International and Area Studies Commons^™

The Conflicts That Pave The Way For Peace: Lebanese Poet And Philosopher Mikhail Naimy, Suha Naimy

The Journal of Social Encounters

Mikhail Naimy is a twentieth century Lebanese author and philosopher whose writings verge towards the mystical and the metaphysical. Naimy’s philosophy is a synthesis of his own life conflicts and his built premises and drawn conclusions that trivialize materialism, following the steps of Christ. Among Naimy’s first conflicts was leaving of his hometown Baskinta and its highland Shakhroub for Nazareth to continue his education, and the estrangement he felt that was alleviated by a touch of God. Some of the other conflicts in Naimy’s life were the love affairs that yielded to the understanding that true love should be beyond …

Review Of From Somalia To Snow: How Central Minnesota Became Home To Somalis By Hudda Ibrahim, Stephanie Chambers

The Journal of Social Encounters

When I first started studying the Somali diaspora I searched for books to fill the void in my understanding of Somali culture and life. I tracked down a wonderful book that discussed basics of Somali culture, politics, and life. That book, Somalis in Minnesota by Ahmed Yusuf, provided a sense of the Somali experience and helped me understand the journey from Somalia to the state of Minnesota. Although Yusuf’s book didn’t offer the sort of interpersonal detail in Hudda Ibrahim’s book From Somalia to Snow, Yusuf’s book was extremely helpful. Together these books offer those interested in the Somali-American …

Review Of Making Refuge: Somali Bantu Refugees And Lewiston, Maine By Catherine Besteman, Ellen Block

The Journal of Social Encounters

Catherine Besteman conduced fieldwork in the late 1980’s in the small village of Banta in southern Somalia. Implausibly, she was reunited with many of her former friends and interlocutors in Lewiston, Maine two decades later, laying the ground for this impressive ethnographic study. In Making Refuge, Besteman traces the experiences of Somali Bantu refugees from Somalia, through the Kenyan refugee camps, and to their resettlement in the United States. She shows how the prevailing view of refugees as “apolitical, docile, and dependent recipients” (Pg. 29), and as passive and grateful objects of humanitarian aid is both misconstrued and morally deficient. …

Refugee Socio-Cultural Integration And Peaceful Co-Existence In Uganda, Sharon Sylvia Nambuya, Joseph Okumu, Ronald Pagnucco

The Journal of Social Encounters

The dramatic increase in the number of refugees globally has led to increased attention to conflicts between refugees and communities in the countries where they have sought refuge. Three durable solutions are used for the placement of refugees: voluntary repatriation to their home country if conditions there permit; permanent settlement and local integration in the receiving country; and resettlement in a third country. Permanent settlement and local integration is seen as good option although there still exists gaps in understanding the integration process and if it leads to peaceful co-existence between refugees and members of the host community. This study …

Gender Identity And Justice In Nigeria: An Appraisal Of Women In Lagos State, Oluwaseun Olanrewaju

The Journal of Social Encounters

This paper examines gender identity and justice in the light of gender discrimination against women in Nigeria. Through the use of primary research, with the specific focus on women resident in Lagos state, the findings of this research show that in Nigeria, women are often considered as subservient to men. This paper therefore asserts that there is an urgent need to address gender inequality in order to create a gender balanced society. Furthermore, the paper concludes that gender equality will translate to justice for women and empower them to contribute positively to the overall development of Nigeria.

The Role Of The Traditional Somali Model In Peacemaking, Hudda Ibrahim

The Journal of Social Encounters

In this paper I explore the mediation and reconciliation efforts of traditional Somali elders. I also discuss why traditional elders have been effective peacemakers in Northern Somali (Somaliland) but not in Somalia. I argue that four factors comprising an "insider-partial mediation" approach in Somaliand helps to explain why it was effective there. In conclusion, this paper shows that the traditional Somali approach of peacemaking is a viable and effective approach to mitigating conflicts in Somalia.

The Leadership Style Of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This working paper presents a personality-based analysis of the likely leadership style of Chairman Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, in negotiations with U.S. president Donald Trump, inferred from the results of indirect personality assessments conducted 2013–2018 from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Kim’s primary personality patterns were found to be Outgoing/gregarious and Dominant/controlling, supplemented by secondary Accommodating/cooperative, Ambitious/confident, and Dauntless/adventurous features.

