Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

“¿Quién Le Compró La Tierra A Dios?” El Conflicto Territorial Entre Los Mapuches Y Las Empresas Internacionales En La Patagonia, Lauren Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Patagonia region in southern Argentina manifests the clash of the traditional and the modern worlds. In the same region there are poor indigenous communities and some of the world’s richest men both seeking to utilize its many natural resources for very distinctive aims. For the Mapuche people, the land is part of them, and they are part of the land. For the foreigners that have bought millions of hectares in the area, the land is rich with natural resources that can be utilized for profit and export. With the influx of foreign investors, the minority rights of the indigenous …

“Ahora Tenemos Una Voz”: Transformaciones En La Vida Cotidiana De Mujeres Piqueteras En La Provincia De Buenos Aires = We Now Have A Voice”: Transformations In The Daily Life Of Piquetero Women In The Province Of Buenos Aires, Claudia L. Romeu Mejía

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The piquetero movement was born in the late nineties among many transformations in the Argentine economic system. It was a result of neoliberal policies which did not take into consideration the needs of the working class. The result was a society marked by poverty and lack of job opportunities. Groups of unemployed people opted to organize and made roadblocks to obtain social plans and other benefits from the government. Most of the people who compose these movements are women. This investigation analyzes the changes that have occurred in piquetero women’s daily life after their initiation in the social movements. It …

Faleoloa Laititi: The Role Of Small Shops In A Developing Samoa, Nicholas K. Courtney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Samoa presently finds itself caught between the wave of development and an unyielding tie to its culture. Development in Samoa consists of a multitude of efforts including, but not limited to, commercial agriculture, tourism, environmental protection, and private sector business. In all of the areas, the struggle between the Western view and the Samoan internalization of the Western view proves readily apparent. More so, the way of life in Samoa somehow drips its way through the cracks of all these ideas, creating protocol for development which is uniquely Samoan. The research examines the strength and weaknesses of the small roadside …

Searching For A Path: Evangelicals In Nicaraguan Politics, Jacob Siegel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Evangelicals now comprise approximately 20-25% of the Nicaraguan population, but the Nicaraguan political system has remained dominated by the specter of the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, in the 1990s, some evangelical leaders, including ones who had previously been vocal opponents of political involvement, sought new outlets for political participation. I claim that the evangelical political movement has drawn on three justifications: a struggle against political marginalization, a crusade for “traditional moral values,” and a fight for economic betterment.

Here, utilizing interviews with 18 Nicaraguan Protestants involved in Christian political or social movements, I trace evangelical political parties though …

Ley Y Desorden: La Participación, La Política, Y La Planificación En El Archipiélago De Bocas Del Toro, Sage E. Trombulak

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is quickly becoming one of Panama’s most popular destinations, both for tourists pursuing temporary fun-in-the-sun type activities and for wealthy Panamanians, Americans, and Europeans seeking a more permanent location for their vacation homes, luxury resorts, and retirement communities. These dual phenomena have become a subject of escalating concern for the political leadership in Bocas del Toro and for a plethora of local, regional, and international NGOs, as unprecedented levels of development are leading to the degradation of one of Panama’s most beautiful and biologically diverse landscapes, stresses on urban infrastructure, and rapid economic growth that …

Samoanizing My Fa’Apalagi : The Indigenization Of Language In Samoa, Cheryl Nunes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since its arrival in the 1830s, the English language has been an increasing presence in the minds and mouths of native Samoans. It winds its way within the schools, onto the streets, and into the offices of modern Samoa. This constant exposure to English, however, does not necessarily entail a loss of the Samoan language or culture. Quite the contrary, as Samoans have not only embraced the English language, but have furthermore indigenized it to their own advantage. Using education and exposure as tools, Samoans readily weave innovative mixtures of English and Samoan into various aspects of their lives, including …

Accès Aux Médicaments À Madagascar : L’Etat, La Pharmacie, Et L’Usager, Peter Olds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Making Space For Critical Discourse: The Daily Resistance Of Acampamento Luiz Carlos, Nicholas Detlef Salmons

