Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Ethnobotanical Examination Of Traditional Medicine In Ngezi Forest Reserve, Tyler Tsang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional medicine is an important aspect of the both the culture and health of communities worldwide. Ngezi Forest Reserve is a protected area on Pemba Island which is part of the Zanzibar Archipelago. This forest contains a wealth of botanical diversity which includes many species of medicinal plants. Traditional healers (waganga) use these medicinal plants to heal members of the community. Interviews and forest walks with these healers were supplemented by consultations with a botanist to determine medicinal value of the forest and the surrounding areas. In compiling information from 15 healers in the area, 98 species of medicinal plants …

Pasantía A La Oficina Comunal De Migrantes De La Municipalidad De Valparaíso / Internship To The Communal Office Of Migrants Of The Municipality Of Valparaíso, Morgan Craig

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report evaluates my own experience over five weeks as an intern at the Communal Office of Migrants in Valparaíso, Chile. This office, along with the Communal Office of Women and the Communal Office of Sexual Diversity, was founded in June 2016 by Mayor Jorge Sharp as a part of the initiative to better represent the citizens of the Valparaíso región. Within the last ten years Chile has had a massive boom of immigration that has come as a shock to many Chileans. Due to a lack of cultural understanding about immigration and an immigration law that dates back to …

Hydrology And Macroinvertebrates As Biological Indicators- An Integrated Study Of The Río Zamora Watershed, Loja, Ecuador, Isabel Ryde

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water quality and access is under grave threat in Ecuador, yet remains poorly studied. Macroinvertebrates were used as biological indicators to study water quality around Reserva Natural Madrigal del Podocarpus, Loja Province, Ecuador. Data on macroinvertebrates was combined with hydrologic measurements of stream functions. Macroinvertebrate sampling was conducted from 6 sites within the Upper Río Zamora watershed. Geologic outcrops were observed along several roadcuts and stream banks. Hydrologic data was collected by measuring discharge, elevation change, and finding the highest permanent spring. The EPT index (number of EPT individuals and percentage of EPT individuals) and the BMWP/Colombia Index for macroinvertebrates …

Somos Tierra Floreciendo: El Surgimiento De La Literatura Kichwa Como Herramienta Política Y Cultural, Kaia Heimer-Bumstead

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de estudio independiente examina el papel de la literatura escrita en la resistencia cultural y política de los pueblos kichwas de la sierra ecuatoriana. Analiza la manera en que la historia de colonización influye en la expresión cultural y lingüística de los pueblos originarios, en particular la fuerte tradición de oralidad y los niveles bajos de alfabetismo en la propia lengua que caracterizan a la actual producción cultural de la sociedad kichwa. Dentro de esto contexto, discute las implicaciones de adoptar y utilizar recursos y códigos occidentales, como la escritura alfabética, para preservar, fortalecer y revitalizar la lengua …

Prevalence Of Moniliophthora Roreri In Theobroma Cacao In Relation To Clone Variety, Community Composition, Environmental Factors In An Organic Cacao Farm In Charagre, Bocas Del Toro, Panamá: A Case Study, Kara Eckberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Moniliophthora roreri, or Frosty Pod Rot (FPR) is a widespread pathogen that affects the fruit of Theobroma cacao, a tree commonly known as the cacao tree. Often, cultivators seek to control spread of M. roreri through fungicidal compounds. However, these fungicides place selective pressure for resistance on M. roreri. Additionally, they can have adverse environmental and human health effects and are difficult to integrate into practice for smallholders. Therefore organic farms in Bocas del Toro in western Panama, have turned to biocontrol agents to reduce the spread of M. roreri. These strategies include increasing hybrid variety, modifying community composition, altering …

A Comparative Case Study Of American And Ugandan Refugee Policies, Anna Feins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research was conducted in order to expand upon current understandings of the policies affecting refugees in Uganda and the United States (U.S.). Appreciating both policies and implementation strategies for each country is critical in providing the ability to fully grasp the reality of the refugee crisis faced by countries all over the world.

