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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

'The Earth Is Crying Out In Pains Of Childbirth': Bauxite Mining And Sustainable Rural Development In The Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Lena R. Connor Sep 2011

'The Earth Is Crying Out In Pains Of Childbirth': Bauxite Mining And Sustainable Rural Development In The Brazilian Atlantic Forest, Lena R. Connor

Environmental Analysis Program Mellon Student Summer Research Reports

In 2003, residents of the Serra do Brigadeiro Territory, a rural region of Southeastern Brazil in one of the few remaining patches of the Atlantic Forest, learned of a large number of bauxite concessions in their territory given by the federal government to the prominent Companhia Brasileira de Alumínio (CBA), Brazil’s largest aluminum producer. Because the region prides itself on its small-scale agriculture and its lush natural environment, the mining has been the source of much contention in the community. Introduced to the topic by the international conservation non-profit and research center, Iracambi, I spent two months in the territory …


The People’S Republic Of China’S Stance On Human Rights In Selected Crises, Brian T. Kopczynski Jan 2011

The People’S Republic Of China’S Stance On Human Rights In Selected Crises, Brian T. Kopczynski

CMC Senior Theses

This paper examines China’s policy towards human rights internationally with the intent of discerning real support for human rights. It compares China’s responses to two cases of mass human rights violations (the Darfur and Israel-Palestine conflicts) in which it has a serious interest (energy in particular). It finds that China treats human rights self-interestedly, but also has some support for them when its interests are not at stake.


The Global Expansion Of The Al Qaeda Franchise, Benjamin S. Forster Jan 2011

The Global Expansion Of The Al Qaeda Franchise, Benjamin S. Forster

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines how the international terrorist group known as Al Qaeda has expanded its operations globally since 9/11. Case studies of Al Qaeda’s operations in the Arabian Peninsula, the United Kingdom, and the United States illustrate how the organization has exploited diverse environmental conditions to achieve either a limited or fully integrated local presence. This thesis argues that Al Qaeda has evolved into a highly diffuse and decentralized franchise that exercises little command and control over its organizational arms.


Los Retos De La Formación De Un Proyecto Comunitario De Ecoturismo: Un Caso De Estudio De Puerto Cayo, Ecuador, Carly A. Graber Jan 2011

Los Retos De La Formación De Un Proyecto Comunitario De Ecoturismo: Un Caso De Estudio De Puerto Cayo, Ecuador, Carly A. Graber

CMC Senior Theses

A pesar de la potencial del ecoturismo, todavía existen muchas comunidades que enfrentan obstáculos en realizar un proyecto exitoso del turismo. Vivir en el área natural o protegida no significa que la población local esté ganando del ecoturismo y desarrollándose. Un proyecto de ecoturismo exitoso no sólo tiene la carga de ser sostenible y dar beneficio al medio ambiente, el proyecto tiene que incluir la población local en una manera integral. El problema que será analizado en esta tesis es la multitud de barreras que existen frente a la movilización e integración de la población local, las cuales prohíben que …


Changing Incentives: How Electoral Reform Can Help Remove An Ethnic Focus In Political Competitions In Kenya, Carliann Brashier Jan 2011

Changing Incentives: How Electoral Reform Can Help Remove An Ethnic Focus In Political Competitions In Kenya, Carliann Brashier

CMC Senior Theses

Prior to the presidential elections in December 2007, Kenya was viewed as one of the few politically stable and economically prosperous countries in Africa, a paradigm for other African countries to emulate. At least this was the view held widely in the Western world. Missing in this analysis were the growing ethnic tensions which, although not a new phenomenon to Kenya (the precedence was established during the colonial era), had grown increasingly volatile during the past two decades. The 2007 controversial election results revealed even sharper bitterness and divisions among Kenyans. Ethnic lines were drawn and the country experienced two …


Has The Franco-German Power Balance In The European Union Tipped In Favor Of Germany?, Stephanie C. Haffner Jan 2011

Has The Franco-German Power Balance In The European Union Tipped In Favor Of Germany?, Stephanie C. Haffner

CMC Senior Theses

The power balance between France and Germany in the European Union has been one of great discussion and debate. Countless journalists and scholars have argued that Germany’s power has risen gradually against the seemingly perpetually stronger France over the past sixty years, and is now finally set to surpass France; but how true are these claims? How can power within the EU truly be measured? Through an analysis of Franco-German collaboration through unionization, a critique of the contemporary discourse on the relationship, and an examination of changing contributions to the EU budget, my paper argues that the Franco-German power balance …


History Education And Identity Formation: A Case Study Of Uganda, Takako Mino Jan 2011

History Education And Identity Formation: A Case Study Of Uganda, Takako Mino

CMC Senior Theses

History education builds the foundation of a common past necessary for the formation of group identity. Evaluating History curricula is important because group identity guides people’s political behavior. This Uganda case study demonstrates how different actors have manipulated History education in order to enhance the saliency of ethnic, national, and regional identities. The expansion of nationalized education and the teaching of Ugandan, East African, and African history have contributed to fostering the rise of national consciousness in Uganda. Greater awareness of national identity has promoted national integration while marginalizing non-school educated people.


Post-Conflict Reconstruction In Sri Lanka And Cyprus: Avoiding A Stalemate, Jyotsna Shankar Jan 2011

Post-Conflict Reconstruction In Sri Lanka And Cyprus: Avoiding A Stalemate, Jyotsna Shankar

CMC Senior Theses

By comparing the post-conflict reconstruction patterns of Cyprus and Sri Lanka, it is possible to evaluate what was or was not effective in the Cyprus case and how these lessons may be applied to Sri Lanka. Considering the underlying similarities of the two islands’ respective conflicts, the focus determining the best course of action for Sri Lanka, so that it does not face the same stalemate situation as Cyprus. The recommended policy contrasts with the consociationalist models proposed for Cyprus, and is instead based on the unique Basque model of autonomy.


