Economics Commons^™

Río Muchacho: La Interacción Entre Agricultura Orgánica, Educación Ambiental Y Ecoturismo, Tatum Contreras

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El enfoque principal de mi proyecto fue crear un documental sobre cómo Río Muchacho combinada lo orgánico, el ecoturismo y la educación ambiental. Hice mi proyecto en la provincia de Manabí cerca del pueblo Canoa. Documenté y entrevisté a todas las personas involucradas en Río muchacho- de los dueños, a los visitantes. Empecé mi proyecto el 8 de abril y terminé con la filmación y las entrevistas el 26 de abril. En la primera semana trabajé en la finca orgánica de 7 de la mañana hasta las 4 de la tarde. Las dos otras semanas trabajé de 7 a la …

The Process Of Conducting Socioeconomic Research In Vietnam: An Internship With The Development And Policies Research Center (Depocen), Kira Le

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As Vietnam continues its rapid development, its government and people will be increasingly reliant on research organizations such as the Development and Policies Research Center (DEPOCEN) to study the socioeconomic issues that demand to be addressed in the interest of the sustainable development of the country. DEPOCEN is an independent research organization that has studied issues ranging from poverty and gender equality, to business & investment environment and trade liberalization. Since its establishment in 2005, DEPOCEN has developed collaborative relationships with many other research institutions like Oxford Economics and the Korean Institute of Economic Policy, and has offered its services …

Islands In A Sea Of Aaruul: Globalization And Mongolian Cheesemakers, Pearse Anderson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite being a sparsely-populated country with less than 2% of its land arable, Mongolia has developed a rich and complex food culture, notably for its meat and dairy products, which could soon be at an historic high thanks to the tens of millions of animals on Mongolian pastureland. Many Mongolians and non-Mongolians view the countryside as a sea of milk that is currently being underutilized for economic exploitation. Various projects, whether funded and organized by international NGOs, the Mongolian government, or private companies, have tried to use Mongolian’s dairy resources to fill Mongolian demand, with more recent private ventures also …

Spun Truths: Outcomes Of Mongolia’S Cashmere Program In Domestic Processing Facilities And Supply Chain, Daniel Strodel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since Mongolia’s transition to a market economy cashmere goats' population quintupled and their share of the nation’s total live-stock doubled. Cashmere is Mongolia’s third largest export and herders’ primary source of cash income. However, Mongolian cashmere processing facilities operate well below capacity because they cannot compete with high prices paid by Chinese traders. The latest intervention in a series of industry reforms is the four year Cashmere Program, which is being implemented by the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry. In order to increase the amount of cashmere processed and exported from Mongolia, the program invests in domestic processing …

Subsistence In Samoa: Influences Of The Capitalist Global Economy On Conceptions Of Wealth And Well-Being, Tess Hosman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper studies Samoa’s position in the global economy as an informal agricultural economy. A country’s access to the global economy reflects a level of socio-economic development and political power. It is also reflective of the country’s history of globalization. This research uses an analysis of past and current forms of colonization that continue to influence cultural and ideological practices, specifically practices regarding food. Concepts of wealth and well-being in subsistence and capitalist economies are compared and contrasted. Research takes place on the main island of Upolu, in and around the capital, Apia. Information is accumulated from previous research and …

Motorbike-Related Injuries & Safety Practices Among Motorbike Riders In Kisumu, Western Kenya In 2019, Rowan Poehler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Road traffic injuries are a growing public health problem throughout the world. Kenya has is known for having unsafe roads with an estimated 13,463 road traffic fatalities in 2016 and 24% of road traffic fatalities coming from 2-and 3-wheeled vehicles (WHO, 2018). This study sought to analyze road safety measures and road traffic injuries amongst motorbike taxi drivers in Kisumu, Kenya. A qualitative survey was administered to 152 motorbike taxi drivers in Kisumu over a two-week period in April 2019. The results were then analyzed. Results showed that 70% of drivers owned a helmet for themselves and 48.3% of drivers …

