Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Constitutional Reform: Decolonization In The Comoros Islads, Nicholas A. Daou

Capstone Collection

Since its independence in 1975 the Union of Comoros has seen a great deal of political upheaval as a part of its decolonization process. This study examines the period between 1975 and 2001 with special emphasis on the 1997 Secession Crisis and the methods by which that crisis was resolved. The literature review is composed of predominantly native Comorian authors, supplemented by several French authors and information from international organizations. The events and literature are also examined through the lenses of the psychoanalytical group identity theory of Vamik Volkan and the Conflict Transformation work of Johan Galtung. Data regarding attitudes …

Strengthening The M&E System Of Peace Corps Colombia, Samuel Burke

Capstone Collection

In 1961, when the Peace Corps was established, Colombia was the first country chosen to receive volunteers. The program ran for 20 years, with volunteers working all over the country in various sectors. Then in 1981, due to the increasing violence from the guerilla civil war, the US government decided to withdraw the volunteers and suspend the Colombia program. After a 29-year hiatus, at the request of the Colombian government, the Peace Corps was invited back to Colombia in 2010.

The Peace Corps Colombia post currently has two programs, Practical English for Success (PES), established first; and, Community Economic Development …

A Way Of Reflecting On Identity: The Five Stories Of The Conflicting Relationships In Nepal, Tomoki Yamanaka

Capstone Collection

Conflict studies show that the components of identity are interrelated to sources and dynamics of conflict in intricate ways. This study self-reflectively explores a way of reflecting on identity from the links between conflict and identity through a qualitative study of the five stories of the conflicting relationships in Nepal. By analyzing the stories collected through in-depth interviews with Nepali peace workers, an element of power in group differences was noted. This illustrated the challenge of having the voices of those being marginalized heard amongst conflicting issues around them. Those that were interviewed also struggled with the challenge of having …

Perdiendo El Paraíso: Lo Que El Turismo Se Llevó De La Isla Isabela / Losing Paradise: What Tourism Took From Isabela Island, Dylan Souquet Moglen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Desde los años 60s las Islas Galápagos se han convertido en una importante atracción turística para el mundo. En los últimos 50 años han tenido un rápido crecimiento para transformarse, por medio del sector turístico, en un gran poder económico para el Ecuador. Pero, ¿cuáles han sido las fuerzas que impulsaron este crecimiento? y, lo que es más, ¿cómo ha afectado el crecimiento tan increíble a las comunidades locales de las islas? Este estudio se enfoca en explorar, tomando a la Isla Isabela como base, lo que ha ocasionado (y se ha llevado) el turismo aquí en Galápagos, usando en …

Ecological Succession On Neotropical Landslides: Comparing Successional Patterns Of Four Different Aged Landslides In The Cerro Candelaria Reserve, Nace Keifer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract In an area that is vulnerable to frequent landslides due to steep montane slopes and heavy rain falls it is important to understand how the ecosystem regenerates after it has been disturbed. This study examined ecological succession patterns by comparing the vegetation on four different aged landslides and the unharmed forest within the Cerro Candelaria Reserve, located in a cloud forest ecosystem in central Ecuador. One meter soil profiles and 5x5 meter vegetation quadrats were used to observe and characterize the habitats on the four individual landslides and unharmed forest. At each location, soil color, texture, and structure were …

Who Am I? The Relationship Between Cultural Identity And Globalization Within The Local And Global Intersections, Nir Aish

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The imminent phenomenon of globalization has been mainly explored in academia through the lens of economics and politics. Little attention has been given to the relationship between this phenomenon and culture, and yet the yield of this relationship could be tremendous as culture determines how individuals operate in our growing globalized world. This research project takes place in Bertoua, the capital of the East Region of the Republic of Cameroon. The country is located in Central Africa, and is often referred as “Africa in Miniature” due to its vast cultural and geological diversity. The focus of the study is on …

Sí O No A La Carretera: Las Distintas Perspectivas Geopolíticas En El Debate Sobre La Carretera A Través Del Tipnis / Yes Or No To The Road: The Different Geopolitical Perspectives In The Debate On The Road Through The Tipnis, Brigid Freed

