Digital Commons Network^™

"Prescribed To Fuck Off": Examining The Role Of Heterosexual White Men In South Africa From The Perspective Of Seven Students At The University Of Cape Town, Meagan Murray

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Movements towards racial and gender equality in South Africa are experiencing growth because of the increasingly urgent need to rectify the inequalities of apartheid. These movements have destabilized notions of white hegemonic masculinity by creating a dissonance between the socially-constructed privileges that white men are entitled to and their perceived limited access to advancement. The primary responses to this “crisis” have materialized in the construction of male organizations aimed at either redeveloping masculinity or defending male privilege, as well as a desire to distance oneself from the stereotypical male identity. All reactions bear significant weight on the future of South …

Imagining Intersectional Anti-Rape Messaging At An Organization In Cape Town, South Africa: Visible And Invisible Subjects, Maslen Bode Ward

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Less than one month ago, South Africa held the first ever Summit on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide to assess the most effective ways to approach solving the country’s high rates of gender-based violence. My study aims to consider anti-rape messaging and advocacy under an intersectional framework, using one organization in Cape Town as a case study. I examine how anti-rape messaging in South Africa has failed to consider intersectional identities in their imagined conceptions of survivors and perpetrators. I explore the potential for intersectional anti-rape messaging and the role of race, class, gender, culture, and language in the distribution, audience, …

Mind Control In The Post-Colonial State: The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment In Tertiary Education In Senegal And Jamaica, Janiel Chantae Slowly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the end of 17th to 20th century colonization, Senegal and Jamaica have been victims of the rhetoric of development. The economic, social, and political progress of these nations have always been overshadowed by their categorization as “developing countries”. Yet, this development rhetoric fails to acknowledge not only the wounds of colonization but the more modern manifestations of continued exploitation of these countries often by the same countries that “emancipated” their colonies. Senegal and Jamaica for example, are both dominated by large percentages of young adults, in both cases a large majority of the populations are individuals under the age …

Lgbti+ Language And Understandings In Nepal: Creating Spaces And Forging Identities, Patrick Sonnenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 1990 Nepali Constitution opened up opportunities for many forms of activism, and identity groups thus began solidifying to advocate for social change and justice (Karki 2012). After the Nepali Supreme Court ruling in 2007, Nepal became one of the first countries to offer a third gender category “Other,” becoming a leader for human rights in South Asia and the world (Mahato 2017). As Coyle and Boyce (2013) point out, there is little research on LGBTI individuals in Nepal. Furthermore, they advocate for more research and closer work with gender and sexual minority individuals in Nepal.

This research attempts to …

‘Defensoras De La Selva’: Mujeres Indígenas En Resistencia Al Extractivismo En La Amazonía De Ecuador / 'Defenders Of The Jungle': Indigenous Women In Resistance To Extractivism In The Amazon Ecuador, Tanmatra Bhanti

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En los últimos décadas el movimiento indígena ha sido un potente actor social en contra de los actividades extractivista en la amazonía de Ecuador. Con el crecimiento de empresas petroleras y mineras en territorios indígenas hay una fuerte respuesta de la comunidad indígena en contra los concesiones que el gobierno otorga en nombre de concepto equivocado de desarrollo. Las implicaciones de extractivismo incluye graves daños ambiental, social y cultural. Estos impactos son exacerbados para las mujeres. Las mujeres indígenas siempre estuvieron presente en todos aspectos de esta lucha, y han tenido un papel importante dentro del movimiento. Las mujeres están …

Sueños Del Progreso: La Migración Juvenil Desde Íntag / Dreams Of Progress: Youth Migration From Íntag, Julia Gratton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta monografía trata de la migración juvenil desde la zona de Íntag en el noroccidente del Ecuador[1]. Documenta las razones por que los jóvenes deciden salir a las ciudades, además de cuáles son las razones principales por las que deciden venir, regresar y quedarse en la Zona. Analiza las expectativas y los resultados con referencia a la teoría de la dependencia y la nueva ruralidad.