Quality Over Quantity: A Comparative Analysis Of The Quality Measures And Performance Between Switzerland And The United States, Lexi Farina

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Even in the best health systems, poor quality of care continues to cause harm to patients and prevent them from receiving the best treatment possible. Thus, it is important to record and report quality of care measures because they can help inform policy changes and improve performance. In this paper, a comparative analysis between the United States and Switzerland is conducted to understand the process for defining and assessing quality indicators in each country as well as compare their quality of care performance results. The methods for this study include a literature review of relevant background information relating to quality …

Supplying Slaves: The Disguise Of Greener Pastures: An Exploratory Study Of Human Trafficking In Uganda, Kyla Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to evaluate labor migration in Uganda with a specific focus on the role labor recruitment agencies play in transporting people and how certain circumstances such as lack of knowledge of safe migration can leave people vulnerable to human trafficking. Labor externalization is beneficial specifically for developing countries because it provides jobs for the robust and available labor in these countries. Nonetheless, when reports appear that young girls are stranded abroad in the middle east after being taken there for work, labor recruitment agencies are first to receive the blame. Although Uganda issued a ban …

Humanitarian Assistance In Protracted Emergencies: Rethinking The Role Of Food Aid In Adjumani, Victoria Puglia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Humanitarian food assistance is incredibly susceptible to funding cuts, which reduces the quantity of food available to refugees. If refugees depend solely on food aid for survival, the implication of reductions is increased food insecurity at a household level. The Government of Uganda champions a self-reliance strategy that has failed to support refugees to the desired extent, especially when food rations are low. This study aims to assess the impact of humanitarian food assistance on the socioeconomic structures of refugee settlements in Adjumani, Uganda to understand the consequences of unstable food aid. The research was conducted over a four-week period. …

Transnational Sharing Economies & Neoliberal Urbanism: Airbnb In The City-Region Of Tangier, Jack Spector-Bishop

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the early 1980s, Morocco’s strategies of urban governance have been decidedly neoliberal, focusing on entrepreneurialism, market liberalization, and privatization in order to make Moroccan cities more competitive in a global capitalist market (Bogaert 2010; Kanai & Kutz 2011). Within this context of neoliberal urban restructuring, I examine the case of Airbnb in the rapidly globalising city-region of Tangier. Airbnb is an online “sharing economy” platform which allows property owners to rent out living spaces to short-term travellers, usually tourists. In the Moroccan urban context, Airbnb is part of a broader trend of entrepreneurial development, influx of international capital into …

Kisumu County Hospital Patient Demographic Analysis: Looking Toward Universal Health Coverage, Lauren Scheffey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Universal health coverage is priority sought after by developed and developing nations alike, and Kenya sits on the list of countries seeking to achieve this goal in the coming years. The definition of “coverage” can vary by country, but three criteria are commonly found in the discussion of UHC globally: access, affordability, and quality. Affordability is determined by the state’s healthcare financing system; quality refers to the services provided by health facilities; and access, at least in part, concerns the geographic placement of health services providers in relation to the population they intend to serve. This geographic element is the …

Mind Control In The Post-Colonial State: The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment In Tertiary Education In Senegal And Jamaica, Janiel Chantae Slowly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the end of 17th to 20th century colonization, Senegal and Jamaica have been victims of the rhetoric of development. The economic, social, and political progress of these nations have always been overshadowed by their categorization as “developing countries”. Yet, this development rhetoric fails to acknowledge not only the wounds of colonization but the more modern manifestations of continued exploitation of these countries often by the same countries that “emancipated” their colonies. Senegal and Jamaica for example, are both dominated by large percentages of young adults, in both cases a large majority of the populations are individuals under the age …

Productivity, Competition, And Empowerment? The Experience Of Pondicherry Fisherwomen In The Context Of Neoliberal Development, Amelia Colliver

