Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Right Of Return: International Representation Of Palestinian Refugee Rights, Ariella Hohl

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on Palestinian identity in refugee camps and their international representation of rights by the PLO. The goal of this research is to understand how the meaning of the Right of Return has developed through generations of Palestinian refugees residing in camps, in contrast with the international community discourse presented by the PLO on this topic.

After almost two decades since the PLO’s leadership renewal, a gap is visible between Palestinian political representation and the sentiments of Palestinians on the ground. There are growing perceptions dissatisfaction with the current leadership, especially from the perspective of refugees. More often …

Human Rights At The Border: European-Union—Moroccan Relations In The Wake Of The 2013 Migratory Policy, Anashua Dutta

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco’s border with the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla has brought the country into direct relations with the European Union (EU) on the issues of border control and migration. In response to the growing human rights violations towards migrants and refugees enumerated in the Conseil Nationale des Droits de l’Homme’s (CNDH) 2013 report, King Muhammad VI passed a migratory policy that emphasized preservation of human rights within Morocco’s borders. This study examines the effects of Morocco’s relationship with the EU on the implementation of the human-rights aspects of Morocco’s 2013 migratory policy. Using the semi-structured interview approach, I will …

Marriage Culture In Tunisia: Post-Independence To Post-Revolution Shifts, Emma Wilder Conover-Crockett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Personal Status Code became law in Tunisia in 1956, revolutionizing gender law and relationships. This law, development programs and nationalization pushed by President Habib Bourguiba, and modernization and globalization significantly altered the state of Tunisian marriage and gender relationships. Prior to the Personal Status Code, the basis of marriage in Tunisia was the preservation of family relationships, status, and finances. Throughout the last half century, it has evolved from a family-based endeavor to a partnership between two people, as the individual has simultaneously replaced the family and tribe as the main actor in society. These changes are reflected prominently …

Where The Plains And Hills Collide: Understanding Nepal’S Political Tension Through Tharus In Chitwan, Cameron Calato

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal's new constitution was received with both jubilation and violence. Protests swept across the plains of Terai leading to a blockade with India and a deadly fuel crisis. One’s opinions on the situation depend heavily on one’s own ethnicity, caste, and regional location. This research takes a deeper look into one ethnic minority, Tharu, to better understand Nepal’s complex political situation. Through many conversations in Chitwan, with both high and low castes, one can piece together a most intriguing analysis of Nepal’s politics. The political divide in the nation is severe and shows no willingness of compromise. The constant struggle …

Too Many Rented Rooms: Creative Expression In The Tibetan Community And The Foreign Artist, Imogen Rosenbluth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though Tibetan society has always had a literary and creative bent, the genre of secular Tibetan poetry is still very much burgeoning. One of the most unexpected consequences of the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the subsequent exile of thousands of Tibetans has been the emergence of a new genre of testimonial writing by refugees, the majority of which is written in the English language. The corpus of work within this genre is still relatively small, but growing all the time, and this expansion begs several complex questions, foremost of which is what purpose such writing serves and to whom …

Teoría Y Práctica: La Educación Liberadora Y La Disputa Contrahegemónica En Los Bachilleratos Populares Germán Abdala Y Sergio Karakachoff / Theory And Practice: Problem-Posing Education And Counterhegemonic Struggle In The Germán Abdala And Sergio Karakachoff Popular High Schools, Rebecca Millberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los ‘Bachilleratos Populares de Jóvenes y Adultos’ surgieron en Argentina a fines de los años noventa como una respuesta a problemas sociales graves, como el de una población grande en riesgo educativo, que resultaron de las políticas neoliberales del país. Los bachilleratos populares se basan en la tradición freireana como movimientos sociales de resistencia para organizar y dar fuerzas a las clases populares además de educar a la gente que no recibía el apoyo necesario de la educación pública en Argentina. En la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, el Bachillerato Popular Germán Abdala, en el barrio de La Boca, y …

