International and Area Studies Commons^™

Merging Subsistence Perspective And Buen Vivir: An Alternative To Damming The Mekong, Aaron B. Eisenberg

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This paper will examine the planned development on the Mekong by looking at the historical, political, and economic reasons why largescale hydroelectric dams are now being pushed upon the river. It will then critique the international state sovereignty system focusing directly on the Mekong River Commission and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) for their inabilities to mitigate environmental impact while pursuing development. I analyze how the “global city” discourse cannot rationally be applied to Southeast Asia and how the urban-rural divide in Southeast Asia creates only greater problems as dam production on the Mekong accelerates. I propose an alternative …

Politics And The Price Of Rice In Thailand: Public Choice, Institutional Change And Rural Subsidies, Jacob Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite the Thai state’s long record of rice market interventions, historically politicians failed to leverage rice subsidies in their pursuit of political support, notwithstanding the large number of farmers in the country. Since Thaksin Shinawatra’s election in 2001, though, each government has subsidised rice producers, although at varying degrees. What explains this change? This article traces the four-decade history of rice price support programmes. It is proposed that these policies be interpreted through the dual lens of institutionalism and public choice theory, demonstrating how political institutions have shaped incentives for politicians to cater to different constituencies. During the pre-1980 period, …

How To Be The Perfect Asian Wife!, Sophia Hill

Art and Art History Honors Projects

“How to be the Perfect Asian Wife” critiques exploitative power systems that assault female bodies of color in intersectional ways. This work explores strategies of healing and resistance through inserting one’s own narrative of flourishing rather than surviving, while reflecting violent realities. Three large drawings mimic pervasive advertisement language and presentation reflecting the oppressive strategies used to contain women of color. Created with charcoal, watercolor, and ink, these 'advertisements' contrast with an interactive rice bag filled with comics of my everyday experiences. These documentations compel viewers to reflect on their own participation in systems of power.

In The Shadow Of Japanese Identity, Rosendo Lopez-Duran

East Asian Studies Honors Papers

Japan is, as former Prime Minister Asō Tarō once put it, commonly described as being “one race, one civilization, one language and one culture.” This statement reflects a popular conception of Japan as a homogenous nation. However, the purpose of this paper, building on earlier research, is to assess what exactly Japanese identity is, how it is constructed / maintained, and who is and is not considered “Japanese.” The impetus of this inquiry comes from my research of the hisabetsu burakumin, a Japanese social outcaste group, who have undergone significant changes throughout their long history as a socially-constructed “minority.” …

Empresa Social E Innovación Sustentable: Soluciones Para El Desarrollo, Marco Tavanti

Public and Nonprofit Administration

Keynote presentation to define the lessons and fields and Latin American context of social enterprise. The slides introduce and clarify the notion of social enterprise from global lessons in poverty reduction and sustainable development and in relation to social economy.

Allopathic Medicine’S Influence On Indigenous Peoples In The Kumaon Region Of India, Eliana M. Blum

Butler Journal of Undergraduate Research

This paper focuses on the use of western medicine in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, India. The goal of this research is to understand which healing practices are preferable in rural villages. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 53 participants, including two spiritual healers, two doctors, and one pharmacist. Results indicate that allopathic medicine, otherwise known as modern medicine or western medicine, has become the go-to remedy for even the most remote people in India. Nearly all participants use allopathic medicine, but less than half of the participants experiment with other forms of healing, such as Ayurveda, homeopathy, meditation, and yoga. …

The Predictors Of Juvenile Recidivism: Testimonies Of Adult Students 18 Years And Older Exiting From Alternative Education, La Toshia Palmer

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this descriptive, qualitative study was to identify and describe the importance of the predictors of juvenile recidivism and the effectiveness of efforts to prevent/avoid juvenile recidivism as perceived by previously detained, arrested, convicted, and/or incarcerated adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education in Northern California. A second purpose was to explore the types of support provided by alternative schools and the perceived importance of the support to avoid recidivism according to adult students 18 years of age and older exiting from alternative education.

Methodology: This qualitative, descriptive research design identified …

Idrf Book Exchange: Mosquito Trails, Alex Nading, Chris Gratien, Aman Luthra, Alejandro Cerón

Anthropology: Faculty Scholarship

IDRF fellows discuss Alex Nading’s book Mosquito Trails: Ecology, Health, and the Politics of Entanglement, based on his International Dissertation Research Fellowship research on waste management and disease ecologies in urban Nicaragua.