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstracto

Podemos ver el Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS) como una representación importante de los valores de Bolivia. El parque tiene más de un millón de hectáreas de selva protegida y es el hábitat de 64 comunidades indígenas. Por eso, el territorio es muy importante para el medio ambiente y también para las culturales de las personas indígenas en Bolivia. Aunque, bajo el liderazgo del primer, presidente indígena de Bolivia, Presidente Evo Morales, se está realizando un proyecto de desarrollo para construir una carretera a través de la corazón del territorio. Recientemente, en Agosto de 2017, el …

Community Management And Governance Of Comatsa-Sud New Protected Area (Ambalamanasy Ii Commune), Allison Tennant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community-based natural resource management is an increasingly more popular choice for governments to delegate power back to local communities to conserve the resources they rely on. In Madagascar, where much of the rural population provides for their livelihoods by using natural resources, this governance structure, in cooperation with delegated manager for assistance, presents an opportunity for economic development in cooperation with conservation efforts. This paper aims to better understand the role of community, NGO, and governmental actors in creating and executing community management structures. Through Participatory Rural Analysis and structured and semi-structured interviews, it explores what management transfers look like …

Hiv Harm Reduction Methods: A Comparison Between Switzerland And The United States, Erin Major

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the connections between harm reduction methods and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Switzerland and the United States of America, focusing primarily on the harm reduction methods of needle exchange programs, safe drug consumption spaces, and sex education. While these two countries are largely similar in their culture and geopolitical approaches, there are some key differences in how HIV is approached in each. Switzerland’s somewhat unique approach with relaxed drug policies and more pragmatic, harm reduction based response to the AIDS epidemic sets a model framework for other countries to follow, with comparatively widespread use of needle exchange …

Colonización, Globalización, Descolonización: Cambiar La Forma En Que Los Bolivianos Piensan Sobre Cuestiones Lgbt / Colonization, Globalization, Decolonization: Changing The Way Bolivians Think About Lgbt Issues, Courtney Manning

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La intención de este proyecto es obtener una imagen del mundo de las organizaciones homosexuales en Bolivia y ver cómo la popular corriente cultural de la descolonización influye en los objetivos, los métodos y las retóricas de los miembros. A través de varias entrevistas, analices de literatura y observaciones mientras asistía a reuniones LGBT, se refiere tanto al éxito hipotético y al uso poco frecuente de la retórica y las estrategias de descolonización en colectivos LGBT en Bolivia. Las razones de esta dicotomía radican principalmente en la eliminación casi completa de las prácticas homosexuales en Bolivia por parte de los …

Pasantía A La Oficina Comunal De Migrantes De La Municipalidad De Valparaíso / Internship To The Communal Office Of Migrants Of The Municipality Of Valparaíso, Morgan Craig

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report evaluates my own experience over five weeks as an intern at the Communal Office of Migrants in Valparaíso, Chile. This office, along with the Communal Office of Women and the Communal Office of Sexual Diversity, was founded in June 2016 by Mayor Jorge Sharp as a part of the initiative to better represent the citizens of the Valparaíso región. Within the last ten years Chile has had a massive boom of immigration that has come as a shock to many Chileans. Due to a lack of cultural understanding about immigration and an immigration law that dates back to …

A Comparative Study Of The Barriers To Hiv Self-Management Among Myanmar Migrant And Han Chinese Women In Yunnan, China, Anna Gaden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

HIV has transitioned from high-risk populations to the general population through sexual transmission – now the primary mode of transmission in China – and is currently the biggest public health crisis in China. Those who are not directly involved with commercial sex work (CSW) or intravenous drug use (IDU) are now vulnerable to contraction. Han Chinese women, especially young women, are generally more vulnerable to transmission than their male counterparts, both physically and socially, and the virus affects their lives more deeply. Myanmar migrant women are even more vulnerable, as their migrant status leaves them without support structures or protections …