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This monograph deals with juvenile migration from the Intag area in northwestern Ecuador [1]. Document the reasons why young people decide to go to the cities, in addition to what are the …

“Sanarnos Para Sanar El Mundo”: Un Estudio De Mujeres Activistas Contra El Extractivismo Y Los Poderes Curativos De Terapia Social / "Heal Us To Heal The World": A Study Of Women Activists Against Extractivism And Healing Powers Of Social Therapy, Alisha Kendrick-Pradhan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el mes de noviembre, trabajé con Fundación GAMMA y yo estudié el vínculo entre el activismo ecofeminista y la terapia social. La Fundación GAMMA ofrece talleres de terapia social a activistas de los derechos de las mujeres, muchos de los cuales luchan contra el extractivismo en sus comunidades. Existe un vínculo entre las cuestiones de derechos de las mujeres y la explotación del medio ambiente, que constituye la base de la teoría ecofeminista. En la práctica, muchas de las mujeres que asisten a estos talleres son víctimas tanto de la discriminación de género y también de las problemas de …

La Relación De Prácticas Religiosas E La Identidad: Los Campesinos Migrantes Q’Eros / The Relationship Of Religious Practices And Identity: The Migrant Peasants Q'Eros, Autumn Delong

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio se enfoca en la relación entre la experiencia religiosa de los campesinos migrantes q’ero y la concepción de la identidad. Describe el estado de los rituales religiosos en la ciudad de Cusco y explica la preservación y el cambio de las prácticas a través de la migración de los q’ero del campo a la ciudad. Además, explica el papel de las tradiciones religiosas como un fortalecimiento y reafirmación de la identidad q’ero en medio del nuevo ambiente de la ciudad. Este informe muestra que las perspectivas de los especialistas y practicantes de los rituales de la cosmovisión andina …

La Tierra Aquí Es Amable: Soil Macrofauna Density And Producer Perceptions Of Agricultural Soil Fertility In Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Clara Fernandez Odell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ethnopedology, as a subfield of ethnoecology, is the study of localized symbols and values, knowledge, and practices relating to soils. One key framework for ethnopedological studies is the Kosmos-Corpus-Praxis model, which synthesizes local and traditional ecological into three overlapping, interrelated spheres. Cerro Punta, Chiriquí is the primary vegetable-growing region in Panama, an industry highly dependent on the region’s fertile volcanic soils. Semi-structured interviews (n=8) and soil macrofauna density surveys as an indicator of soil fertility (n=9) were used to gather information regarding producers’ beliefs, knowledge, and decisions about soil fertility.

Among producers in Cerro Punta, religious beliefs and land symbolism …

Las Perspectivas De Los Trabajadores Sobre La Accesibilidad A Los Recursos Públicos Para El Tratamiento De Depresión Y Ansiedad En La Actualidad En El Área Metropolitana De Buenos Aires: Estudio Cualitativo De Tipo Exploratorio-Descriptivo. / Perspectives Of Workers On The Accessibility Of Public Resources For The Treatment Of Depression And Anxiety In The Metropolitan Area Of Buenos Aires: Qualitative Exploratory-Descriptive Study., Ellen Broaddus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En los últimos años, el tema de la salud mental se ha convertido en un elemento fundamental para la salud y el bienestar. Con la ley nacional 26.657 de 2010, Argentina declaró que todos tendrían servicios de salud mental gratuitos y accesibles y que no serían discriminados por sus trastornos. Sin embargo, los trastornos mentales, especialmente la depresión y la ansiedad, siguen siendo muy frecuentes, y en realidad muchos de los recursos públicos prometidos no son en realidad accesibles. Para investigar el estado actual de la salud mental pública, esta investigación buscó en los profesionales del campo para explorar sus …

