Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Los Afro-Descendientes De Buenos Aires: Mitos Y Realidades, William Cowles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the 19th century, the black population of Buenos Aires suffered a massive demographic decline that brought their population from roughly 30% of Buenos Aires in the beginning of the century to an almost invisible fraction. According to the popular Argentine historical myths, this decline was the product of several concrete factors, most importantly an outbreak of Yellow Fever and the various wars of 19th century Argentina in which the black population suffered heavy losses. However, the demographic facts and the historical evidence do not support this explanation. The historical reality of the decline of the black population in Buenos …

The Story Of Eej Khad: Mother Spirit Of The Earth And Her Children, Ethan Gohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an attempt to collect and present knowledge on the subject of Eej Khad, which translates to Mother Rock, in one single place. Since very little has been written about Eej Khad, it is an attempt to preserve knowledge that might easily be lost. Eej Khad is a widely popular granite rock in central Mongolia that worshippers believe has the power to fulfill their dreams. The information presented in this paper is collected almost entirely from interviews with people willing to share what they know or believe about Eej Khad. It does not judge the opinions of individuals, …

Leprosy: A Study Of Identity Through A “Marginalized” Population, Aarti Bhatt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

People of all different cultures use identity as a way of mediating with surrounding institutional structures and personal communities. Identity however, is not a concrete idea but a multidimensional and dynamic condition. For communities of so called "marginalized people" an identity perceived or created from the outside and imposed can have drastic implications on a person's capacity to act as an agent. Stefen Ecks argues for the value of ethnographic study from the point of view of the marginal people, going on to say that "this is of critical importance since marginality puts health most under stress when it is …

Masyarakat Tionghoa: Singaraja’S Chinese Community, Tammy Lew Lee Kreznar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

A Place In The World: Mh2o’S Construction Of A Peripheral Identity, Ryan Schutt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hip Hop and, more specifically, Rap music, has been a culture rooted in the notion of the social periphery, the section of society excluded from mainstream, capitalist, bourgeois society. It has historically been a way for this voiceless, disenfranchised, and alienated population to criticize, question, and protest its societal position. The Movimento do Hip-Hop Organizado uses this medium as a way of politicizing and mobilizing the excluded members of Brazilian society. Using Hip-Hop, the organization constructs a socially informed, politically aware, and critically conscious community that is united through their common identification with Hip-Hop culture and MH2O. The case is …

The Musician Is The Messenger: Islam And Jaliya In Mandinka Music, Blake Walker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the complex dynamics at play surrounding jalis, or professional praisesingers, in the culture of the Mandinka people of West Africa. Jalis, almost certainly present among the Mandinka prior to the arrival of Islam in the area, remain one of the strongest reminders of pre-Islamic culture in Mandinka society. However, the art and social roles of the jali have undergone numerous transformations in adapting, conforming to, and sometimes challenging Muslim cultural norms. This paper explores some of the means by which the two cultural fountainheads of Islam and West Africa are reconciled by jalis and other members of …

Mame Coumba Bang: A Living Myth And Evolving Legend, Michelle Margoles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to discover the story of the goddess Mame Coumba Bang, to examine her origins, and to analyze it as myth or legend. Through interviews, surveys, and few written documents, it investigates various aspects of the story of Mame Coumba Bang, including descriptions of the goddess, rituals, encounters, and manifestations of her existence. It also looks at the origins of the story and the ways it corresponds with Muslim beliefs. In analyzing the findings, it is found that Mame Coumba Bang is both a legend that is varied and evolving, as well as a myth that remains a …

An Ancient Practice: Scarification And Tribal Marking In Ghana, Alyssa Irving

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research on tribal marking and face scarring took place in various parts of the country, but much of the information comes from the residents of Gwollu. By interviewing different people belonging to different regions and ethnic groups throughout the country, I was able to discover the main uses for marking: medical use, decoration, spiritual protection, and tribe or family identification (these marks specifically for ID can be referred to as tribal marks). This paper sweeps over the origins of marking and how it became quite important during slave raiding, but has various uses and implications in modern times. This …

