Digital Commons Network^™

The Hidden Epidemic: Mental Health Epidemiology In Post-Conflict Populations And Implications For Conflict Transformation Practices, Jennifer Sato

Capstone Collection

This capstone explores the ramifications of unmitigated mental health illness in conflict populations, paying special attention to refugees and migrants. The intersection between conflict and mental health is explored and analyzed in order to highlight the implications of the findings and to make recommendations to both metal health and conflict transformation practitioners. This capstone depends predominately on secondary resources and personal interviews and is informed by my own practicum experience at a refugee health center. The need to improve mental health outcomes in order to pursue conflict transformation and peace building is a key focus and is supported by the …

Addressing The Past, Embracing The Future: An Analysis Of How Historic Inequality Has Created Current Obstacles To Learning English In Brazil And A Proposal For A New Community-Based Approach, Aja C. Bryant

MA TESOL Collection

This paper contextualizes current challenges to English learning in Brazil within the educational history of the country. It explores the ways in which language, both native literacy and foreign, has been used to set apart and advantage the elite class, while educational policy and approaches have served to pacify and control the majority. This history has left psychological, cultural, and economic legacies which inhibit learning today. Nevertheless, modern globalization is placing increasing pressure on Brazilians to achieve fluency in English and other languages. This paper briefly outlines the new and complex intellectual and social skills needed to participate in a …

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, …

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 …

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 …

Teoría Y Práctica: La Educación Liberadora Y La Disputa Contrahegemónica En Los Bachilleratos Populares Germán Abdala Y Sergio Karakachoff / Theory And Practice: Problem-Posing Education And Counterhegemonic Struggle In The Germán Abdala And Sergio Karakachoff Popular High Schools, Rebecca Millberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los ‘Bachilleratos Populares de Jóvenes y Adultos’ surgieron en Argentina a fines de los años noventa como una respuesta a problemas sociales graves, como el de una población grande en riesgo educativo, que resultaron de las políticas neoliberales del país. Los bachilleratos populares se basan en la tradición freireana como movimientos sociales de resistencia para organizar y dar fuerzas a las clases populares además de educar a la gente que no recibía el apoyo necesario de la educación pública en Argentina. En la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, el Bachillerato Popular Germán Abdala, en el barrio de La Boca, y …

Ngos, Community Associations, And Corporations In Partnership: Crosssectoral Collaboration In Serviluz, Fortalezace, Leila Reynolds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will explore the relationships between corporate funding partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the communities they work in (through the lense of community associations). Specifically I will examine the relationship between the NGO Instituto Povo do Mar (IPOM), the Associação dos Moradores do Serviluz (AMS), and the state controlled oil corporation PetroBras. PetroBras operates a refinery known as the Refinaria Lubrificantes e Derivados do Nordeste ( Lubnor ) within the neighborhood Serviluz, in Fortaleza, Ceara, and has become involved financially and socially in the neighborhoods surrounding the Lubnor . In this particular neighborhood, these three sectors work closely together …

Audience Vs. Art: The Plight Of The Contemporary Bengali Filmmaker, Gabriel Doss

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This document is a 2015 survey of contemporary Bengali Cinema, which is primarily composed of (1) a brief history of the industry from its origins to the present day and (2) a survey of the careers of six prominent, active Bengali directors: Goutam Ghose, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, Aparna Sen, Sekhar Das, Srijit Murkerji, and Kamaleshwar Mukerjee. The guiding question for the research was "How does a Bengali director express him/herself honestly within the economic restrictions serving the Bengali audience?" Research was conducting by watching 71 films, conducting 11 interviews, including 7 interviews with directors, including each director mentioned above. The conclusion …

La Relación Entre El Desamparo Y La Salud: El Caso Del Campamento Japón En Santiago, Chile, Chaveli Concepción

