Digital Commons Network^™

Maternal Health In Villages Of Northern Uttar Pradesh Assessing Options, Practices And Outcomes In Bahraich District, Elizabeth Curtis

India: Public Health, Policy Advocacy, and Community

Maternal mortality distinctly highlights a health burden women face, particularly in developing countries. For that reason, poor maternal outcomes in rural India are a field in which Public Health workers and researchers continue to question and study. This project aims to understand the reasons behind poor maternal health outcomes for village women in Bahraich District of Uttar Pradesh. The focus of this topic is the accessibility of available health services and the attitudes of various players who distribute or consume services of the health system. Through fieldwork with doctors, medical institutions, auxiliary health workers, traditional health workers, and village women, …

Conservation For Whom?: The Struggle For Indigenous Rights In Sagarmatha National Park, Jake Sivinski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since its creation in 1976 Sagarmatha National Park has been the subject of a great deal of internal scrutiny by the regions indigenous Sherpa Inhabitants. Since their arrival in the Khumbu valley some four centuries ago, the Sherpa people have held a deep respect for their land and have practiced a highly organized and effective form of environmental stewardship which they refer to as Yul-Tim. At its core Yul-Tim relies on the authority of certain village members to make and enforce rules within the community: a practice that has been greatly undermined by creation of SNP. While SNP has had …

Intercountry Adoption And Child Sponsorship In Vietnam: A Practicum-Based Exploration Of A Complex Relationship, Rainah Umlauf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For over a decade, Vietnam ranked in the top ten countries providing the most children for intercountry adoption (ICA), sending almost 11,000 children abroad since 2003 (U.S. State Department, 2015). It is likely that many of these children, however, were not orphans; evidence reveals that a lucrative baby-buying industry falsified information and trafficked children for years in order to meet the high international demand for healthy infants.

In this paper, I relate this history of ICA fraud to contemporary child sponsorship in Vietnam. I find that ICA and child sponsorship are intertwined in two contradictory ways. First, child sponsorship programs …

The Effectiveness Of Political Quotas In Representing Rwandan Citizens, Sarah Duncan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Political quotas are controversial solutions for addressing the representative problems that arise within democratic institutions. The fundamental reasoning behind a state adopting the usage of political quotas is to promote political empowerment for its citizens. The Constitution of Rwanda ensures that numerically different identity groups have political representation vis-à-vis political quotas. Does this written decree of democratic progress on the macro level extend to effectively elevate the social and political status of individuals within the micro level? The simplified question: are political quotas viable solutions for protecting political representation amongst different sects of a state’s population within democratic institutions? Results …

Branches Above And Roots Below: Mothers’ Hopes For Their Children In Batoufam, Cameroon, Taylor Maxfield

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to delve into the desires that rural Cameroonian communities have for the future generation, this research project consisted of formally interviewing ten mothers in the village of Batoufam about what hopes they have for their children. This study highlighted on what they would like for their children, the way they raise their children to achieve their aspirations, and their opinions on the importance of preserving tradition for their children. The findings of this study are humble and rooted dreams of being able to care for one’s basic needs and the needs of a family. Batoufam mothers, along with …

I’M Not A Fishermen, I Don’T Sell Fish, I’M Not Even A Fish: The Microeconomy Of Fish Within The Formal And Informal Markets Of Mwanza, Austin Brush

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine the microeconomy of fish in the city of Mwanza in the context of the formal and informal market place and how it operates on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. In particular, I examined the different roles of fishermen, formal vendors, and informal vendors within the harvest, movement, and sale of fish and their perspectives on their own contributions and those of others at each stage. Between November 7th and November 26th, data was collected through 102 nonrandom, opportunistic interviews with my sample population of fishermen, formal vendors, informal vendors and professors …