Atua Of The Aga: A Comparison Of Ancestor Worship In The Highlands Of Bali And Polynesia, Jamison Liang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to understand the practice of ancestor worship among the Bali Aga village of Sukawana and its relation to how its inhabitants trace their origins. When did their ancestors arrive in Sukawana and where did they come from? Did any of their descendents continue to migrate across Indonesia? And how do the Bali Aga practice ancestor reverence through the use of shrines and temples—tangible evidence—in their villages? The responses to these questions provided a platform for comparison to current anthropological, linguistic, and archaeological theories in order to understand how locally constructed truth in Sukawana related …

Kaya Hip-Hop In Coastal Kenya: The Urban Poetry Of Ukoo Flani, Divinity Lashelle Barkley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the global world of the 21st Century, music is one of the few things that has the ability to cross physical as well as cultural borders, which is why my Independent Study Project (ISP) focuses on the role of hip-hop music in the youth culture in Kenya’s largest coastal city, Mombasa. Throughout history, music has proven its artistic power; inspiring people to resist oppression, challenge inequality, and even claim salvation.

This enduring characteristic of music is central to my ISP which explores the emergence of hip-hop in Kenya as well as the evolution of Ukoo Flani, one of the …

Roma In Vojvodina: Expressions Of Cultural Identity Through Performance, Jane Kaufman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper begins to cover some of the ways Roma cultural identity is expressed through performance in Vojvodina. The way Roma music and dance is seen in Vojvodina is highly influenced by the “circus” image and very little scholarly writing on Roma folklore exists to challenge this image. Roma musicians in rap/hip-hop groups incorporate elements of Roma traditional music and Roma language into rap/hip-hop to confront this stereotype and in performance these influences can interact, challenging stereotypes and revealing current values and traditions.

Changing Channels: The Bhutanese Middle Path Approach To Television, Kate Linthicum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The experience of watching commercial television and the ideals it promotes are incompatible with fundamentalist Buddhist teachings about consciousness, community and desire. However, the Bhutanese, whose culture, traditions, and worldview have a strong Buddhist foundation have not rejected the medium, which was introduced in Bhutan in 1999. But they have not fully embraced it. Instead they follow the Middle Path, weighing its positive and negative impacts in a manner that seems influenced by the guiding principle of non-extremism in Buddhist philosophy, and a notion the Bhutanese have adopted as a developmental strategy to attain Gross National Happiness. By first examining …

A Critical Analysis Of The Current Status Of The Fijian Language, Stephanie Roberts

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the country of Fiji strives to keep up in the throws of modernity of the 21st century, it simultaneously attempts to grip onto its culture that distinguishes it from the rest of the world. Linguistically, Fiji is categorized into three general divisions (although each being greatly influenced since the 19th century). English, Fijian and Hindi serve as the three “official” languages of Fiji; as components of one country, they play significant roles in the formation of national identity. Language is a necessary element of culture, and was therefore studied in order to promote cultural identity for the people of …

Causes & Perceptions: An Exploratory Study Of Suicide In Indo-Fijian & Fijian Youth, Marcie L. Grambeau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a culture that is extremely religious, traditional and conservative, one may not first assume that suicide is one of Fiji’s leading causes of death amongst its youth population. However, the number of suicides today is one of the highest in the world and is rising at alarming rates. This study was designed to understand the underlying pressures that directly affect Indo-Fijian and indigenous Fijian youths, both the majority race in Fiji. The study focuses mainly on interviews conducted in the urban area of Suva but includes references to the rural areas, where a large number of suicides occur. The …

Les Actions Et Motivations Des Gens Qui Transmettent Et Maintiennent Encore La Langue D’Occitan, Rita Dainko

