Digital Commons Network^™

The Importance Of Play To Childhood Development: A Child’S Right To Play While Living With Hiv/Aids, Rachel Bambrick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is a social analysis paper that explores child development and a child’s right to engage in play activities while living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Through experiences volunteering at the Children’s Rights Centre, interviewing occupational therapy professors, and living and playing in various communities in KwaZulu-Natal, the study looks into play development for children living with HIV and the policies put in place to protect their rights to play and develop. Primary data was triangulated against secondary sources, most of which were found while volunteering at the Children’s Rights Centre in Durban. The study looks at the stigmas surrounding …

Goals, Challenges, And Successes Of A Girls Development Organization In Kenya : A Case Study Of Moving The Goal Post (Kilifi, Kenya), Madeline Boston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Girls and Women in Kilifi District, Kenya are some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people. Low retention rates in school, early and unintended pregnancies, and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS trap them in a cycle of intense poverty. Moving the Goalpost (MTG) in Kilifi uses football to empower girls and young women, helping them to fulfill their potential by engaging them in sport and educational development projects. This report analyzes the goals, challenges, and successes of MTG through understanding its organization capacity, and offers recommendations for improvement.

Evaluating Ceres Fair Food As An Urban Sustainable Food Initiative: A Comparison Of Retail Pricing, Wholesale Pricing And Food Miles For A Healthy Food Basket, Stella Chung

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

CERES Fair Food, an organic food delivery system in Melbourne, VIC was evaluated in terms of its transportation resource consumption, ability to enhance food security, and support of local organic farmers, which are key factors in sustainable food systems for urban areas.

Transportation resource consumption was analyzed by calculating the food miles for a selection of Fair Food’s products and comparing them to data on typical products consumed in Victoria. Most of Fair Food’s products had similar or lower food miles, particularly the fresh produce. But many assumptions had to be made in the calculations due to limited information. Food …

Women In Post Revolutionary Tunisia: Political Inclusion And Prospects For The Future, Courtney Joline

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the world turns it attention to Tunisia as the first state to undergo the democratic transition in the phenomenon known as the Arab Spring, women’s status has been a dominant theme among policy analysts, journalists, and scholars. As people debate their means of mobilization, I sought to document how women see their futures and their opinion of the democratic transition, and most importantly what this holds for women. This piece seeks to give women agency and a forum for them to share their stories, opinions, and perspectives of the future. In a time when so many thinkers are getting …

Conflict Situation For Health Care Workers: A Case Study Of The Occupational Challenges In Kasangati Health Centre Iv And Their Implications For Patient Care., Shannon Mcdowell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many factors influence a country’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Particularly, quality health care hinges upon the availability of properly trained and equipped health care workers (HCWs) to deliver effective care. Resource-strained countries committed to the Millennium Development Goals are confronting the reality that shortages and uneven distribution of HCWs threaten their capacities to encourage and establish healthy communities. A scarcity in HCWs is one challenge of public health initiatives and places stress on existing HCWs. Other challenges faced by HCWs severely affect performance, motivation, and overall care-giving ability.

This study aims to examine the particular …

Himalayan Metal Of Death: Heavy Metal And Middle Class Social Identity In Kathmandu, Kyle Smucker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The notion of a middle class is a recent phenomenon in the Kathmandu valley. With it comes the new category of adolescence, a period between basic education and marriage that now exists within Kathmandu’s social landscape. This new social category is defined by a moral struggle between modern and “traditional” values. The purpose of this research is to investigate how social identity is realized for members of Kathmandu’s heavy metal scene, a distinctly middle class adolescent phenomenon. Through interviews, quantitative surveys and participant observation this research deals with how “metal heads” define themselves as a social group that both stands …

“Nos Trabalhamos Em Rede:” How The Instituto Povo Do Mar Utilizes Local Networks And Knowledge To Foster Empowerment., Cléa Major

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Instituto Povo do Mar (or IPOM) seeks to improve the lives of children in the favela of Serviluz through experiential education, providing classes in music, art, yoga, surfing, and other subjects. Previous studies have shown how surfing programs can provide immense psychological benefits for children who are at risk for trauma because of their impoverished environments, and the other classes that IPOM offers also give structural support to community children in various ways. In addition to the direct benefits that Serviluz children receive from these programs, IPOM also has a broader social justice goal in mind. The organization sees …

Visibilización De La Población Rural En Villa La Angostura Después De La Erupción Del Volcán Puyehue, Claire Henkel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El desarrollo de la población rural en Villa la Angostura, una ciudad en la provincia de Neuquen en Argentina cambió bastante después de la erupción volcánica de Puyehue Chileno en el Cordón Caulle. La comunidad rural en dicha región, que consiste de familias mapuches y criollos, ha sufrido décadas de ser perjudicadas por el Estado y el Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. Este mal trato junto con el crecimiento de la economía turístico que genera la ciudad había puesto las poblaciones rurales en un estado aislado e invisible con poco acceso a recursos para desarrollar. Las vidas y oportunidades de estas …