Outgoing individuals are dramatic attention‑getters who thrive on being the center of social events, go out of their way to be popular with others, and are confident in their social skills; …

The Personality Profile Of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, Aubrey Immelman

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of Kim Jong-un, supreme leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, conducted 2013–2018 from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data about Kim was collected from open-source media reports and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with DSM–III–R, DSM–IV, and DSM–5.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed in accordance with interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles …

The Representation Of Women In Brazilian Politics, Pedro A. G. Dos Santos, Kristin N. Wylie

Political Science Faculty Publications

Book Description
With contributions from leading international scholars, this Handbook offers the most rigorous and up-to-date analyses of virtually every aspect of Brazilian politics, including inequality, environmental politics, foreign policy, economic policy making, social policy, and human rights. The Handbook is divided into three major sections: Part 1 focuses on mass behavior, while Part 2 moves to representation, and Part 3 treats political economy and policy. The Handbook proffers five chapters on mass politics, focusing on corruption, participation, gender, race, and religion; three chapters on civil society, assessing social movements, grass-roots participation, and lobbying; seven chapters focusing on money and …

Interpretations Of Jesus And The Virgin Mary In The Quran And The Bible: A Possible Contribution To Muslim-Christian Cooperation?, Jon Armajani

The Journal of Social Encounters

This essay explores Muslim and Christian understandings of Jesus and his mother Mary, which may provide a basis for possible cooperation between the two religious communities. The similarities and differences in views are discussed, with an understanding that there are differences in views not only between but also within the two religious communities. The essay concludes with a discussion of seven types of interreligious dialogue as articulated by Sallie B. King, and how they apply to Muslim-Christian dialogue related to Jesus and Mary.

We Create The Path By Walking: The Involvement Of Small Christian Communities (Sccs) In Peacebuilding In Eastern Africa, Father Joseph Healey

The Journal of Social Encounters

Small Christian Communities (SCCs), a key pastoral priority of the Catholic Bishops in the Association of Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), officially started in major ecclesial meetings in 1973 and 1976. The SCCs in the AMECEA region have been evolving in response to the developments in the region – they “create the path by walking” and are becoming more involved in peacebuilding activities. A recent study on the SCCs finds that there are over 180,000 SCCs in the nine countries of the AMECEA region. An estimated 45,000 SCCs are spread throughout Kenya’s 26 Catholic dioceses. This essay discusses the …

The Effects Of Historical Trauma And Gender On National Identity Within The Hmong Diaspora, Kalia Vang

All College Thesis Program, 2016-2019

Since 1975 the Hmong have settled in the West as a diasporic group. Their involvement in the Vietnam and Secret Wars with the United States in Southeast Asia had forced the group to flee their homes in the mountain tops of Laos. This political migration has since forced Hmong leaders to reframe Hmong national identity in the diaspora, specifically in the United States. With this, certain aspects and perspective from Hmong women on the Secret War were marginalized. Thus, this research asks the following question: why is national identity interpreted differently within the Hmong diaspora? This research project is broken …

Indigenism, Miscegenation, And Acculturation In Ecuador, Christina M. Hennessy

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

The Political Personality Of Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin, Aubrey Immelman, Joseph V. Trenzeluk

Psychology Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of an indirect assessment of the personality of Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, from the conceptual perspective of personologist Theodore Millon.

Psychodiagnostically relevant data regarding President Putin were extracted from open-source intelligence and synthesized into a personality profile using the Millon Inventory of Diagnostic Criteria (MIDC), which yields 34 normal and maladaptive personality classifications congruent with Axis II of DSM-IV.

The personality profile yielded by the MIDC was analyzed on the basis of interpretive guidelines provided in the MIDC and Millon Index of Personality Styles manuals. Putin’s primary personality patterns were found …

The Aids House: Orphan Care And The Changing Household In Lesotho, Ellen Block

Sociology Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS has brought the connections between care and relatedness into sharp relief. In the midst of social change driven largely by the AIDS epidemic, the house has emerged as the most stable element connecting kin in Lesotho. Houses provide spaces that frame human actions, transform relationships, and reflect the social order. The house is a key crossroads for human movement. It is also the site where physical connections, emotional bonds, and feelings of love and affection are nurtured. Most significantly, it is the site where physical acts of caring take place. Based on extensive ethnographic research, I demonstrate that the …

Paternity Matters: Premarital Childbearing And Belonging In Nyanga East And Mokhotlong, Nolwazi Mkhwanazi, Ellen Block

Sociology Faculty Publications

In this article we discuss the role that fathers and paternal families play in acknowledging and caring for children born outside of a recognised union in two southern African communities – Nyanga East, South Africa and Mokhotlong, Lesotho. While these communities are geographically and culturally close, there are important differences in the responses to the care of children born outside of a recognised union. In Nyanga East, despite not paying damages, the genitor and the paternal family are increasingly becoming involved in the care of children, even when they are no longer in a relationship with the mother; whereas in …

More Educated And More Equal? A Comparative Analysis Of Female Education And Employment In Japan, China And India, Sucharita Sinha Mukherjee

Economics Faculty Publications

This paper attempts to explore the connections between expanding female education and the participation of women in paid employment in Japan, China and India, three of Asia's largest economies. Analysis based on existing data and literature shows that despite the large expansion in educational access in these countries in the last half century, women have lacked egalitarian labour market opportunities. A combination of social discouragement and individual choice largely explains the withdrawal, non-participation or intermittent female presence in the labour force, notwithstanding increased educational access. In taking stock of these issues and debates across these countries, it is argued that …