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the implementation of MST’s pedagogy of conscientização (conscientization) within Acampamento (camp) Luiz Carlos in order to better understand the role that dialogue plays in raising the collective consciousness of peasants newly engaged in the occupation of the land. The approach I took to understanding this process was heavily influenced by Paulo Freire’s works on literacy and revolution, as well as James Scott’s theories of the quotidian resistance of peasants and other subordinate groups. Due to his theories and the subsequent realities encountered in the field, the focus of the study was expanded to include a better understanding …

Knowledge And Social Movements: Promotoras Populares And Social Transformation Beyond The Classroom Of Grupo De Mulher Maravilha (Gmm), Shanna Devine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I spent approximately one month researching the relation of Projecto Promotoras Legais Populares (PPLP) with its Subjects, Promotoras Legais Populares (PLP). It is a course aimed to foster political growth amongst marginalize groups in society through the exploration of their Rights. I explored the methodology used by PPLP in order to address the local needs of its Subjects --mainly black women with a poor/working-class background. How did this methodology facilitate the creation of a political space where they can voice these needs? I then looked at how this spread of legal knowledge has impacted Brazil’s most marginalized people in minimizing …

Não Sou Sua Puta: An Examination Of Preconceptions Of Sex Work In Salvador, Bahia, Charmaine Bee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“For Black women ceding control over self - definitions of Black women's sexualities upholds multiple oppressions. This is because all systems of oppression converge, " Patricia Collins. The system of Slavery is essential in any conversation around various systems of oppression which black women encounter, as many idealogies that support systemic racism were constructed during slavery. Black women face the intersectionality of multiple oppressions on a daily basis, one of these oppressions being sexism. Because of these various oppressions and definitions of black female sexuality by those in power the diversity of black female sexuality and self -definition has been …

Uma Doença Esquecida: A Falta De Conhecimento Da Hanseníase No Brasi, Anders Gustafson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hansen’s Disease is one of the world’s most misunderstood and stigmatized illnesses. Its patients are often discriminated against, and marginalized from society. This study examines what role a fault in information regarding technical knowledge plays in perpetuating this prejudice. Data is based on interviews collected from patients, family members, and persons from the most affluent sections of society, all from the city of Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, medical professionals provide their input. This information is referenced against sociological theory and historical precedence, to examine the role society and government have played in formulating the situation today. The study concludes …

De Movimiento Político A Cooperativa Una Investigación De La Evolución Del Mtd-La Matanza, Will Greene

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an investigation of how one group of unemployed workers in Argentina, the MTD-La Matanza, responded to the economic and social deterioration wrought by the market liberalization of the Nineties. This investigation examines the emergence of the MTD-La Matanza as part of the larger political movement of “piqueteros” in the mid-Nineties, the division and neutralization of this movement by the Government’s “Planes Trabajar,” and the resulting transformation of the MTD-La Matanza to a self-managed cooperative. Through this examination, I highlight the way in which the cooperative crystallizes as an alternative response to the changes of the nineties, particularly …

“I Don’T Hate Them, They Hate Me”— A Study On The Perceptions Of Homeless People In Melbourne And The Implications Those Perceptions Have, Devin Arthur

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examines the general public’s perception of homeless people and what impact (if any) those perceptions have on the policies or services available to homeless people. The project also examines what affect (if any) gender, age, level of formal education, annual household income and/or suburb may have on the public’s various attitudes. The project’s focus is on the perceptions towards and from homeless people, the definition of homelessness, and the policies affecting homelessness. The project’s data was collected from the central business district of Melbourne in addition to two inner suburbs, Toorak and Footscray. Much of the qualitative information …

Malo Le Folauga Brain Drain: A New Perspective, Mirna Carrillo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The migration of people is a prominent issue in Samoa. According to statistics, Samoa has a high emigration rate compounded with a small yet significant brain drain (Docqueir and Marfouk 2006: 174, 188). More and more skilled Samoans are going abroad for greater economic attainment and career advancement. However, the term brain drain implies that the migration of skilled professionals is a severe loss to the Samoan nation; it does not take into consideration the benefits of migration. The objective of this study is to qualitatively measure the accurateness of the term brain drain when describing the international movement of …