A Home In The Hills: Examining The Socioeconomic Benefits Of Homestay Tourism On Rural Women And Their Communities In The Darjeeling District, Isabel Kannegieser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the last several decades, India has become recognized as a desirable destination for tourists seeking a variety of cultural experiences. The district of Darjeeling located in the northeastern state of West Bengal, which is notorious for its beautiful mountain scenery and world-renowned tea gardens, attracts large levels of domestic and international tourists each year. Recently, a popular trend called “homestay tourism” has emerged in Darjeeling, in which tourists choose to stay in small, family-owned homes rather than in large, commercialized hotels and resorts. This increasing demand for homestays may be explained by recent global social and cultural changes resulting …

The Circle Of Empowerment: The Nzinga Group's Approach To Empowering Afro-Brazilian Adolescent Girls And Women Through The Cultural Tradition Of Capoeira Angola, Sofia Stafford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Around the world gender and racial inequality leads to lower levels of empowerment related to self-esteem, autonomy, and self-confidence. These difficulties are exacerbated for girls and women who are faced with overcoming the double-stigmatization of being both black and female. However, Afro- Brazilian girls and women, when given the tools and support to empower themselves will empower their communities. Through a mixed-method approach of participatory research, observations, and nine interviews, this paper explores how the tradition of Capoeira Angola and specifically the roda, empowers Afro-Brazilian girls and women. More specifically, I examine how, through Capoeira, the process of “empowerment” can …

Exploring Cape Malay Identity Through The Lens Of Food, Allyson Ang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the construction of Cape Malay identity through the lens of food. Made up of descendants of slaves from India, Madagascar, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, and other places, “Cape Malay” is a very contentious identity. Although people who fall under the label of Cape Malay today are hundreds of years removed from their slave ancestors, there are still distinct remnants of these origins in Cape Malay culture. One of the ways in which this is most evident is Cape Malay cuisine. Cape Malay dishes such as bobotie, samosas, bredie, and beryani have become staples in South African …

An Expanding Financial Sector: Continuity And Change Among Dhikur Groups In Lower Mustang, Anna Misenti

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Thakali people of lower Mustang have a long history of economic success fostered through community systems that function due to cooperation, but are also characterized by competition. One of these traditional systems is dhikur , a system of rotating credit composed of approximately twenty members. This study examines the roles of traditional savings and credit institutions within communities in lower Mustang in the context of the emergence of private financial institutions in Jomsom over the last ten years. My research displayed the strength of these community based organizations in the face of a private financial sector where organizational requirements …

La Bicicultura De Cochabamba: ¿La Bici Es De Todos?, Lucy Bergwall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto investiga la cultura del ciclismo en la ciudad de Cochabamba. He elegido esta ciudad porque tiene una historia de ser una ciudad de ciclismo urbano pero ha perdido esta característica en las últimas décadas con el incremento de los autos en las calles. Sin embargo, hace unos años que ha empezado a crecer otra vez el ciclismo, en las formas de deporte y de transporte. Esta investigación se enfoca en las preguntas: ¿es la bici de todos? ¿Quiénes son los usuarios de bicis en Cochabamba y quiénes están excluidos o no representados en los grupos de ciclismo? Gracias …

Jordanian Special Needs Children’S Access To Services: Parental Perspective, Selena Rincon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to investigate the point of view of parents of special needs children in regards to their access to financial, medical, and educational services in Jordan. The researcher was interested in the question: Do parents of special needs children believe that the government offers adequate educational, financial, and medical services for their special needs children? This study is significant because special needs children are an important part of Jordanian society and must receive proper services in order to develop their abilities as much as possible and become active members of society. Also, it is important …

Seeds Of Peace: Visible Cooperation Between Jews And Muslims In Morocco, Namratha Somayajula