Three Land Use Proposals For Geldinganes Framed By The City Of Reykjavik’S Municipal Plan And Climate Neutrality Goals, Emma Hokoda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With global CO2 levels rising every year, climate change is becoming a larger, looming threat. Cities around the world have an important role in reducing the negative impacts of climate change through strategic and sustainable urban planning. The purpose of this study is to conduct an introductory analysis of Geldinganes island and its potential and capacity for land development that will support and expand upon the city of Reykjavik’s 2010-2030 municipal plan and 2040 climate neutrality goals. Within this study three proposals for Geldinganes are considered, the current proposal and two new proposals. The lowest development impact proposal for Geldinganes …

Frank Thoughts: Investigating The Construction Of Anne Frank As A Site Of Heritage And Identity Formation In A Globalized Postholocaust Society, Sarah Silverstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research begins to investigate the ways constructions of Dutch-Jewish history and the Holocaust in the Netherlands post World War II have become active symbols of heritage or physical sites of heritage for tourists and host communities alike. In this paper I consider the ways in which the memorialization of Anne Frank in Amsterdam and the human rights violations documented more broadly in the host community, the Netherlands, during the Holocaust has and continues to influence identity politics of the Dutch nation-state, its culture, and citizens on both a local and global stage in contemporary times. The “Jewish History – …

“Archival Of The Fittest: The Role Of Archives In Constructing Public Memory Of Queer History”, Brooks Hosfeld

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

IHLIA LGBT Heritage, an LGBTI-specific archive housed in Amsterdam, is moving beyond traditionally-introverted roles of an archive by putting on an exhibit about the past 40 years of LGBT activism in the Netherlands. The archive alone contributes to public awareness of queer history, and the exhibit, With Pride, gives a heightened platform for select gay narratives from the collections. The subjects on display, as well as the goals and decisions that selected them, reflect which narratives are included in historical memory and deemed palatable to the public.

Robotic Reflection: An Exploration Of Humanity Through The Bodies Of Sex Robots, Audrey Pope

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sexuality and technology have long been recognized as markers of the human experience. The burgeoning industry of sex robots exists at the junction of these features, making sex robot technology both a highly intriguing and highly relevant subject of research. This study explores sex robots from a technical and a theoretical perspective, analyzing the potential impact of the technology on sexual relationships in the future. Data analysis proved an emphasis on embodiment in intimate relationships, which, combined with theories of sexuality, self formation, fear, and desire, proves the potential of sex robots to function not only as the future of …

Sustainable Tourism Practices In Vietnam: The Influence Of Institutions And Case Study Of Sapa’S Growing Tourism Industry, Alexandria Cahill

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As tourism becomes increasingly important to Vietnam’s economy, and subsequently the development of the country, it will become ever more critical to examine the impact of tourism, including both the positive and negative consequences. The intention of this paper is to continue the analysis of the tourism industry in Vietnam; in particular, this paper considers sustainable tourism, which can be defined as minimizing impact on local culture and environment while simultaneously resulting in economic gains and employment, all while operating in a way that can be continued in the future. As Vietnam is rich in diverse cultures and natural landscapes, …

Productivity, Competition, And Empowerment? The Experience Of Pondicherry Fisherwomen In The Context Of Neoliberal Development, Amelia Colliver

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The subject of this study is female fisherwomen from the fishing village of Veerampattinam in Tamil Nadu who have experienced impacts of neoliberal economics in India. Neoliberalism is here defined as a political economic movement that determines the viability of both an individual and a government based on its economic productivity. Populations reliant on traditional livelihoods are not as efficient as mechanized sectors of their industry, and therefore they are often separated from easy access to their livelihoods by neoliberal policies. This is especially true for women, who are frequently left behind in neoliberalism because their work is considered less …

Rebuilding Tunisia, One Artist At A Time, Caitlin Kelley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper argues that Tunisia’s engaged artists are playing a key role in the development of Tunisian civil society and democracy. The bulk of the research is in the form of interviews with five Tunisian artists. Each artist is actively engaged in the project of building a stronger, more democratic society. Through their art, they exercise and protect the political rights won in the 2011 revolution. These artists resist censorship, powerfully and loudly exercise their right to free speech, and help Tunisian society envision a better future for itself. The five artists interviewed for this research represent the type of …

