Digital Commons Network^™

On Pathways That Changed Myanmar: A Précis, Matthew Mullen Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Change in Myanmar came from above, below, within, abroad, and the fore. This précis of Pathways That Changed Myanmar explains how a multidimensional understanding of change in Myanmar can help to explain the military junta’s decision to move towards a pacted transition. Subversion and creation at the grassroots level transformed the distribution of opportunities, leverage, power, incentives, and influences, as did the global effort to name, shame, and sanction the regime. Decades of contention from the National League for Democracy and many ethnic political groups, in combination with the impact of the Third Force, a network that sought to engage …

Deconstructing Internationalization: Advocating Glocalization In International Higher Education, Fay Patel Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Internationalization has become more than a buzz word in recent years. It has become a leading investment, generating substantial revenues, and is regarded as an imperative in its kinship to branding and rankings in international higher education. The author deconstructs internationalization as a western hegemonic perspective and advocates instead glocalization in international higher education. Glocalization focuses on enhancing the quality of learning for local and global learner cohorts through mutual understanding and shared values at a deep level of academic and social engagement. Following a literature review, the romanticized notion of internationalization is deconstructed to expose the inherent development communication …

Butler, J. Gambett, Z. I & L Sabsay (Eds.) Vulnerability In Resistance. Durham And London: Duke University Press, 2016., Pramod K. Nayar Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Vogel, S. Thinking Like A Mall: Environmental Philosophy After The End Of Nature. Cambridge, Ma.: The Mit Press, 2015., Tarique Niazi Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Soft Power Or Hard Power: Rethinking The United States Foreign Policy In The Arab Middle East, Nima Baghdadi

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review on:

• Cordesman, A. H. Western strategic interests in Saudi Arabia. London: Routledge, 2015 (originally published in 1987).
• Saleh, L. US Hard Power in the Arab World: Resistance, the Syrian Uprising and the War on Terror. London: Routledge, 2016.

Las Ofrendas A La Tierra En Un Mundo Global \ Offerings To Land In A Global World, Alison Wuensch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación aborda si las ofrendas a la Pachamama en el Cusco responden a la desvalorización de las culturas andinas en un mundo globalizado por el turismo, la globalización, la modernización, y la urbanización. El turismo místico en el Perú ha crecido desde las noventas con la promoción del estado peruano de la cultura viva, y una de las ceremonias andinas más importantes es la ofrenda a la Pachamama. El objetivo era identificar y explicar los efectos del turismo, la globalización, la modernización, y la urbanización en las ofrendas a la Pachamama según los chamanes y la observación. Fui a …

Remembering Negdels: Nostalgia, Memory & Soviet-Era Herding Collectives, Maya Sutton-Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the socialist period Mongolia’s nomadic herders were grouped into collective herding units called negdels. Today, over twenty years after Mongolia transitioned to democracy, herding has been privatized completely and negdels are a distant memory. This study explores the history of negdels by conducting twenty-five oral interviews with herders about their memories of collective herding. This study focuses on a soum in the Mongolian countryside, Bayandelger, while also incorporating interviews with people from Ulaanbaatar. Bayandelger is a unique location for this project because it was selected by the Soviets to receive assistance in an effort to make it a model …

Here There Be Herders: Comparative Archaeological Survey Of Bronze Age Monumental Landscapes, Charles Ronkos

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within our global understanding of the human story, nomadic pastoralists are often featured as marginal, or at best ancillary, to a narrative on sedentary civilizations of increasing complexity. Research on these groups has been limited by this conception, and by a minimal signature in the archeological record. However, revolutionary technological and methodological advances in the field have allowed for increased complexity in current research on the emergence of pastoralists in antiquity. As a region with an extensive nomadic pastoral history, and as a nation reviving its interest in the past, Mongolia is ideal for such studies. However, for large swaths …

Beliefs And Practices Related To Community Water Sources: "The Specialness Of Springs", Anita Kay Westhues

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The practice of gathering water from community springs in Kentucky constitutes a rich and complex research setting for the study of folklore beliefs and practices. Local knowledge construction, nostalgia as an evaluative process, contested views about purity and impurity, the protection and retention of a “public commons,” and the crisis which ensues when infrastructure maintenance and the delivery of safe drinking water are no longer guaranteed to communities, are all relevant to this vernacular practice. My thesis explores these topics, informed by fieldwork I conducted in nine Kentucky counties, which included formal and informal interviews with individuals who have used …