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A carrefour in various contexts, Morocco stands in a unique position between the Arab world and Israel for several reasons. The country is unique due to the historical presence of Judaism in the region that, over the years, became a Muslim-majority Islamic kingdom. The members of Morocco’s Muslim and Jewish communities coexisted for centuries, albeit with minor hurdles, as did the Muslims and Jews of Palestine. However, political events around the world in the twentieth century led to the rapid departure of Jews from their Moroccan homeland. Today, with so few remaining in Morocco, “Jew” often becomes synonymous with “Israel,” …

Human Rights At The Border: European-Union—Moroccan Relations In The Wake Of The 2013 Migratory Policy, Anashua Dutta

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco’s border with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla has brought the country into direct relations with the European Union (EU) on the issues of border control and migration. In response to the growing human rights violations towards migrants and refugees enumerated in the Conseil Nationale des Droits de l’Homme’s (CNDH) 2013 report, King Muhammad VI passed a migratory policy that emphasized preservation of human rights within Morocco’s borders. This study examines the effects of Morocco’s relationship with the EU on the implementation of the human-rights aspects of Morocco’s 2013 migratory policy. Using the semi-structured interview approach, I will …

From Private To Public Women’S Cooperatives And The Construction Of A Public Sphere, Cecilia Garza

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This independent study project will explore how participation in the economy benefits women in more ways than just economically. Using the example of five cooperatives functioning in the Moroccan Rif, this paper will investigate how access to the economy not only provides women with supplemental income but also allows them to leave the home and build networks within their communities. These examples will illustrate how illiterate, rural women, who would usually be seen as powerless in the public eye, are taking advantage of the trainings, income and communities they gain from their participation in cooperatives to claim independence and prove …

The Right Of Return: International Representation Of Palestinian Refugee Rights, Ariella Hohl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on Palestinian identity in refugee camps and their international representation of rights by the PLO. The goal of this research is to understand how the meaning of the Right of Return has developed through generations of Palestinian refugees residing in camps, in contrast with the international community discourse presented by the PLO on this topic.

After almost two decades since the PLO’s leadership renewal, a gap is visible between Palestinian political representation and the sentiments of Palestinians on the ground. There are growing perceptions dissatisfaction with the current leadership, especially from the perspective of refugees. More often …

The Power Of The We: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Attitudes Towards Exercise In A Cato Manor Workout Group, Serena Bernthal-Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explored attitudes towards exercise within a workout group in Cato Manor, Durban. Taking an autoethnographic approach, I have interwoven narratives of group members with my own experiences, both as a participant in the workout group and as a long-distance runner. Using focus groups, in-depth one-on-one interviews, and direct observations, as well as running as a method of introspection, I aimed to examine both individual and collective perceptions of and motivations for exercise. All but one of the workout group members I spoke with were women, reflecting the makeup of the group while I was there. My findings indicate …

Construyendo Un Mundo Sin Violencia Machista: Los Aportes De Las Organizaciones De Mujeres En Nicaragua Para Transformar La Cultura Machista Y Prevenir La Violencia, Grace Carballo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La violencia machista es, sin duda, una pandemia mundial que transciende fronteras, religiones, y clases. Esta violencia no es un problema privado para resolverse dentro del hogar, aunque esta creencia sea generalizada y problemática, pero es una violación de los derechos humanos. Hay campañas internacionales contra esta violencia y existe legislación para combatirla, pero la violencia todavía existe y hace daño. Alrededor del mundo, hay una lucha fuerte; las mujeres de todos lados se están uniendo para defender su derecho a vivir sin violencia. En Nicaragua, las organizaciones de mujeres también están luchando, a pesar de una cultura machista fuerte …

“No Todo Se Brilla” Tiempos De Espera: Reflejos De Estructuras Dominantes, Flora Richey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Time is a prevailing entity that impacts the human experience on an individual and societal level. While time cannot be objectively defined – it is asomatous and ethereal in nature – it imposes limits that permeate life on a fundamental level. Humans are intimately bonded with time, based on a symbiotic relationship. Time exists and is perpetuated by our practice of it. Naturally, these practices differ across socio-cultural realities. In this way, our understanding and use of time emerges as an aspect of culture. Time reflects cultural, political and social realities. Wait times in Chile are notoriously long. In the …