Over A Cup Of Tea And Koko Sāmoa, Elizabeth Stanis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Fa’aSāmoa, a concept that incorporated culture, tradition, and heritage all specific to Sāmoa, impacts the daily life of Sāmoans. Agriculture and farming also have a role in everyday life, as they impact food security, the economy, and have ties to cultural events. This paper recognizes the importance of the Fa’aSāmoa and agriculture separately and then observes how the Fa’aSāmoa impacts agriculture and is incorporated into agricultural development. Through interviews with local Sāmoans and the use of historical particularism, the cultural side of agriculture and farming is better understood and its importance in society is analyzed through customary land and …

Women’S Movement: Traveling Nepal, Shaelyn Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal is a country formed by the highest peaks in the world, numerous unique cultures and ethnicities, religious pilgrimage sites for both Buddhist and Hindus, and more festivals than days in the year. For Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017, Nepal was deemed the world’s “Best Value Destination”. Tourism plays a vital role in Nepal’s economy, but its inds is heavily aimed towards the international market. Nepalis in the hospitality industry, scholars, and economists have argued that domestic tourism could be a key component for overall socioeconomic and cultural changes in their society1.

There has been a surge of domestic …

From Lahure Legacies To Moving Peoples: A Study Of Opportunity And Mobility In The Annapurna Hills, Peter Jacobson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the interplay between the politics of mobility and changing notions of opportunity in the face growing trends of tourism in the southern Annarpurna Conservation Area (ACA) of Nepal. Research was conducted in three villages that have been the sites of rapid change in recent years, both due to the widespread adoption of local trekking economies, and to demographic change engendered by growing trends of outmigration. By adopting a political ecological framework, which challenges common apolitical explanations of exclusion, inaccessibility and unequal distribution of costs and benefits with particular regard to environmental challenges, this paper jointly applies what …

“So What Are You?:” Nepali Third Gender Women’S Identities And Experiences Through The Lens Of Human Rights Development Discourse, Amit Gerstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal is the site of many national and international human rights development measures focused on the country’s gender and sexual minorities (SGM). Given the significant impact those development efforts have on SGM and Nepali society, national and international development actors need to understand the identities and experiences of the populations they attempt to help. Performed in Kathmandu and Bharatpur, this study attempts to understand the identities used by third gender women and if those identities are reflected in development discourse. Furthermore, this research seeks to understand the life experiences of these women and the discriminations they face, a reflection on …

The War Against Sex Trafficking: Who Is Fighting?, Elizabeth Dicus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper analyzes and relays information collected from a series of interviews with anti-trafficking organizations in Nepal. The organizations included are Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN), Maiti-Nepal, Saathi Nepal, Tiny Hands Nepal, and Women’s Rehabilitation Centre Nepal (WOREC). Each organization approaches the fight against sex trafficking differently. This paper breaks down the methods of addressing sex trafficking into three main categories: prevention, rescue, and rehabilitation. In addition to this, other articles and resources on this topic are explored to explain the enablers of sex trafficking in Nepal. A cross-analysis is conducted between the various anti-trafficking methods used by organizations within …

Understanding The Mongolian Tourism Supply Chain: Advantages, Challenges And Improvements, Thomas D’Anieri

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The tourism industry in Mongolia has relatively low levels of regulation and is growing at a high rate despite struggling to increase tourist numbers, yet it still remains comparatively inaccessible to foreigners. Regardless, tourism holds huge potential for sustainable growth in Mongolia if it can be developed responsibly. For foreigners right now, it is difficult compared to other countries to figure out how to travel and find accomodation in a place where the main tourist attraction is a lack of people and an abundance of open space, and the majority of people in these places do not speak English. Furthermore, …