(Dis)Locations: Dutch Disabled Lgbtq+ Subjects And Queer Social Space, Sarah Cavar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to determine the architectural and social accessibility of “queer spaces” in the Netherlands. Via a series of personal interviews with LGBTQ+ disabled Dutch individuals, lived experiences inside and outside queer spaces were discussed in the con-text of their respective disabilities and other identities. Some sub-questions that were addressed include: the definitions of “access" and of “queer space,” how architectural and social access bar-riers compare with and influence one another, and the present and future possibilities for queer spaces of increased accessibility. In concluding the research, the author distinguishes “queer spaces” from LGBTQ+ spaces, reflecting …

Dolpopa, Yvette Segan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The village of Dho is located in the Tarap Valley in the Himalayas of western Nepal. In the limited literature about the region, it is generally regarded as one of the most remote villages in the world with a culture that has been largely preserved due to the lack of accessibility. The villagers today maintain a trade that has been occurring for hundreds, if not thousands, of years with Tibet to ascertain the goods that they need. Lower Nepal is less available for trade due to the lack of a drivable road between Kathmandu and Dho Tarap. This has resulted …

Articulación Y Apoyo Del Programa De Los Agentes Sanitarios De Mendoza: De La Teoría A La Práctica / Coordination And Support In Mendoza’S Community Health Worker Program: From Theory To Practice, Kelly Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Desde que fue publicada la resolución de la Alma-Ata, varios sistemas de salud al nivel mundial han implementado programas de agentes sanitarios para ayudar en el cumplimiento de la estrategia de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) y el aseguramiento de la salud como derecho humano. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, varios investigadores identificaron obstáculos comunes que enfrentan los agentes sanitarios en el alcance de sus tareas como resultado de la falta de apoyo que reciben por el sistema de salud. En forma sucesiva, dicha falta de apoyo ocasionó daño potencial para su capacidad de contribuir …

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 …

Informally Shaping A Child's Mind Around Genocide Within Rwandan Families, Cameron Voss

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While policy and education are subject to change from research oriented projects, my research rather drives to understand and record how caregivers portrayed their own, others, and their country’s past to the next generation. The informal aspects of family structures, while highly influential, are difficult to navigate and track, and this research endeavors to unveil some of the hidden trends that are throughout Rwandan families with children born after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The generation that has matured in the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis in Rwanda have faced many challenges that few outside of …

The Draw Of Revolution: Returning To Tunisia, Stephen Garrett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Having left Tunisia for different reasons, some expatriate Tunisians chose to leave their old lives behind and return to their home country when Tunisia began its democratic transition in 2011. This report focuses on the experiences and perspectives of three returning Tunisians. Understanding these individuals’ views provides a new framework for understanding the path that Tunisia’s democratic transition has taken over the past seven years. Comparing their perspectives on themes relating to their shared experiences reveals differences and similarities. Interviewees largely differ with regards to their lives before the revolution, their previous political activity, the details of their return, their …

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 …

Medicina Tradicional Y La Transmisión De Conocimiento Ancestral En La Comunidad Afroboliviana De Tocaña / Traditional Medicine And The Transmission Of Ancestral Knowledge In The Afro-Bolivian Community Of Tocaña, Marvin Bynoe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La población afroboliviana se ha vuelto recientemente visible y políticamente influyente en la sociedad boliviana. El gobierno de Evo Morales ha reconocido al pueblo afroboliviano como un pueblo originario, implementando una ley contra la discriminación y designando la saya como propiedad cultural afroboliviana. Además, los afrodescendientes están saliendo de Los Yungas y migrando a las ciudades en busca de oportunidades; sin embargo, el área todavía tiene un significado ancestral. El documental intentará captar y preservar el conocimiento que tienen de las plantas y explorar cómo han cambiado las relaciones de transmisión de conocimiento. Con el movimiento y la evolución de …

Se Necesita Un Pueblo Para Criar A Un Niño: El Desplazamiento De Los Hijos De Cochabamba, Bolivia / A Village Is Needed To Raise A Child: The Displacement Of The Children Of Cochabamba, Bolivia, Julia Mancini