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The subject of this study is female fisherwomen from the fishing village of Veerampattinam in Tamil Nadu who have experienced impacts of neoliberal economics in India. Neoliberalism is here defined as a political economic movement that determines the viability of both an individual and a government based on its economic productivity. Populations reliant on traditional livelihoods are not as efficient as mechanized sectors of their industry, and therefore they are often separated from easy access to their livelihoods by neoliberal policies. This is especially true for women, who are frequently left behind in neoliberalism because their work is considered less …

Understanding The Mongolian Tourism Supply Chain: Advantages, Challenges And Improvements, Thomas D’Anieri

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The tourism industry in Mongolia has relatively low levels of regulation and is growing at a high rate despite struggling to increase tourist numbers, yet it still remains comparatively inaccessible to foreigners. Regardless, tourism holds huge potential for sustainable growth in Mongolia if it can be developed responsibly. For foreigners right now, it is difficult compared to other countries to figure out how to travel and find accomodation in a place where the main tourist attraction is a lack of people and an abundance of open space, and the majority of people in these places do not speak English. Furthermore, …

Black Gold In A Changing World: An Examination Of Saudi Arabia’S Dependence On Oil And The Possibility Of A Solar Energy Transition, Sofia Mouritsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, considering the profound effects that the resource has on the domestic, socioeconomic, and international affairs of the Kingdom. It is determined, after examining the economic and environmental factors that make it necessary, that Saudi Arabia must reduce its dependence on oil and diversify its economy, ideally by pursing solar energy. This conclusion is reached by considering Saudi Arabia’s domestic challenges, which include unemployment and rising domestic energy demand, as well as factors such as the price volatility of oil and changing global energy trends. A Saudi transition to solar power is determined …

In The Balance: Pathways To Economic Integration For Migrants In Morocco, Kyla Fanning

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the relationship between migrants seeking socio-economic integration in Morocco, the organizations facilitating that integration, and the Moroccan government, which determines the bounds within which socio-economic integration takes place. A background in government policy on migration and economic integration, as well as previously gathered data on the ways in which migrants integrate into the economy, forms the foundation for the study. Data collection and analysis from three organizations providing programs within Morocco to support migrants' economic integration provides insight into the ways in which policies and migrants' needs influence the programs that NGOs and other community organizations provide …

Consciente O Inconsciente: El Rol De La Educación En La Formación De Una Conciencia Social Y Colectiva En La Juventud Chilena / Conscious Or Unconscious: The Role Of Education In Forming A Social And Collective Awareness In Chilean Youth, Samsara Davalos Reyes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explorará la formación de una conciencia social y colectiva en la juventud chilena y los distintas causas que contribuyen a su creación como los es la educación. En la última década se ha visto el surgir de una multitud de movilizaciones estudiantiles y ferviente espíritu militante que llaman a investigar, que impulsa de forma individual y colectiva a que uno tome conciencia y se movilice. Es por eso que este estudio observó tres clases de historia además de entrevistar a nueve estudiantes y 3 docentes en liceos históricos y/o emblemáticos en la comuna de Santiago y técnico en …

La Influencia Del Neoliberalismo Sobre Las Ideas De Lo “Natural”: Un Análisis De Las Ideas De La Naturaleza En Urbanizaciones Cerradas Y Grupos Subalternos En Tigre / The Influence Of Neoliberalism On Ideas Of What Is “Natural”: An Analysis Of Ideas Of Nature In Closed-Gated And Marginalized Communities In Tigre, Catherine Fraser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the 1970s, there has been a global increase in neoliberal policy and ideology, marked by privatization, deregulation, and the withdrawal of the state from social programs (Harvey 2005: 2-3). Neoliberalism has manifested itself in Argentina in various forms, notably in the rise of closed-gated neighborhoods. In Tigre, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, real estate developers fill in wetlands and re-route river tributaries to construct closed-gated neighborhoods around artificial water bodies to create an idealized neighborhood that offers residents a life in contact with “nature”. Seeking to accumulate capital, real estate developers commodify and construct a specific form of …

