Community-Based Research Commons^™

A Way Of Reflecting On Identity: The Five Stories Of The Conflicting Relationships In Nepal, Tomoki Yamanaka

Capstone Collection

Conflict studies show that the components of identity are interrelated to sources and dynamics of conflict in intricate ways. This study self-reflectively explores a way of reflecting on identity from the links between conflict and identity through a qualitative study of the five stories of the conflicting relationships in Nepal. By analyzing the stories collected through in-depth interviews with Nepali peace workers, an element of power in group differences was noted. This illustrated the challenge of having the voices of those being marginalized heard amongst conflicting issues around them. Those that were interviewed also struggled with the challenge of having …

Grann's "Killers Of The Flower Moon: The Osage Murders And The Birth Of The Fbi" (Book Review), Roderick Leupp

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Historical Analysis Uncovers A Single Dimension Of Complexity That Structures Global Variation In Human Social Organization, Peter Turchin, Thomas E. Currie, Harvey Whitehouse, Pieter François, Kevin Feeney, Daniel Mullins, Daniel Hoyer, Christina Collins, Stephanie Grohmann, Patrick Savage, Gavin Mendel-Gleason, Edward Turner, Agathe Dupeyron, Enrico Cioni, Jenny Reddish, Jill Levine, Greine Jordan, Eva Brandl, Alice Williams, Rudolf Cesaretti, Marta Krueger, Alessandro Ceccarelli, Joe Figliulo-Rosswurm, Po-Ju Tuan, Peter Peregrine, Arkadiusz Marciniak, Johannes Preiser-Kapeller, Nikolay Kradin, Andrey Korotayev, Alessio Palmisano, David Baker, Julye Bidmead, Peter Bol, David Christian, Connie Cook, Alan Covey, Gary Feinman, Árni Daníel Júlíusson, Axel Kristinsson, John Miksic, Ruth Mostern, Camero Petrie, Peter Rudiak-Gould, Barend Ter Haar, Vesna Wallace, Victor Mair, Liye Xie, John Baines, Elizabeth Bridges, Joseph Manning, Bruce Lockhart, Amy Bogaard, Charles Spencer

Religious Studies Faculty Articles and Research

Do human societies from around the world exhibit similarities in the way that they are structured, and show commonalities in the ways that they have evolved? These are long-standing questions that have proven difficult to answer. To test between competing hypotheses, we constructed a massive repository of historical and archaeological information known as “Seshat: Global History Databank.” We systematically coded data on 414 societies from 30 regions around the world spanning the last 10,000 years. We were able to capture information on 51 variables reflecting nine characteristics of human societies, such as social scale, economy, features of governance, and information …

Grandmothers As Child Caregivers: A Unique Child Care Arrangement, Kathy L. Reschke, Susan K. Walker

Occasional Paper Series

This paper draws attention to grandmothers who provide child care and the parents and children they serve, by sharing the results of a study of a group of employed mothers from rural, low-income families who used grandmother care on a regular basis. Although their experiences cannot represent those of all mothers who use grandmother care, they are valuable in understanding the perspective of many women with few feasible options who depend on this type of care.

Child And Adolescent Commercial Sexual Exploitation In Mexico: The Exploiters And The State, Sonia M. Frias, Mariajosé Gómez-Zaldívar

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a form of violence in which children, mainly girls and female adolescents, are reduced to sexual objects for rent. In this study, we argue that the concept of who is an exploiter must be broadened to include everyone who directly or indirectly benefits from CSEC. This paper is based on life stories of 10 female residents from a shelter, which we call Casa Libertad (a fictitious name) in Mexico City, for female victims of violence. Researchers also used semi-structured interviews with experts on CSEC to examine the exploiters' profiles. The research challenges the …