Overcoming The Obstacles To Sustainability In Ghana, Ashley M. Scott Jan 2011

Overcoming The Obstacles To Sustainability In Ghana, Ashley M. Scott

CMC Senior Theses

For several decades following its independence from Great Britain, Ghana’s policies continued to promote over-extraction of natural resources to the detriment of its economy and rural communities. Agricultural and forestry policy has gradually evolved to foster more sustainable and equitable practices, as in building partnerships with the private sector to fund infrastructure improvements. Policy has recently recognized the dire need to adopt agricultural practices and means of forest resource extraction that are compatible with ecological stewardship. However, many shortcomings are still apparent. Large logging operations completely disregard forestry regulations with impunity, whereas rural sustenance extractors are severely punished in the …


Re-Evaluating Poverty Alleviation Strategies: The Impact Of Microfinance On Child Labor In Bangladesh., Lauren C. Smith Jan 2011

Re-Evaluating Poverty Alleviation Strategies: The Impact Of Microfinance On Child Labor In Bangladesh., Lauren C. Smith

CMC Senior Theses

Microfinance has become one of the most promising tools for development and poverty alleviation over the past two decades. Millions of borrowers around the globe have utilized microcredit to start or expand their small businesses and raise their household income. One poverty-induced problem microfinance could potentially alleviate is child labor. Despite international legislation prohibiting it, child labor continues to deprive millions of children of their right to education. Without education, there is little hope for a country to increase productivity and wealth in the future. A number of scholars have highlighted a negative correlation between credit rationing and child labor. …


Immigrant Experiences In The United States: The Murids Of Senegal In New York, Angelia R. Tyler Jan 2011

Immigrant Experiences In The United States: The Murids Of Senegal In New York, Angelia R. Tyler

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis explores West African Muslims in New York as a case study of the immigrant experience in America through discussion of the main theories of assimilation and modes of incorporation into American society. As foreign-born, black Muslims, the Murids of Senegal rely on cohesive social networks to protect themselves from discrimination. This thesis argues that through a process of “segmented assimilation” and reliance on the ethnic enclave, which provides a critical network of support, immigrants like the Murids of Senegal can better manage the challenges they face in the host environment and achieve upward social and economic mobility in …


Immigration And Identity Politics: The Senegalese In France, Justine Dodgen Jan 2011

Immigration And Identity Politics: The Senegalese In France, Justine Dodgen

CMC Senior Theses

As immigrants arrive in a new culture, they must modify their behaviors to adapt to their host society. Through a review of current literature, I will examine the psychological and sociological aspects of immigration and the effects on migrant identity. I will argue that migrants most desire a bicultural identity, in which they retain some elements of their ethno-cultural identity while adopting some values of French society. The construction of a bicultural identity presents a challenge due to the particular philosophical foundations of the French nation-state and French culture. In the next chapter, I will analyze the challenges Senegalese migrants …


Democratic Strength And Terrorism: An Economic Approach, Brian P. Winter Jan 2011

Democratic Strength And Terrorism: An Economic Approach, Brian P. Winter

CMC Senior Theses

There has been much literature about the economic effects of terrorism in democratic countries, but this literature often considers democracy to be a binary variable. This paper sought to explore how the effects might differ depending on the strength of a democracy. In the end, I found that the numbers of attacks and the effects of those attacks do not follow a linear path. The results for autocracies and anocracies require further analysis, but democracies have revealed interesting results. It seems that democracies as a whole have more terrorist attacks, but, within this group, the more democratic a country is …


Democratization In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Ashley W. Munetsi Jan 2011

Democratization In Sub-Saharan Africa: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, Ashley W. Munetsi

CMC Senior Theses

Democracy's advance on the African continent has been mixed, this article analyzes three countries which reflect this situation. Ghana represents the good, a country now considered a liberal democracy; Kenya represents the bad, although possessing the right conditions to advance its democracy the country has slid into an ambiguous zone; the Democratic Republic of Congo represents the ugly, after showing initial promise it still has significant issues halting its burgeoning democratic progress. These three countries represent the prototypical situations facing democratizing Sub-Saharan countries and analyzing them can inform what factors aid or have hindered democratic progress not only for them …


The Drug War In Mexico: Consequences For Mexico's Nascent Democracy, Katrina M. Weeks Jan 2011

The Drug War In Mexico: Consequences For Mexico's Nascent Democracy, Katrina M. Weeks

CMC Senior Theses

In recent years Mexico has been confronted with accelerating levels of violence related to drug trafficking organizations and counter-drug efforts. This paper examines the consequences of Mexico’s current drug trafficking situation on the country’s fledging democracy. In particular, the impact of the drug war on Mexico’s democratic consolidation is evaluated through civil-military relations, the judicial system, and the press. Conclusions about the prospects for Mexico’s nascent democracy are then examined.


A Theoretical Analysis Of The Future Of Nato, Kaj W. E. Pedersen Jan 2011

A Theoretical Analysis Of The Future Of Nato, Kaj W. E. Pedersen

CMC Senior Theses

My argument about NATO’s future is a combination of both neo-realist and constructivist thought, an adaptation of both neo-realist power struggles and constructivist institutional structures. Due to a lack of a significant threat, NATO will collapse as a military alliance. However, due to the longevity of the Trans-Atlantic Relationship, the similarities in the governmental structure of its members and the history of peaceful interactions between the allies on both sides of the Atlantic, the current “security community” will remain despite the collapse of the military aspects of the Alliance. NATO has been held together through organizational inertia and shifting the …