“Primero, La Verdad”: Un Análisis Sobre Los Procesos De Construcción Identitaria De Los Jóvenes De Villa Tranquila / “First, The Truth”: An Analysis Of The Processes Of Identity Construction For The Youth Of Villa Tranquila, Courtney Weintraub

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Informal housing settlements in the suburbs of the City of Buenos Aires and their residents, hereby referred to in this report as villas and villeros, respectively, have historically been stigmatized for reasons real and arbitrary. The inundation of negative imagery about the villero population, as propagated by the mainstream society and its apparatuses—the government and the media, among others—often has grave consequences for the collective consciousness of the villeros themselves. My hypothesis in carrying out this investigation is that the control hegemonic society has over the labeling and identification of marginalized populations obscures the latter’s ability to form a …

El Microcrédito Como Herramienta Para Promover La Autonomía Económica Y El Empoderamiento Social En Mujeres De Bajos Recursos En El Conurbano Norte: El Caso De “Mujeres 2000” / Microcredits As A Tool To Promote Economic Autonomy And Social Empowerment In Women With Few Resources In The Northern Metropolitan Area: The Case Of “Mujeres 2000”, Stephanie Allen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, Argentina has been faced with many economic downfalls, specifically the economic crisis of 2001. These economic hardships led to higher rates of poverty and unemployment throughout the country. The populations most affected but such harsh economic downturns were the already vulnerable; one of which being women. Many women in Argentina and throughout Latin America occupy a lower position in society and often bear most of the burden of poverty and unemployment.

As a response to the isolation of some groups from the formal economic system, the idea of microfinance took shape. Presently in Argentina there exist over …

Managing Diversity And Dealing With The Obstacles To Integration Of Non-European Union Migrants: A Comparison Of Policies In The Netherlands And France, Eryn Eby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because of the reality of permanent immigration to Europe, the issue of integration of immigrants, particularly Muslim immigrants is of great importance and the direction and style of policies are the subjects of increasing debate and disagreement. Neither multicultural policies nor assimilation policies have led to a satisfactory level of integration and decreased social and ethnic tensions in France and the Netherlands. We found that often, the rhetoric, perceptions, and misinterpretations that go along with the labels of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘assimilation’ serve to further polarize the debate and lead to more problems than they solve. The overall rhetoric and program …

Student Voice In Integrated Schools: Advising Leaders In A Transitional Society, Nora Murphy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the outcome of a month-long exploratory study on student voice in the integrated educational sector in Northern Ireland, particularly through an examination of student leadership initiatives and the advisors of such programs. Data was obtained by way of qualitative methods using semi-formal interviews and written responses to open-ended questions on the topic. Although the work is hardly comprehensive, it is can be inferred from the research – as it is situated within the framework of scholarly literature – that student leaders in the integrated school setting are given definite opportunities to express their voice, despite the presence …

Sectarianism In Northern Ireland: Youth Work And The Art Of Having The Difficult Conversation, Dan Knishkowy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the outcome of a month-long exploratory study on youth work in Northern Ireland regarding sectarian issues. It is an investigation of how sectarianism transfers from generation to generation, and how this often results in cycles of violence. The goal of this exploration was to find out what efforts are being made to combat this cycle at a youth level, and gain a more nuanced understanding of how these efforts can be effective. Data was obtained through literature, structured interviews, and participation and observation in a youth workshop. It is concluded that cross-community contact at a youth level …

Reacciones Al Turismo En Los Tejidos De Huilloc Y Chinchero: Una Comparación Entre Dos Pueblos, Sarah Lyon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los textiles en la cultura Andina no son un arte estacionario, sino como la gente, se adaptan a los nuevos tiempos y la cultura occidental. Eso no es porque la cultura y arte de los pueblos indígenas en los Andes son más propensos a las influencias de afuera, o que son más variables que otras culturas. Pensar que los pueblos indígenas y su cultura están ‘influenciado’ o ‘impactado’ por la cultura occidental es pensar que los pueblos indígenas son pasivos sin la voz para decir lo que van a escoger a sacar de la cultura occidental. Es mejor para hablar …

A Proxy War Or A Struggle For National Liberation: The Ideological Motivations And Human Rights Considerations Of The United States-Contra Alliance, Sarah Cassel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite the vast amount of literature on events of the Sandinista Revolution and Sandinista political aspirations, minimal research has been done on the perspectives of fighters in the counterrevolutionary forces. This study therefore examines the motivations of the Contra army, their respect for human rights considerations, and their perceptions of the United States’ involvement in the Contra War through qualitative interviews with former Contra soldiers and commanders. An analysis of the responses reveals a diversity of motivations among the Contra, ranging from a desire for indigenous autonomy to a struggle for political representation to a reaction to personal attacks. Furthermore, …

