Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Filling The Gap: An Examination Of Hiv/Aids Treatment And Prevention At Uganda Cares Masaka, Andrew Robert Mcasey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A six week internship was conducted at Uganda Cares Masaka, a HIV/AIDS treatment organization, to learn about the development issues surrounding the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The internship was aimed at gaining practical experience at an HIV/AIDS clinic to learn about the challenges faced and the strategies used by Uganda Cares as wells as the effectiveness of their strategies. Uganda Cares represents a collaborative relationship between the private, international HIV treatment and advocacy group, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), and the public Ministry of Health (MOH) in Uganda. A final objective of the internship was to gain an inside perspective on this …

Comunicación Entre Personal Médico Y Pacientes Indígenas Un Estudio De La Medicina Intercultural En Huancarani, Cusco, Peru, Jordan Cahn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación describe la relación entre personal médico y el paciente en un contexto intercultural. La ubicación del estudio es un centro de salud en la comunidad rural de Huancarani, Cusco, Perú. El personal médico viene de un perspectivo occidental y mayormente hablan castellano mientras que los pacientes son de orígenes indígenas y hablan quechua. El objetivo de la investigación es para observar la interacción intercultural entre el personal médico y los pacientes para determinar si las barreras culturales y preferencias para biomedicina o medicina tradicional infringen la calidad de servicios médicos. El personal médico prefiere la biomedicina y ve …

Inferno In The Land Of Snows: A Holistic Investigation Of Tibetan Self-Immolation Through A Tibetan Perspective, Eric Regalbuto

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to the ICT (International Campaign for Tibet) at least 90 Tibetan monks, nuns, and non-monastic Tibetans have committed self immolation since 2009, 73 (81%) of which have been proclaimed as deceased due to inflictions experienced as a result of the demonstrations; this only exists as the current statistic at the time the proceeding investigation was conducted. Though this number may initially seem somewhat small, it in fact shows a significant build-on to this trend over recent years. To many this practice comes across as quite striking, if not completely incomprehensible; to most the first method of protesting religious oppression …

Lost In Translation Teaching, Translation, And Transliteration Of Amchi Medicine In Nepal, Hannah Mcgehee

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As both school and mentsikhang, Lo Kunphen faces the full range of issues encountered by amchi in Nepal today. Youth are migrating to the cities for work, high mountain communities are transforming into cash-economies, and the Nepali government refuses to recognize amchi medicine, making the amchi profession less and less sustainable. Lo Kunphen must work tirelessly to confront these challenges and to preserve their tradition. While trying to educate the new generation of amchi, they must reach out to foreign sponsors and to the Nepali government for support. However, these interactions cannot occur without translation. During November, 2012 the author …

Is It Really Just All About Sex And Money? A Case Study Of Teenage Motherhood In The Village Of Kwaximba In The Valley Of A 1,000 Hills, Margaret Nelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this learnership at the Valley Trust was to gain insight into why teenage girls in the Valley of the 1,000 Hills fall pregnant and what is the cost of early motherhood on the future of young women. Previous research of the province KwaZulu-Natal has revealed that teenage pregnancies are a large problem in school districts and restricting the future academic pursuits of teenage mothers. The learner worked alongside the Valley Trust in coordination with their outreach programs in the local villages of the Valley of a 1,000 Hills to learn fundamental and underlying reasons behind teenage pregnancy …

Assessment Of Migrant Health And Health Disparities Between Immigrants And Swiss Nationals Living In Switzerland, Gabriela Mujica-Martorell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Switzerland is one of the most diverse nations within the OECD and boasts one of the highest net migration rates; it also has one of the highest rated health care systems in the world. Nevertheless, it has been shown that health disparities exist between the Swiss migrant and Swiss national populations: migrants are especially more prone to overweight/obesity, dental health problems, various forms of physical pain, and psychological distress. The purpose of this investigation is to evaluate to what extent certain health conditions are a problem to the immigrant and Swiss national populations. The study also will explore some of …

Treating The Spirit: An Ethnographic Portrait Of Senegalese Animist Mental Health Practices And Practitioners In Dakar And The Surrounding Area, Caitlin Mckinley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Animist beliefs and practices are deeply ingrained in Senegalese society, even in the metropolitan area of Dakar and have prevailed in Senegal despite the many influences of Islam and colonization. Animist mental health practices are especially interesting because of the influx of Western mental health practices in the wake of modernization. Merging traditional and Western mental health practices challenges the completely different worldviews from which each school of thought stems. For those seeking treatment, this duality makes it tricky to receive the help that they need. The purpose of this study is to explore animist Senegalese mental health treatments, traditional …

The Perceptions, Problems, And Possibilities Of Cameroonians With Mental Disabilities: A Case Study Of Le Centre National De Réhabilitation Des Personnes Handicapées De Yaoundé, Lauren Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my study, I focused on the state of persons with mental disabilities in Yaoundé, Cameroon, a discriminated and marginalized population. I completed an internship at Le Centre National de Réhabilitation des Personnes Handicapées in the special education school as a case study. There, through participant observation, simple observation and interviews as well as outside research, I gathered information regarding my research questions and hypothesis:

1. Who is responsible for the majority of persons with mental disabilities?
2. What are the affects of perceptions of persons with mental disabilities?
3. What are some possibilities for a better life and through what means?