Ngos, Community Associations, And Corporations In Partnership: Crosssectoral Collaboration In Serviluz, Fortalezace, Leila Reynolds

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will explore the relationships between corporate funding partners, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the communities they work in (through the lense of community associations). Specifically I will examine the relationship between the NGO Instituto Povo do Mar (IPOM), the Associação dos Moradores do Serviluz (AMS), and the state controlled oil corporation PetroBras. PetroBras operates a refinery known as the Refinaria Lubrificantes e Derivados do Nordeste ( Lubnor ) within the neighborhood Serviluz, in Fortaleza, Ceara, and has become involved financially and socially in the neighborhoods surrounding the Lubnor . In this particular neighborhood, these three sectors work closely together …

Fair Trade Or Fake Trade? Specialty Coffee Certifications And Development In Uganda, Eliza Cummings

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the relationship between specialty coffee certifications and development. The focus was exploring the local and national implications Fairtrade coffee certifications have in Uganda. Coffee is a critical commodity, accounting for 15 percent of Uganda’s foreign exchange and engaging over one million households in production. Currently, specialty certified coffees including Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, and 4C make up only four percent of total production. However, under Uganda’s 2013 National Coffee Policy, there is a target to expand specialty production to 24 percent. It is therefore imperative to understand how these specialty certifications affect primary producers participating as well as …

The Justice-Seeking Power Of Women Who Experience Sexual Violence In Uganda, Caren Holmes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This six-week study explores the justice-seeking power of women who have experienced sexual violence in Uganda, by examining a diversity of avenues used to pursue justice. The research includes three unique case studies: examining (1) the formal prosecution system in the rural, eastern region of Kapchorwa, (2) the internal judiciary framework within Makerere University and (3) the unique alternative projects being brought forward by FIDA Uganda in post-conflict Gulu and the greater Acholi regions. The study looks to understand and evaluate each of the frameworks for justice considering the extent to which they are able to serve survivors of sexual …

“No Todo Se Brilla” Tiempos De Espera: Reflejos De Estructuras Dominantes, Flora Richey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Time is a prevailing entity that impacts the human experience on an individual and societal level. While time cannot be objectively defined – it is asomatous and ethereal in nature – it imposes limits that permeate life on a fundamental level. Humans are intimately bonded with time, based on a symbiotic relationship. Time exists and is perpetuated by our practice of it. Naturally, these practices differ across socio-cultural realities. In this way, our understanding and use of time emerges as an aspect of culture. Time reflects cultural, political and social realities. Wait times in Chile are notoriously long. In the …

La Bicicultura De Cochabamba: ¿La Bici Es De Todos?, Lucy Bergwall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto investiga la cultura del ciclismo en la ciudad de Cochabamba. He elegido esta ciudad porque tiene una historia de ser una ciudad de ciclismo urbano pero ha perdido esta característica en las últimas décadas con el incremento de los autos en las calles. Sin embargo, hace unos años que ha empezado a crecer otra vez el ciclismo, en las formas de deporte y de transporte. Esta investigación se enfoca en las preguntas: ¿es la bici de todos? ¿Quiénes son los usuarios de bicis en Cochabamba y quiénes están excluidos o no representados en los grupos de ciclismo? Gracias …

La Implementación De La Ley N° 26.485 En El Sector De Salud Pública En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires, Meredith Greene

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A través de todos los siglos, ha existido la violencia contra las mujeres. Las causas de esta violencia son extensivas y tienen raíces en estructuras de ideología, cultura y género incrustadas en sociedades de todo el mundo. Hasta fines del siglo veinte, la violencia contra las mujeres era vista como un tema privado, de la familia, vivido puertas adentro, en forma independiente en cada hogar. Sin embargo, a través de las últimas décadas, muchos cambios ideológicos y socioculturales han trasladado el problema de la violencia contra las mujeres a la escena pública. En el año 2009, Argentina creó una ley …

