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Articles 1 - 27 of 27
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Period Poverty In The United States, Katie Krumperman
Period Poverty In The United States, Katie Krumperman
Ballard Brief
Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products and inadequate education surrounding menstruation. Period poverty affects menstruators worldwide, including those in the United States. In a 2019 study, 64% of menstruators noted that they struggled to afford menstrual products within the last year. Stemming from the cost of products, stigmas, education, and the world pandemic, those who menstruate struggle to afford menstruation products and have adequate education on the subject. The effects of period poverty include effects on menstruators' physical and mental health as well as their productivity at work. Lawmakers are fighting to end period poverty with …
Healthcare Access Disparities Among Rural Populations In The United States, David Clove
Healthcare Access Disparities Among Rural Populations In The United States, David Clove
Ballard Brief
In the United States, people living in rural areas face significant disparities in access to healthcare, quality of treatment, and the presence of chronic physical and mental ailments. Given their geographic isolation, it is relatively difficult for these individuals to seek emergency care, an issue that is exacerbated by socioeconomic gaps. These relationships flow in both directions-health and wealth often rise and fall in unison. Rural individuals also have to travel further to access healthcare, and the number of practitioners is sparse in comparison to metropolitan areas. Cultural and behavioral risks such as smoking, as well as the aforementioned shortage …
The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap In The Us Public Schools, Kate Bradley
The Socioeconomic Achievement Gap In The Us Public Schools, Kate Bradley
Ballard Brief
Impoverished children are severely disadvantaged before even reaching adulthood. In public schools, lower-income children are significantly less likely to succeed than their wealthier classmates. Poverty affects a child's brain development, inhibiting their ability to learn and understand. In addition, lower income students go to schools with insufficient funding and resources: quality teachers or the lack thereof increase the inability to provide for these students adequately. The achievement gap affects students by increasing dropout rates. It involves the nation by costing the US nearly $700 billion annually. Even more grave than the financial consequences is the loss of every student-each with …
Disproportionate Exposure To Air Pollution For Low-Income Communities In The United States, Elisabeth Currit
Disproportionate Exposure To Air Pollution For Low-Income Communities In The United States, Elisabeth Currit
Ballard Brief
While air pollution is a major problem in much of the United States, individuals of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately exposed to air pollution compared to wealthier individuals.1 Contributing factors to the problem of disproportionate exposure to air pollution for low-income communities in the United States include lack of emissions regulations and enforcement, disproportionate placement of pollution sources nearby low-income neighborhoods, and the excessive political power of large emitters. The negative consequences that low-income individuals suffer because of this include both physical and mental health as well as impaired cognitive function. NGOs and other organizations are creating programs to help …
Corruption In Uganda, Jared Saxton
Corruption In Uganda, Jared Saxton
Ballard Brief
Corruption in Uganda accounts for ½ of government expenditure and mainly benefits the rich and well connected. Due to weak and unspecific laws, corruption is often not enforced in the nation. Additionally, when there are adequate laws in place, enforcement agencies often benefit from corruption and are therefore unmotivated to take action against it. Cultural factors mean that corruption is socially acceptable in many cases and is common throughout the nation. Foreign aid props up corrupt government expenditure because funding comes from an external source, and thus, the government feels less accountable to its citizens. Corruption results in poor service …
Prevalence Of Tuberculosis In Sub-Saharan Africa, Brooke Heaton
Prevalence Of Tuberculosis In Sub-Saharan Africa, Brooke Heaton
Ballard Brief
Tuberculosis is an endemic problem for much of the sub-Saharan African region. High infection rates, caused by high population density and the infrastructure of the living environment, contribute to high infection rates, as well as compromised immune systems from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and health issues like malnutrition . The insufficient infrastructure of medical care and the underutilization of such also contribute to the perpetuation of the disease. Tuberculosis negatively affects the physical health of infected individuals, whose effects can be long-lasting and decrease quality of life. It can also lead to the social rejection of those infected and place …
Child Labor In Myanmar, Alyssa Augustus
Child Labor In Myanmar, Alyssa Augustus
Ballard Brief
In Myanmar, there are approximately 1.1 million children between the ages of 5 to 17 involved in child labor. Domestic demand, familial poverty, Myanmar's education system, government laws, and filial piety perpetuate the employment of children. Child laborers suffer from physical health issues, are more likely to drop-out of school, and stall the growth of a skilled labor force in Myanmar. Focusing on educating child workers and re-funding the Myanmar Program on the Elimination of Child Labor can eliminate the number of children involved in the employment sector.
