Social Influence and Political Communication Commons^™

Bridges Out Of Poverty As An Anti-Poverty Strategy In Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, Katlyn M. Uhler

Capstone Collection

This paper explores the initial results of the Bridges Out of Poverty (“Bridges”) community framework as implemented by the organization Kennett Area Community Service in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. The aim of this research is to provide perspective on Bridges Out of Poverty’s contribution to the understanding of poverty in the United States and its potential as an antipoverty intervention. It does so first through an exploration of the historical and current discussion on poverty and anti-poverty interventions in the United States, followed by research on the Bridges model itself and its implementation in Kennett Square. This latter research includes content …

Transmitiendo La Identidad: Revalorización Sociopolítica Del Kichwa Por Los Medios De Comunicación \ Transmitting Identity: Sociopolitical Revaluation Of The Kichwa By The Media, Abi Mcdougal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este Proyecto de Estudio Independiente considera cómo los medios de comunicación kichwas están involucrados en la conciencia sociopolítica indígena. Establece una historia de la opresión lingüística hacia los kichwa; provee un marco conceptual de los espacios de uso sociolingüísticos en la diglosia; e introduce el tema de los medios de comunicación kichwas, localizados en Otavalo y los pueblos de Imbabura cercanos. Presenta la información primaria sobre los medios de comunicación, obtenida a través de entrevistas, diálogos informales, observación enfocada y participante, y una encuesta pública en Otavalo. Considera el radio, lo audiovisual, y publicaciones escritas, a través de unas organizaciones …

Developing Nations And Disadvantaged Populations: How The 2009 H1n1 Influenza Pandemic Exacerbated Disparities And Inequities, Rebecca Lebeaux

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, although not as deadly or long lasting as initially projected, demonstrated that the world was and is ill prepared to handle a mass pandemic. As the first pandemic of the twenty-first century, the pandemic revealed global health insecurities and asymmetrical disease burdens for disadvantaged individuals and countries. This paper will analyze why both developing countries and disadvantaged individuals suffered disproportionately from the pandemic. Using the framework of structural violence, this paper will investigate how socioeconomic and political disparities encountered before and during the pandemic caused differential health, societal, political, and economic outcomes. These preexisting disparities …

Realizing Urban Water Pollution Impact In Melbourne, Australia Through Painting, Gregory Suplinskas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Throughout the month of November 2016, I undertook a creative environmental art project in Melbourne, Australia. I chose to create a water-soluble oil painting (dimensions 3 ft. x 4 ft.) that represents water pollution problems in the city of Melbourne, particularly in Port Phillip Bay. These problems include toxic stormwater runoff, plastics pollution and plastic nurdles, as well as nutrient buildup and algal overgrowth. The painting includes messages regarding sustainability; sustainable action limits the use of our natural resources so that humans can preserve the environment for future generations rather than degrade it. In the painting, I combine conceptual and …

Los Nuevos Actores Políticos De La Izquierda Chilena Y El Cambio Al Sistema Político, Henry Manning

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Chile's political system is in a state of flux. Between 2011 and 2013, student protests and other movements spread across the nation, enflaming latent resentment of the political institutions and demanding that the government respond to society's problems. But despite this nearly unanimous public mandate, the political coalitions that control Chile have done little to temper the harsh neoliberal system, opting instead to go on serving the business and elite interests that profit from the country's extreme inequality. In this context of dramatic disaffection with the powers that be, a group of new political actors have emerged from the student …

Analysis Of Media In Rwanda: Internship With The New Times, Rhiannon Snide

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report examines the effects and expectations of media in Rwanda today, specifically in reference to the New Times daily newspaper. I spent one month interning with the New Times as a news writer, spending approximately 45 to 50 hours a week with the institution. Within this month, I was able to use both primary research and secondary research to analyze the role of media in Rwanda’s society today. Interviews with head editors of the New Times and conversations with paid journalists from the New Times provided me with much of the information specific to the news outlet, while desk …

Youth Media And Social Change: Using Digital Storytelling As A Tool That Engages Youth To Become Change Agents, Soufiane Khebbaz

Capstone Collection

Today the importance of digital technology has significantly increased worldwide, as cameras, laptops, and easy-to-use applications and software have become available to educators and activists, enabling them to join the digital world. Through a digital storytelling workshop, I examined the use of digital storytelling as a potential means of empowerment for teenagers participating in the Access Micro-scholarship Program. Using qualitative methods, I looked at the students’ interactions with each other as well as with technology in the process of digital storytelling. The main purpose of this project was to investigate the opportunities that digital storytelling practices hold for youth in …