‘Like A Parrot Screaming In Its Cage’ Activism And Empowerment In Nepal’S Bhutanese Refugee Community, Elena Phoutrides

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper will look at empowerment in the Bhutanese refugee community from a number of angles. First of all, it will examine issues of representation. Refugees are often represented to media sources and agencies by Bhutanese political leaders who do not always represent the variety of needs and views present in the 100,000-person plus refugee community. Second, this paper will discuss camp management and the ways in which participation is encouraged and discouraged by agencies involved in providing for refugees. The refugee community is far from silent on issues of participation and representation; thus this paper will look at several …

Campesinas En Resistencia: Estrategias De Sobrevivencia Para Construir Una Cultura De Paz, Camia Crawford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay speaks of the rural Nicaraguan woman, survival, and the development of strategies of "resistance" to construct a Culture of Peace. It discusses how society creates and reinforces the oppression of this woman, and how this woman confronts (resists) this oppression. This is a paper that documents the struggle of the woman that looks to access power from her impoverished and gendered condition from the time of the revolution until the present. Through a process of formal and informal interviews with rural women over a one month period in Paiwas Nicaragua, the goal of this project was to investigate …

Dai Medicine: Preservation Of And Changes In Ancient Healing Practices, Geoffroy Fauchet

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This independent study project discusses the general concept and theories of Dai medicine and focuses on the conservation of and transformation that both, the traditional and modern Dai medical system have undergone over time.

Interpreting Their Blood: The Contradictions Of Approaches To Menstruation Through Religious Education, Ritual And Culture In Rabat, Morocco, Nitzan Ziv

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Menstruation is often perceived by individuals of different cultural and religious backgrounds as dirty or impure, and therefore has become a demeaning feature of womanhood. The dialectical concepts of purity and impurity are integral parts of Islamic religion, thought and practice as they draw lines between those things sacred and those profane. Women’s religious education, in particular, is critical in establishing positive reinforcement for their perceptions of their physical selves and their role in society. However, education in this manner cannot be limited to schools and religious institutions; family and culture are integral parts of a women’s education about subjects …

Dutty Wine: Ooman Big Up Or Dis?, Nicole Cruz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the extent to which females are liberated or oppressed in dancehall in Kingston, Jamaica. Using a qualitative approach and feminist perspective, I explore dancehall culture and the ghetto communities on which it centers. Participant observation allowed me to experience the dynamics of the dancehall space. Using in-depth interviews, I assessed my observations with the opinions of dancehall fans and other community members. Ultimately, it becomes clear in this study that though heterosexual females are liberated with their freedom of sexual expression, dancehall is still has a deeply patriarchal structure. Heterosexual males dominate dancehall by oppressing heterosexual females, …

La Economía Solidaria: Ayudando A Las Mujeres A Cambiar Su Destino De Pobreza, Michele Frix

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the last two decades in Latin America many social movements have arisen in response to the permeation of neo-liberalism throughout. These movements have many different labels (economía solidaria, economía comunitaria, economía social, solidaridad social, etc) but are all centered around the objective of forming a network of groups in the fight for economic justice, joining in solidarity, cooperation and mutual support. The idea of “economía solidaria” has become an alternative method of development in Latin America on the micro level, alleviating the effects of poverty that result from neo-liberal policies. Many non-governmental organizations have adopted the beliefs of “economía …

El Movimiento Político Mapuche: Factores De División Y Debilidad E Ideas Para El Futuro, Devon Kay Whitham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the Mapuche political movement in Chile since the military dictatorship. It asserts that the movement is more divided and weak presently than it was during the dictatorship because at that time all sectors of the Mapuche society were able to unite in order to fight against a common and concrete enemy. However, since the return of democracy in Chile the Mapuche political movement has experiences a process of fragmentation that has weakened it greatly. This study identifies the five most important factors that have contributed to the process of fragmentation within the movement—the diversity of opinions within …