Land-Use And Land-Ownership Changes In Usoma Village, Kenya, Ernest Tan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study attempted to find out how land-use activities and land-ownership patterns have changed since land adjudication in Usoma Village, a peri-urban community on the fringe of Kisumu City. The methods used were photo-observation and geo-tagging based on walkabouts onsite, documentary analysis of maps obtained from the Ministry of Lands, interviews with key authority figures, independent experts and community leaders, and interviews as well as focus-group discussions with community members. In terms of land ownership, it was found that subdivisions of land, both formal and informal, had been common over the period. Land transfers based on compulsory acquisition and investment …

Shaping Our World For A Better Tomorrow: Sustainable Investing, Esg, And Industry Insight, Anna M. Ballate

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sustainable investing is a relatively new field in the world of finance and banking. Even though there is tremendous growth in sustainable investments over the past few years, it is still a niche market that requires more transparency, standards, and incentives. Switzerland has become one of the leading countries for sustainable finance, exhibiting a growth in sustainable investments under management. Despite the vast amount of research and development on sustainable investing, there is still much confusion and negative perception in the professional banking world about the topic. This study is designed to fill the gap between the academic rhetoric behind …

Nature And Nomads: Service Approach To Mongolia Tours, Jesse E. Shircliff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tourism has potential to diversify Mongolia’s geopolitically challenged economy. Tourism development and promotion has increased since 1990, and there is reason to expect continued sector growth. Cultural tourism has potential to commodify or degrade cultural resources (Gilbert, 2006, Pigliasco, 2010, Soma & Suhkee, 2014) and alter the physical landscape and identity of local people (Chang & Yeoh, 1999, Seng, 2005, Phua & Berkowitz, 2014). As tourism in Mongolia increases, its effects on cultural resources should be understood. This study of Mongolian tourism interviews fifteen tour company employees to understand how Mongolian culture is perceived and used from a business perspective. …

Paradigmas Del Desarrollo Urbano En Cuenca: Abordando Los Procesos De Segregación, Marginación Y Desplazamiento / Paradigms Of Urban Development In Cuenca: Addressing The Processes Of Segregation, Marginalization And Displacement, Sarah Rothschild

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cuenca, tercerca ciudad más grande de Ecuador, ha experimento un crecimiento rápido en los últimos años, que ha influenciado en los paradigmas de desarrollo urbano de forma considerable. Los impactos de la urbanización han cambiado las dinámicas y condiciones de vida de la ciudad y de su gente, creando un ambiente urbano que favorece a los sectores más ricos de la población, y al mismo tiempo relegando y segregando a comunidades con menos recursos; si bien, no son tan extremos como en ciudades más grandes como Quito y Guayaquil. Por otro lado, el reciente fenómeno de migración extranjera, también ha …

Pearl Lagoon's White Lobster: The Societal, Economic, Political And Autonomous Effects, Rafely Palacios

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua is home to the greatest number of impoverished individuals in the country. However, the people of Pearl Lagoon - a municipality in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region - have found a way to escape their poor economic situations.

Due to the municipality’s close proximity to drug routes utilized by Colombian cartels and to the country itself, community members have turned to the drug trade in hopes of pursuing financial secureness. With the introduction of the “white lobster” or cocaine packets, the community as a whole has transformed its social, economic, and political spheres. In …

The Path To Mainstream Finance: Exploring Complementary Currencies And Interest-Free Lending, Ema Di Fruscia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores elements of alternative finance including complementary currencies, credit clearing systems, and Islamic Banking practices. I begin first by outlining the issues created by the mainstream western banking model, including wealth inequality, socioeconomic discrimination, environmental degradation, and the collapse of small businesses and local economies. I go on to introduce and define the concepts of complementary currencies, Local Exchange Trading Systems, and credit clearing systems; I argue that these systems challenge the popularly held perceptions that currencies and mainstream banking practices in general are immutable, given, or ideal. To support this assertion, I transition into my research findings …