Prevalence Of Moniliophthora Roreri In Theobroma Cacao In Relation To Clone Variety, Community Composition, Environmental Factors In An Organic Cacao Farm In Charagre, Bocas Del Toro, Panamá: A Case Study, Kara Eckberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Moniliophthora roreri, or Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) is a widespread pathogen that affects the fruit of Theobroma cacao, a tree commonly known as the cacao tree. Often, cultivators seek to control spread of M. roreri through fungicidal compounds. However, these fungicides place selective pressure for resistance on M. roreri. Additionally, they can have adverse environmental and human health effects and are difficult to integrate into practice for smallholders. Therefore organic farms in Bocas del Toro in western Panama, have turned to biocontrol agents to reduce the spread of M. roreri. These strategies include increasing hybrid variety, modifying community composition, altering …

Exploring Rwanda's Continuing Education Capacity For Information Communications Technology (Ict) Skills, Li Keen Lim

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Rwanda strives to become the ICT hub of the region, it will need to develop its greatest asset: its people, in ICT skills. This exploratory study used 30 semi-structured interviews, observation and secondary data from different sources, schools, students and NGOs, to answer a simple question: how does an everyday, working adult Rwandan learn new computers skills for a new computer age? This study found that a wide variety of suppliers fulfil different niches that give prospective students a range of prices, content, schedules, certification, practices, etc., and that demand is increasing for a host of different reasons. It …

Assessing The Successes Of And Challenges Facing Civil Society Organizations In South Africa, In Influencing Gender-Based Violence Policy, Sarah Connolly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to explore how South African civil society organizations (CSOs) influence government policies that are put into place to prevent and respond to gender-based violence (GBV). The project seeks to determine what strategies for influencing these policies have been the most effective and had the greatest impact, what factors have contributed to the organizations’ successes in influencing these policies, what challenges have been experienced in attempting to influence these policies, and what best practice for civil society actors attempting to influence such policies might be. The research focuses on the experiences of seven women working …

Motivations And Obstacles On The Long Walk To Integration: Determinants Of Six Cape Town Chinese Immigrants’ Political Participation, Yawen Tsao

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Political participation is a fundamental component of democracy. But the level of immigrants’ political participation is generally lower than for people who are perceived as natives. This paper identifies the determinants of six Chinese immigrants’ political participation in Cape Town, part of a group that has a long history of political integration but is still often seen as passive and apolitical. It argues and tests the effect of five main determinants related to the length of residence, interaction with the local Chinese association, socioeconomic background, language ability and prior political experience, and social perceptions. Data comes from interviews conducted with …

Olas De Cambio: Violencia Política Y Desplazamiento Durante La Guerra Interna En El Perú (1980-2000), Sarah Benewith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación responde al problema de las aproximadamente 600,000 personas que fueron desplazadas internamente entre 1980 y 2000 como resultado de la violencia política ocurrida entre el Estado Peruano y grupos insurgentes como Sendero Luminoso. Específicamente, investigo la relación entre violencia política y desplazamiento interno, así como la naturaleza de las experiencias personales de los desplazados. Como enfoque secundario, examino cómo la identidad juega un papel en las experiencias de los desplazados. Desarrollando la investigación en Cusco y Lima, utilizo una combinación de revisión de archivos, observación directa y entrevistas. Las entrevistas, de indígenas desplazados de Apurímac durante la Guerra …

The Perceived Mental Health Effects Of China’S One-Child Policy, Avery Rasmussen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looked at the perceived impacts of China’s 30 year One-Child Policy (OCP). Previous studies suggested the OCP affected Chinese culture and society in a number of ways, however no studies (to the knowledge of the principal investigator) had looked at perceptions of the effects of the OCP on anxiety levels and other mental health issues of students in China. This study sought to fill the aforementioned knowledge gap and aimed to determine perceptions about the mental health effects of the OCP on students. Specifically, this study endeavored to gain a better understanding of perceptions of the effects of …

A Study Of Reptile Community Diversity Related To Habitat Characteristics At Marojejy National Park, Julia Kowala

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Marojejy National Park is known for its diversity. Though it is home to the silky sifaka, it has extensive populations of herpetofauna. Seventy-seven species of reptiles have been documented in Marojejy National Park. This study aimed to evaluate the reptile community diversity and habitat characteristics in the park through systematic searches of ten-by-ten-meter plots, and inventory of species as they were found throughout the park. Systematic searches yielded the finding of 19 of the total 25 species identified. Some species that were found had not been previously seen at Marojejy before, most notably, Brookesia sp. “Nosy Hara”, Brookesia desperata, Furcifer …