Tapez Le Tam-Tam And The People Will Come: A Study Of Theater For Social Justice In Kaolack, Senegal, Emily Schwerdtfeger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of theater to create social change and raise awareness of social issues as used by the troupe Bamtaare in Kaolack, Senegal. Further study was done to determine why theater was successful and whether this type of theater can be implemented in the United States. I spent four weeks in Kaolack working with the troupe to understand their methods. While in Kaolack, I observed rehearsals and performances, conducted interview with actors and audience members, and reviewed relevant literature. My research showed that Bamtaare’s performances in urban neighborhoods and rural villages did …

Laughing It Off The Role Of Comedy And Humor In Combating Extremist Ideals In Jordan, Juan Nunez Ledesma

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research focuses on comedy in Jordan, and whether it plays a role in the larger fight against extremist ideals in the region. The purpose of this study is to gain an understanding of how comedy is used in Jordan for a purpose other than merely making people laugh. Through this research, I study whether Jordanians believe that comedy has a role in combating extremism and if so, whether it is systematically employed for this specific purpose. The hypothesis of this study states that most Jordanians believe that comedy is a powerful weapon in the fight against extremism and as …

The Annapurna Road: Development And Tourism On The Annapurna Circuit, Benjamin Skach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Annapurna Circuit has oft been called one of the best treks in the world. Its popularity has brought countless trekkers to the region, resulting in a strong local dependence on tourism. In recent years, plan to develop rural regions of Nepal have resulted in extensive road networks being built along the route of the circuit. These roads have helped some locals and hurt others. This study investigates the implementation of the roads in Annapurna Conservation Area and the effects on both trekkers and locals. Further, it examines the New Alternative Trekking Trails that have been implemented along sections of …

La Radio Comunitaria: Hacia Un Futuro Más Democrático Para Bolivia, Katharine Norris

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Radio has been a companion of and crucial partner in democratic social change in Bolivia since its arrival to the country. Many of its inherent characteristics make it an ideal medium for communication of messages made for and by marginalized groups that are otherwise excluded from the production of and access to information. Historically, radio has been implemented in processes of progressive resistance to authority, in response to the oppression of the groups that community radio seeks to represent. This investigation attempts to understand the role of community radio in Bolivian society, with a view towards the democratic participation and …

An Examination Of Governmental And Nongovernmental Organizations In Nepal: A Partnership In Managing And Eliminating Waste In The Solukhumbu, Kristen Kelliher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study, examined whether governmental organizations and nongovernmental organizations in Nepal can effectively work together on eliminating trash and establishing waste management systems in the Solukhumbu region. Historically, the overwhelming presence of discarded items has detracted from tourists’ enjoyment of the Himalayas as well as caused severe environmental ramifications. In the last twenty years however, NGOs and GOs have begun to work together to address these issues and this project looks at whether their working relationship is effective as they often have different objectives and methodology for reaching those goals. Conducting ten personal interviews, visiting GOs and NGOs in Sagarmatha …

Economic Equity In The Annapurna Conservation Area: Effects Of Government And Community-Based Organizations, Hanna Seltz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research addresses the impact of community-based and government organizations on rural livelihoods in protected areas (PAs) by investigating whether benefits of such organizations involved in conservation and community development reach more marginalized members of communities in the Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) of Nepal. I conduct a case study focusing on two villages within ACA, Kagbeni and Phalyek, examining how local groups interact with each other and with the government in trying to promote equity through the ACA Project primarily through indepth, unstructured interviews. Locally-created and locally-based groups in these communities appear to be successful in managing local resources and …

Social Media & Revolution: The Importance Of The Internet In Tunisia’S Uprising, Aamna Dhillon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Our world has entered a digital age, where technology has made leaps and bounds and is accelerating in development. With this digital age came the widespread use of the internet and the emergence of “social media”—online platforms for communicating with others. Though the initial use of these social media platforms was to stay connected with friends and family, a sect of users have used the platforms to share news and important information. In the past few years, people have come together to demand change in their countries by protest and eventually even revolution, all of which is said to have …

On Air With The Community An Exploration Of Five Community Radio Stations In The Western Cape, Kelsey Warren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The closing of apartheid in South Africa was brought by new measures for democracy in 1994. Community radio stations were seen as measures for local communication and involvement in giving different communities voices that has formerly been lost. This paper attempts to discover the relevance of community radio stations twenty years after democracy and just how citizens are participating.