Coming In Hot: Motor Vehicles, Capitalism, And Modernization In Mongolia, Thea Bergen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditionally, nomads in Mongolia have used horses for transportation. The horse was used to help herd livestock and also allowed them to get to the soum center quicker (Yembuu, 2015). This way of transportation is seen less and less now. With globalization comes an increase in different products from around the world. Herders now have the opportunity to buy cars and the ever popular motorcycle. Now, when out in the open Mongolian steppe, one can see motorcycles racing around to get herders from place to place. Some even use them to herd instead of a horse. And when a family …

El Valor De Verde Neoliberalismo, Crisis Económica Y Políticas Polarizadas: Cómo Afecta En La Vida Cotidiana De La Gente De Clase Media En Buenos Aires. / The Value Of Green Neoliberalism, Economic Crisis And Polarized Politics: How They Affect The Everyday Life Of The Citizens Of The Middle Class In Buenos Aires., Sierra Conboy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of a country can haunt them for decades. For Argentina, the history of neoliberal economics has plagued the economic development of the country; so much so that as a result of neoliberalism, Argentina experienced the worst social, political, and economic crisis of the countries entire existence between the years of 1998 and 2002. With the height of the crisis being in 2001, it continues to lurk in the economic and political infrastructure of the country today. The threat of constant economic dilemmas has manifested into the minds of the citizens of Argentina, but how far has it gone? …

Raci (Red Argentina Para La Cooperación Internacional): La Cooperación Internacional En El Contexto De Las Organizaciones De La Sociedad Civil En Argentina / Raci (Argentine Network For International Cooperation): International Cooperation In The Context Of Civil Society Organizations In Argentina, Juno Rettenmier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La cooperación internacional entre los actores estatales y no estatales —como las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, fundaciones y empresas— es un desarrollo relativamente nuevo en las relaciones internacionales, pero es una parte importante para el desarrollo social hoy en día. Este informe intenta introducir el concepto de la información como un recurso tan valioso como el dinero en el proceso de la cooperación internacional y en el logro de los objetivos de desarrollo social, especialmente para las OSC, apoyado por los aprendizajes y las observaciones que yo hice durante mis cuatro semanas como una pasante de RACI (Red Argentina …

Man And Land: Competing Ontologies, Colonial Legacies, And The Quest For Food Sovereignty, Savannah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Land is an ontological reality, which is at the center of different relationships to land. These relationships are situated in and a product of historical and spatial process that have an under lying power geometry. These different understandings of land tenure can create conflict when they intersect with competing interests in the same space. In Cameroon, this is currently the case in the form of large-scale land acquisitions, which often conflict with local communities as multinational corporations and local elites acquire land concessions with facilitation by the government in the name of development. This paper aims to understand this issue …

Las Consecuencias De La Propuesta No + Afp Una Investigación De Sus Impactos En Las Pensiones, El Mercado Laboral Y El Sistema Financiero / The Consequences Of The Proposal No + Afp An Investigation Of Its Impacts On Pensions, The Labor Market And The Financial System, Henry Kapp

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation will analyze the consequences of the proposal set forth by the leaders of the social movement “No + AFP” to structurally change the Chilean pension system. First, it will explore the historical context that led to the current system and has caused startlingly low pensions for almost 40 years. Then, it will explain the fundamental adjustments that the organization “No + AFP” suggests with regards to obligatory contributions, administration and distribution of social security. Finally, it will analyze the impact that the proposed changes will have on the Chilean economy, specifically with respect to the development of the …

Perspectives On Language From Street Produce Vendors In Cape Town: An Examination Of Education, Trading, And Development In The Informal Sector, Hannah Oldham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Language is vital for the functioning of societies, from education to economic interactions. Language of education presents challenges in Africa due to colonial linguistic legacies and the diversity of indigenous African languages. While education trains learners for work in the formal economy, the South African formal cannot absorb all the available labor. The informal economy therefore provides vital work and income to millions of South Africans and immigrants. Language use in the informal sector was studied, including the education and work traders had before working as street produce vendors.

Six interviews were conducted: two near the Cape Town taxi rank, …