La República Dominicana: Las Terrenas, Stefanie M. Havemeier

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

Off the sandy beaches of Las Terrenas, The Dominican Republic, lies La Fundación Mahatma Gandhi and an energetic, ambitious, kind-hearted, and humble man, José Bourget, founder of the foundation. With the help of Bourget, six interns from the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University lead summer camps at the foundation and in a nearby neighborhood. Children picked up trash, learned about dental hygiene, participated in new games, banged on musical instruments, and shouted out their favorite foods while learning about nutrition. The children in Las Terrenas and neighboring communities enjoyed summer camp activities but what the interns of …

Flexible Kinship: Caring For Aids Orphans In Rural Lesotho, Ellen Block

Sociology Faculty Publications

HIV/AIDS has devastated families in rural Lesotho, leaving many children orphaned. Families have adapted to the increase in the number of orphans and HIV-positive children in ways that provide children with the best possible care. Though local ideas about kinship and care are firmly rooted in patrilineal social organization, in practice, maternal caregivers, often grandmothers, are increasingly caring for orphaned children. Negotiations between affinal kin capitalize on flexible kinship practices in order to legitimate new patterns of care, which have shifted towards a model that often favours matrilocal practices of care in the context of idealized patrilineality.

Waiting For A Funeral In Srebrenica: The Tenth Anniversary Of The Fall Of Srebrenica, Nicholas Hayes

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

To Asia With Love: Toward Experiential Asian Studies At Csb/Sju, P. Richard Bohr

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

German Identity Changing With The European Union: More European, Less German, More Local, Anna Lisa Ohm

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

Fidel Castro And The Cuban Revolution, Gary Prevost

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

Truth, Justice, And The Critique Of Globalization In A Mexican Superhero Parody, Bruce Campbell

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

1970’S Japanese Women’S Liberation Movement: Its Issues And Successes, Maria L. Traxler

Asian Studies Student Work

The post-war period saw many economic, political, and social changes in Japan—one of which was the expansion of women’s roles in society and presence outside the home. During the 1970s in particular, the Japanese feminist movement critiqued traditional ideals of women’s sexuality, motherhood, and femininity, similar to the women’s liberation movement occurring in the Western world at the time. This Japanese-language presentation looks at various factors in Japan that allowed for the emergence and growth of the Japanese women’s liberation movement, as well as some of the issues it faced and successes it achieved.

A Week In Guatemala: Assorted Mental Souvenirs, Ernest Diedrich, Eleonora Bertranou, Bruce Campbell, Nelsy Echavez-Solano, Alexis Howe, Michael Livingston, Elena Sanchez-Mora, Corey Shouse, Cheri Supalla, Joy Hemmesch

Headwaters

No abstract provided.

“He Loves Drinking Old Wine From The Jug”: Some Remarks On Alcoholic Beverages In Syriac Literature Based On Secular And Religious Texts, Adam C. Mccollum

HMML Lectures

The history of alcoholic beverages in various cultures, including our own, has often been written. These investigations have looked at viticulture, brewing, distillation, and the economic and religious uses and effects of alcoholic beverages. Syriac literature, being somewhat of an arcane area of interest, has rarely—if ever!—entered into any of the discussions. It is, nevertheless, a corpus with a breadth wide both in size and subject matter, and there is no dearth of references to alcoholic beverages, their preparation, and use. This paper, based on both secular and religious texts in Syriac, most of them composed in a Muslim-majority culture, …

Rural China, Paul Marsnik

Forum Lectures

In the past 20 years, about 200 million Chinese have moved from the countryside into large cities. Most of them have done so in order to work in factories. After spendeng 5+ years visiting factories in big cities in China, I began to wonder what kind of life these factory workers were leaving behind. So I went out to the country, in rural China, and spent some time with the people who still live there. I created a 30 minute video/slide show highlighting my adventures. We can watch the video and then discuss issues relating to China.

An Overview Of The Human Rights Movement In Kenya, Ron Pagnucco, Chris Hausmann, Maizua Moua, Jocelyn Norman, Kristina Seslija, Lindsey Wilson

Peace Studies Faculty Publications

In this essay we summarize early findings of our work in progress on mapping the human rights movement in Kenya. We begin with a brief history of the human rights movement in Kenya, and then present our preliminary findings on the number and main objectives of human rights non-governmental organizations (HRNGOs) in Kenya today. Our essay is a report of findings in the early stage of our research on the movement in Kenya. The survey of the transnational human rights movement by Jackie Smith, Ron Pagnucco and George Lopez (1998), in which they constructed a census of the movement and …

Reflections On The Cuban Revolution, Gary Prevost

Political Science Faculty Publications

When I visited Cuba in the first few days of 1992, it was not clear that the revolution would survive. Food was in relatively short supply and electricity blackouts were common. Even long-time supporters of the revolution were pessimistic about the future. Everything that had been accomplished in its first 32 years seemed in jeopardy when the Soviet Union went out of existence at the end of 1991 and canceled most of its trade deals with Cuba. The country’s gross domestic product was in the process of shrinking by 50 percent. How did the Cuban Revolution survive that shock, and …