Changes In Luoshui: How The Outside World Affects Luoshui Village And The Mosuo Culture, Lucy Woychuk-Mlinac

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is tourism really the biggest harm to Mosuo culture? Mosuo people are often the center of studies about how tourism affects the traditions and cultures of minority groups, but there is little focus on the other influences that change Mosuo culture. This study focuses on the lives of the Mosuo in Luoshui village, and how their everyday lives are influenced by the world outside of the village. Without knowing the causes of changes in the Mosuo village, there is little hope for fixing the situation and keeping dying traditions alive. Looking into their religion, education, and the holiday shazhu, …

Remnants Of The American War: An Interactive Documentary, Jacob Sussman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Remnants of the American War is an interactive documentary exploring the legacy of the American War in Vietnam. The project tells the stories of individuals who were affected by or are involved with the conflict’s legacy within an interactive web interface. Envisioned as the counter-narrative to existing American portrayals of the conflict, the project seeks to illuminate Vietnamese perspectives that are often unheard within Western culture.

Featuring interviews with veterans, social workers, and artists whom I encountered during a month long journey from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the project highlights ongoing issues such as Agent Orange and Vietnam’s …

The Making And Re-Making Of Dolpo Identity: A Case Study Of Do-Tarap, Lin Zhu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The unbelievably harsh environment in Dolpo forces people to be self-sufficient based on agriculture and husbandry, two sectors that complement each other very well. The condition also requires plentiful communal works for survival. Dolpo’s geographical isolation on the one hand, limits Dolpo-pas from encountering others, and on the other hand, prevents the presence of the central government. Before the 1960’s, Dolpo still remained as a politically autonomous region under the Kingdom of Nepal. However, based on interviews conduced with both local villagers and outsiders such as governmental officials and Nepalese, the paper argues that, starting from the 1960’s, Dolpo-pas began …

Review Or Rhetoric? An Analysis Of The United Nations Human Rights Council’S Universal Periodic Review, Sameer Rana

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fifty, thirty, or even just twenty years ago, would one ever imagine a powerful country like the U.S., China, or Russia preparing a national report on the human rights situation in their country, then presenting it in front of a UN political body, engaging in dialogue, answering questions, and responding to recommendations from fellow Member States? This became a reality in 2006 when the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) replaced the problematic UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and established a new and unprecedented mechanism known as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Under this instrument, the human rights records and …

Mutually Assured Survival: An Analysis Of Globalization’S Influence On Nuclear Disarmament, Ryan Zehner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nuclear arms have revolutionized the ways by which human beings are able to harm one another. Omnipresent in the status quo is a nuclear tension, and whether subtly or more overtly, this tension underlies a great many international relationships. While Westphalian paranoia and neorealist power perceptions encourage populations to continue placing their faith in nuclear umbrellas and deterrence strategies, scholars and activists increasingly claim that without the realization of universal disarmament, humanity concedes to the inevitability of future nuclear detonation.

New disarmament initiatives concentrate heavily on the implications of nuclear weaponry in a sense that supersedes the security of only …

Recursos Y Servicios Disponibles Para Personas Afectadas Por El Uso De Agroquímicos Tóxicos En Avia Terai, Chaco, Argentina / Resources And Services That Are Available To People Who Are Affected By The Use Of Toxic Agrochemicals In Avia Terai, Chaco, Argentina, David Andersen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Introducción: El Chaco es una provincia del norte de Argentina con los peores indicadores de salud y de menor ingreso. El estudio se desarrolló en Avia Terai, un pueblo que tiene cinco mil habitantes, está rodeado por cultivos que son fumigados con agroquímicos tóxicos y que tiene niveles muy altos de cáncer y de discapacidad. Muchas personas en Avia Terai trabajan con agroquímicos y viven cerca de los campos fumigados. La mayoría de las personas en el pueblo no tienen seguros de salud y usan el sector público. En el pueblo hay un Centro Integrador Comunitario (CIC), un hospital, dos …

