-based youth-centered programming has a significant impact within an organization, there are often challenges and barriers which can significantly impact these programs. To understand these barriers more fully, it is important to understand the context through which these programs are being operated in, and by analyzing the perceptions surrounding what makes a program successful or sustainable over time. The Boys and Girls Club of Brattleboro is a local non profit which strives to grow and increase its impact on the youth members of the community. The purpose of this research was to collect and …

La Comunicación Intercultural Entre Pacientes Bolivianos Y Trabajadores De Salud En Buenos Aires, Argentina / Intercultural Communication Between Bolivian Patients And Health-Care Workers In Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lilly Snellman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Según la Ley de Migraciones 25.871 de 2004, los inmigrantes en Argentina tienen el mismo derecho a la atención médica que los argentinos nativos. El sistema de salud argentina es uno de los más inclusivos en el mundo, pero todavía hay barreras al acceso para comunidades e individuos marginados. Muchas veces los migrantes bolivianos son discriminados en la sociedad argentina por sus rasgos raciales, bajo nivel socioeconómico y diferencias culturales. Tres clases importantes de barreras para el acceso a la atención médica para los migrantes son las económicas, estructurales y comunicativas. En este estudio, decidí enfocarme en las brechas de …

#Bolivia: Trascendiendo Las Fronteras De La Participación Social Y Política A Través De Los Hashtags, Azella Markgraf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En los últimos años, el uso masivo de los medios de comunicación a través del internet ha cambiado irrevocablemente las formas de socialización y participación pública de la humanidad. Con la existencia de las redes sociales como Facebook y Twitter, los discursos políticos que hace unas décadas hubieran sido restringido por las fronteras materiales ahora se extienden a nivel mundial. Siguiendo la elección nacional de Bolivia el 20 de octubre de 2019, el hashtag #Bolivia se viralizó mientras personas de todas partes del mundo iban discutiendo lo que pasaba en el país. En el presente estudio, observo y analizo el …

Working For The Worker? A Study Of The Union Générale Tunisienne Du Travail (Ugtt), Ava Erfani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study attempts to explore the nature of the Tunisian national trade union, the Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail (UGTT), as it operates in Tunisia today. This was achieved by conducting in-depth interviews with Tunisians living in the greater Tunis area in the fall of 2019. Through the lens of both those affiliated with the UGTT and those who have no ties to the organization, an image of the UGTT is able to be revealed as a conspicuous entity. Is its aim to hold power in government? Or rather stay outside of the sphere of national politics to effect change? …

Understanding Residential Segregation: Community Relations And Marginalization For Migrants From South Of The Sahara In Rabat, Morocco, Ben Hickman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Migrants from South of the Sahara living in Rabat face violence as they attempt to navigate public space. The majority of these migrants live in the neighborhoods of Takkadoum and Yacoub al Mansour. Even within these two neighborhoods, migrants must manage and avoid racially motivated violence. This paper explores these two neighborhoods and the lives of migrants within these neighborhoods, how they find or create safe space, community relations between migrants and Moroccans, and their experience of segregation/separation. Understandings of defended neighborhoods and immigrant integration founded a theoretical basis for this paper, thus better exploring how migrants settle in new …

The Tourist And The Toured: How Hostel Owners Navigate The Age Of Global Gentrification, Brianna Bilter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the mid-1990s, numerous Moroccan riads, or traditional homes built around a central courtyard, have been converted into tourist accommodations in Morocco’s old medinas. This paper seeks to analyze the impact of riad-style hostels specifically on the medinas, as hostels are relatively new to Morocco and have various benefits and consequences for the community. Though hostels are often portrayed as a sustainable form of tourist accommodation compared to multinational hotel corporations, they have an acute impact by bringing tourists into previously residential spaces and exacerbating the effects of global gentrification. My research relies on interviews with hostel owners and employees, …

“¿Qué Es Ser De Izquierda Ahora En América Latina?” Reflexiones Sobre Veinte Años De Los Gobiernos Progresistas Latinoamericanos, El Legado Del ‘Giro A La Izquierda,’ Y El Poder Del Pueblo., Isabel Cushing

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mi estudio corto indaga en el momento político actual en América Latina y revisa las trayectorias de los gobiernos progresistas, en el marco del ‘giro a la izquierda,’ casi dos décadas después de su auge al aparato estatal, con un enfoque en los tres casos prácticos de Bolivia, Argentina y Uruguay. Las preguntas que impulsan mi investigación surgen de mi propia experiencia, después de irme de Bolivia en medio de la turbulencia tras las elecciones nacionales, y abarcan un análisis y una profundización de las bases, los logros, y la erosión de las diversas izquierdas latinoamericanas. El contenido y el …