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Ce projet sur l’Occitan est conçu par hasard, à l’autre côté de l’océan. C’était à Miami University en Ohio où mon professeur de français et moi nous asseyions pour discuter mon application pour SIT, avant de l’envoyée. Étant vu qu’il fallait remplir les trois lignes désignées dans le dossier d’inscription pour l’ISP, nous essayions de trouver un sujet qui me plaisait et qui pouvait également remplir le critère d’un cours à mon université, pour que je puisse obtenir l’unité de valeur pour lui. Comme je veux être professeur de français, l’éducation bilingue m’intéresse beaucoup, et je suis passionnée des sujets …

Endangered ? Yambetta In Its Speech Community, Carolyn Benbow

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is a study on the village of Yambetta and its efforts to keep its local language of Yambette. It looks into the organisation YALICO and the role of the local language within Yambetta’s speech community. Through observation and interviews, this study found that Yambetta is a living language not in immediate danger of dying out, and that the efforts of the Summer Institute of Linguistics through the local linguistic committee in Yambetta village is improving the chances that Yambetta will continue to be a living language. This was important because around half of the world’s languages are estimated …

“Le Goût De Travail:” Work Value For Bamiléké Children, Diana Carlson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research examines the value of work in the Bamiléké context, and explores the psychosocial and cultural factors that influence the transmission of this value to children. Research questions explored included the perception of children within the Bamiléké family, the values that exist within the family and specifically the value of work within these families, how this value is transmitted to children, whether children are motivated to learn the value of work, and the impact of work on the personality development of a child. Data was collected through questionnaires, interview, and observation. 121 questionnaires were collected, and 9 interviews completed. …

Education In A Rural Context: A Catalyst For Disappearing Villages?, Seth Schy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the proposal for this ISP the basic hypothesis was that education would catalyze an urban transition in Ogna. Specifically, it seemed as though people were leaving Ogna in pursuit of higher education, and eventually for a job in the city. It was posited that the eventual yet large migration to the city would have various effects on the social, economic, and structural stability of Ogna, and further, it was thought that with this migration a drastic change in Ogna’s culture would occur. Thus it appeared possible that eventually Ogna as it is today might cease to exist. As a …

La Identidad Colectiva Del Pueblo Mapuche: El Pasado, Presente Y Futuro De Su Lucha Territorial, Katherine A. Lawyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As many native populations face cultural extinction, the question of indigenous land rights is a discussion of growing urgency and polarity. The Mapuche Pueblo, a population native to Chile and the south of Argentina, is an example of such a population battling to regain control of their original territories so as to insure the survival of their culture. The research of this study consisted of a two-week cultural investigation of the Mapuche communities in the south of Argentina so as to understand this collective cultural identity. The paper itself examines the life cycle of the social movement to recuperate these …

Reconstructing Gender And Activism: The Case Of Women’S Initiatives In Al-Wihdat Refugee Camp, China Sajadian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the various ways that major social, political, and economic issues influence Palestinian women’s consciousness and initiatives in Jordan. Based on a set of interviews with self-identified female activists in Al-Wihdat refugee camp, I contextualize my findings in the multiple institutional and discursive realms through which female identity is constituted, such as nationalism, socioeconomic status, humanitarian development, and community. By investigating these women’s perspectives on a personal basis, I seek to uncover female subjective identities which subvert, complicate, and contest dominant constructions of the needs, roles, and ambitions of Palestinian refugee women.

Environment As Social And Literary Constructs: An Exploration Of The Relationship Between The Environment And Mahafaly Oral Literature, Eugenie Cha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There was a time, long ago, when a small lake or reservoir had formed in a remote area whose location still remains a mystery today. One day, a king was passing through this region. He desperately needed water and searched and searched, but to no avail. Finally, he found this lake and was able to quench his thirst, and thus prevented himself from dying of dehydration (Avimary).

This story is one of many that are present within the canon of oral literature in Madagascar today. It originated from a small town called Ampanihy, which lies in the southwestern region of …