Pluralism And Religious Education In Bali: How Lack Of Implementation Of Educational Reform Threatens Indonesian Identity In The System Used To Construct It, Nikolai O. Birch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indonesia’s education system was developed with the construction of the Indonesian as a cohesive people in mind. In doing so, the system adopted the practice of mandatory religious education as a means of developing the character of the Indonesian student through religion, a component imperative to the nation’s statehood. In the years and decades following, the education system, and subsequently its program of religious education, has been reformed and changed many times. This research attempts to look at how and why this changed system has struggled to implement these changes in the classroom, and why pluralism has been included in …

The Impact Of Program Structure On Language Acquisition And Intercultural Competence: A Comparative Study Of Study Abroad Programs In Kunming, China, Samantha Bergman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to the Project Atlas study conducted by the Institute of International Education, China is the world’s third most popular study abroad location. With over 390,000 international students currently studying in China, there are more opportunities for cultural exchange and mutual understanding than ever before. However, there is still relatively little existing research on how different study abroad program structures impact students’ Chinese language skills and cultural literacy.

This study examined the impacts of experiential learning and intensive language study abroad program structures on students’ language acquisition and intercultural competence development. Two study abroad programs based in Kunming, SIT China: …

Reading Realities Through Tā-Vā, Nuhisifa Seve-Williams

Pacific Studies

This essay is taken from my PhD dissertation and discusses how I was able to make sense of the theory tā-vā theoretically and apply it as an analytical tool in “reading” the stories of the Pacific students in my study, in particular of two Pacific students in my study.

Vol. 40 No. 1/2 (2017): Pacific Studies Front Matter, The Jonathan Nāpela Center For Hawaiian And Pacific Islands Studies

Pacific Studies

Front Matter for the Vol. 40, No 1/2-Apr/Aug 2017 edition of the Pacific Studies Journal.

The Harmony Of Studying, Aaron Mccartney

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The aim of the research project was to discover what music Parkland students listen to when they study and to see if there is a preferred music genre. The student visited common study spaces around Parkland College and interviewed some students who were listening to headphones while studying. 85% of the students interviewed listen to music on a regular basis to help them study both when studying at Parkland and when studying elsewhere. They generally preferred it without lyrics so that the music would not distract them while …

Creating Connections: Getting Involved And Making Relationships At Parkland, Aiden Kneller

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The student interviewed a series of Parkland College students about their experiences with meeting people and getting involved at Parkland outside of class and work. His hypothesis was that students find it difficult to connect because of the commuter campus and do not form many close relationships. He concluded that most students are in fact hesitant to get involved and have not met many people at Parkland that they would consider friends.

Parkland's International Soccer Players And The Value Of Teamwork, Dylan Thomas Kleiss

Ethnographies of Parkland Student Life

This poster is the result of an ethnography assignment for Anthropology 103. The aim of this project was to see how ideas and values of teamwork vary across cross-culturally. The data was gathered from interviews with international athletes from Parkland's soccer team. The student concluded that the concept of teamwork differs in cultures throughout the world as it is affected by cultural ties and personal interests.

Knowledge Production, Pedagogy And Research In Ir: Perspectives From India, Seema Narain Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

The implications of Eurocentrism in the production of historical and theoretical knowledge have been the subject of debates in multiple disciplines, including anthropology, history, and geography, yet in the field of International Relations (IR), an examination of the implications of Eurocentrism has, until recently, been little studied. Therefore, there is a critical need to revisit pedagogy and research in India to address this gap. This paper looks at knowledge production, pedagogy and research in India from the point of view of countering Eurocentrism in the IR discipline. It first discusses Eurocentrism and highlights the implications of Eurocentrism in the field …

Middle East Research Institute. United Arab Emirates Meri Report. Milton Park: Routledge Revivals, 2015., Gennaro Errichiello

Journal of International and Global Studies

Book review.

Nightmares In The Kitchen: Personal Experience Narratives About Cooking And Food, Sarah T. Shultz

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis explores personal experience narratives about making mistakes in the preparation and serving of food. In order to understand when these narratives, referred to in the text as “kitchen nightmares,” are told, to whom, in what form, and why, one-onone and group ethnographic interviews were conducted. In total, 13 interviews were conducted with 25 individuals (men and women) ranging in age from 19 to 70. Six major themes of kitchen nightmare narratives are identified in Chapter One. Chapter Two explores one of these themes, resistance, in the context of the kitchen nightmare stories of heterosexual married women. Chapter Three …

Inexhaustible Magic: Folklore As World Building In Harry Potter, Samantha G. Castleman

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The practice of secondary world building, the creation of a fantasy realm with its own unique laws and systems has long been a tradition within the genre of fantasy writing. In many notable cases, such as those publications by J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft, folklore exhibited in the world of the reader has been specifically used not only to construct these fantasy realms, but to add depth and believability to their presentation. The universe of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series demonstrates this same practice of folklore-as-world-building, yet her construction does much more than just create a fantasy realm. By using …