La Vida Revivida: Una Exploración De La Salud, El Medio Ambiente Y La Cultura En Los Procesos De La Producción Ecológica De Cochabamba, Ethan Wood, Emily Wyler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación intenta explorar cómo los productores incorporan la salud, el medio ambiente, y la cultura en su proceso de producción ecológica. Para responder a esta pregunta, trabajamos con la ONG CIOEC Cochabamba y los productores ecológicos de Cochabamba, para entender cómo es la producción ecológica. Con la investigación, intentamos identificar varias maneras en las que el gobierno del departamento puede brindar más apoyo a los productores y conservar los métodos tradicionales de la producción en Cochabamba. En esta investigación, se utilizaron la observación participativa y las entrevistas semi-estructuradas.

The Circle Of Empowerment: The Nzinga Group's Approach To Empowering Afro-Brazilian Adolescent Girls And Women Through The Cultural Tradition Of Capoeira Angola, Sofia Stafford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Around the world gender and racial inequality leads to lower levels of empowerment related to self-esteem, autonomy, and self-confidence. These difficulties are exacerbated for girls and women who are faced with overcoming the double-stigmatization of being both black and female. However, Afro- Brazilian girls and women, when given the tools and support to empower themselves will empower their communities. Through a mixed-method approach of participatory research, observations, and nine interviews, this paper explores how the tradition of Capoeira Angola and specifically the roda, empowers Afro-Brazilian girls and women. More specifically, I examine how, through Capoeira, the process of “empowerment” can …

El Grano Milagroso Y Su Lado Oscuro: Un Estudio Sobre La Demanda De La Quinua Y Sus Efectos En Los Sistemas De Producción De La Comunidad De Cabana, Jacob Frankel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esto es un estudio sobre los sistemas agrícolas de producción en la comunidad campesina de Cabana en el departamento de Puno. Los agricultores en el Altiplano de Puno tradicionalmente producen la quinua y otros cultivos andinos de una manera extensiva. Pero, en el mundo se está realizando un “boom de quinua” ahora. Lo que significa alta demanda, mayor precio que beneficia a los campesinos andinos. La comercialización de la quinua en Cabana ha cambiado su producción a ser más intensivo, y los usos ancestrales de la tierra están disminuyendo. Encontré una tendencia de menos descanso del suelo, más mecanización y …

Not All Those That Are Buried Are Dead: An Analysis Of Memorialization At The Prestwich Memorial, Anna Sumner Noonan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Memorialization is an ongoing process in South Africa as narratives are attempting to be reclaimed and transformation continues to be an approach of ‘new’ nation building. This paper attempts to understand how and why the most common form of memorialization of slavery and colonialism in the postapartheid moment is that of the physical monument, memorial and museum as well as the repercussions of such a space. Through the lens of the Prestwich Memorial I examined themes of memory, erasure, historical production and landscape as artifact. I problematized the notion of primary data because all data is skewed by personal bias, …

La Santé Maternelle À Antsiranana Selon La Médicine Occidentale Et La Médicine Traditionnelle : Une Étude Des Traitements Opposés Pour Les Femmes Enceintes, Lauren Nguyen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dans un pays comme le Madagascar, où des coutumes traditionnelles et le lien avec les ancêtres demeurent une grande partie de la culture, l’introduction des aspects « occidentales » présente un peu du désaccord. Cela est vu avec l’introduction de la médecine « occidentale », et le choix que font des Malagasy pour leurs soins médicaux. Spécifiquement dans le secteur de la médecine, la tension entre des pratiques occidentales et des pratiques traditionnelles est significative.

