Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Road To Somewhere: Changing Trade And The Adaptation To Survive In Humla, Sophie Louaillier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an investigation of the changing trade in Humla, one of the most remote regions in Nepal. I particularly focus on the road being built from the village of Hilsa, which lies on the border of China and Nepal, to Simikot, the main town. This road will be accessible by all the villagers who live on the link trail now – the trail they walk on with their animals in order to reach the border site. Trade is especially important in Humla; there are no roads available to get there from the Nepal side, so everything must be …

The Case For State-Led Trade Policies In Economic And Human Development, Prahlad Krishnan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper aims to examine the difference in effectiveness on development of least developed countries (LDCs) such as Uganda that opposing trade positions have. Specifically, the paper will look at development state economic policies versus neoliberal policies in both regional and global trade to determine how they both effect development as defined by the Human Development Paradigm and the Neoliberal (Economic) Paradigm.

Research for this paper came from a practicum-based internship with Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Information and Negotiations Institute Uganda (SEATINI). The internship provided guidance for independent research and allowed for participant observation. Information was also gathered through …

Where Women Stand In Rural Electrification Efforts: An Exploratory Study Within Gujarat, Meital Rosenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since its 2003 village electrification scheme, the state of Gujarat has been acclaimed for providing rural households with 24-hour access and farmers with uninterrupted 8-hour power supply. The Government of India has emphasized goals of providing electricity for all of its citizens yet has been unable to address glaring discrepancies across the country. For those in rural areas, which is approximately 60-70 percent of India’s population, a varying degree of connection exists plagued by frequent outages, transmission losses, unreliable billing practices, and poor infrastructure maintenance. Gujarat has been reported to have overcome these obstacles with its bifurcation of electricity feeders, …

Goals Of Aid Organizations And Perspectives Of Employees: Urban Integration Of Syrian Refugees In Jordan, Alysha Alloway

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research aims to explore the perspectives of aid workers in Amman among various aid organizations, both local and international, and how aid workers feel the country should move forward from both a policy and social standpoint regarding urban integration of Syrian refugees. This research includes a review of literature in urban studies and sociology of economics, drawing on absorption theory and the concept of parallel structures of services to contextualize the argument that the role of urban refugees in urbanization and urban economic development should be considered within the systems of relief in place in Jordan, and it is …

They Come Like The Clouds: Governing The Mountainous Periphery, Jared Sousa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper addresses the extension of governmental power into the mountainous periphery of the village of Dho Tarap in the Dolpa District of Nepal. New technologies, new markets, and new social dynamics are penetrating the Himalaya and reshaping the connections that mountain people have to the outside world. In this context of connectivity and modernity, the people of Dho Tarap are also being thrust into far closer proximity to the Nepali government. After a series of geopolitical moves in Nepal and China in the 1960s, Dho Tarap as part of an isolated border region has been a part of a …

The Women Of Helamb: Life After The 2015 Earthquake, Emma Squier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Disasters exacerbate inequalities that are already present in the society, put particular groups of individuals at risk, specifically women. The vulnerabilities of women shape the way they experience disasters as well as their ability to recover from them. Although it has now been over a year since the earthquake that occurred in Nepal on April 25, 2015, the recovery has been slow, and the destruction that it has caused is still greatly visible. For this project, women in the Helambu region of Nepla were interviewed to learn about how their lives were affected by the earthquake and the challenges that …

The Future Of Agriculture In Cameroon In The Age Of Agricultural Biotechnology, Audrey Ball

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The President of the Republic declares that the development of Cameroon depends on agriculture, the economic sector which currently generates 23% of gross domestic product and employs 62% of the population. Today, national strategy to bring about agricultural progress includes the experimentation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which Cameroon intends to commercialize in 2019. This paper examines the obstacles impeding agriculture today, while uncovering the current stage of experimentation and debate around GMOs. The study also evaluates the inclusion of stakeholders in the debate around the future of agriculture. Research was conducted through interviews of government officials, civil society organizations, …

Perspectivas Locales Sobre El Litio En El Salar De Uyuni: Niveles De Conocimiento Y Opiniones Regionales Sobre El Proyecto Que Puede Determinar El Futuro Del Litio En El Mundo, Gillian Greenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La combinación del aumento en la urgencia por hacer algo sobre el cambio climático y la popularidad creciente de los vehículos eléctricos sitúan al litio como un material clave en la transición de hidrocarburos en los próximos años. A causa de que la reserva más grande del litio en el mundo está ubicada en el Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia tiene la oportunidad de influir en esta evolución. El proyecto estatal para industrializar el litio en el Salar de Uyuni comenzó en 2008 y continúa trabajando hacia el objetivo de la producción de baterías de litio. Para las comunidades alrededor del …

Del Movimiento Estudiantil A Revolución Democrática: Esperanza Está En La Institución, Jensen Handwork