I’M Black And I’M Proud… And Female: The Role Of Gender And Black Consciousness For Black Female Uct Students In Social Movements In Cape Town., Aaliyah Michele Bell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on how gender roles and the Black identity affect Black women in present day social movements in Cape Town, South Africa. The goal of this project is to analyze how Black female students identify with the present day Black Consciousness Movement and their views on what roles women should engage in during social justice movements. Young Black women have forcefully been present in the current social movements such as Rhodes Must Fall and Fees Must Fall. These movements not only aim to tackle colonization, but also enforcing the inclusion of feminism and LGBTQ principles within the goals …

An Interactive Research Study On For-Profit Microfinance And Its Continued Social Impact, Rachael Peroutky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though the world is changing rapidly, the problem of poverty and the push for human development have been debated for as long as anyone can remember. Outdated strategies for human development are not sustainable in this new globalized world. The relatively young and growing field of microfinance is hoping to be the answer for sustainable human development and poverty elimination. This study analyzes the impact of microfinance on human development through two major questions. Firstly, to what extent and in what ways can microfinance impact the poor? This research question is multifaceted and will seek to address some of the …

La Implementación De La Ley N° 26.485 En El Sector De Salud Pública En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires, Meredith Greene

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A través de todos los siglos, ha existido la violencia contra las mujeres. Las causas de esta violencia son extensivas y tienen raíces en estructuras de ideología, cultura y género incrustadas en sociedades de todo el mundo. Hasta fines del siglo veinte, la violencia contra las mujeres era vista como un tema privado, de la familia, vivido puertas adentro, en forma independiente en cada hogar. Sin embargo, a través de las últimas décadas, muchos cambios ideológicos y socioculturales han trasladado el problema de la violencia contra las mujeres a la escena pública. En el año 2009, Argentina creó una ley …

La Vida Revivida: Una Exploración De La Salud, El Medio Ambiente Y La Cultura En Los Procesos De La Producción Ecológica De Cochabamba, Ethan Wood, Emily Wyler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación intenta explorar cómo los productores incorporan la salud, el medio ambiente, y la cultura en su proceso de producción ecológica. Para responder a esta pregunta, trabajamos con la ONG CIOEC Cochabamba y los productores ecológicos de Cochabamba, para entender cómo es la producción ecológica. Con la investigación, intentamos identificar varias maneras en las que el gobierno del departamento puede brindar más apoyo a los productores y conservar los métodos tradicionales de la producción en Cochabamba. En esta investigación, se utilizaron la observación participativa y las entrevistas semi-estructuradas.

Treatment Of Drug Addiction Within Brazil’S Penitentiary System A Qualitative Investigation, Samantha Jain

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Illicit drug use remains a significant public health issue within in Brazil, and is only magnified in the state penitentiary system, where there is excessive over-crowding and a lack of resources to address this issue. The purpose of this investigation is to understand the context of drug use within the prison system as well as how is drug abuse treated by the professionals that work in Penitenciaria Lemos Brito and Cadeia Publica. Treating drug addiction is an important aspect of the inmate’s well-being as well as it’s impact on his re-integration back into society after his punishment is served. Therefore, …

Mari Et Femme, Sous Dieu: L’Évangile Du Genre Dans Le Mariage Chrétien Camerounais, Allison Aaronson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cette étude cherche à analyser les implications sur le genre d’une institution sociale influente, le christianisme, à travers l’optique des rôles conjugaux. Les interviews individuelles face à face étaient conduites en quatre semaines, avec pour objectif d’analyser ces rôles conjugaux chrétiens du genre dans l’espoir de mieux comprendre leur relation à l’émancipation désirée du genre. Ces interviewés ont inclut un échantillon divers des chrétiens mariés, des leaders religieux, et des membres de la société civile/ le gouvernement. Leurs réponses ont indiqué une influence forte d’un christianisme uniquement camerounais sur la conception des rôles conjugaux du genre. Ces rôles mettent les …

