Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Responsible Tourism In Samoa: An Exploration Of Attitudes In Samoa Towards Responsibility In Tourism, Teresa Kline

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this research was to determine what tourists, Samoans working in the tourism industry, and employees of the Samoa Tourism Authority believe the impacts of tourism on Samoa are, and what responsibilities tourists have as visitors. After establishing a definition of responsible tourism according to each group studied, the STA’s tourism goals and risk assessment were analyzed to determine how well they relate to these definitions. The actions of both tourists and employees in the tourism industry impact the effects tourism has on Samoa, and understanding what the perceived responsibilities of tourists are can help mediate the effects …

The Effect Of Climate Change On Mongolian Herding Communities: Investigating The Current Prevalence Of Ecomigration And Community Perceptions Of And Responses To Migration In The Countryside, Rachael Diniega

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The livelihoods of Mongolian herders depend on rangeland conditions, which are being threatened by land degradation and climate change. These changes may cause some Mongolian herders to move to a different land. Thus, the prevalence of ecomigration today and the perceptions and responses of herding communities to migrants were examined to understand ways government could form adaptation policy to climate change in the future. Interviews were conducted with both migrant and host herders as well as government officials in Mungunmorit, Tov and Delgerkhan, Khentii, including the state reserve Herlen Bayan-Olaang. A survey was used to evaluate the prevalence of ecomigration …

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 …

Unidad Fraccionada: Las Tensiones De La Coalición Indígena Originario Campesino Y De La Base Popular Del Movimiento Al Socialismo, Alexandra Ellerbeck

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Between 2010 and 2012, the indigenous campesino coalition that was a crucial part of the popular base of support for the Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS) fractured. The pact that was formed of indigenous and campesino social organizations in 2004, el Pacto de Unidad, has deteriorated with two major indigenous organizations formally leaving the pact. To understand the fractures in the indigenous campesino coalition, it is necessary to contextualize the tensions in the indigenous campesino coalition within the history of indigenous movements in Bolivia. This essay argues that a change in the political field in Bolivia after 2009 allowed for historical …

The ‘Narod’ In Narodnjaci: Perceptions Of Turbo Folk In Contemporary Sarajevo, Uchechi Esonu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Turbo Folk is often associated with the ultranationalism and violence of the Wars of Yugoslav Succession in the nineties. Working from the perspective of people who enjoy this music and/or frequent establishments where Turbo Folk is played in contemporary Sarajevo, I investigate the narratives employed by both listeners and detractors of Turbo Folk. What attributes or values are projected on the genre, in present day Sarajevo? Have these values changed from how the genre was perceived during the war in the 1990s? Is Turbo Folk political or politicized? Based on ethnographic field research conducted over the course of one month …

Cambiar El Negocio De La Finca: Un Perfil Del Agroturismo En La Provincia De Herrera, Julianne Gagnon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2008, Panama formulated a long-term tourism plan for the country, and agritourism was a main element that was being introduced. There are requirements and qualifications for a farm to be considered an agritourism farm by the Panamanian government and these farms are increasing in number each year. A farm must be accredited by both the Ministerio de Desarrollo Agropecuario (MIDA), which evaluates the agricultural practices for “buenas practicas,” and by the Autoridad de Turismo de Panama, which determines if the farm’s infrastructure is compatible with visitors. Since it is such a new form of tourism in Panama it is …

Inteñas En Acción: El Eco-Feminismo Y El Desarrollo Alternativo En Íntag, Ellicott Dandy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El bosque nublado es una zona de vida subtropical y montañosa del Ecuador caracterizada por sus grandes cuencas hídricas, y su riqueza de aves y plantas epifitas.[1] Dentro del bosque nublado, está la Zona de Íntag con una extensión de 1.374,4 kilómetros cuadrados.[2] Junto a esta diversidad de especies, conviven unas doce mil personas[3] en parroquias y docenas de comunidades pertenecientes al sector, conectadas por carreteras que serpentean entre las lomas verdes de la Cordillera Toisán. Un 98% de la población de Íntag se identifica como mestiza, y del restante 2%, 1% como indígena y 1% como …

“Todo Pasado Es Presente”: Racismo Abierto Y Confrontación Violenta En Cochabamba El 11 De Enero De 2007, Andrew Hernández