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En esta investigación se busca exponer más a fondo como la desigualdad social afecta la salud de aquellos que han sido menos favorecidos. En esta ocasión se analizó el caso de los habitantes del Campamento Japón, en la comuna de Maipú, de Santiago, Chile, con el objetivo de entender el fenómeno de la desigualdad social y cómo esta afecta la salud de las personas que la sufren. La metodología de este estudio cualitativo se constituyó de investigación bibliográfica previa, y posteriormente visitas y trabajos voluntarios al Campamento Japón para hacer observaciones y entrevistas a los activistas del campamento, a los …

La Santé Maternelle À Antsiranana Selon La Médicine Occidentale Et La Médicine Traditionnelle : Une Étude Des Traitements Opposés Pour Les Femmes Enceintes, Lauren Nguyen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dans un pays comme le Madagascar, où des coutumes traditionnelles et le lien avec les ancêtres demeurent une grande partie de la culture, l’introduction des aspects « occidentales » présente un peu du désaccord. Cela est vu avec l’introduction de la médecine « occidentale », et le choix que font des Malagasy pour leurs soins médicaux. Spécifiquement dans le secteur de la médecine, la tension entre des pratiques occidentales et des pratiques traditionnelles est significative.

La présence des guérisseurs traditionnels et de la médecine traditionnelle sur l’île existait bien avant l’introduction de la médecine occidentale. Bien que de plus en …

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 …

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 …

Exploring Gender-Based Violence Management In Nairobi, Kirsten Dimovitz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Awareness about the prevalence of gender based violence is on the rise around the world. Citizens, governments and international organizations are beginning to see the vast impacts this issue has not only on the afflicted survivors but also on their families, friends and communities. However, less research is often done on a city or community level which leaves wide gaps in varying social, cultural, economic, and situational indicators. This also leads to many broad statements about the reasons why gender-based violence is so high in a particular areas. In developing countries the code word is often, poverty. This study takes …

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 …

A Study On The Multidimensional Effects Of Animal Rights And Tourism In Bandia Reserve, Lauren Watwood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The guiding theme of this research was to gain an insiders perspective on animal welfare with Bandia Reserve and learn how the tourism generated by the reserve affected[US1] [LW2] the community. I sought to answer these questions by living in[US3] Mbour within close proximity to the guides to view their day-to-day activities, spending time in participant observation at the reserve, conducting interviews within Bandia and in the surrounding communities. This research is important to address the guiding motivation behind Bandia Reserve. It sheds light on how tourism affects[US4] not only La Petite Cote, but all of Senegal. …

Fair Trade Or Fake Trade? Specialty Coffee Certifications And Development In Uganda, Eliza Cummings

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the relationship between specialty coffee certifications and development. The focus was exploring the local and national implications Fairtrade coffee certifications have in Uganda. Coffee is a critical commodity, accounting for 15 percent of Uganda’s foreign exchange and engaging over one million households in production. Currently, specialty certified coffees including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and 4C make up only four percent of total production. However, under Uganda’s 2013 National Coffee Policy, there is a target to expand specialty production to 24 percent. It is therefore imperative to understand how these specialty certifications affect primary producers participating as well as …

An Analysis Of Biodiversity, Sustainability, And Ecotourism In The Vo.I.M.Ma Community Managed Forest, Andasibe, Madagascar, Catherine Knowlton, Charlotte Walton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The concept of eco-tourism as a culturally sensitive, ecologically beneficial alternative to traditional vacations is a fairly new idea. While on the surface it seems positive for everyone involved, there are complexities in the relationships between all parties. This study explores the ties between the community forest, the tourists, and biodiversity (specifically endemic lemur populations) in the VO.I.M.MA Community Managed Forest. This study found that the community forest model is sustainable, based on the criteria of protecting biodiversity and satisfying customers. To truly promote a sustainable business model in the future (ecologically as well as economically), the center could improve …

