Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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, …

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 …

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 Struggle Overseas: Risk Factors For Suicide Among Female Migrant Workers In Nepal, Dhara Puvar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand the various risk factors for suicide among female migrant workers in Nepal. Suicide is the leading cause of death among women in the country, and the prevalence of suicide among migrant women in particular warrants further investigation, especially considering the increasing number of women traveling abroad for foreign employment. What experiences do these women have that would lead to suicidal behavior? What personal and institutional challenges contribute to increased risk of suicide? How does the community respond to their needs? This research was conducted in the Kathmandu Valley, with the majority of data acquired through …

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 …

The Justice-Seeking Power Of Women Who Experience Sexual Violence In Uganda, Caren Holmes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This six-week study explores the justice-seeking power of women who have experienced sexual violence in Uganda, by examining a diversity of avenues used to pursue justice. The research includes three unique case studies: examining (1) the formal prosecution system in the rural, eastern region of Kapchorwa, (2) the internal judiciary framework within Makerere University and (3) the unique alternative projects being brought forward by FIDA Uganda in post-conflict Gulu and the greater Acholi regions. The study looks to understand and evaluate each of the frameworks for justice considering the extent to which they are able to serve survivors of sexual …

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 …

Casa De Los Ningunos: Un Estudio De Caso Sobre La Re-Imaginando De “Sumak Qamaña” En Un Contexto Urbano Y Contemporáneo, Vanessa Voller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Una simple búsqueda en Google de "crisis globales del siglo XXI" dará una larga lista de crisis políticas, sociales, económicas y ambientales que enfrenta el siglo XXI. Teniendo en cuenta estas crisis, se ha hecho evidente que la gente del siglo XXI tendrá que encontrar formas alternativas de vivir, que pondrá a prueba el paradigma occidental dominante de la sociedad; un paradigma plagado por el consumismo, el individualismo, la destrucción del medio ambiente, la mentalidad extractivista y las fuerzas homogeneizadoras de la globalización (Choquehuanca 2010; Huanacuni Mamani-2010). En todo el mundo muchos diversos proyectos e iniciativas están surgiendo para desafiar …

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 …

Women In Transition: Fighting Mentalities And Ensuring Political Participation In Post-Revolutionary Tunisia, Hayley Schultz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although democracies look different across the world, they all share a few things in common. One of the biggest factors which contributes to a strong democracy is an active and engaged civil society. Without people upholding the government and keeping them accountable for their actions, government officials feel they can do as they wish. Tunisia has recently undergone a democratic transition and is working on forming a stable democracy. Since the fall of the Ben Ali regime, civil society organizations have sprung up all over the country. These organizations are working to safeguard the principles of the new constitution and …

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 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 …

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 …

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 …

Cross-Cultural Childbirth: Prioritizing The Healthcare Experiences Of Migrant Women In Competent Models Of Care, Emma Hall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the context of the feminization of increasing global migration, it is impossible to understand maternal and child health in a given country without considering the experience of female migrants. As the total migrant population increases in the European Union, migration and its effects on health care provision in receiving countries and the experiences of immigrant populations must be recognized. Past research exposes an increased risk of complications and maternal mortality in migrant populations, but little information exists on the tangible programs that could respond to disparity. According to the World Health Organization, maternal health refers to the health of …

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 …

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 …

How We Saved Ourselves: A Look At The Positive Coping Strategies The Orphans Of The 1994 Genocide Against Tutsis Implemented During Bereavement, Gregory Barber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Recent estimates report that there are approximately 145 million children worldwide who have lost at least one parent as a result of various causes (Development, 2008). Parental death is one of the most traumatic events that can occur in childhood (Haine, 2006). Literature has also indicated that parental death places children at risk for many negative outcomes, including mental health problems, grief, lower academic success, self-esteem, and greater external locus of control (Lutzke, 1997). Between April and July 1994, 800,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans died in the 1994 genocide against Tutsis. Because of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis, nearly 75,000 children …

The Price On Our Practices: Motivation And Cultural Commodification In The Mongolian Tourism Industry, Joseph Recupero

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mongolia, a country as rich in culture as it is in natural resources, is beginning the process of diversifying its economy beyond the mining sector. This process is opening the door to new industries such as tourism, and more specifically, culture-based tourism. The development of such an industry often leads to a phenomenon known as cultural commodification, by which local communities and peoples alter and sell cultural practices and experiences to tourists in return for a profit. Economically, the marketing of cultural practices is beneficial to local communities within Mongolia, but this conclusion is often drawn without considering other implications …

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 …

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 …

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 Community Health Through The Lens Of The Community Unit In Kariobangi North And The Surrounding Areas, Maya Paris-Saper

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Healthcare is a challenge in countries of the Global South. Not only do climates and trends of rapid urbanization affect the health status of many negatively, but also many health facilities are inaccessible and not of good quality, they lack enough medical personnel and lack the resources to adequately provide for patients who do not have the resources them selves. As the wealth gap increases all over the world and resources continue to be distributed unequally communicable and non-communicable health issues plague those in urban and rural settings at an alarmingly high rate and as health innovation has worked to …