Las Prescripciones De Alimentación En La Cultura Mapuche, Suzanne Block

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question: How do the traditional norms and customs within the Mapuche culture impact their diet? Objective: To determine to if a relationship exists between the philosophy of the Mapuche and their diet. Background: Within their understanding of the world there exists guidelines that are followed in order to preserve the equilibrium of all forms of life that exist in within the universe, Waj Mapu. Within Waj Mapu there are distinct dimensions that contain energy, newen, which all interact to create a circular movement between them. Thus, due to the interaction of the dimensions, when there …

Indicadores De Maduracion Sexual Y Su Relacion Con Indices De Masa Corporal (Imc) Y Habitos De Alimentacion En Escolares Femeninas De Arica, Chile, Melissa Colden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The basis of this investigation came from recent evidence that the age of puberty, specifically with respect to young girls, has fallen notably in the past decade. This trend exists in Chile, as well as other countries such as the United States, and has presented itself alongside a portentous epidemic of obesity and malnutrition. Knowing the risks of both disorders, and how their affects have already been manifested in the adolescent population in Chile and the city of Arica, this study sought to develop a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and pubertal development, including the appearance of secondary sexual …

How Pescadores Become Produtores: Gender, Family, And Sustainable Living On Brazil’S Northeast Coast, Wren Brennan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The familial structure of a Brazilian fishing community is explored through participant observation and eight in-depth ethnographic interviews conducted over the course of three weeks of emersion with a family of pescadores artesanais (artisanal fishermen) that now call themselves catadores de algas (seaweed collectors). Previous research suggests that the sexual division of labor in this community, along with coastal environment in which the community exists, is in a state of transition. This project explores the emerging the practice of communal seaweed cultivation as a form of work that exemplifies changing gender relations in conjunction with a changing coastal environment. It …

Connecting Cultures: Msmcbj’S Alternative Methods To Mental Health Therapy Within The Aldeia Indigenous Reserve And The Bom Jardim Favela, Emily Rasowsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my Independent Research Project I observed how community integration and connecting individuals back to the indigenous cultural idea of community work together to improve upon the mental health of individuals in the Favela of Bom Jardim, Fortaleza and the Pitaguary Indigenous Reserve or Aldeia. I examined how the Movimento de Saude Mental Comunitara do Bom Jardim (MSMCBJ) organization provides individuals within Bom Jardim a space to build a supportive community, based in indigenous ideals, while simultaneously providing professional and social opportunities for the Pitaguary tribe to create a sense of cultural valorization and how both of these aspects lead …

Discourses Around Social Welfare Grants As Antipoverty Policy: Effectiveness And The Potential For Reform, Sarah Maniates

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a South Africa where many still live in poverty, the government has chosen an extensive system of social grants as one of the primary methods by which it attempts to reduce this poverty. Research has generated substantial quantitative evidence that the system is successful, but there has been little analysis of public opinion around this costly policy, its effectiveness, and the need for its reform. This study explores discourses around the grants, both within government and among everyday people, in order to gain insight into such opinions. This insight is important in a South Africa that is now democratic, …

Beads, Sculptures, And Baskets: South African Traditional Craft As A Means Of Economic Empowerment, Sasha Kaori Hippard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The significance of the South African traditional craft industry is often associated with the preservation of historical culture. However, besides being a crucial element in the protection and promotion of cultural heritage, craftwork also can be a significant source of income generation for disadvantaged communities across South Africa. The African Art Centre, a non-profit organization located in Durban, reaches out to various communities of disadvantage in and around the KwaZulu Natal province, holding training and design workshops, providing access to craft skills and materials, and providing a market for the sale of craft as a source of sustainable economic empowerment. …

Is Lac Anony Reaching Its Tipping Point? A Comparative Case Study Of The Traditional Fishery At The Village Of Antsovela, Corinne Haynes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional fisheries are globally recognized as an important supplier of food resources. In fact, “small-scale fisheries provide over half the world’s wild-caught seafood” (Shester and Micheli, 2011). All around the southern tip of Madagascar, the traditional fishing industry acts as one of the most common livelihoods. The island nation contributes 120,000,000 tons of aquatic resources to the world supply each year, the majority of which is caught by traditional fishermen found in 1,250 rural villages all around the island. However, 80% of the catch is consumed locally, pinpointing the main goal of these traditional fishermen: to feed their families (RAZANOELISOA, …

How To Sever The Legs Of An Octopus: Tunisia’S Ongoing Revolution, Matthew Hammel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Kasbah square is large and covered in barbwire. Military men stand on the inside of the fence cradling automatic rifles, joking, chatting, texting on their cell phones. Coming out from the bustle of the souks the square feels tranquil. It is September, seven months since the square became a temporary home to thousands of protestors who demanded the end of oppressive government in Tunisia. It was here that the Tunisian people solidified their revolution, refusing to be appeased by the flight of a figurehead while the tentacles of his regime remained.

Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for twenty-three years. During …

Street Food Policy In A Growing Economy: A Case Study Of Street Food Vendors In Hanoi’S Old Quarter, Alexandra J. Pill

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Street food vending is a global phenomenon present in both the developed and developing worlds and it is increasingly evident as countries continue to modernize, urbanize, and globalize. Street food policy is interdisciplinary in nature, incorporating economic, social, cultural, and health dimensions in order to account for urban planning, food safety, and tourism development. In Vietnam, street food is rampant, and in particular, in Hanoi’s Old Quarter, street food vendors can be spotted on every street at all times of the day. This study explores the role of street food vendors in Hanoi's Old Quarter from the vendor’s perspective. Complementing …

Morality, Mathematics, & Music Class: A Case Study Of A First Grade Vietnamese Classroom, Emma James

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For a Vietnamese child, first grade is their introductory gateway to society. It is the first time they will be working within a large group of people their own age, learning how to become an effective and contributing citizen to the community they’re within. Much of the first grade curriculum focuses on how students should behave not only in the classroom, but outside the school walls. This case study was conducted in the Le Loi Primary School in Hue, Vietnam. My goal was to uncover the main moral values instilled at the first grade level. For two weeks I observed …

La Derecha Contemporánea En Chile: Su Rol En El Movimiento Estudiantil, Alexandra Jane Bellows

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation studies the political right in Chile and how they see their role within the student movement of 2011. One of the most relevant topics in current Chilean politics, the student movement has organized, over the course of the past nine months, a series of strikes, protests and demonstrations, rallying at certain times over 100,000 people. The students are demanding change to the structure of the higher education system, a system established during the 1980’s under the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet and largely influenced by the neoliberal model of Milton Freidman and the “Chicago boys.” This movement has …

Mecanismos De La Participación Política El Movimiento Para Reformar El Sistema De La Licencia Postnatal En Chile, Lucas Hernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay is intended to accomplish a systematic presentation of the postnatal debate that occurred in Chile from 2009-2011 with a specific focus on the role played by social organizations to organize and mobilize the political participation of the citizenry. The thought of an extension of post-natal leave was born in the 2009 election campaign where all candidates, including the current president Sebastian Piñera, advocated for an extension of this coverage. Sebastian Piñera, the first conservative president since the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, not only promised to make maternity leave longer and more flexible, he also pledged to remove obstacles …

La Integración De Gimnasios Al Aire Libre Y El Desarrollo Local, Emily Feenstra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación pretende explicar el inicio y desarrollo de gimnasios al aire libre en Chile a través del estudio de dos comunas en la Región Metropolitana: Providencia y San Ramón. En un área de poca investigación académica y poco conocimiento del gobierno, se intenta ofrecer una documentación y además un análisis de la instalación, uso, y efectos de los gimnasios al aire libre. Primero, ofrecer información de la gestión de instalación de las máquinas de dos comunas. Después plantea patrones generales sobre el uso de las máquinas, quiénes las usan, cuándo, y con qué hábitos. Finalmente, ofrecer algunas teorías sobre …

Economic Empowerment And Hiv Prevention Among Young Women And Girls In Kenya: Lessons From The Study Of Economic Empowerment Programs, Samantha Van Putten

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of the major issues facing Kenya is HIV/AIDS. With recognition by the global community that providing women with economic opportunities can help both those who are HIV positive, as well as in prevention for those who are not infected, programs combining microfinance and HIV education have started to emerge. While women in these programs 3 3 have shown preliminary signs of success, young girls did not respond as well in part due to lack of interest in the particular programs themselves. As such, this study examines two economic empowerment programs for girls and young mothers at the non-governmental organization …

Sem Terrinhas No More: The Place Of Second Generation Mst Settlers In The Agrarian Reform Movement Sem Terrinhas Não Mais: A Posição Da Segunda Geração Dos Assentados Do Mst No Movimento De Reforma Agrária, Lorraine Keeler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After 28 years of fighting for agrarian reform, social justice, and sustainable agriculture, Brazil’s Landless Worker’s Movement (MST) is facing new challenge, one of which is how to retain maturing sem terrinhas, children of land recipients, in the rural settlements and in the movement. The southern region of the Amazonian state of Pará, where this study takes place, is a violent area badly in need of agrarian reform and sustainable development. At the same time, it has some of the highest levels of rural youth outmigration yet virtually no literature on the MST youth there. Through interviews conducted with youth …