Man And Land: Competing Ontologies, Colonial Legacies, And The Quest For Food Sovereignty, Savannah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Land is an ontological reality, which is at the center of different relationships to land. These relationships are situated in and a product of historical and spatial process that have an under lying power geometry. These different understandings of land tenure can create conflict when they intersect with competing interests in the same space. In Cameroon, this is currently the case in the form of large-scale land acquisitions, which often conflict with local communities as multinational corporations and local elites acquire land concessions with facilitation by the government in the name of development. This paper aims to understand this issue …

Community Perception Of The Hiv Vaccine In Western Kenya: Acceptability, Potential Behavior Changes, And Views On Compulsory Vaccination, Deborah Keen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) suppresses the immune system by attacking T cells, leading to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV affects over 30 million people around the world and 1.6 million people in Kenya. On August 18, 1987, the FDA sanctioned the first human testing of a candidate vaccine for HIV. Currently, multiple HIV vaccines—projected to be on the market in five to ten years—are being tested for efficacy and safety. The goal of this study was to explore opinions related to the HIV vaccine so that there is a guide for future policy development in Western Kenya. …

O Negro E O Poder: The Significance Of Social Support And Positive Black Identity Formation Through An Afro-Brazilian Politico-Cultural Organization In Salvador, Bahia, Ninar Taha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In contemporary Brazilian history, the prominence of race consciousness and Black pride is relatively new. Those who identify as Black often lack the positive social support that they need to feel empowered and esteemed. This project focuses on the role and power of Afro-Brazilian politico-cultural organizations as networks of social support for Brazilians who self-identify as Black. With specific attention on Associação Cultural Bloco Carnavalesco Ilê Aiyê, my research investigation is intended to develop an understanding of the valuation of such politico-cultural groups in the lives of Black Brazilians and how they contribute to overall emotional health of both individuals …

Agricultural Responses To Climate Change: A Study Of Adaptive Farming Methods In Kizanda Village, Bailey Smith-Helman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agriculture is vital to the economic and social systems in Tanzania, composing 30% of the country’s GDP as well as 80% of employment (FAO, 2014). Despite agriculture’s important role, it remains one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Current trends project global average temperature to increase by 0.8-2.6 degrees Celsius, leaving farmers to face changes in rainfall, soil quality, and new pests and diseases (IPCC, 2007). Farmers will be forced to adapt to the changing climate if they are to sustain their livelihoods and the Tanzanian economy. For these reasons, it is important to understand the types of …

El Futuro Indefinido Del Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso: Explorando El Nexo Complicado Entre La Preservación Del Patrimonio Y La Gentrificación En El Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso / The Indefinite Future Of The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood: Exploring The Complicated Nexus Between Heritage Preservation And Gentrification In The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood, Anne Paglia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the years following UNESCO’s conferral of the World Heritage title to the historic zone of Valparaíso, the residential neighborhoods of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción underwent a drastic process of gentrification. Private investors hoping to profit from increased tourism flows pumped capital into the sector in the form of restaurants, cafes, and hotels. As result, residents were gradually expelled due to higher rent prices and an overall increase in cost of living.

The consequences of developing the city’s tourism infrastructure in these neighborhoods were not limited to gentrification; as the residential life of these neighborhoods was uprooted, so was …

Hummingbird Foraging Preference: The Hierarchical Impacts Of Color, Position, And Concentration On Visitation Frequency, Erin O'Connor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hummingbirds are well adapted to efficiently locate high quality nectar sources, but relatively few studies have examined the mechanisms of that process under natural conditions in the field. This study investigates the visual signals that allow hummingbirds to do just that, as well as the external factors that limit their choices in foraging. More specifically, feeder color and nectar concentration were manipulated to determine the effect of those independent variables on visitation frequency. An initial experiment was conducted in order to explore color preference among the visiting species. Red, orange, and blue feeders were filled with nectar of equal concentrations …