The paper begins with a review of history of community radio on different levels around the world through the use of literature. The arguments made centralize around the necessity of specialized community stations, the effect of community engagement, the lack of …

Challenging Tunisia’S Homogenous Arabness:Post-Revolutionary Civil Society Activismfor The ‘Invisible’ Tunisian Amazigh, Xavier A. Torres De Janon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 2010-11 Tunisian revolution brought to the forefront of the country an explosion of activism and organizing from civil society, including multiple voices urging for the defense, protection and/or recognition of Tunisian ‘minorities.’ An unprecedented Amazigh (pl. Imazighen, the indigenous population of North Africa) wave of activism from individuals and organizations appeared in the public sphere of the country, a population systematically denied and marginalized by the Tunisian dictatorships and society emboldened to stand up for their rights and challenge the status quo. In the post-revolutionary context of thispseudo-homogenous North African country, dominated by a strong Arab/Islamic ideology since independence, …

From Desire To Development? How Advertising Affects Sociocultural Evolution In Kampala, Uganda, Emily Saxe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My objectives for this report were to find out how advertisements affect sociocultural evolution (the enhancement or diminishing of development) in Kampala, Uganda. I also wanted to find out whether multinational corporations influence the aspirations of the urban population by promoting a Western lifestyle within their advertisements. To gather the information for this report, I interned at the WBS television network in Kampala for five weeks, and conducted interviews with employees there and at advertising agencies in the city. I found that companies that advertise on television affect Kampalan society in ways that are not always obvious. They contribute a …

Communicating Climate Change: A National Security Framework, Stacy Casey

Capstone Collection

There is a severe lack of public concern and engagement surrounding climate change due to various challenges, barriers, and failures in Climate Change communications. Framing is a communication concept and tool proven to help break communication barriers by presenting information through a new perspective. This study asks if reframing Climate Change under a National Security frame will interest and inform the public about the many complexities of climate change, resulting in public engagement and policy. Strategic frame analysis is used to identify issues in communicating Climate Change and reframe Climate Change under a National Security frame. Specific framing guidelines and …

Written Journalism In Vietnam, Conor Grant

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Written journalism acts as an important bridge between states and their citizens. The relationship between the written journalism industry and the citizens of a given state is a result of both the respective history of state-society relations and the modern political atmosphere within the state. In the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the written journalism industry is a complex system that derives from a long colonial history and complex political landscape. The Vietnamese Communist Party currently operates the written journalism industry in Vietnam, exercising a monopoly on media authority. The first part of this research traces the historical evolution of the …

Samar Basi – “We Go There Together” The Local Peace Committees And Their Effect On Building Peace In Nepal, Jessica Faye Babcock

Capstone Collection

“We have ears but no hearing. We have eyes but no sight. But I hope our children do not have to go through a similar fate of ignorance.” – Kattike Nepali (Jumla)

From 1996 to 2006 Nepal experienced a horrible, civil conflict taking over 13,000 of its citizens, displaced another 25,000 with many more unaccounted for. With the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in 2006, between the Government of Nepal and the Maoists insurgents, the violence ceased but the long road to recovery and peace began. Nepal is currently transitioning towards a democratic government. The establishment of a Constitutional …

“La Voz De Los Sin Voz:” Teatro Político En Los Movimientos Sociales Chilenos 1973-2013, Dan Katz-Zeiger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación analiza el uso del teatro político en los dos movimientos sociales más grandes en la última siglo, el movimiento contra la dictadura desde 1973 hasta 1990 y los movimientos estudiantiles, empezando en su forma masiva en 2006 y continuando hasta hoy. Con las medias de comunicación en los manos del gobierno, a lo largo de la historia Chilena, el teatro político se usó como una herramienta para propagar una conciencia política en la gente y se hizo un vinculo entre los problemas actuales y la política del gobierno. Muchas instituciones teatrales (facultades, compañías) han existido desde el periodo …

The Art Of Controlling A Meteorological Event: Responsibility Of The Government And Perspectives Of The People Regarding Flooding In The City Of Buenos Aires, Jennifer Giffels

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The city of Buenos Aires bears a long history of flooding, notable throughout the twentieth century as the city grew and developed into the urban capital it is today. Although the floods are provoked by natural causes such as the location of the city on flat and low land, as well as the obvious meteorological causes of weather patterns and heavy rains, there are many other aggravating circumstances caused by humans and that consequently can be controlled by humans. With the most recent tragic floods at the beginning of April 2013 in the city of Buenos Aires, the questions and …