Olas De Cambio: Violencia Política Y Desplazamiento Durante La Guerra Interna En El Perú (1980-2000), Sarah Benewith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación responde al problema de las aproximadamente 600,000 personas que fueron desplazadas internamente entre 1980 y 2000 como resultado de la violencia política ocurrida entre el Estado Peruano y grupos insurgentes como Sendero Luminoso. Específicamente, investigo la relación entre violencia política y desplazamiento interno, así como la naturaleza de las experiencias personales de los desplazados. Como enfoque secundario, examino cómo la identidad juega un papel en las experiencias de los desplazados. Desarrollando la investigación en Cusco y Lima, utilizo una combinación de revisión de archivos, observación directa y entrevistas. Las entrevistas, de indígenas desplazados de Apurímac durante la Guerra …

“Todavía Nos Falta”: Un Análisis Etnográfico Del Género Y La Clase Social En Un Club Deportivo Barrial En El Sureste De La Ciudad De Buenos Aires / "We Still Lack": An Ethnographic Analysis Of Gender And Social Class In A Neighborhood Sports Club In The Southeast Of The City Of Buenos Aires, Alonso Fernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El rol de la mujer ha sido históricamente uno de minoría en el mundo del deporte. Las mujeres han sido excluidas culturalmente y por la sociedad por mucho tiempo y no han tenido la accesibilidad a todos los beneficios del deporte de la misma manera que los hombres la han tenido. Igual que el género, el rol de la clase social también es significativo en como funciona adentro del contexto deportivo. En varios deportes, como el fútbol o el boxeo, el deporte representa una oportunidad para poder tener éxito que resulta en una ascendencia por la escalera de la clase …

¡El Agua Es Nuestra! Pensar Desde Afuera Del Discurso De ‘Público Vs Privado’ / The Water Is Ours! Thinking From Outside The 'Public Vs. Private' Speech, Julius Figueroa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cualquier persona que haya vivido en Cochabamba por más de unos pocos años puede decir que la ciudad tiene una larga historia de problemas de agua. La respuesta del Estado a estos problemas ha sido variada y, a veces, problemática. En el año 1999, el gobierno de Bolivia firmó un contrato con una empresa transnacional llamada Aguas del Tunari en una tentativa de privatizar el suministro municipal del agua de Cochabamba. Después de un drástico aumento en los precios del agua, protestas y manifestaciones estallaron por toda la ciudad de Cochabamba. La gente de Cochabamba finalmente logró presionar al gobierno …

Betanzos: Enfrentando El Cambio Climático \ Betanzos: Confronting Climate Change, Cody Eaton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Como para la gran mayoría de la gente de las naciones de un nivel alto de desarrollo de la economía, los efectos del cambio climático no tienen un impacto significativo en mi vida diaria. El grado de separación de las consecuencias de mi consumo me permite quedarme en la ignorancia, pero la gente de la municipalidad agrícola de Betanzos no tiene el mismo privilegio; el cambio climático es una amenaza a su medio de vida. Este documental investiga la realidad actual de Betanzos y cómo los actores desde el nivel comunitario hasta el gobierno nacional intentan enfrentar y adaptarse a …

Sex Work And Compromised Health: Health Conditions And The Barriers To Accessing Treatment Services In Pelourinho, Salvador, Amelia Fox

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sex workers remain one of the most marginalized populations in Brazilian society, both coming from and living within realities defined by poverty and poor health. Through partnership with Força Feminina – an organization located in Salvador, dedicated to aiding local sex workers– I explored the day-to-day health complications sex workers encounter and the impact these problems have on quality of life. I then questioned how discrimination and stigma impact a woman’s willingness to prioritize her health and seek out healthcare services. To pursue these questions, I utilized participant observation, interviews with 4 staff members – a pastoral educator, financial coordinator, …

Quem Ama Não Mata: Brazilian Feminicide And Odara’S Black Feminist Luta, Jair Oballe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Community Development Project paper discusses my work with Odara, a black feminist organization within Salvador, Brazil. There, I spent one month studying different forms of gender-based violence, with a particular focus on feminicide. I also examined state response such as Lei Maria da Penha and Lei do Feminicídio, and how this legislation impacted violence from a qualitative perspective.