La Integración Y Percepción De Los Inmigrantes Venezolanos En Tacna Y Prácticas Transnacionalistas, Darla Chavez Chavez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hay dos objetivos dentro de este estudio. El primer objetivo es examinar la percepción de los peruanos que residen en Tacna en relación con los migrantes venezolanos. El segundo objetivo es estudiar la integración de los migrantes venezolanos en la sociedad y la cultura tacneña. Desde la caída de los precios del petróleo en Venezuela en 2014, la economía venezolana se ha contraído drásticamente. La inestabilidad económica de Venezuela ha impactado en una variedad de sectores y, en general, ha tenido un impacto negativo en los ciudadanos venezolanos. Esto ha provocado una migración masiva de ciudadanos venezolanos que buscan oportunidades …

A Study Of Scars: Narratives Of Unintentional Childhood Injuries In Cato Manor, Carolyn Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to identify the specific types of injuries children experience growing up in Cato Manor, specifically, KwaMasxha, to understand how community members process and make meaning of their injuries over time, and to analyze the social determinants of health in Cato Manor that have been conducive to these injuries.

In order to learn about experiences of unintentional childhood injuries in Cato Manor, data was collected using a qualitative, narrative-based approach. I conducted interviews with young adult community members aged 19 to 27 years, asking about their personal experiences with childhood injuries as someone who grew …

The Truth In Fiction: A Discussion Of Educational Agency And Hierarchical Truth In Children’S Literature, Grace Griffin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I wrote and created With Wings and Words, a children’s picture book based off of interview material gathered about the 1989 Velvet Revolution, in order to demonstrate the inherent multiplicity of truth around historical events and break down the construction of a “national” truth by placing personal narratives and interpretations in conversation with each other. These narratives, while present and available in the Czech Republic, are important to display and discuss in order to avoid the oversimplification of events or erasure of the emotional complexities they cause. After consulting with various relevant Czech children’s books, I completed interviews and used …

Barriers And Opportunities To Electric Vehicle Development In Nepal, Allyson Krupa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the global carbon dioxide level reaches its highest point in human history (407.4 parts per million), energy systems must transition from fossil fuel to renewable-powered sources. Since the transportation sector contributes nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, electric mobility offers a significant opportunity to reduce GHG emissions. Globally, there has been a rise in demand for electric vehicles. In Nepal, a clean energy transition within the context of rising urbanization and air pollution is imperative for quality of life, socio-economic development, and broadly climate change mitigation/adaptation. Furthermore, Nepal’s vast hydropower potential may increase energy independence and provide …

Fictions Of Sexuality, Emelyn Schaeffer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted a Creative Independent Study Project and wrote two short stories that include themes of women’s sexual desire/pleasure, sexual debuts, masturbation, discoveries, and understandings of one’s sexuality. Because women receive so many messages about keeping their chastity and so few about pursuing the pleasures sex can provide, the opportunities to promote the exploration of women’s sexual desire cannot be missed. To write my stories and answer my research question, I read and watched a variety of both academic and creative materials. I wanted to do this work because these are the stories I needed in high school when I …

A Comparative Study On Mental Health Knowledge Based On Socioeconomic Status In Kisumu Kenya 2019, Mashoud Kaba

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Studies show that people who live in rural Kenya have more positive attitudes toward mental illnesses than people in urban areas. They also had more mental health knowledge. One of the differentiating factors between the two environments is the socioeconomic status of those who live in each area. People in rural areas tend to be of lower socioeconomic status, while those living in urban areas tend to be of a higher socioeconomic status. I wanted to see if the previous findings would be observed if we were looking at people in the same area (strictly urban or rural) with the …

Queer Spaces, Future Places: Conversations With 3 Black Capetonian Femmes On Embodying Liberation, Ivana Onubogu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Black femme bodies face multi-axial oppressive forces resting on their racialization, gendering, sexuality and possible other factors like socioeconomic status and ability. I interviewed 3 queer-identified Black femmes between the ages of 18 and 35 that are based in or work out of the Cape Town area. Femmes is defined as trans womxn, nonbinary femmes, femme lesbians and femme bisexuals, effeminate mxn, or any other femme-identified queer person. The purpose of this project is to investigate the possibility of a liberated Black queer future as an embodied practice within the context of the Black Capetonian queer community. Participants were selected …

E-Waste Shouldn’T Be Waste: A Study On The Practices, Perceptions, And Policies On E-Waste In Urban Arusha, Tanzania, Melanie Mckenzie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the e-waste stream in urban Arusha, answer the questions of where electronics go, how people usually dispose of them, if people are aware of the impacts of e-waste, and what next steps are necessary. The study took place in November 2019 in urban Arusha, Tanzania. Through snowball and convenience sampling in 4 quotas (community members, electricians, business members, and a policy maker), the study finds that there is no place for the proper disposal of e-waste in Arusha. Many electronics are disposed of improperly by being put into the landfill or burned. Most participants were unaware of …

Informing Joyality 4 Kids: Ecopsychology Education To Support Upper Primary Children’S Well-Being Through Environmental And Social Crisis, Cambry Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Responding to climate change and the state of the world demands psychological resilience and a transformative shift towards sustainable behavior. Children inheriting our uncertain future require psychological support and tools of well-being to fuel emotionally sustainable activism. In this paper I investigate how best to support upper primary aged children through environmental and social issues with Joyality 4 Kids, an educational ecopsychology program.