Indigenous Population Displacement In Indonesia, Katelyn Covey
Indigenous Population Displacement In Indonesia, Katelyn Covey
Ballard Brief
Indigenous peoples in Indonesia continue to be displaced from their customary lands at high rates, with lands turned over to government and corporate entities. This continued displacement is due to legal barriers to securing recognition as indigenous peoples and indigenous land, deforestation and land degradation. and gaps between the implementation of laws and actual practices. Consequences for indigenous peoples include physical. social. economic. and political marginalization. a nutrition transition away from traditional food systems. and disconnection to traditional cultural. spiritual. and linguistic practices. Some possible alleviations to this issue include enacting laws and policies to ensure indigenous land tenure. as …
Intergenerational Poverty In The United States, Monica Privette-Black
Intergenerational Poverty In The United States, Monica Privette-Black
Ballard Brief
Though the United States is one of the highest-income countries in the world, there are still hundreds of thousands of citizens living below the poverty line. More children live below the poverty line than any other age group. The racial demographic and distribution of modern-day poverty can be traced back, in part, to policies such as gentrification and redlining. School system failures and a lack of access to social capital also contribute to the prevalence of intergenerational poverty. The consequences of intergenerational poverty include food insecurity, birth and developmental issues, unsafe living conditions, and increased risk of violence, incarceration, and …
Lack Of Access To Quality Healthcare In Peru, Spencer Hart
Lack Of Access To Quality Healthcare In Peru, Spencer Hart
Ballard Brief
The current healthcare systems in Peru leave millions without easy access to medical attention, many of whom are also living in poverty. It is difficult for the governing bodies to include everyone in healthcare coverage plans and make the necessary medical resources accessible. The lack of qualified medical professionals. in part due to a migration of doctors out of the country to seek better opportunities elsewhere, also contributes to the problem. As can be expected, these and other factors lead to greater amounts of illness and deaths than other countries that have more developed healthcare. These problems have also caused …
Child Labor Trafficking In The Volta Region Of Ghana, Cadee Wambolt
Child Labor Trafficking In The Volta Region Of Ghana, Cadee Wambolt
Ballard Brief
Ghana's Lake Volta region is home to over 20,000 child slaves. Due to a combination of preexisting social problems and a distortion of old cultural practices. a dangerous cycle of human trafficking and child labor is occurring. Most of the child slaves on Lake Volta are doing work that is considered hazardous. In fact, Lake Volta attracts a lot of attention for its reputation as an especially traumatic and abusive avenue for child trafficking. Due to its particularly dangerous and abusive nature. these victims of child trafficking are subject to extreme levels of abuse. trauma. death and disease. and a …
Lack Of Educational Opportunities For The Roma People In Eastern Europe, Morgan Selander, Emily Walter
Lack Of Educational Opportunities For The Roma People In Eastern Europe, Morgan Selander, Emily Walter
Ballard Brief
The Roma people constitute one of the largest ethnic minorities in Europe, with 10 to 12 million Roma in the European Union as of 2016. Although they make up a large part of Europe, it has been difficult for the Roma people to fully integrate into society, causing educational gaps between Roma and native children. One contributing factor to this educational disparity is discrimination. both racial and social, against the Roma people: this is also closely tied to Roma placement in inferior, special education schools. Additionally. some cultural traditions of the Roma (such as their occupations, migratory patterns, and early …
Elevated School Dropout Rates In Rural China, Mollie Bradley
Elevated School Dropout Rates In Rural China, Mollie Bradley
Ballard Brief
Children in the rural provinces of northern and western China face challenges in obtaining educational opportunities that could aid them in overcoming their poverty-ridden upbringing. These challenges come due to inherent inequalities between the rural and urban regions of China. which stem from a historical diversion of resources from the western to eastern provinces. The factors that specifically affect students and their families as they strive to attend school and gain a quality education are the lack of properly trained and motivated teachers. the high cost of schooling borne by families. the economic inequality of rural and urban provinces, the …
Inadequate Residential Care For Children In Cambodia, Madison Coleman
Inadequate Residential Care For Children In Cambodia, Madison Coleman
Ballard Brief