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Cochabamba, Bolivia in 2007 faced an extremely violent confrontation after protesters from the rural areas found themselves against the citizens of the city. The farmers from the rural areas (campesinos) came to protest recent calls from the Prefect Manfred Reyes Villa for autonomy through the use of blockades. The citizens, many from the middle to upper class, decided they wanted to “take back the city” and “defend democracy” in their efforts to eradicate the campesinos from the city. Through the use of oral histories and life stories I reconstruct January 11, 2007 and explore the degree to …

“It’S Bigger Than Hip Hop” : A Case Study Of Africulturban Association As A Site Of Social (Ex)Change, Renee Slajda

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Africulturban is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote Senegalese urban culture, a highly popular, socially conscious, and youth-led movement that began in Dakar’s impoverished suburbs. Situated in one of these underdeveloped areas, the association works to improve its community and develop urban culture into an industry that can support its artists. As a case study, this research firstly examines how Africulturban, as a young, grassroots organization, is run. It further aims to understand how urban culture may be used as a tool of social development by looking at the culture’s specific characteristics that make it suitable to this task. …

Creating Dignity Out Of Despair: The Impact Of The 2009 Decriminalization Of Homosexuality In Delhi, Diana Boesch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was created in 1860 and outlawed “carnal intercourse against the order of nature.” In the following years, even after independence, India used Section 377 to prosecute child sexual abusers. While the law was rarely used to prosecute adult same-sex intercourse, it created widespread homophobia and harassment for LGBT Indians. Finally, in 2001 the Naz Foundation filed a petition against Section 377. On July 2, 2009 the Delhi High Court struck down Section 377 in its application to adult consensual same-sex intercourse. The decision sparked celebration within the LGBT community, a massive media response, …

Empowered Minds And Sterilized Bodies: The Decisions And Lived Experiences Of Surgically Sterilized Women In Santo Antonio De Jesus, Leah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the last several decades, Brazil has experienced a rapid fertility decline from 6 births per woman in 1965 to 1.8 births per woman in 2006. Though Brazil lacks a significant and organized family planning program, this fertility decline has been caused in large part by an extremely high rate of female sterilization. Of the 81 percent of women living in union who use birth control, 29 percent are surgically sterilized, placing Brazil at the third highest rate of female sterilization in the world. This research analyzes the sterilization narratives of 10 women from the city of Santo Antonio de …

International Coordination And Response To The Quality Of Teaching In Refugee Camp Settings, Alexandra Box

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Refugee education has been evolving and developing since it was brought to the attention of the international community in the 1960s. Although education has become more accessible worldwide, the quality of this education has started to become a concern. Increasing the number of enrolled students in formal education systems is an achievement, but if half of these children drop out before the end of the school year what progress has really been made? Providing a quality system has long-term benefits that extend outside of the school setting, benefiting children, educators, parents and the rest of the community. In refugee camp …

Serbian/Albanian Bilingualism In Kosova: Reversal Or Entrenchment Of The Curse Of Babel?, Sarah Littisha Jansen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Dynamics of power between multiple languages in one space are indicative of and inform the relationship between the speakers of those languages. In post-conflict Kosova, two ethno-linguistic groups, Kosovar Serbians and Kosovar Albanians, live in a context where language has become politicized and long-standing linguistic, political, and social hierarchies of power have been radically disturbed. This paper describes the myriad of images of the Serbian language in the country, focusing particularly on those that come from the Serbian/Albanian bilingual Kosovar Albanian community. It then discusses how these inform language as a political tool and what the consequences of this are …

Land Rights, Cultural Hybridization, And Self-Determination Of First Peoples A Case Study Among The Ngöbe Of Western Panama, Clancy Jandreau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hydroelectric and mining projects driven by Panama’s prosperous growth, have come into collision with the country’s largest indigenous population, the Ngöbe. Recently, the Ngöbe took to the streets in a large-scale indigenous rights mobilization that brought their struggle the international scene. Threats to the Ngöbe land and livelihood are nothing new to this group, but the scale and nature of these projects are testing the Ngöbe in an unprecedented fashion. They have had to organize and mobilize to defend their self-determination, using methods well outside their traditional way of life. This article examines the impact of this type of cultural …

Seeds Of Change The Development Of Apple Farming In Mustang A Documentary Film, Gretchen Powers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Research Project is to make a documentary film about the effects modernization has had on the apple farming industry in Lower Mustang since its 1967 introduction. This film focuses on both the influence of Buddhi Ratna Sherchan, the senior horticulturalist who first introduced apples to Mustang, as well as the both positive and negative effects modernization and climate change have had on the region. Findings indicate a general movement towards mass production of apples that utilizes the new road to export high volume production. The heavy hail and rain fall brought about by climate change …