Spirituality And Conservation In Tujiin Nars, Lisa Torstenson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For centuries, Mongolians have relied heavily on the land for their survival. In Selenge aimag, the surrounding Tujiin Nars forest is an integral part of their lives. An area with many uses, it was once so heavily deforested that the majority of the area lost its ecological function. Now, these impacts are being reversed by dedicated government workers, community groups, and regular citizens. The people of this area believe that they are intimately connected with the forest, and that spirits reside within the trees and the land itself. As such, they stake importance in treating the land with respect. This …

The Challenges Of India’S Rising Breast Cancer Epidemic, Brigette Stickney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India is currently undergoing rapid urbanization, which is greatly impacting Indian citizens’ health. One of the rising concerns due to the drastic lifestyle and environmental changes that are results of urbanization is the issue of breast cancer. Breast cancer diagnosis rates are rising exponentially, and breast cancer has moved its way up to be the most common cancer in India. Breast cancer mortality rates in India are also some of the worst in the world. This paper analyses the social, mental, economic, geographic, and physical challenges that are present for women diagnosed with cancer in India. It assesses how they …

“I Hope Whiteness Means Nothing”: A Narrative Exploration Of Whiteness As Identity In South Africa, Mackenzie Berry

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In post-apartheid South Africa, whiteness and the legacy of its codification shape the social, political, and economic landscape of the country. Though white studies in South Africa emerged as an investigation of how whiteness operates as a social identity post-apartheid, the field is still developing. This narrative project examines how whiteness has been constructed in South Africa as identity and property, referencing South African history for context. The project explores “whiteness as identity” as opposed to “white identity” in recognition that whiteness manifests in many forms, including as an identity but also within institutions and in economic, social, political, and …

The Root Of Racism: How Slavery Has Led To The Condition Of Discrimination Against Sub-Saharan Africans And Migrants In Morocco, James Artis Iii

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Slavery is the oldest and most central form of discrimination and while most have knowledge on the Trans-Atlantic slave trade that of the Sub-Saharan and Middle Eastern Slave trade in which current day North Africa and Middle East contributed to both sexual and military exploitation of Sub-Saharan Africans is often forgotten. The historical implication that going along with North African and Middle Eastern salve trade contribute to the discrimination dehumanization and otherization of sub-Saharan Africans and their perception in North Africa.

Community In All Education, Sophia Vancer Kooy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My internship experience at KIRAN allowed my newly lit interest in holistic education to connect with my lifelong passion for disability rights. Prior to my study abroad experience, I had been interested in alternative education and the role that empowerment plays in student success. I devoted research papers, conversations, and volunteer work to these fields and the organizations that contributed to them. However, I always separated these interests from my passion for disability rights. KIRAN has shown me not only the many ways in which holistic education can coincide with disability rights, but the necessity that it does. From my …

Think Outside: Exploring The Influence Of Nature On The Individual And Of The Individual On Society, Brielle Wells

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This video project has an overarching goal to question the influence the natural environment has on the development of individual people and society as a whole. It begins by looking into the important role played by creativity in societal and economic development. From here a brief background is given on the requirements of maintaining and producing a creative environment. The piece alludes to the possibility that a relationship with nature has a deeper meaning than just being conducive to creativity. It also shows the effects pollution has had on the work of local artists and briefly the challenges faced by …

Hablo Por Mi Disidengia / I Speak For My Dissidence, Lars Eddie

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Si el proceso de este proyecto tuviera un tema, sería la evolución (¿o tal vez que yo estaba equivocado?). Estaba equivocado acerca de tantas cosas- supuestos que yo había hecho sobre Chile, sobre la gente con la que me reuniría, sobre cómo iría el proyecto. Sobre conceptos básicos en los que originalmente basé mi proyecto. Aprendí cosas que yo no sabía que no sabía.

Hablo por mi disidencia empezó en la intersección de dos de mis intereses, el manifestarse y el arte, y me trajó a través del feminismo, el colonialismo, la academia, las políticas del cuerpo, el clasismo, la …