Las Percepciones De Los Profesionales De La Salud Sobre Los Cuidados Paliativos En Diferentes Sectores De Salud En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires / Perceptions Of Health Professionals About Palliative Care In Different Health Sectors In The City Of Buenos Aires, Kate Paulsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Los cuidados paliativos son un campo de medicina para pacientes con enfermedades avanzadas o terminales. El propósito de la medicina paliativa es mejorar la calidad de vida de los pacientes y su familia y cuidar los síntomas físicos, psicológicos, sociales y espirituales. Los equipos interdisciplinarios compuestos de médicos, enfermeros, trabajadores sociales, psicólogos y otros tienen un papel esencial en el cuidado del paciente en una manera completa. Los cuidados paliativos son importantes porque todos tienen el derecho a ser acompañados en el final de la vida. En Argentina, los cuidados paliativos se han desarrollado considerablemente y existen en …

Afrochilenos En Rumbo Al Reconocimiento Como Pueblo Tribal Una Investigación Sobre Los Factores Históricos Y Culturales De Los Afrodecendientes En Arica, Sandy Milien

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Afrochileans have been in the dark for several centuries due to the efforts of the Chilean government to completely ignore the existence of people of color in the country. Since the beginning of the 21st century cultural and political organizations of afrochileans have been created to fight against the invisibility of the black community in Chile, aiming to be recognized as a tribal group by the state. In this study, I researched the historical and cultural factors that influence the recognition of the afrochileans as a tribal group according to El Convenio 169 of the International Labor Organization. To accomplish …

Remnants Of The American War: An Interactive Documentary, Jacob Sussman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Remnants of the American War is an interactive documentary exploring the legacy of the American War in Vietnam. The project tells the stories of individuals who were affected by or are involved with the conflict’s legacy within an interactive web interface. Envisioned as the counter-narrative to existing American portrayals of the conflict, the project seeks to illuminate Vietnamese perspectives that are often unheard within Western culture.

Featuring interviews with veterans, social workers, and artists whom I encountered during a month long journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the project highlights ongoing issues such as Agent Orange and Vietnam’s …

Recursos Y Servicios Disponibles Para Personas Afectadas Por El Uso De Agroquímicos Tóxicos En Avia Terai, Chaco, Argentina / Resources And Services That Are Available To People Who Are Affected By The Use Of Toxic Agrochemicals In Avia Terai, Chaco, Argentina, David Andersen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introducción: El Chaco es una provincia del norte de Argentina con los peores indicadores de salud y de menor ingreso. El estudio se desarrolló en Avia Terai, un pueblo que tiene cinco mil habitantes, está rodeado por cultivos que son fumigados con agroquímicos tóxicos y que tiene niveles muy altos de cáncer y de discapacidad. Muchas personas en Avia Terai trabajan con agroquímicos y viven cerca de los campos fumigados. La mayoría de las personas en el pueblo no tienen seguros de salud y usan el sector público. En el pueblo hay un Centro Integrador Comunitario (CIC), un hospital, dos …

Abortion In Brazil - Todo Mundo Faz: An Analysis Of Social Movements And Social Support For The Liberalization Of Brazil’S Abortion Law In Salvador, Brazil, Maria Camila Caicedo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study analyzed the current actions of feminist movements, black women’s movements, and other advocacy groups that have a stake in the current debate for the legalization of abortion in Brazil. The purpose of the study was to assess the current political avenues for approaching the legislative body available to marginalized groups who are disproportionately affected by the criminalization of abortion. It was built upon a comprehensive review of existing literature, which found very little information on the actions of feminist movements and black women’s movements in Northeast Brazil. The study was conducted over the course of four weeks in …