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La situación de los niños en Bolivia ha cambiado mucho en las últimas décadas. Si bien sigue siendo uno de los países más pobres de América del Sur, la tasa de mortalidad de menores de cinco años ha disminuido significativamente. Se han establecido leyes que protegen los derechos de todos los niños, niñas y adolescentes y que combaten la violencia contra la mujer. Sin embargo, las tasas de alta violencia y el desplazamiento de los niños continúan. Este ensayo y el libro infantil que lo acompañarán investigan las dificultades que enfrentan los niños en Bolivia en sus hogares y sus …

Sitios De Memoria: Una Comparación Analítica Entre Los Espacios De Memoria Y Derechos Humanos En Buenos Aires Y En Santiago / Sites Of Memory: An Analytical Comparison Between Memory And Human Rights Spaces In Buenos Aires And Santiago, Henry Shuldiner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Los museos y monumentos conmemorativos son vehículos centrales a través de los cuales la sociedad puede conmemorar y compartir los hechos del pasado en la actualidad. Tienen la capacidad de contar la historia a través de objetos, medios, artefactos; objetos tangibles, no palabras solamente.

Ésta es una investigación comparativa en que parto observando los lugares de memoria en Santiago y Buenos Aires que rememoran a las víctimas de la dictadura en cada país. Me centraré en cómo funcionan los espacios de memoria para enseñar esta historia, la forma en lo que cada espacio conmemora a las víctimas y cómo estos …

La Lengua De Señas: Potencial Y Poder En La Transición De Un Enfoque Médico A La Perspectiva Socio-Antropológica De Niños Sordos / Sign Language: Potency And Power In The Transition From A Medical Approach To The Socio-Anthropological Perspective Of Deaf Children, Noah Lanckton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La Escuela Especial Santiago Apóstol ha hecho una transición de una escuela oralista a una escuela bilingüe. Eso es decir, que han cambiado su perspectiva que los Niños Sordos deben hablar, que hay un déficit en niños Sordos, al punto de vista de que tienen su propia cultura y una propia lengua, la Lengua de Señas. Este ensayo explora la perspectiva médica, en lo cual están basadas las escuelas oralistas, y la mirada socio-antropológico, de que nació la escuela bilingüe. El autor entrevistó a la directora y a un grupo de madres que tienen hijos en la escuela. También, él …

“Estamos Aquí Con Nuestra Propia Fuerza” Las Mujeres De Amupakin Y Su Lucha Para Preservar El Parto Ancestral En Napo, Ecuador. / "We Are Here With Our Own Strength" The Women Of Amupakin And Their Struggle To Preserve The Ancestral Birth In Napo, Ecuador., Lilian Domenick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto documenta mi trabajo con AMUPAKIN (Asociación de Mujeres Parteras Kichwas de Alto Napo)—una organización de mujeres Kichwa que practican la medicina ancestral—y su lucha para preservar los conocimientos y las prácticas de la cultura Kichwa en la provincia de Alto Napo, Ecuador. A través de las conversaciones informales y la participación en las actividades diarias de las parteras de AMUPAKIN, aprendí de la historia y el trabajo actual de la organización y las experiencias de las 10 parteras que forman la asociación. El proyecto documenta como la práctica de la partería ancestral se manifiesta en AMUPAKIN—y examina como …

El Negocio Del Desarrollo Internacional: Las Dinámicas Asimétricas De Poder Entre Voluntariados Internacionales Y Comunidades Locales / The Business Of International Development: The Asymmetric Power Dynamics Between International Volunteers And Local Communities, Ivana Giang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El estudio de caso de la organización no gubernamental (ONG), Semillas de Aprendizaje ( Seeds of Learning , SoL) demuestra el fenómeno de volunturismo, en que voluntarios principalmente estadounidenses cada uno paga una cuota estándar de $1.550 a SoL para hacer un viaje alrededor de una semana a Nicaragua. Allí, participan haciendo proyectos de construcción, como aulas y bibliotecas, a desarrollar oportunidades educativas para los estudiantes de comunidades rurales. SoL también crea un itinerario para los voluntarios hacer actividades turísticas, los costos incluidos en la cuota. Después de tres semanas de entrevistas y observación participante en los sitios de SoL …

Surveying Access To Healthcare In Kisumu And Siaya Counties, Kenya, Quinn Alsheimer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study aims to understand the barriers that many Kenyans face towards accessing healthcare. This study was conducted in Kisumu and Siaya Counties, Kenya. Kisumu is an urban environment, whereas Siaya is a rural environment. Throughout both counties, areas with presumably low access to healthcare were surveyed. In Kisumu County, surveys were conducted in three informal settlements: Nyalenda, Obunga, and Manyatta. In Siaya County, surveys were conducted in Simenya Village.