During November of 2019 I completed the Joyality Program processes independently, then conducted two focus group interviews with five individuals experienced in the Joyality Program and/or environmental education to develop the processes for an eight-hour Joyality 4 …

“Goooooal!”: An Exploration Of The Dutch-Moroccan Footballer Experience, Kate J. Freeman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study seeks to explore how fans of the Dutch national football team, Oranje, engage with the portrayal of Dutch-Moroccan footballers who are navigating between the paradigms of “success story” and “problematic immigrant.” In the climate of the seemingly tolerant country of the Netherlands, we hypothesize that fans of Dutch football interpret and perpetuate the concept that minoritized men have to maintain a flawless performance based on conditions determined by the majority in order to ascertain a higher position in society. By employing Krippendorff’s theory of content analysis (Krippendorff, 2004), we explore the language used to describe three Dutch-Moroccan footballers …

The Hapless State Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis In India: A Comprehensive Look At Life And Medical Services For Als Patients In Rural Himachal Pradesh, Carson J. Bergström

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that leads to paralysis. The disease requires a high amount of medical intervention and interdisciplinary focus to achieve quality of life for patients. This study looks at ALS patient’s lifestyles, their access to these medical devices, Indian therapeutic approaches and policy that impacts patients in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. As caretakers have a critical part in the care for this disease, their lives were also considered in the case studies. It was found that ALS patients are not experiencing access to medical devices necessary for life because of physical …

A Secret In The Words Tales Of Literature And Dissent In Communist Czechoslovakia, Thea Toocheck

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to better understand the parallel culture of the 1970s and 1980s Czechoslovakia, this paper aims to tell the stories of six members of the Czechoslovak samizdat community: Marie Klimešová, Ivan Lamper, Ladislav Šenkyřík, Tomáš Tichák, Jáchym Topol, and Jarka Vrbová. Through personal interviews with these individuals, we understand how editors, typists, artists, writers, translators, and readers played significant parts in this parallel culture as well as how these people continue to play important roles in society today. While the tales told here are only parts of the lives of six individuals, they help reflect the impact of an …

Salud Mental Comunitaria: Implementación En Chile Actual, Emma Baker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores how familiar community mental health organizations in Valparaíso follow an established model of community mental health, derived from a variety of essays, books, and reports on the topic. Additionally, it serves to present the effect of this relationship on the contemporary social revolution in Chile. The present social and political unrest, manifesting itself in massive protests throughout the country, presents a unique moment in which these themes can be examined. Additionally, Chile encounters high rates of psychological disorders among its population, a lack of protection for the mental health of children and adolescents, and a lack of …

“Para Nunca Más Vivirlo, Nunca Más Negarlo”: El Legado De Violencia Sexual Durante La Dictadura, Isabel De La Torre

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: What are the mental health effects of sexual political violence against women during the dictatorship and during the current socio-political movement?

Objectives: The general objective of this study is to identify how sexual political violence has been used in Chile against women and to analyze its consequences on the mental health of survivors. More specifically, this study attempts to investigate the mechanisms sexual political torture during the dictatorship and now, visibilize the unique damages to mental health caused by this type of violence, and analyze the dictatorial legacy in regards to sexual violence and the current socio-political climate. …

Privacidad Digital En Ecuador: El Papel De La Vigilancia, La Jurisprudencia Y Los Derechos Humanos, Giselle Valdez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este documento es un estudio de caso sobre la privacidad digital en Ecuador, cómo se protege y cómo se debe mejorar las protecciones. Comienzo presentando la falta de privacidad de la persona en Ecuador, a través de la reciente violación de datos y las tecnologías de vigilancia en todo el país desde China. Luego, para analizar la jurisprudencia y la falta de protección de la privacidad en la ley, hago la transición a un análisis legal de la privacidad de datos en Ecuador a través de la Constitución de 2008. Cuando establezco que falta privacidad digital en Ecuador, demuestro una …