Somos Tierra Floreciendo: El Surgimiento De La Literatura Kichwa Como Herramienta Política Y Cultural, Kaia Heimer-Bumstead

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de estudio independiente examina el papel de la literatura escrita en la resistencia cultural y política de los pueblos kichwas de la sierra ecuatoriana. Analiza la manera en que la historia de colonización influye en la expresión cultural y lingüística de los pueblos originarios, en particular la fuerte tradición de oralidad y los niveles bajos de alfabetismo en la propia lengua que caracterizan a la actual producción cultural de la sociedad kichwa. Dentro de esto contexto, discute las implicaciones de adoptar y utilizar recursos y códigos occidentales, como la escritura alfabética, para preservar, fortalecer y revitalizar la lengua …

Losing Faith: An Exploration Of Village Ponds In The Thar Desert, Pentti Hanlon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The intention of this study is to provide a holistic look at the Naadi: a rain-fed common property resource used for drinking water collection in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. A sustainer of human life in the Thar, Naadis have decided how and where residents of the Thar lived. This study examines both current and historical naadi use in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. The format of the study is a compilation and analysis of 15 field visits, a series of interviews, and investigation of recent alternatives to naadis. The success of a naadi is a function of geology, geography, and …

Coral Species Distribution And Percent Cover Of Sessile Organisms On Protected And Non-Protected Coral Reefs In Digir, Buga, Dubbir, And Kanir Kinnidup, Guna Yala, Panama, Sarah Paulson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are the most productive, biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean despite covering only <.5% of the ocean floor. In today’s changing climate, coral reefs face a multitude of threats including ocean warming, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, overfishing, increasing human population, and coral mining, among others. One way to protect coral reefs is to establish a marine protected area to limit damage and contamination. This study aimed to examine coral species distribution as well as percent cover of sessile organisms and substrates including coral, fire coral, algae, and sponges on protected and non-protected reefs in order to attempt to analyze the effect of protection on coral reefs in Guna Yala, Panama. Based on the data collected, protected areas had higher algae cover (P<.01, df=107), lower coral cover (P<.0001, df=138), and a higher relative abundance of corals with a “weedy” life history such as Porites astreoides (P<.05, df=80). The data also showed that uninhabited islands tended to have significantly higher average coral cover (P<.0001, df=146) and lower average algae cover (P<.0001, df=161), as well as lower relative abundance of P. astreoides (P<.01, df=134). When the protected site sampled was compared to an unprotected site that was around the same island, the protected area was found to have higher coral cover (P<.01, df=71) and lower algae cover (P<.05, df=72) than the unprotected area. Ultimately, lack of human population and protected status were found to be positive factors for coral reef health, and future study should be done to further examine the relationship between these two factors.

¡El Agua Es Nuestra! Pensar Desde Afuera Del Discurso De ‘Público Vs Privado’ / The Water Is Ours! Thinking From Outside The 'Public Vs. Private' Speech, Julius Figueroa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cualquier persona que haya vivido en Cochabamba por más de unos pocos años puede decir que la ciudad tiene una larga historia de problemas de agua. La respuesta del Estado a estos problemas ha sido variada y, a veces, problemática. En el año 1999, el gobierno de Bolivia firmó un contrato con una empresa transnacional llamada Aguas del Tunari en una tentativa de privatizar el suministro municipal del agua de Cochabamba. Después de un drástico aumento en los precios del agua, protestas y manifestaciones estallaron por toda la ciudad de Cochabamba. La gente de Cochabamba finalmente logró presionar al gobierno …

Formalizing Through Finances: A Case Study With Unics, Leah Kellenberger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to analyze the microfinance industry in Yaoundé, Cameroon through the lens of the microfinance institution UNICS. The main question guiding this study deals with whether or not the UNICS is encouraging a shift to the formal sector through their work with business people. Other questions relating to repayment rates and subsequently economic development also remain pertinent to the information found. In total, it is found that UNICS seeks to encourage formal sector growth through their work with businesspeople in the informal. Repayment rates however do not determine success of any aspect of a customer’s business or encouragement …