This study has shown that financial accessibility is a large barrier to healthcare throughout the study population, as the majority of study participants felt that healthcare in Kenya is not …

La Comercialización Del Mural Porteño / The Marketing Of The Porteur Mural, Alexandria Ashley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Valparaíso is home to a visually stimulating urban landscape which has become one of the identifying factors of the famous port city. The flamboyant cityscape and stunning murals that splash color across the once-empty walls of Valpo attract tourists from all over the world to come and admire the rich hub of bohemian culture. However, it hasn’t always been the vibrant city that it is nowadays. What many porteños, or lifelong citizens of Valparaíso, cite as the city’s authentic identifying characteristic is its history as a major port city. However, after the construction of the Panama Canal, Valpo experienced …

El Impacto De Los Centros De Investigación En La Comunidad / The Impact Of Research Centers In The Community, Ciera Cockrell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper serves to investigate how centers of investigation function to alleviate issues of inequality in a community. In this particular case, opportunities, or lack there of, of quality and accessible education will be analyzed as the issue of inequality. In Chile and in the broader context of the world, many students are excluded from quality education simply because of their socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. These issues of exclusion and discrimination in education are imbedded into a system that has become more about serving the wealthy instead of treating education as the right that it is. …

Education: Developing Self Reliance For Female Syrian Refugees In Host Communities, Mathilde Geannopulos

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Syrian refugee crisis has displaced millions of Syrians, leaving them without homes, resources, or any means of re-establishing self reliance. Given the immediate need for survival, education has become a luxury for many families. Issues of accessibility, quality, and societal resentment from Jordanians avert Syrians from seeking an education. This inhibits female children from productively developing their intellectuality and culminates in being susceptible to detrimental practices, like child marriage.

This study looks at the reason for low enrollment rates of Syrian female refugee children into the Jordanian education system. The research specifically interviews daughters and their guardians about their …

The Revolution Conundrum In Cameroon: A Study Of Relative Peace Under President Biya's Rule, Marianna Babboni

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper attempts to answer the question: What are the factors that have contributed to relative peace in Cameroon under the rule of President Paul Biya up until the civil uprisings in the Anglophone regions in 2016? Cameroon has witnessed consistent civil unrest in the forms of protests and strikes and yet the political structure remains strong against all opposition. Within the limitations of the research, the study finds three main explanations: state terror tactics and divide and rule strategies have quelled opposition, the survival culture of the population has resulted in creative economic alternatives that subsidize civil disorder, and …

Cherchant Toujours La Paix: Le Systeme Endogene De La Resolution Des Conflits À Batoufam, Becky Sigman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This dissertation will explore two subjects: an internship done with the chiefdom of Batoufam and a research project about the endogenous system of conflict resolution in Batoufam. The first part will illustrate the internship done at the museum of the chiefdom. Here will be described the institution, the work accomplished, and an analysis of the experience. In the second part will be asked the research question “what is the endogenous system of conflict resolution of Batoufam and how has it adapted in the context of the imposition of westernization?” After doing a literature review and explaining the methodology of the …

Art In Tunisian Lgbtqi++ Ngos, Emma Cooney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how non-governmental organizations use the arts to support their missions in a context of Tunisian LGBTQI++ activism. Homosexuality in Tunisia is punishable by three years in prison, and the LGBTQI++ community is under threat of both legal action and homophobic violence. Yet, since the 2011 Revolution, queer activists have founded several associations to advocate for their community, and the associations have formed a strong connection to the arts.

In this study, I spoke with art organizers from three Tunisian LGBTQI++ associations to document their plentiful art activity. Film and art festivals are prevalent among a wide variety …

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. …

The Impact And Effectiveness Of Life Orientation On Six Students At The University Of Cape Town, Sydney Nathan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Life Orientation program was implemented in South African high schools by The Department of Basic Education post-apartheid, to teach students about topics such as sexual and physical education, future career options, citizenship, and depending on the school, religion — a range of topics designed to prepare them to live healthy and productive adult lives. However, in practice the program is not always successful due to a lack of resources, teachers who are not trained to teach Life Orientation, and unmotivated students.

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact and effectiveness the Life Orientation program had on …