Taking Action Against Gender-Based Violence: Bringing Men And Women Together In Wentworth Through The Prevention In Action Movement, Silpa Srinivasulu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is an exploration with the KwaZulu Natal Network on Violence against Women and its activities and relationship with grassroots-level organizers regarding the Prevention in Action movement in Wentworth to unite men and women in a movement to end gender violence and protect health and safety. Gender-based violence is a particularly tragic health and justice issue in South Africa. While most interventions attempt to raise awareness and empower women to stand up against gender violence, recently organizations have understood the need to engage men in the dialogue, mobilize them to take action, and foster true changes in social norms …

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 …

Goals, Challenges, And Successes Of A Girls Development Organization In Kenya : A Case Study Of Moving The Goal Post (Kilifi, Kenya), Madeline Boston

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Girls and Women in Kilifi District, Kenya are some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged people. Low retention rates in school, early and unintended pregnancies, and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS trap them in a cycle of intense poverty. Moving the Goalpost (MTG) in Kilifi uses football to empower girls and young women, helping them to fulfill their potential by engaging them in sport and educational development projects. This report analyzes the goals, challenges, and successes of MTG through understanding its organization capacity, and offers recommendations for improvement.

Evaluating Ceres Fair Food As An Urban Sustainable Food Initiative: A Comparison Of Retail Pricing, Wholesale Pricing And Food Miles For A Healthy Food Basket, Stella Chung

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

CERES Fair Food, an organic food delivery system in Melbourne, VIC was evaluated in terms of its transportation resource consumption, ability to enhance food security, and support of local organic farmers, which are key factors in sustainable food systems for urban areas.

Transportation resource consumption was analyzed by calculating the food miles for a selection of Fair Food’s products and comparing them to data on typical products consumed in Victoria. Most of Fair Food’s products had similar or lower food miles, particularly the fresh produce. But many assumptions had to be made in the calculations due to limited information. Food …

Women In Post Revolutionary Tunisia: Political Inclusion And Prospects For The Future, Courtney Joline

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the world turns it attention to Tunisia as the first state to undergo the democratic transition in the phenomenon known as the Arab Spring, women’s status has been a dominant theme among policy analysts, journalists, and scholars. As people debate their means of mobilization, I sought to document how women see their futures and their opinion of the democratic transition, and most importantly what this holds for women. This piece seeks to give women agency and a forum for them to share their stories, opinions, and perspectives of the future. In a time when so many thinkers are getting …

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 …

Himalayan Metal Of Death: Heavy Metal And Middle Class Social Identity In Kathmandu, Kyle Smucker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The notion of a middle class is a recent phenomenon in the Kathmandu valley. With it comes the new category of adolescence, a period between basic education and marriage that now exists within Kathmandu’s social landscape. This new social category is defined by a moral struggle between modern and “traditional” values. The purpose of this research is to investigate how social identity is realized for members of Kathmandu’s heavy metal scene, a distinctly middle class adolescent phenomenon. Through interviews, quantitative surveys and participant observation this research deals with how “metal heads” define themselves as a social group that both stands …

“Nos Trabalhamos Em Rede:” How The Instituto Povo Do Mar Utilizes Local Networks And Knowledge To Foster Empowerment., Cléa Major

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Instituto Povo do Mar (or IPOM) seeks to improve the lives of children in the favela of Serviluz through experiential education, providing classes in music, art, yoga, surfing, and other subjects. Previous studies have shown how surfing programs can provide immense psychological benefits for children who are at risk for trauma because of their impoverished environments, and the other classes that IPOM offers also give structural support to community children in various ways. In addition to the direct benefits that Serviluz children receive from these programs, IPOM also has a broader social justice goal in mind. The organization sees …

Visibilización De La Población Rural En Villa La Angostura Después De La Erupción Del Volcán Puyehue, Claire Henkel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El desarrollo de la población rural en Villa la Angostura, una ciudad en la provincia de Neuquen en Argentina cambió bastante después de la erupción volcánica de Puyehue Chileno en el Cordón Caulle. La comunidad rural en dicha región, que consiste de familias mapuches y criollos, ha sufrido décadas de ser perjudicadas por el Estado y el Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. Este mal trato junto con el crecimiento de la economía turístico que genera la ciudad había puesto las poblaciones rurales en un estado aislado e invisible con poco acceso a recursos para desarrollar. Las vidas y oportunidades de estas …