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Chilean State is currently in a political era defined as the Crisis de Legitimidad (Crisis of Legitimacy) in result of extreme socioeconomic inequality and widespread political disillusionment. In 2011, a social movement led by university students became the most important movement since the democratic transition began in 1990, succeeding in re-politicizing the population. The movement started as a demand that the State offer free higher education and end various injustices in the entire education system, however, in time the movement and became a statewide expression of the frustration felt against the neo-liberal state. Over 80% of the Chilean population …

Kila Wakati Ni Wakati Wa Chai: Mapping The Regional Commodity Chain Of Tea In The Village Of Sagara, Rebecca Gourlay

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tracing the commodity chain of tea from leaf to cup is a complex process that involves many actors at the production, distribution, processing and consumption levels. This study focuses on the regional tea commodity chain in the village of Sagara in the West Usambara Mountains of Tanzania in order to help explain the change in livelihood of tea as a cash crop. Semi-structured interviews with tea farmers were used to gain perspective on the nuances of the regional tea commodity chain at the production level. Several external actors, including Tanzania Smallholder Tea Development Agency (TSHTDA) and the Tea Research Institute …

Globalization Of The Food Industry: Transnational Food Corporations, The Spread Of Processed Food, And Their Implications For Food Security And Nutrition, Elizabeth Black

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

We are currently experiencing a significant shift in our world’s food systems and dietary patterns. Access, availability, and the quality of food are changing and the need for proper nutrition and food security has come to the forefront of the global health agenda. While globalization has fostered greater variety and access to food in many places; access to healthy, affordable food is not universal, leaving many populations buying cheaper food that has poor nutritional value. My purpose for this paper is to determine how the forces of globalization, the business practices of transnational food companies, and the prevalence of processed …

The Impact Of Geopolitical Factors On The Future Economic Integration Of Asean +3, Michael Corrigan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

East and Southeast Asia have benefited greatly from China’s growth and are gaining significantly more economic and political power in comparison to the West. The growing interdependence in this region has led to the continuing economic integration of the ASEAN Plus Three countries. The research paper analyzes the geopolitical factors that impact this integration, such as historical tension, regional security conflicts, social, cultural and economic differences, as well as economic rivalries. In addition, the strategic agendas of the main actors, including the U.S., are analyzed to provide a comprehensive argument concerning the impact these geopolitical factors will have on future …

Rural Emergings, Urban Imaginings: The Effect Of Urbanization On Senegalese Ethnic Identity, Arianna Calabrese

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For the past 40 years, Dakar has been the destination of Senegal’s massive rural exodus, with millions of rural villagers flocking to the city in search of work and education. The rural exodus has produced a unique multi-ethnic environment, where villagers, traditions, cultures, and languages from across the country converge. Ironically, therefore, Dakar’s landscape has been distinguished by the creation of an urban culture by a population of rural inhabitants. This paper examines the effects of urbanization on ethnic identity and affiliation, and further discusses the impact of Urban Wolof on personal identification among Dakar’s citizens. It then demonstrates how …

Perceptions Of Dignity In Humanitarian Aid: A Postcolonial Critique Of Syrian Refugee Response, Jonathon Burne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research investigates the perception of dignity and sustainability from Syrian refugees and local aid workers in the Jordanian towns of Karak and Mafraq, through semistructured interviews conducted in Arabic and facilitated by a local translator. The study explores how these conceptions of dignity and sustainability differ from those that currently guide the international and Jordanian response to the Syrian refugee crisis, in the hopes of investigating a broader relationship between the international human rights industry and modern iterations of Western imperialism. An additional focus is the recommendations provided by refugees and aid workers on how the humanitarian response might …

Democratization In The Arab World: A Moroccan Case Study Of Culture, Religion, And Governance, Marwah Al-Jilani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Democracy and Islam are generally assumed as incompatible, which leads to further assumptions towards the notion that democracy in Muslim majority states can not be reconciled. The presence of a religious political culture appears as the main hindrance for sound democratic structures. However, it appears that the absence stems from other prominent factors. This paper extends the rhetoric that Islam and democracy can be compatible and a lack of democracy is dependent on specific authoritarian structures. Morocco, a Muslim majority state that is going through democratization offers data to gauge whether or not democratic practice is present within the general …

Trash On Taboga: A Case Study On Solid Waste Management And Feasible Methods For Sustainable Improvements, Taboga Island, Panama, Madison Marra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

On Taboga Island, a touristic island located just 20km outside of Panama City, solid waste can be found both littered and accumulated in an open-air dump that contributes to air, land, and ocean pollution. While more sustainable waste management systems are possible, as seen in other developing countries, differences in perceptions of waste management by users may result in differences in acceptance of new ideas. In this study, semi-structured interviews were used to gauge the status of waste management on Taboga and the perceptions of waste by its residents and visitors in order to ensure the participation of users in …