The Healing Power Of Music And Chants Amongst The Ahl-E Haqq People, Azadeh Vatanpour

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This thesis examines current practices of music and prayers in the context of Jam ritual among the Ahl-e Haqq, a vernacular religion group in Iranian Kurdistan. I examine the construction and sacralization of the sacred instrument of the Ahl-e Haqq, tanbūr. I also explore the sacred prayer, kalām, and the association of prayer and music. Through the ethnographic method, participant observations, and interviewing religious figures and master musicians during the fieldwork in Sahneh, Iran, I investigate the relation of the Ahl-e Haqq prayers and music, and their effect on healing during their sacred ritual performance. Drawing primarily on scholarship from …

Partnerships 2: An Archaeological Partnership With The Religious Of Niles, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project aims to build an active partnership with the religious community of Niles. Given the importance of Catholicism at Fort St. Joseph, the Project has reached out to one of these communities, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, to explore their potential interest in collaboration.

Partnerships 1: Community Partnerships In Niles, Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project

Community partnerships inspired by the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project have the potential for mutual benefi­ts when community groups collaborate around shared interests.

The Role Of Anthropology In Promoting Diversity On A Public University Campus, Bonnie Glass-Coffin

Interfaith Initiative Research

We live in an era where xenophobia, Islamophobia, and dangerous “Othering” is gaining ground in our communities. If anthropology's purpose still is, as Ruth Benedict once said, “to make the world safe for human differences,” it is more important now than ever for colleges and universities to provide our students with the necessary tools to do so. This report documents how a new initiative is building capacity for positive interaction among all who orient around religion differently while building bridges of interfaith cooperation at Utah State University. After summarizing campus climate research that led to the initiative's emergence in 2014, …

Incorporating Information Literacy Into Anthropology 210 (Final Report), Erin Eldridge

Chesnutt Fellows Information Literacy Projects

No abstract provided.

Ant 4930 Research In Physician Interaction, Roberta Baer

Service-Learning Syllabi

No abstract provided.

Tāvani: Intertwining Tā And Vā In Tongan Reality And Philology, Tēvita O. KaʻIli

Pacific Studies

This analysis examines the foundational principles of the tā-vā theory of reality, a comprehensive philosophical framework that bridges ontological and epistemological understandings of existence within Tongan thought.

Samoan Tā-Vā (Time-Space) Concepts And Practices In Language, Society, And Architecture, Fepulea‘I Micah Van Der Ryn

Pacific Studies

This essay gives new insights into indigenous Samoan spatial, temporal, and social concepts as distinctive aspects of Samoan culture, expressed linguistically, socially, and architecturally in a changing contemporary Samoan context. Four Samoan concepts are examined: (1) mata (the eye and a point of convergence and emanation), (2) tā (strike and a point in time), (3) vā (the interval and relation between points in space or time and society), and (4) tuā‘oi (neighbor and boundary). The general tā-vā theory of reality (Māhina 2008a, 2008b; Ka‘ili 2008) informs the analysis augmented by the theory of point-field spatiality as discussed by Lehman and …

Book Review: American Myths, Legends, And Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia Of American Folklore, Jennifer A. Bartlett

Library Faculty and Staff Publications

Compilations of American folklore are constantly being rewritten to reflect the increasing diversity and variety of American culture. Many readers grew up with Benjamin Botkin’s classic collection A Treasury of American Folklore (Crown 1944), which featured a foreword written by Carl Sandburg and stories about Pecos Bill, Johnny Appleseed, Brer Rabbit and other popular myths, legends, and tall tales. Today, new legends are entering the folklore lexicon to reflect the influence of urban myths, historical events, science fiction, conspiracy theories, and mass media. This three-volume set offers a fascinating look at both traditional and newer folklore, including “Internet Hoaxes,” the …

How Education Level And Willingness To Learn Affect Older Adults In Their Use Of Mobile Technology In Southwest Idaho, Kimberly M. Neagle

McNair Scholars Research Journal

As a person’s age increases, their use of technology decreases (Casado-Muñoz, 2015), which can hinder their access to resources, such as medical care, online products and services, and basic communication. Previous research shows that if seniors have higher education levels and willingness to learn, they are more likely to use technology (Bailey & Sheehan, 2009). This project used the cultural evolution theory and social learning to examine how education levels affect a senior’s use of technology, and how their willingness to learn affects their adoption of mobile technology. Seventy individuals were surveyed, aged 65 years or older: 45 individuals enrolled …