To Vote Or Not To Vote: Youth Political Agency In Post-Revolutionary Tunisia, Sarah Dickson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the wake of the Tunisian Revolution, young people in Tunisia have become very interested in politics. For some young people, this excitement has resulted in positive feelings about voting. For others, voting is not seen as an effective way to express political agency. This paper will analyze field research conducted by the author with young Tunisians in order to better understand Tunisian youth attitudes towards voting, and explore various interpretations of political agency. This paper will ask the fundamental questions: why didn’t revolutionary activism translate to voting for more young Tunisians, especially as they continue to express interest in …

Upload Complete Syncing The Thunder Dragon: An Analysis Of Bhutanese Media And Its Influences On A Changing Culture, Brian Mcqueen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Almost 14 years ago Bhutan was officially "hooked up" to the outside world. With access to Internet and television increasing rapidly in the Bhutan new thoughts are entering the country, replacing previous views. The effect of media on the lifestyle and culture of the people of Bhutan is significant due to the speed at which the change occurred.

For my research I split my time between the capital city, Thimphu and Sherubtse College, which is located in the rural village of Kanglung. By conducting interviews with people involved in the media scene of Bhutan and consumers of media, I have …

Death Squads And Diplomacy: An Investigation Of British Attitudes Towards Sectarian Assassinations In The 1970’S, Hannah Nelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I conducted my research for this paper during a three-­‐week internship at the Pat Finucane Center in Derry. I gathered evidence from a series of declassified British government documents provided to me by the center. I focus my study on the British government’s attitude towards sectarian assassinations, particularly committed by loyalist paramilitaries, in the first part of the 1970’s. I examine the issues of responding to international pressure, framing the problem, evaluating security force effectiveness, and screening strategies. I find that in the public sphere, the British government hid information to downplay the severity of loyalist-­‐led murder campaigns and instigated …

Social Entrepreneurship In Egypt: Turning Revolutionary Ambition Into Tangible Results, Chris C. Blackwood

Capstone Collection

Social Entrepreneurship in Egypt: Turning Revolutionary Ambition into Tangible Results is a research paper that seeks to provide a model for sustainable social entrepreneurship (SE) development in Egypt and the surrounding Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The research consists of two primary areas: 1) the field of SE as a whole, along with traits shared by successful social enterprises, and 2) the modern Egyptian context, and the integration of best SE practices in the country and surrounding region during the modern revolutionary era. This is a paper that focuses on social change, and thus several social change theories …

Revolutionary Ideology In The Information Age: Technology Of The Occupy Wall Street Movement, Jed D. Blume

Capstone Collection

The research presented in this project draws heavily on themes of social justice and human rights. The purpose of this inquiry is twofold. For one, it functions as an SIT Graduate Institute “Capstone,” which meets the graduation requirements for a Master’s degree from the school. Secondly, the function of this project is to provide a space to investigate how the theory and practice of contemporary social change utilizes today’s most powerful non-militaristic technology. The focus of my research is particularly concerned with my own participant observation in the Occupy Wall Street movement, which emerged in the United States in late …

Fair And Lovely: Standards Of Beauty, Globalization, And The Modern Indian Woman, Rebecca Gelles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the expansion of globalization in the modern era, ideas from individual cultures are more easily able to spread to other parts of the world. One set of cultural standards that may be spreading to India is that of beauty, where a media with an increasingly Western style shares television space with advertisements from corporations that are often foreign in origin. This study seeks to examine exactly what influence this globalized media has on its viewers, and, in particular, on their perspectives on beauty. In addition, since the ability to conform to cultural standards affects how people view themselves, this …

#Reformjo: Jordanian Tweets For Social Reform, Megan Daily

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

What can be said in 140 characters or less? During what has been dubbed the “Arab Spring”, Twitter has been heralded as the catalyst that sparked revolutions. Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and others have utilized this microblogging site to express opinions, share links, and inform the world what is happening. In the past few months, the number of Jordanians on Twitter has risen sharply. During the course of my research, I aimed to discover if there were “elite users”, people whose opinions had more weight or significance in this dialogue as the Twitter community tends to develop with a distinct …

Post-Revolutionary Effects: Political Self-Education Of Tunisian Youth, Erica Zarlenga

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tunisia is a country with a rich and diverse historical and cultural background that has absorbed many ideas from western thought into its political and educational systems. For many years, the Tunisian “Republic” had the appearance of a government similar to Western democracies, yet the president’s actions were very far from those of a democratically elected president. The flaws in former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (Ben Ali)’s government in addition to sweeping unemployment and underdevelopment were the factors which led to the major uprising that became the Tunisian revolution. Although the revolution was a great symbolic victory for …