The Transformative Potential Of High-Level Gender Equality: The Relationship Between Gendered Laws And Perceptions In Rwanda, Elena Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As part of its reconstruction process following the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda introduced several laws and policies protecting gender equality, which stood it stark contrast to traditional patriarchal norms and structures. This study focuses on the relationship between institutional gender reform and local perceptions. Specifically, it seeks to explore the extent to which perceptions around gender have caught up to legal changes and identify where the greatest gaps exist across political, social, and economic dimensions. Data collection occurred in two parts: quantitatively, a multiple-choice survey was distributed to 76 Rwandan adults investigating their perceptions of gender in political, …

Khookha Mcqueer: Advocacy For Non-Binary Queerness And Lgbtqi+ Representation In Tunisia, Jake Gomez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2018, the Tunisian government arrested 127 Tunisians on the basis of suspicions regarding non-heterosexual and non-cisgendered acts. Tunisian civil society centralizes its core missions around advocating for the rights of LGBT individuals through attempts to target the measures that allow for such unlawful imprisonment: Articles 230 and 226 of the Tunisian Constitution. But within the undiscussed gaps between laws, cultures of homo and transphobia, and civil society lies alternative measures for non-linear forms of queer advocacy. This research engages with the work of Khookha McQueer -- a Tunisian LGBTQI+ rights activist -- and documents conversations had with Khookha regarding …

Terra Nullius: The Effects Of Australia’S Colonial History On Sense Of Place, Anna Beyette

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Australia’s history of colonization of Aboriginal communities continues to affect not only the indigenous population of Australia, but also non-Aboriginal Australians. This study focuses on how Australia’s complex history of colonization and its lasting effects influence the ability of Non-Aboriginal Australians to connect to place. One potential effect of colonization is “settler-guilt” or the complex feelings of guilt, remorse, and shame felt by “settlers” at their privilege derived from the racist, violent, and genocidal treatment of indigenous people and communities due to the colonization of indigenous lands and the legacy of colonization. This study asks whether settler-guilt exists in Australia, …

Socio-Cultural Norms And Perceptions Of Menstruation: An Intergenerational Analysis Of Rural Jamkhed, Maharashtra, Addison Scales

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study analyzes the socio-cultural norms and perceptions of menstruation between two generations of women in rural Jamkhed, Maharashtra. Interview questions were prepared for women between the ages of 18-26 and 35 or older to determine the level of dilution of the menstrual taboo and stigmas between age groups. All women resided in two villages in the rural area surrounding Jamkhed, Maharashtra. A variety of socio-cultural perceptions and practices were explored to determine their correlation with external influences on the shifting menstruation narrative. The socio-cultural factors of focus are family structure, media exposure, choice of material use, disposal and sustainability, …

Perceptions Of Rural Birthing Practices: A Glimpse Into Maternal And Child Health For Women In Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, Mackenzie Burke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past two decades birthing practices within India have drastically changed. This change is most visible in the shift from homebirths to hospital births following the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission. This study aims to understand and give voice to women’s perceptions of birthing practices in the rural villages of Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. A total of ten interviews were conducted with both mothers and healthcare practitioners in the surrounding villages of Kangra District in order to gain a thorough, qualitative understanding of birthing practices in the local communities. The healthcare practitioners’ responses were divided according …

Cuentos Cortos Sobre Terrorismo De Estado En Argentina: Lecturas, Análisis Y Usos / Short Stories About Argentina’S State Terrorism: Readings, Analysis And Uses, Shannon Anderson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación estudia los cuentos cortos relacionados con el tema del terrorismo de estado que pasó desde 1976 hasta 1983 en Argentina. A través de 8 cuentos cortos de diferentes décadas en y después de la dictadura cívico-militar (desde 1976 hasta 2019) y autores diversos/as femeninas y masculinos, examino las maneras en que este genero de la literatura muestra los contextos históricos, sociales y políticos del tiempo de la publicación de cada cuento. También, incorporo las perspectivas de personas involucradas en el estudio y la promoción de la literatura de este tema a través de entrevistas personales que examinan el …

Los Vacíos Y Las Ausencias: Una Mirada Sobre La Presencia De Los Afrodescendientes En Las Clases De Historia Nacional En Buenos Aires, Argentina, Sasha Mothershead

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Argentina, un país donde los presidentes pronuncian frases como “en Argentina no existen los negros; ese problema lo tiene Brasil” y “en Sudamérica todos somos descendientes de europeos,” tiene una tradición de invisibilización y negación de los afrodescendientes. Históricamente, el sistema de educación ha tenido un papel en la reproducción de este discurso hegemónico; la escuela formal, por ejemplo, fue uno de los primeros lugares para la “argentinización” de los nuevos inmigrantes y la construcción intencional de una identidad nacional blanca. Debido a este legado pernicioso, la investigación actual se enfoca en la presencia y visibilidad del afro a dentro …