Hypothesis: …

Pepfar Problems: How Does The United States’ Presidential Emergency Program For Aids Relief Empower Women?, Caitlin H.

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looks to examine how the Presidential Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) works to achieve one of its key goals, the empowerment of women, in the Western Cape. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) affects women disproportionately, around the world and in South Africa. Thus, women should be a key focus of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) relief and HIV prevention. This paper analyzes the work of PEPFAR to empower women through three lenses. Women’s empowerment in general is discussed, to see how organizations view their own methods of empowerment. PEPFAR’s work with sex workers is examined, as they are often …

Living With Autism In Vietnam, Libie Motchan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines the many implications of living with Autism in Vietnam on both affected children and their families. The lack of information, statistics and awareness of autism in Vietnam is reflected in the limited treatment resources available. This study calls attention upon what problems parents are most affected by what they feel needs to change. It also looks at the current sentiment and understanding of autism and its perceived causes. The results of this paper come from background research, observation at clinics and special education facilities, interviews with professionals in the fields of psychology and education, interviews with parents …

Art As A Cure: Analyzing Healthcare Treatment For The Mentally Ill Through The Lens Of Art Therapy Programs In Dakar, Senegal, Sofia Porter-Castro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mental illness is a malady that affects roughly 2.3 million people in Senegal ("Statistics by Country” 2012), but the wide and sometimes opposing range of healing practices suggests that the attitudes surrounding mental illness are still largely contested. This is especially true in Senegal’s capital, where advances in medicine in big city hospitals are growing while ties to traditional beliefs and practices remain strong. Alternative therapies, such as art therapy, provide an opportunity for practitioners to explore different techniques for treating the mentally ill while still integrating elements of the local culture. It is precisely this integration that this paper …

An Outline Of Contraceptive Use In Mali, Lillie Carlile

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The global community continues to increase at alarming rates. October 2011 marked the world’s population at a record high of 7 billion people, and counting. This population growth is linked to many complex factors, an important one of which is maternal health. The World Bank reports that over 99% of maternal deaths occur in developing countries, more than half of which occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa.^[1] The term “maternal health” refers to the health of women before, during, and after pregnancy. A crucial factor in maternal health is contraception, as its use allows women to avoid or space pregnancies, effectively …

Conocimientos Y Conductas Sexuales En Trabajadores Migrantes (Arica, Chile), Anna Conley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: The HIV/AIDS epidemic continues to be prevalent and to expand in Chile, as in many other regions of Latin America and around the world. Furthermore, it continues to concentrate in distinct, vulnerable populations. Migrant workers represent one such vulnerable population. The HIV/AIDS epidemic disproportionately impacts migrant workers because of the social, economic, and psychological factors that are involved in both migratory behaviors and disease construction.

Aim: This study identified sexual health knowledge and sexual health behavior in the migrant laborer population of Arica, Chile. More specifically, it identified risk factors for HIV/AIDS and explored possible strategies for a preventative …

Conflict Situation For Health Care Workers: A Case Study Of The Occupational Challenges In Kasangati Health Centre Iv And Their Implications For Patient Care., Shannon Mcdowell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Many factors influence a country’s ability to provide quality health services for its people. Particularly, quality health care hinges upon the availability of properly trained and equipped health care workers (HCWs) to deliver effective care. Resource-strained countries committed to the Millennium Development Goals are confronting the reality that shortages and uneven distribution of HCWs threaten their capacities to encourage and establish healthy communities. A scarcity in HCWs is one challenge of public health initiatives and places stress on existing HCWs. Other challenges faced by HCWs severely affect performance, motivation, and overall care-giving ability.

This study aims to examine the particular …

Access To Healthcare For The Poor: Will The Affordable Care Act Address Income-Related Health Disparities In The United States?, Sonya Fabricant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Low-income populations live shorter and less healthy lives in the United States due to a complexity of social, environmental and behavioral factors. These populations also face significant barriers in accessing health services. In 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) passed, marking the first major reform of the American healthcare system since the 1960s. This paper evaluates its potential to address health disparities through changes to medical care delivery. Methodology: Results were compiled from government documents, reports from research institutes, journal articles, and an expert interview. A section-analysis was also performed, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of …