Neutrality In Ireland: The War On Terror, The Use Of Shannon Airport And The Irish Anti-War Movement, Margaret Havemann

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2001, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Ireland’s Taoiseach Bertie Ahern flew to America to offer President George W. Bush the unlimited use of Shannon Airport in an invasion of Afghanistan. Since then, Ireland has played the role of controversial accomplice in America’s War on Terror. Each year hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops land in Shannon to fill up on beer and craic while their planes fill up on fuel and supplies. And each year, new accusations surface of CIA rendition flights passing through Ireland on their way to torture camps scattered around Europe. With the Celtic …

Catholic Community Services In Fiji Solutions To Poverty Alleviation, Rebecca Richard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an attempt to research various Catholic community service programs in and around the Suva area of Fiji. I visited various Churches, religious orders, and Catholic organizations in the hopes to learn about their actions, and how their services affect the community and alleviate poverty. In the beginning of this paper, I stressed the religiosity of Fiji, and how many people are devoted to their faith, but only through ‘individual piety,’ consisting of prayer, reading the bible, and mass attendance. I speak of the role of the Catholic Church and its commitment to service via Catholic Social Teaching, …

A Study Of The Formative Factors Of The Free Trade Agreement Between Oman And The United States, Gregory Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the process by which the Omani-American Free Trade Agreement was so quickly agreed upon between Omani and American negotiators. By interviewing the major government officials involved in the architecture of the agreement, and by examining the role of other institutions and interest groups that are typically involved in the process in the US, the author demonstrates how very narrow the policy-making arena in Oman is. He argues that the benefits Oman hoped to gain from the agreement were far more political than economic, but that political liberalization is more important than economic liberalization for the long-term interests …

Politics And Propriety In Oman: Omani Reactions To The Danish Cartoon Controversy, Averell Schmidt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the unusually quiet reaction in Oman, in comparison to many other Muslim countries, to the Danish cartoon controversy in the spring of 2006. Through interviews with young adults, elites, members of the religious establishment, and the business community, the author demonstrates how people learned about the controversy and how their reactions were influenced by the economic and political concerns of the regime. The survey showed that the young adult survey respondents almost uniformly misunderstood the relationship between press and government in the West, and in Denmark in particular, and that they felt powerless to protest the perceived …

Here, There, And Everywhere: Tale-Ing Liz Weir; Uses Of Storytelling In Northern Ireland Today, Leanne Gaffney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

The Development Of Bilingual Education In Berlin’S Primary Schools, Elizabeth Buckley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The debate on language education is flourishing in the current state of globalization and immigration. The rising amount of globalization has increased the amount of linguistic diversity present in one’s everyday life. There are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages in the world and half of them are in danger of disappearing. Therefore, it is becoming more common for the presence of many different linguistic groups within one country. For instance, in Indonesia, there are over 700 languages spoken. Although, the distribution of languages is not equal, it is nearly impossible to go through life without being exposed to another language …

The Art Of Building Peace: How The Visual Arts Aid Peace-Building Initiatives In Cyprus, Daniella Gold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Often times, artists have the unique ability to see the world with fresh eyes. A specific group of Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot artists have consistently used the visual arts to undermine people’s normal defenses and to help create an atmosphere of peace between members of the two communities. Interactions furthering this atmosphere not only take place between the artists of the two communities who are actively participating in these activities, but also between those individuals who choose to attend these events. Artists, therefore, can use their work to help facilitate peace between warring people. However, for a variety of reasons, artists …

Les Aspects Positifs Et Négatifs Dans La Nudité Dans La Publicité Française, Caitlin Thornton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Transnational Citizenship: Perspectives On Migration In The Greek Cypriot Community, Molly Bowen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research explores the phenomenon of rapidly increasing migration to the Greek Cypriot community. Through observation and interviews with migrants (including domestic workers, laborers, students, and asylum seekers) and Greek Cypriots the research explores the impact of residence in a foreign country on the migrants identity, questions feelings of belonging and integration in Greek Cypriot society, and asks Greek Cypriots how they perceive the migrant community. Additionally policy recommendations are made based on the ideas and problems faced by the interviewees.