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 …

Marriage Culture In Tunisia: Post-Independence To Post-Revolution Shifts, Emma Wilder Conover-Crockett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Personal Status Code became law in Tunisia in 1956, revolutionizing gender law and relationships. This law, development programs and nationalization pushed by President Habib Bourguiba, and modernization and globalization significantly altered the state of Tunisian marriage and gender relationships. Prior to the Personal Status Code, the basis of marriage in Tunisia was the preservation of family relationships, status, and finances. Throughout the last half century, it has evolved from a family-based endeavor to a partnership between two people, as the individual has simultaneously replaced the family and tribe as the main actor in society. These changes are reflected prominently …

Too Many Rented Rooms: Creative Expression In The Tibetan Community And The Foreign Artist, Imogen Rosenbluth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though Tibetan society has always had a literary and creative bent, the genre of secular Tibetan poetry is still very much burgeoning. One of the most unexpected consequences of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the subsequent exile of thousands of Tibetans has been the emergence of a new genre of testimonial writing by refugees, the majority of which is written in the English language. The corpus of work within this genre is still relatively small, but growing all the time, and this expansion begs several complex questions, foremost of which is what purpose such writing serves and to whom …

Review Or Rhetoric? An Analysis Of The United Nations Human Rights Council’S Universal Periodic Review, Sameer Rana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fifty, thirty, or even just twenty years ago, would one ever imagine a powerful country like the U.S., China, or Russia preparing a national report on the human rights situation in their country, then presenting it in front of a UN political body, engaging in dialogue, answering questions, and responding to recommendations from fellow Member States? This became a reality in 2006 when the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) replaced the problematic UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and established a new and unprecedented mechanism known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Under this instrument, the human rights records and …

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 …

Assessing The Sustainability Of Selective Logging In Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika New Protected Area, Eileen Nakahata

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over the past 50 years, more than 90% of dense low-altitude humid forest in the District of Vangaindrano has been lost to deforestation and the remaining fragments continue to be threatened by slash and burn agriculture and selective cutting by local populations. These activities are driven by widespread poverty, population growth, and lack of development, which have made subsistence increasingly difficult. This study investigates logging rates and the stock of five commercially valuable trees in the Ankarabolava-Agnakatrika New Protected Area. Fifteen 1000m² transects were established systematically within the territory of the Matanga commune. Within each transect data was collected …

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 …

Accord Internship: A South African Ngo’S Approach To Peacekeeping In 2015, Jimmy Bromley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the fall of apartheid and the forty quarters of subsequent growth under Thabo Mbeki, South Africa has been recognized as an emerging global power and one of the most powerful countries in Africa. Because of its relatively newfound power and the way in which South Africa negotiated its own peace and freedom, it has taken a leading role in conflict resolution and peacemaking on the continent. The African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) assists South Africa in its dedication to diplomacy and conflict management. The biggest conflict resolution non-governmental organization in Africa, ACCORD works to peacefully …

Facilitators Of Empowerment Lead In Sustainable Rural Development: A Case Study Of Thanda, Emma Milford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a world searching for more innovative models of development, it is important to highlight successful programs that offer insight into effective, impactful interventions. In this study, I investigate Thanda as a case study for rural sustainable development where investment in individual empowerment results in community empowerment. Thanda was founded in 2008 with the original intent of addressing the orphan crisis due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in rural communities near Hibberdene, South Africa. Since then, Thanda has implemented afterschool education programs, feeding programs, agricultural development programs, early childhood development programs, and a 100% green community center. Their curriculum emphasizes critical …

Youth Perceptions And Engagement With The Moroccan State’S Promotion Of Sufism, Katherine Butler-Dines

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this paper is to analyze if the Moroccan state’s efforts to promote Sufism have effected the youth perceptions of and engagement with Sufism. The study first contextualizes Sufism in Morocco and then addresses why and how the state has reformed the religious sphere since the 2003 Casablanca bombings. The King in a 2004 speech announced Sufism as of the cornerstones of Moroccan Islam and has since heavily promoted it through media, financial support of zawias, and the appointment of Ahmed Toufiq to Minister of Islamic Affairs. The state views Sufism as a tolerant, peaceful, and depoliticized way …