My studies are centered around news articles I read on various forms of violence within Bahia, which were then developed into a database that catalogues each incident based on a variety of categories. Additionally, I read a large assortment of books …

A Danza De Las Tijeras Continuidad Dinámica Y Reivindicación De La Identidad Indígena Andina / Dance Of The Scissors Dynamic Continuity And Reclamation Of Andean Indigenous Identity, Cinthia Durán

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project aims to analyze the contemporary ways in which the Dance of Scissors is practiced and reproduced to determine if its continuity outside the place of origin, with all the modifications that it has experienced, can be considered a form of cultural resistance. Resistance in this context is addressed in two specific ways: as a dynamic continuity of Andean indigenous identity and as a tool of cultural vindication. To achieve this goal, during the work period the research methodology consisted of interviewing dancers and scissors musicians; be a participant as observer of skills and essays of Tijeras dancers …

Las Consejerías Estatales Y No Estatales Para Las Mujeres Víctimas De Violencia De Género: Un Estudio De Caso De La Asociación Civil Corriente La Colectiva / The State And Non-State Councils For Women Victims Of Gender Violence: A Case Study Of La Asociación Civil Corriente La Colectiva., Elizabeth Millar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La violencia de género existe en todas las dimensiones de la vida, como el trabajo, el hogar, la atención médica, y situaciones afines. Las mujeres que han experimentado la violencia merecen conocer y comprender sus derechos. La ley ha cambiado para reconocer más derechos, pero todavía el estado no está cumpliendo su rol de proveedor de servicios. Por eso, las consejerías no estatales, como la de la Colectiva, desempeñan un papel importante en compensar donde el estado está faltando a través de servicios legales para los casos específicos y educativos sobre sus derechos. Este ensayo reflexiona sobre el funcionamiento de …

Una Investigación Sobre La Prevalencia De La Lactancia Materna / 62/5000 An Investigation On The Prevalence Of Breastfeeding, Madeline Ferone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El propósito de la investigación es estudiar la realidad de las prácticas y la prevalencia de la lactancia materna en Chile, y cómo las características demográficas distintas de las mujeres influyen en la alimentación de sus bebés. La lactancia materna es crucial para el crecimiento y desarrollo saludable de un bebé, y también tiene beneficios para la salud de la madre. Sin embargo, las madres a menudo no siguen las pautas de la Organización Mundial de Salud y UNICEF. Los métodos de recolección de datos son una revisión de una Encuesta del Ministerio de Salud de 2013 de 9604 madres …

La Música Como Una Forma De Educación: Canciones Para Cambios Sociales / Music As A Form Of Education: Songs For Social Changes, Di Hu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de ISP no tradicional busca recrear un mini EP de tres canciones basado en el entorno problemático del sistema educativo chileno y sus influencias negativas en los estudiantes. Las canciones pretenden pedir cambios sociales y aumentar la conciencia al criticar los problemas y al mismo tiempo servir como una forma de educar a los jóvenes de la nueva generación sobre las realidades del sistema educativo actual. Usando información de observaciones escolares anteriores, inspiraciones de la música de diferentes músicos y lo más importante las narrativas de entrevistas, estas tres canciones tomaron forma en tres temas principales: un llamado …

From Kipat To Kathmandu: A Failed Integration Of Limbu People Into The Nepali State In Biblate, Ilam, Andrew Blunt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In eastern Nepal, a territory historically known as Limbuwan, the Limbu people make up just under 400,000. Historically, this region and its people were accompanied by the practice of kipat, a system of land tenure and management as well as one of community and cultural governance. In 2021 (1964) the Land Act formally ended the practice of the kipat system and transferred all lands to the state held raikar form of tenure. With the end of the practice of kipat came the attempted integration of the Limbu people from their traditional governing systems into the burgeoning Nepali democracy. A combination …

O Negro E O Poder: The Significance Of Social Support And Positive Black Identity Formation Through An Afro-Brazilian Politico-Cultural Organization In Salvador, Bahia, Ninar Taha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In contemporary Brazilian history, the prominence of race consciousness and Black pride is relatively new. Those who identify as Black often lack the positive social support that they need to feel empowered and esteemed. This project focuses on the role and power of Afro-Brazilian politico-cultural organizations as networks of social support for Brazilians who self-identify as Black. With specific attention on Associação Cultural Bloco Carnavalesco Ilê Aiyê, my research investigation is intended to develop an understanding of the valuation of such politico-cultural groups in the lives of Black Brazilians and how they contribute to overall emotional health of both individuals …