Indicadores De Maduracion Sexual Y Su Relacion Con Indices De Masa Corporal (Imc) Y Habitos De Alimentacion En Escolares Femeninas De Arica, Chile, Melissa Colden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The basis of this investigation came from recent evidence that the age of puberty, specifically with respect to young girls, has fallen notably in the past decade. This trend exists in Chile, as well as other countries such as the United States, and has presented itself alongside a portentous epidemic of obesity and malnutrition. Knowing the risks of both disorders, and how their affects have already been manifested in the adolescent population in Chile and the city of Arica, this study sought to develop a relationship between body mass index (BMI) and pubertal development, including the appearance of secondary sexual …

Connecting Cultures: Msmcbj’S Alternative Methods To Mental Health Therapy Within The Aldeia Indigenous Reserve And The Bom Jardim Favela, Emily Rasowsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For my Independent Research Project I observed how community integration and connecting individuals back to the indigenous cultural idea of community work together to improve upon the mental health of individuals in the Favela of Bom Jardim, Fortaleza and the Pitaguary Indigenous Reserve or Aldeia. I examined how the Movimento de Saude Mental Comunitara do Bom Jardim (MSMCBJ) organization provides individuals within Bom Jardim a space to build a supportive community, based in indigenous ideals, while simultaneously providing professional and social opportunities for the Pitaguary tribe to create a sense of cultural valorization and how both of these aspects lead …

Lo Personal Es Político: La Lucha Por La Legalización Del Aborto En Chile, A Través De La Organización Feminista, Católicas Por El Derecho A Decidir, Gavin Odabashian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the work of a small collective of women—Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir—and the practice of their activism in Valparaíso, Chile. I focus on the ways in which these women are strategically mobilizing as an organization to fight for justice for women in Chile—more specifically, for gender equality, access to reproductive rights, and the legalization of abortion in all cases. I examine the history of the organization, its form and structure, the projects and campaigns they are currently working on, the individual experiences of the women working within the organization, their perspectives on their work, …

Un Compromiso Al Parto Culturalmente Sensible: Una Evaluación De La Interculturalidad En Salud Reproductiva En El Norte De Chile, Kalin J. Gregory-Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este investigación observa, explora, y describe la interculturalidad en la salud reproductiva en la región de Arica y Parinacota en el norte de Chile durante el mes de mayo, 2012. A causa de la diversidad étnica de la región y las diferencias en las tradiciones y creencias acerca del parto aymara, natural y medicalizado, existe una necesidad de atención alternativa en el sistema de salud. El estudio describe la atención alternativa ofrecida a las mujeres aymara durante el embarazo y el parto. Empleando las perspectivas y las percepciones culturales de parteras aymaras, profesionales médicos occidentales y mujeres involucradas, el estudio …

“The Invisible Disability:” Perceptions And Potential Of Children With Autism In Kisumu, Kenya, Talia Cohen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Awareness and prevalence of autism around the world is on the rise; however, much remains unknown about this developmental disability. This study is a survey of perceptions of individuals with autism in Kisumu and the services available to facilitate their development. Two areas of interest arose during this study. First, many children do not receive intervention services until a very late age, seriously hindering the success of the intervention. Many special schools do not accept children until they are well into vital stages of development, and the Educational Assessment and Resource Center (EARC) lacks the personal and funding to provide …

The Importance Of Play To Childhood Development: A Child’S Right To Play While Living With Hiv/Aids, Rachel Bambrick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This is a social analysis paper that explores child development and a child’s right to engage in play activities while living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Through experiences volunteering at the Children’s Rights Centre, interviewing occupational therapy professors, and living and playing in various communities in KwaZulu-Natal, the study looks into play development for children living with HIV and the policies put in place to protect their rights to play and develop. Primary data was triangulated against secondary sources, most of which were found while volunteering at the Children’s Rights Centre in Durban. The study looks at the stigmas surrounding …

Curative Care As The Access Point To Rural Social Transformation A Case Study Of The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, Nancy Liu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Health inequities based on geographic differences and between rural and urban populations in modern India demonstrate the stark differences in health access and community development throughout the country. More than 70% of the Indian population lives in rural areas, and yet a greater proportion of health care spending is devoted to urban populations. In 2004-5, 29.2% of both central and state public expenditures were allocated to urban allopathic services while 11.8% went to rural allopathic services (Balarajan, Selvaraj, and Subramanian 2011, 508). There are more than twice as many government beds in urban than in rural areas and geographic distribution …

Do No Harm: Perceptions Of Short-Term Health Camps In Nepal, Dena Seabrook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Short-term health camps are a growing form of delivering health care services to needy populations. Often these camps, usually lasting around 2 weeks, are led by I/NGOs in developing nations like Nepal and are staffed with volunteers from the Global North. These camps are largely ungoverned, and there are no evaluative techniques in place to monitor the effectiveness of the work done, raising concerns about the unintended consequences of short-term health camps camps. Nepal is particularly vulnerable to this issue because of the vast number of I/NGOs currently operating within its boundaries.

This research sought to expand the conversation surrounding …