This study employed field-based research, including observations, focus groups, and interviews with refugees and those who implement refugee policies. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and implementing partners of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Uganda were interviewed, along with officers and commandants in the Office …

Hiv Harm Reduction Methods: A Comparison Between Switzerland And The United States, Erin Major

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the connections between harm reduction methods and the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Switzerland and the United States of America, focusing primarily on the harm reduction methods of needle exchange programs, safe drug consumption spaces, and sex education. While these two countries are largely similar in their culture and geopolitical approaches, there are some key differences in how HIV is approached in each. Switzerland’s somewhat unique approach with relaxed drug policies and more pragmatic, harm reduction based response to the AIDS epidemic sets a model framework for other countries to follow, with comparatively widespread use of needle exchange …

Water Injustice In Jendouba Governorate, Wilder Mccoy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Water is a precious resource even in a tropical rainforest, and in a dry country like Tunisia it is essential. Located in the south central region of the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisia, like nearly every other Mediterranean country, faces a stark challenge in providing clean drinking water to its growing population. Compared to its neighbors, Tunisia, with a few minor exceptions, does a good job in meeting this goal. In the rural northwestern governorate of Jendouba, where most of the country’s surface water comes from, there is ironically a dire need for clean drinking water in the rural areas outside the …

Formalizing Through Finances: A Case Study With Unics, Leah Kellenberger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to analyze the microfinance industry in Yaoundé, Cameroon through the lens of the microfinance institution UNICS. The main question guiding this study deals with whether or not the UNICS is encouraging a shift to the formal sector through their work with business people. Other questions relating to repayment rates and subsequently economic development also remain pertinent to the information found. In total, it is found that UNICS seeks to encourage formal sector growth through their work with businesspeople in the informal. Repayment rates however do not determine success of any aspect of a customer’s business or encouragement …

Exploring Rwanda's Continuing Education Capacity For Information Communications Technology (Ict) Skills, Li Keen Lim

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Rwanda strives to become the ICT hub of the region, it will need to develop its greatest asset: its people, in ICT skills. This exploratory study used 30 semi-structured interviews, observation and secondary data from different sources, schools, students and NGOs, to answer a simple question: how does an everyday, working adult Rwandan learn new computers skills for a new computer age? This study found that a wide variety of suppliers fulfil different niches that give prospective students a range of prices, content, schedules, certification, practices, etc., and that demand is increasing for a host of different reasons. It …

When The Health System Fails You: Maternal Care Under Kenya’S 2017 Nurses' Strike, Tessa Coughtrey-Davenport

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study focuses on the 2017 nurses’ strike and how the crippling of the public health system impacted maternal care in Kisumu, Kenya. Kenya has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world, and there have been many efforts to reduce this, such as delivery with a Skilled Birth Attendant and attending antenatal care visits, all of which are centered around a functioning health system. The research team used a combination of interviews with key populations and analysis of service delivery data at local health centers to evaluate the effects of the strike on maternal care. The study …

Agricultural Responses To Climate Change: A Study Of Adaptive Farming Methods In Kizanda Village, Bailey Smith-Helman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Agriculture is vital to the economic and social systems in Tanzania, composing 30% of the country’s GDP as well as 80% of employment (FAO, 2014). Despite agriculture’s important role, it remains one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate change. Current trends project global average temperature to increase by 0.8-2.6 degrees Celsius, leaving farmers to face changes in rainfall, soil quality, and new pests and diseases (IPCC, 2007). Farmers will be forced to adapt to the changing climate if they are to sustain their livelihoods and the Tanzanian economy. For these reasons, it is important to understand the types of …

Carbon Sequestration In The Cloud Forest: A Comparative Evaluation Of Aboveground Biomass Carbon Stock Potential In The Río Guajalito Reserve, Elli Mapstone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise at a rapid rate, it is necessary to understand how forests can both contribute to CO₂ levels but also stop them from rising. Carbon sequestration levels in tropical montane cloud forests are a relatively understudied topic. Gathering carbon stock levels is the first step necessary to start a REDD+ project. Carbon stock levels can be studied on a global, regional or local level. This study used the University of Oxford/ Global Ecosystems Monitoring Network (GEM) methodology to examine carbon sequestration levels of aboveground biomass, specifically ground litter, large branches …