El Futuro Indefinido Del Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso: Explorando El Nexo Complicado Entre La Preservación Del Patrimonio Y La Gentrificación En El Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso / The Indefinite Future Of The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood: Exploring The Complicated Nexus Between Heritage Preservation And Gentrification In The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood, Anne Paglia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the years following UNESCO’s conferral of the World Heritage title to the historic zone of Valparaíso, the residential neighborhoods of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción underwent a drastic process of gentrification. Private investors hoping to profit from increased tourism flows pumped capital into the sector in the form of restaurants, cafes, and hotels. As result, residents were gradually expelled due to higher rent prices and an overall increase in cost of living.

The consequences of developing the city’s tourism infrastructure in these neighborhoods were not limited to gentrification; as the residential life of these neighborhoods was uprooted, so was …

Discursos De Esclavitud: Un Análisis De Las Implicaciones Estratégicas De La Retórica Acerca De Los Talleres Textiles Informales De Buenos Aires Y Los Migrantes Bolivianos Que Trabajan En Ellos / Discourses Of Slavery: An Analysis Of The Strategic Implications Of The Rhetoric Surrounding The Sweatshops Of Buenos Aires And The Bolivian Migrants Who Work In Them, Tessa Silverman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Buenos Aires is home to about five thousand sweatshops, which collectively employ an estimated thirty thousand bolivian migrants, many of whom work and live in these sweatshops under severely exploitative conditions. This phenomenon is part of a larger global trend of the fashion industry depending heavily on the production of clothes in small, local sweatshops where workers can face extensive hours, minimal pay, and dangerous conditions. Over the years, the problem of sweatshop labour, both internationally and here in Argentina, has become increasingly visibilized, in part through the use of the term “slavery” to describe the labour …

Pololeo Y Protección: Las Barreras De Acceso A Métodos Anticonceptivos Para Adolescentes Vulnerables En La Comuna De Macul, Santiago De Chile / Pololeo Y Protección: Barriers To Access Contraceptive Methods For Vulnerable Adolescents In The District Of Macul, Santiago De Chile, Louisa Boswell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El embarazo adolescente sigue siendo un problema de salud pública al nivel nacional en Chile. Aunque por ley, todos tienen el derecho a una educación sexual y a elegir un método de control de fecundidad, todavía existen casos de embarazos no planificados, particularmente entre adolescentes. Este estudio investigó las barreras que limitan el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos para adolescentes, enfocando primariamente en el sistema público en la Región Metropolitana. Específicamente, la investigación consideró las adolescentes de la comuna de Macul, utilizando muestras de un colegio local y dos centros de salud familiar para hacer conclusiones. La investigadora entrevistó a matronas …

Convivendo Na Lagoa Do Mineiro: An Education In Living And Loving With, Daniela Aldrich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of Brazil’s most pressing issues is unequitable land distribution and agrarian land reform. Movimento Sem Terra (MST) is at the forefront of this struggle and has redistributed land to approximately 1,250 families so far. As well as access and right to land ownership, MST addresses issues from youth development, to education, to ecology and more with the mission to create a more just and inclusive Brazil by training its future leaders. This vision includes moving away from the capitalist system that currently enables hierarchies of power to control Brazil at the expense of many of its citizens and natural …

Exploring The Caregiver-Child Relationship In Institutional Care Facilities In South Sudan, Jennifer Joy Telfer

MSU Graduate Theses

Institutional care for children separated from parents is expanding in Africa, but little research exists on caregiving at these institutions. This study explores the caregiver-child relationship in two residential institutions in South Sudan by investigating how caregivers experience their role and how children experience their lives in the institution. Semi- structured interviews assessed 14 caregivers’ backgrounds, parenting experience, attitudes, education, and motivations. The Orphans and Vulnerable Children Wellbeing Tool (OWT) assessed 98 adolescent residents, who also gave feedback about their answers. Caregivers employ parenting styles used by their parents and report treating non-relative children the same as biological children. Children …