Residential care institutions, or orphanages, are becoming increasingly more common in Cambodia. These institutions are not closely monitored by the Cambodian government. causing many children to be raised in unsafe and inadequate environments. The vast majority of the children living in these orphanages have at least one living parent but are being sent to live in an institution because their parents cannot afford to provide for their material needs or their education. The donations of time and money from foreigners. as well as the relative ease of implementing institutions rather than alternative care. also contribute to the increasing number of …
Public Healthcare Crisis In Venezuela, Valerie Bittleston
Public Healthcare Crisis In Venezuela, Valerie Bittleston
Ballard Brief
The public healthcare crisis in Venezuela has been compared to the emergency status primarily declared on countries at war. Lack of investment in their free public healthcare system has depleted the country of medical personnel, infrastructure, and supplies. Limited to no access to essential medicines and healthcare services have increased the spread of infectious diseases. Venezuelans often migrate in order to seek aid elsewhere, carrying previously eradicated diseases with them. Mother and infant health is of utmost concern as mortality rates are increasing at exorbitant rates with no end in site. The government implemented a public healthcare program in 2003 …
Chronic Poverty Among Youth In The United States, Kara Reed
Chronic Poverty Among Youth In The United States, Kara Reed
Ballard Brief
In the United States, 15.5 million children are living in poverty. The more time children spend in poverty, the more likely they are to continue to experience poverty as an adult. The cycle of intergenerational and chronic poverty is perpetuated by various factors. such as unsatisfied basic needs. lack of access to quality education, and issues related to underemployment and unemployment. As a result. youth in poverty are more likely to perform poorly in school, be exposed to and affected by crime. and experience health problems. Some leading practices for poverty focus on strengthening the quality of early childhood education. …
Perpetuation Of Poverty In Rural Tanzania, Dan Raleigh, Madison Coleman
Perpetuation Of Poverty In Rural Tanzania, Dan Raleigh, Madison Coleman
Ballard Brief
The majority of Tanzania's population lives in rural areas and experiences extreme poverty. The rural population experiences greater poverty and faces more barriers to escaping the cycle of poverty than urban populations. Several factors influence rural Tanzanians· inability to mobilize and obtain the necessary resources to escape poverty, including the practice of subsistence farming, limited infrastructure, and poor access to education. The consequences of poverty for the rural population include inadequate healthcare services. heightened disadvantages for women, poor nutrition. and increased child labor. Several organizations in Tanzania and nearby countries are working to halt the perpetuation of poverty and mitigate …
Plastic Bags And Bamboo Stools, Grace R. Bithell
Plastic Bags And Bamboo Stools, Grace R. Bithell
Marriott Student Review
This paper conducts a critical analyses of microfinance institutions. It gives an overview of the complexities of credit in developing countries and shows how microfinance fits into the equations. It discussed the successes and failures of microenterprises in trying to alleviate poverty. It also delves into best practices pertaining to lending to the poor and how microfinance is impacted by culture in developing nations.
Healthcare Access In Rural Communities In India, Jacob Player
Healthcare Access In Rural Communities In India, Jacob Player
Ballard Brief
Rural communities in India face a severe shortage of access to healthcare services. There is little public spending on healthcare, and what money the government does spend is largely distributed to urban settings rather than rural ones. Additionally, the private healthcare industry primarily serves urban settings. While there is a significant healthcare personnel shortage throughout India, it is particularly problematic in rural areas. Because of this issue, those in rural areas seeking healthcare services must often travel distances of up to 100 km to access them. Healthcare providers that are serving rural communities are often local and have little to …
Homelessness In The United States, Cassie Hall
Homelessness In The United States, Cassie Hall
Ballard Brief
Homelessness is an issue for individuals all across the country who lack stable housing and the finances for other necessities like water. food and safety. Homelessness occurs for several reasons. including poverty, mental illness. and substance abuse. Many negative outcomes have been reported as a result of homelessness. including negative impacts on physical health, worsening of mental illness. worsening of substance abuse. and negative outcomes for children and youth. Several practices have been implemented to avoid such outcomes including emergency shelters. food kitchens. transitional housing, and Housing First approaches. Practices in Housing First have the greatest impact to report.
Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Kelsey Sampson
Menstrual Hygiene Management Among Adolescent Girls In Kenya, Kelsey Sampson
Ballard Brief
Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) is the processes and resources surrounding menstruation. including the knowledge, products. and social norms associated with it. For many adolescent girls in Kenya, MHM is a serious and impactful issue. Although there are likely more causal factors, research suggests that some of the largest causes of this problem are poverty, the culture surrounding menstruation. inadequate sexual health education, and poor sanitation infrastructure. These barriers to adequate menstrual hygiene management create adverse consequences for the Kenyan girls, including infections. poor mental well-being, increased sexual activity, decreased education attainment, and gender inequality. Although changing the status quo of …
Mass Incarceration In The United States, Alex Resney
Mass Incarceration In The United States, Alex Resney
Ballard Brief
In both per capita and absolute terms, the United States criminal justice system is the largest in the world, housing almost 2.3 million people. Some of the challenges facing this system are policies regarding drug offenses that date back to the war on Drugs, a lack of rehabilitation of convicts, and the ·tough on crime· narrative that dominates American media. This mass incarceration impacts society at all levels, from the community to the individual. It places an economic burden on the American public, affects the health and wellbeing of the families of incarcerated individuals, leaves those in the criminal justice …
Lack Of Access To Water In Rural Malawi, Marissa Getts
Lack Of Access To Water In Rural Malawi, Marissa Getts
Ballard Brief
Lack of access to clean water affects almost every aspect of a person's life in significant ways, and especially impacts the lives of women and children. Measurements of access to water are often deceiving and paint a limited or inaccurate picture of actual access. Building a water point and appointing a water point management committee are the most common methods of addressing the problem. but both are unsustainable because unattended water points typically break down quickly and most management committees are poorly trained. To sustainably increase access to clean water, people should not just create new water points; they should …
Female Genital Cutting In Africa, Chloe Jensen, Evie Friedbaum
Female Genital Cutting In Africa, Chloe Jensen, Evie Friedbaum
Ballard Brief
Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is the partial or complete removal of a female's external genitalia. Though it is practiced all over the world. FGC is particularly prevalent on the African continent. This procedure is most commonly done to girls at a young age; FGC creates negative physical health effects for the rest of their lives, and often causes trauma. Because of these negative consequences, the United Nations has officially stated that FGC violates basic human rights. However, many communities continue to practice female genital cutting for social and cultural reasons.
Sexual Assault Against Women In India, Chloe Haderlie
Sexual Assault Against Women In India, Chloe Haderlie
Ballard Brief
In India millions of women's lives are negatively impacted by sexual violence. Gender and cast discrimination combine to make marginalized women most likely to be affected by sexual violence. The criminal justice system struggles to both try and convict perpetrators. Practices that are most effective at changing attitudes toward gender norms target both genders, with a particular focus on males. Effective victim support provides ways for victims to reassume valuable, contributing roles in their community.
Illiteracy Among Adults In The Us, Chloe Haderlie, Alyssa Clark
Illiteracy Among Adults In The Us, Chloe Haderlie, Alyssa Clark
Ballard Brief
Illiteracy affects a person's ability to fully participate in and contribute to the world around them. About 18% of the US adult population is functionally illiterate. Hispanics, older people, and incarcerated people are more likely to be low literate than other US adults. Major factors influencing literacy development include education, socioeconomic status, learning English as a second language, learning disabilities, and crime. Many of these causes and consequences of illiteracy are intersecting and cyclical. Additionally, illiteracy is perpetuated from parent to child and is likely to lead to higher chances of unemployment and poverty. Adult literacy programs with a developed …
Trade Openness And Child Labor In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lexie Prier
Trade Openness And Child Labor In Sub-Saharan Africa, Lexie Prier
Sigma: Journal of Political and International Studies
In many impoverished countries, children face dangerous, difficult, or exploitative work conditions. Child labor can deny children their basic needs, be harmful to their health, or stand in the way of their education and childhood. UNICEF estimates 246 million children are engaged in child labor worldwide, with nearly 70 percent working in hazardous conditions (UNICEF). The worst forms of child labor include slavery, drug trafficking, use in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, or any work that "is likely to harm the health, safety, or morals of children" (ILO 1999).