Ethical Business Practice, Accountability, And Quality Assurance: Primary Drivers For Sustainable Tourism Development In Iceland, Abigail Harrison

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The tourism industry in Iceland has grown exponentially in the last decade, causing changes to the natural landscape and drastically shifting revenue streams in the economy. This rapid growth coupled with the recent development of Iceland’s tourism industry makes it the perfect case study for how to effectively mitigate tourism influxes. This unprecedented rate of growth impels the creation of sustainability measures within this industry in order to ensure a lasting vision of Icelandic tourism in the future. Both the government and private sector have already begun to institute sustainability measures in society and in business. The primary aim of …

The Effect Of Warming On Wind Speed And Potential Wind Power In Iceland, Alexei Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Climate change is causing a shift in the temperature and pressure gradient between the Arctic and the Equator, with the Arctic warming at a faster rate than the Equator. This shift has the potential to alter the seasonal wind speeds in the Northern Hemisphere, which could in turn affect the wind power density potential. In this study, a wind model was created to predict future wind speeds and wind power density for 6 weather stations in Iceland. According to the model, winter wind speeds and wind power density potential will either stay the same or increase slightly (0 – 4%), …

Understanding Sanitation Preferences: An Exploratory Study In The Sirohi District Of Rajasthan, Karen Mac

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Of all the countries in the world, India has the highest number of people practicing open defecation, causing adverse health outcomes from the unconfined spread of faecal matter. The Government of India is ambitiously aiming to end this practice through the construction of 12 million toilets by 2019, but historically, many toilets across India have gone unused. This study focused on understanding: (1) the reasons why people continue to openly defecate despite having toilets and (2) the requirements of a toilet that rural households would be willing to use. Along with 36 observations of household toilets, semi-structured group (n=8) and …

Aiding Neocolonialism? Moroccan Ngos, International Actors, And Questions Of Autonomy In Human Rights Advocacy, Neha Patel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As development studies have challenged the traditional narrative of Western “humanitarian work” developing the Global South, concerns have been raised about the shifting roles of NGOs as they are incentivized to depoliticize and professionalize in a market dominated by foreign aid. Given the legacy of colonialism and the emergence of systems of domination such as the non-profit industrial complex, NGOs have been explored as a potential avenue of neocolonialism. Based on background research, general observations and interviews with representatives of local non-governmental organizations based in Rabat, this project examines how local organizations advocating for their communities view their relationships with …

Las Condiciones De Vida De Los Usuarios Adultos Mayores Del Hospital Makewe / The Living Conditions Of Elderly Users Of Makewe Hospital, Taylor Selembo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Life conditions are a fundamental aspect of the health of senior citizens, as these are the factors that determine their quality of life and capacity to satisfy their needs. Life conditions are dependent on the particular social, political, economic, and geographic context of the region. This study intends to answer the following question: How are the life conditions of senior citizens belonging to Hospital Makewe, located in the IX region of Chile? This quali-quantitative study utilized observation, surveys (n = 40) and interviews (n = 15) in order to accomplish the main objective. The main objective was to describe senior …

Una Investigación Sobre La Prevalencia De La Lactancia Materna / 62/5000 An Investigation On The Prevalence Of Breastfeeding, Madeline Ferone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El propósito de la investigación es estudiar la realidad de las prácticas y la prevalencia de la lactancia materna en Chile, y cómo las características demográficas distintas de las mujeres influyen en la alimentación de sus bebés. La lactancia materna es crucial para el crecimiento y desarrollo saludable de un bebé, y también tiene beneficios para la salud de la madre. Sin embargo, las madres a menudo no siguen las pautas de la Organización Mundial de Salud y UNICEF. Los métodos de recolección de datos son una revisión de una Encuesta del Ministerio de Salud de 2013 de 9604 madres …

El Futuro Indefinido Del Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso: Explorando El Nexo Complicado Entre La Preservación Del Patrimonio Y La Gentrificación En El Barrio Puerto De Valparaíso / The Indefinite Future Of The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood: Exploring The Complicated Nexus Between Heritage Preservation And Gentrification In The Puerto De Valparaíso Neighborhood, Anne Paglia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the years following UNESCO’s conferral of the World Heritage title to the historic zone of Valparaíso, the residential neighborhoods of Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción underwent a drastic process of gentrification. Private investors hoping to profit from increased tourism flows pumped capital into the sector in the form of restaurants, cafes, and hotels. As result, residents were gradually expelled due to higher rent prices and an overall increase in cost of living.