Race, The Condition Of Neo-Liberalism, Vikash Singh

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This article addresses the social and historical relation between Chicago School neo-liberalism and contemporary racism, and its connections with the formations of racism in classical liberalism and its colonial character. I show the pragmatic and discursive operations of neo-racism in the context of this shift to a neo-liberal discourse, drawing particularly on Michel Foucault’s seminars, Society Must be Defended, and Birth of Bio-politics. Insofar as “race” cannot be understood as a discrete category outside its social, economic, moral, and political embeddedness in liberalism, I argue that methodological individualism and expectations of high-specialization constrain the theorization of race in U.S. scholarship. …

The Global Supply Chain Of Sexual Exploitation And The Necessity Of Combating The Demand For Commercial Sex, Lisa L. Thompson

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Twisting Masculinity: Harms Of Pornography To Young Boys And Men, Gabe Deem

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Two Questions, The Same Answer: The Role Of Demand In Prostitution And Sex Trafficking, Shamere Mckenzie

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Adolescent Girls Offered Alternatives To Commercial Sexual Exploitation: A Case Study From The Philippines, Christopher A. Bagley, Susan Madrid, Padam Simkhada, Kathleen King, Loretta Young

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

Background: Up to 2% of adolescents and young women are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) in the Philippines, an economically poor country that earns considerable revenue from “sex tourists.” Earlier research, in the 1990s in Metro Manila, described the living conditions of adolescents whose CSE was influenced by family poverty, their so-called “sex work” becoming a major source of income for families left behind in rural and provincial areas of Luzon. Recent research (up to 2014) indicates that conditions for adolescents experiencing CSE have, if anything, worsened.

Methods: Following the original study, the researchers were able to offer scholarships …

Fine Particles In Homes Of Predominantly Low-Income Families With Children And Smokers: Key Physical And Behavioral Determinants To Inform Indoor-Air-Quality Interventions, Neil E. Klepeis, John Belletierre, Suzanne C. Hughes, Benjamin Nguyen, Vincent Berardi, Sandy Liles, Saori Obayashi, C. Richard Hofstetter, Elaine Blumberg, Melbourne F. Hovell

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Children are at risk for adverse health outcomes from occupant-controllable indoor airborne contaminants in their homes. Data are needed to design residential interventions for reducing low-income children's pollutant exposure. Using customized air quality monitors, we continuously measured fine particle counts (0.5 to 2.5 microns) over a week in living areas of predominantly low-income households in San Diego, California, with at least one child (under age 14) and at least one cigarette smoker. We performed retrospective interviews on home characteristics, and particle source and ventilation activities occurring during the week of monitoring. We explored the relationship between weekly mean particle counts …

A Guide For Assessing Older Adults’ Needs On Maine Islands, Beatrice Byrne

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This template may help Maine island communities identify older adults’ needs and island resources, in order to allow older adults to age in the island communities.

Three interviews with island health leaders, one community conversation with older islanders, and one pilot test provided information about what to include in the template.

The template includes a demographic survey, guides for conducting semi-structured interviews and group conversations with older adults and caregivers, a guide and worksheet for analyzing the data, a guide for assessing community resources, a guide for dissemination, and a list of additional resources.

From The Margins To The Frame: Social Identities And A “Pan-Pacific” Moana, Keara Sternberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the implications of Pacific representation and regional identity in Disney’s film, Moana. It evaluates if the film successfully represented a broad range of Pacific cultures and peoples. It weaves together 20 secondary sources, 8 interviews and 56 surveys. The sample population involved college-aged students from universities throughout the Pacific along with academic professionals and involved members of the Oceanic Story Trust. Overall, the study found that Moana successfully captured a pan-Pacific identity on several indicators, while it also found dissenting reactions toward the film by some respondents on measures of cultural representation. To Pacific students, Moana appears …