“Primero, La Verdad”: Un Análisis Sobre Los Procesos De Construcción Identitaria De Los Jóvenes De Villa Tranquila / “First, The Truth”: An Analysis Of The Processes Of Identity Construction For The Youth Of Villa Tranquila, Courtney Weintraub

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Informal housing settlements in the suburbs of the City of Buenos Aires and their residents, hereby referred to in this report as villas and villeros, respectively, have historically been stigmatized for reasons real and arbitrary. The inundation of negative imagery about the villero population, as propagated by the mainstream society and its apparatuses—the government and the media, among others—often has grave consequences for the collective consciousness of the villeros themselves. My hypothesis in carrying out this investigation is that the control hegemonic society has over the labeling and identification of marginalized populations obscures the latter’s ability to form a …

El Microcrédito Como Herramienta Para Promover La Autonomía Económica Y El Empoderamiento Social En Mujeres De Bajos Recursos En El Conurbano Norte: El Caso De “Mujeres 2000” / Microcredits As A Tool To Promote Economic Autonomy And Social Empowerment In Women With Few Resources In The Northern Metropolitan Area: The Case Of “Mujeres 2000”, Stephanie Allen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, Argentina has been faced with many economic downfalls, specifically the economic crisis of 2001. These economic hardships led to higher rates of poverty and unemployment throughout the country. The populations most affected but such harsh economic downturns were the already vulnerable; one of which being women. Many women in Argentina and throughout Latin America occupy a lower position in society and often bear most of the burden of poverty and unemployment.

As a response to the isolation of some groups from the formal economic system, the idea of microfinance took shape. Presently in Argentina there exist over …

Managing Diversity And Dealing With The Obstacles To Integration Of Non-European Union Migrants: A Comparison Of Policies In The Netherlands And France, Eryn Eby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because of the reality of permanent immigration to Europe, the issue of integration of immigrants, particularly Muslim immigrants is of great importance and the direction and style of policies are the subjects of increasing debate and disagreement. Neither multicultural policies nor assimilation policies have led to a satisfactory level of integration and decreased social and ethnic tensions in France and the Netherlands. We found that often, the rhetoric, perceptions, and misinterpretations that go along with the labels of ‘multiculturalism’ and ‘assimilation’ serve to further polarize the debate and lead to more problems than they solve. The overall rhetoric and program …

Student Voice In Integrated Schools: Advising Leaders In A Transitional Society, Nora Murphy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the outcome of a month-long exploratory study on student voice in the integrated educational sector in Northern Ireland, particularly through an examination of student leadership initiatives and the advisors of such programs. Data was obtained by way of qualitative methods using semi-formal interviews and written responses to open-ended questions on the topic. Although the work is hardly comprehensive, it is can be inferred from the research – as it is situated within the framework of scholarly literature – that student leaders in the integrated school setting are given definite opportunities to express their voice, despite the presence …

Sectarianism In Northern Ireland: Youth Work And The Art Of Having The Difficult Conversation, Dan Knishkowy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is the outcome of a month-long exploratory study on youth work in Northern Ireland regarding sectarian issues. It is an investigation of how sectarianism transfers from generation to generation, and how this often results in cycles of violence. The goal of this exploration was to find out what efforts are being made to combat this cycle at a youth level, and gain a more nuanced understanding of how these efforts can be effective. Data was obtained through literature, structured interviews, and participation and observation in a youth workshop. It is concluded that cross-community contact at a youth level …

Reacciones Al Turismo En Los Tejidos De Huilloc Y Chinchero: Una Comparación Entre Dos Pueblos, Sarah Lyon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los textiles en la cultura Andina no son un arte estacionario, sino como la gente, se adaptan a los nuevos tiempos y la cultura occidental. Eso no es porque la cultura y arte de los pueblos indígenas en los Andes son más propensos a las influencias de afuera, o que son más variables que otras culturas. Pensar que los pueblos indígenas y su cultura están ‘influenciado’ o ‘impactado’ por la cultura occidental es pensar que los pueblos indígenas son pasivos sin la voz para decir lo que van a escoger a sacar de la cultura occidental. Es mejor para hablar …