The consequences of developing the city’s tourism infrastructure in these neighborhoods were not limited to gentrification; as the residential life of these neighborhoods was uprooted, so was …

Language, Race, And Integration: A Comparative Exploration Of The Sub-Saharan Migrant Experience In Morocco, Madeline Davison

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper uses a qualitative approach to explain the divide between local and migrant populations in the Moroccan context. This divide is primarily influenced by “feelings of otherness” and is triggered first and foremost by differences in physical appearance—easily identifiable differences upon first impression. Though inspired by a nearly instantaneous arrangement, this divide is fueled further by an inconsistency of language usage between groups. Because there is a wide variety of migrant experiences in this context, it is important to identify some of the differences between these lived experiences. Upon observation, the question, “What are the fundamental differences between migrants’ …

“Porque Soy Madre”: Un Análisis Del Rol De La Maternidad En La Organización “Multisectorial Contra La Violencia Institucional” En Rosario, Santa Fe / “Because I’M A Mother”: An Analysis Of The Role Of Maternity In The Organization “Multisectorial Against Institutional Violence” In Rosario, Santa Fe, Daisy Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

It is difficult to talk about social movements in Argentina without discussing the significant impact of “Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo.” “Las Madres,” which began as an activist organization of mothers of “los desaparecidos” or the “disappeared” during the military dictatorship of 1976-1983, is politically influential in Argentina to this day. Through demonstrations, marches, and other campaigns, Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo and its work have shaped the way that the whole world understands human rights violations during the dictatorship. Apart from their work to visibilize instances of state terrorism, Las Madres has created a precedent that allows …

Las Consejerías Estatales Y No Estatales Para Las Mujeres Víctimas De Violencia De Género: Un Estudio De Caso De La Asociación Civil Corriente La Colectiva / The State And Non-State Councils For Women Victims Of Gender Violence: A Case Study Of La Asociación Civil Corriente La Colectiva., Elizabeth Millar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La violencia de género existe en todas las dimensiones de la vida, como el trabajo, el hogar, la atención médica, y situaciones afines. Las mujeres que han experimentado la violencia merecen conocer y comprender sus derechos. La ley ha cambiado para reconocer más derechos, pero todavía el estado no está cumpliendo su rol de proveedor de servicios. Por eso, las consejerías no estatales, como la de la Colectiva, desempeñan un papel importante en compensar donde el estado está faltando a través de servicios legales para los casos específicos y educativos sobre sus derechos. Este ensayo reflexiona sobre el funcionamiento de …

¿Dónde Está Santiago Maldonado? El Uso Del Retrato Y El Activismo Artístico Para Exigir La ' Aparición Con Vida ' De Los Desapariciones Forzadas En Argentina / ¿Dónde Está Santiago Maldonado? The Use Of Portraiture And Artistic Activism To Demand For The ‘ Aparición Con Vida ’ Of The Forcibly Disappeared In Argentina, Emily Gresham Beamer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The dissemination of portraiture of the forcibly disappeared in Argentina represents a key strategy of visual protest within Argentina’s human rights movement, and an effective tool for ‘collective memory construction’ of the forcibly disappeared. Its history of use spans from the last dictatorship, to protests of forced disappearances in modern Argentina’s democracy. Following the disappearance of a young artisan, Santiago Maldonado, from a ‘route cut’ he participated in on August 1st, 2017, alongside the Mapuche community of Pu Lof, in protest of the Italian multinational clothing manufacturer Benetton’s control of their ancestral lands, a massive dissemination of his portrait was …