La présence des guérisseurs traditionnels et de la médecine traditionnelle sur l’île existait bien avant l’introduction de la médecine occidentale. Bien que de plus en …

A Study On The Multidimensional Effects Of Animal Rights And Tourism In Bandia Reserve, Lauren Watwood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The guiding theme of this research was to gain an insiders perspective on animal welfare with Bandia Reserve and learn how the tourism generated by the reserve affected[US1] [LW2] the community. I sought to answer these questions by living in[US3] Mbour within close proximity to the guides to view their day-to-day activities, spending time in participant observation at the reserve, conducting interviews within Bandia and in the surrounding communities. This research is important to address the guiding motivation behind Bandia Reserve. It sheds light on how tourism affects[US4] not only La Petite Cote, but all of Senegal. …

I’M Not A Fishermen, I Don’T Sell Fish, I’M Not Even A Fish: The Microeconomy Of Fish Within The Formal And Informal Markets Of Mwanza, Austin Brush

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to examine the microeconomy of fish in the city of Mwanza in the context of the formal and informal market place and how it operates on a daily, monthly, and annual basis. In particular, I examined the different roles of fishermen, formal vendors, and informal vendors within the harvest, movement, and sale of fish and their perspectives on their own contributions and those of others at each stage. Between November 7th and November 26th, data was collected through 102 nonrandom, opportunistic interviews with my sample population of fishermen, formal vendors, informal vendors and professors …

Historical Perspectives On A National Heroine: R.A. Kartini And The Politics Of Memory, Amber Woodward

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

R.A. Kartini is an Indonesian national heroine, considered Indonesia’s founding feminist. Because of her inherently political status as a woman, a Javanese subject of Dutch colonialism, and an aristocrat, her memory has been used in diverse ways throughout history. In this paper I examine four main periods in which Kartini’s image has been dictated due to current political and social climates: Dutch imperialism, Indonesian independence, the New Order, and the present day. This paper is based on three weeks of research and fieldwork, including eight interviews with eleven informants, who had a diverse range of educational backgrounds and knowledge of …

Women In Transition: Fighting Mentalities And Ensuring Political Participation In Post-Revolutionary Tunisia, Hayley Schultz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although democracies look different across the world, they all share a few things in common. One of the biggest factors which contributes to a strong democracy is an active and engaged civil society. Without people upholding the government and keeping them accountable for their actions, government officials feel they can do as they wish. Tunisia has recently undergone a democratic transition and is working on forming a stable democracy. Since the fall of the Ben Ali regime, civil society organizations have sprung up all over the country. These organizations are working to safeguard the principles of the new constitution and …

Conservation For Whom?: The Struggle For Indigenous Rights In Sagarmatha National Park, Jake Sivinski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since its creation in 1976 Sagarmatha National Park has been the subject of a great deal of internal scrutiny by the regions indigenous Sherpa Inhabitants. Since their arrival in the Khumbu valley some four centuries ago, the Sherpa people have held a deep respect for their land and have practiced a highly organized and effective form of environmental stewardship which they refer to as Yul-Tim. At its core Yul-Tim relies on the authority of certain village members to make and enforce rules within the community: a practice that has been greatly undermined by creation of SNP. While SNP has had …

An Interactive Research Study On For-Profit Microfinance And Its Continued Social Impact, Rachael Peroutky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though the world is changing rapidly, the problem of poverty and the push for human development have been debated for as long as anyone can remember. Outdated strategies for human development are not sustainable in this new globalized world. The relatively young and growing field of microfinance is hoping to be the answer for sustainable human development and poverty elimination. This study analyzes the impact of microfinance on human development through two major questions. Firstly, to what extent and in what ways can microfinance impact the poor? This research question is multifaceted and will seek to address some of the …

Cross-Cultural Childbirth: Prioritizing The Healthcare Experiences Of Migrant Women In Competent Models Of Care, Emma Hall

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the context of the feminization of increasing global migration, it is impossible to understand maternal and child health in a given country without considering the experience of female migrants. As the total migrant population increases in the European Union, migration and its effects on health care provision in receiving countries and the experiences of immigrant populations must be recognized. Past research exposes an increased risk of complications and maternal mortality in migrant populations, but little information exists on the tangible programs that could respond to disparity. According to the World Health Organization, maternal health refers to the health of …