“Todavía Nos Falta”: Un Análisis Etnográfico Del Género Y La Clase Social En Un Club Deportivo Barrial En El Sureste De La Ciudad De Buenos Aires / "We Still Lack": An Ethnographic Analysis Of Gender And Social Class In A Neighborhood Sports Club In The Southeast Of The City Of Buenos Aires, Alonso Fernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El rol de la mujer ha sido históricamente uno de minoría en el mundo del deporte. Las mujeres han sido excluidas culturalmente y por la sociedad por mucho tiempo y no han tenido la accesibilidad a todos los beneficios del deporte de la misma manera que los hombres la han tenido. Igual que el género, el rol de la clase social también es significativo en como funciona adentro del contexto deportivo. En varios deportes, como el fútbol o el boxeo, el deporte representa una oportunidad para poder tener éxito que resulta en una ascendencia por la escalera de la clase …

Public Transportation In The Middle East: A Study On The Sustainability And Efficacy Of Taxis In Amman And The Future Of Public Transportation, Henry Nieberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research aims to explore the current public transportation status in the city of Amman, Jordan. Many Middle Eastern cities in the Levant are under critical urban transformations. This is due to both the increasing investment in infrastructure from countries located mostly in the Gulf States and through the mass destruction and neglect from internal conflicts. Amman is the only city in the Levant Region that is growing, and with a population of roughly 4 million, there is no adequate public transportation system in the city. This research includes a review of literature in urban studies and transportation, drawing on …

Jabal Al-Weibdeh: A Counter-Memory Of Amman A Case Study In The Resistance Of Memory, Gwendolyn Dilworth

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The neighborhood of Jabal al-Weibdeh is one of Amman’s most historic neighborhoods, founded in the 1930s atop one of Amman’s seven original hills. Using previous research on the construction of Jordanian national identity and the marginalization of Ammani identity, this paper aims to serve as a case study of the relationship between Amman and hegemonic discourses of Jordanian identity in Weibdeh. Through interviews with Jordanians who are connected to Weibdeh, this study examines the presence of collective memory and Ammani identity in Weibdeh. This paper argues that Weibdeh’s collective memory acts as an explicit counter-memory to Hashemite constructions of national …

Linguistic Imperialism In Jordan: The Impact Of English Education Curriculum On Cultural Behaviors Of Secondary Students In Amman, Haley Chatwin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the questions of how culturally inclusive curriculum effects the cultural behaviors of secondary students in Amman, Jordan, and how culturally inclusive curriculum effects the attitudes that these students have towards the English language itself. The researcher hypothesized that culturally inclusive curriculum mitigated the dilution of students cultural identities, and effected the students attitudes towards the English language. This study is significant, as English is taught at every school in Jordan, and Jordan has a long history of occupation by an English-speaking country. The researcher conducted the study using the data collection tools of semi-structured interviews, participant observation, …

Bridging The Gap From Policy To Practice: Diabetes In Rural Morocco, Zoe H. Robbin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Morocco is in the midst of an epidemiologic transition ushered in by reduced fertility rates and extended life expectancy. Unlike two decades ago, today’s leading cause of death is chronic disease. In 2006, Moroccan officials launched Vision 2020, a comprehensive plan that seeks to expand access to healthcare and reign back the prevalence of noncommunicable disease, among other goals related to development. Through qualitative interviews with the residents of Tarmilat and Oulmes, a rural community south of Khamissat, this paper represents the first assessment of Vision 2020’s performance thus far to combat the spread of type 2 diabetes among rural …

Vrai: The Culture Of Knockoff Goods In Morocco Their Social Value, Utility, And Context In Contemporary Rabat, Peter Nyberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fashion has long been an aspect of culture through which people identify, and it serves as a marker for class, nationality, and various other social statuses. With the continued democratization of culture via the internet and its various outlets, such as social media, fashion culture and the divide between high couture and mass-produced clothing, as noted by Bourdieu, is becoming less distinct. In the context of Rabat, Morocco, this has partially played out in the consumption of knockoff goods by the youth, a part of a larger individuation[1] process that includes a “westernization”of dress and a slow departure from …