International and Area Studies Commons^™

The Plight Of The Roma In Italy: Human Rights Injustices Of A Feared Minority, Alexandra Errante

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Human rights is unique in that it has a universal affect on everyone world-wide no matter his or her nationality, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs or economic standing. In order to narrow this down, the intention of this thesis is to explore a specific topic in regards to the overlying issue of human rights. This thesis provides evidence of the mistreatment and blatant racism that is inflicted upon the Roma living in Italy and this paper makes the claim that this is the fault of the Italian government. The methodology used for the community engagement portion of the thesis …

The Globalization Of Technology To Developing Countries, James Wiley

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This paper examines current trends in the globalization of technology to developing countries, and the current disparities that exist. This thesis will indicate why many developing nations have limited access to new technology, and what steps must be taken for them to better their economic status. In addition, the actions and effects of both Wired International, a non-profit organization, and the Gaviotas community in Colombia will be analyzed. These two organizations represent groups helping to achieve major positive change in severely underdeveloped nations, and accordingly their impact and methods have the potential to spread endlessly worldwide.

Abrahamic Faith-Based Ngos: A New Approach To Peacemaking And Development, Nicole Chininis

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This thesis examines the new phenomenon of faith-based nongovernmental organizations and their work in peacemaking and development. In our current globalized world, religion has become a heated topic, often times being the cause of international conflict. However, this argument proves that religion, specifically those of the Abrahamic faiths, and which has been used as a means in peacemaking for many years, is now coming to the forefront of providing a strong foundation for NGOs to thrive. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have some of the most popular, successful, and expansive NGOs currently involved with humanitarian aid and peacemaking. This paper goes …

The World Water Crisis: Problems, Crisis Regions, Action & Solutions Based On Regional Opportunity, Moira Kelley

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Moira Alice Kelley, “The World Water Crisis: Problems, Crisis Regions, Action and Solutions Based on Regional Opportunity,” 2009.

This thesis explains a number of factors that are associated with the world water crisis through a multi-layered study. By examining a varied of severity levels in specific regions, the action being taken by local, national, and multi-national organizations, and solutions which present themselves to regions, I discovered the importance of everyday conservation. The research for this thesis came in two forms: (1) a review of the literature on the current crisis and (2) an action-based method which taught local high school …

How To Eliminate Corruption In Africa?, Sofia Graça

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Corruption is generally defined as the misuse of power for personal gain. The initial aim of this paper was to find a way to eliminate corruption. Even though corruption is a global problem, the research of this project is focused on African nations, particularly on the country of Angola.
The review of the literature consists of an analysis of the main causes and effects of corruption and of how they have a correlation to poverty and underdevelopment. I found that the specific case of Angola fits perfectly into all of the causes and effects of corruption that are mentioned in …

Of Books, Bloggers, And The Buddha

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

With the anniversaries of the 1959 (and 2008) Tibetan Uprisings just past, Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism has been much in the news in the past few months. But Buddhism more generally has been popping up in world news. A few readings on the topic…

1) “Six episodes” are distilled from Donald Lopez’s new book Buddhism and Science: A Guide for the Perplexed at University of Chicago Press’s website. Here’s one:

Although hailed in Victorian Europe for its rejection of the Indian caste system and its championing of the spiritual potential of all social classes, Buddhism also played a role in …

Cultural Culinary Wisdom: Combating The Nutrition Transition, Alanna O'Neil

Global Studies Student Scholarship

The nutrition transition is a rapidly developing global problem. The disparity between the rates of global obesity and malnutrition is diminishing. Westernization and industrialization are serious factors contributing to the global food and dietary epidemic. As a result, food cultures are threatened by dietary changes inflicted by Westernization. Moreover, rates of diet related non-communicable diseases are on the rise as never seen before. This study examines the problem of the nutrition transition through the context of the prevalence of food cultures, case studies, culinary recipes, dietary habits, and cultural transitions. Supporting this research is a dietary survey of study abroad …

Growing Gardens And Nurturing Community In The Urban Environment, Katie Shaw

Global Studies Student Scholarship

The following literature will analyze how urban agriculture (UA), and more specifically community gardens, address the rising global pressures on urban areas by rebuilding local networks. First, it will present community gardening as a solution to the global food crisis. Second, five case studies will compare cities’ community garden projects throughout the world: Accra, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Havana, and Philadelphia. The next section will study the demographics of community gardeners, especially its impacts on marginalized members of society: children, women, elderly, immigrants and ethnic minorities, and physical and mentally challenged. And finally, the issues of city planning and green design …

Interview With Bo Caldwell—Author Of "The Distant Land Of My Father," A Shanghai Novel, Jeff Wasserstrom

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Preface to the Interview (by Jeff Wasserstrom): When I was working on Global Shanghai, 1850-2010, I thought I was keeping up with the fiction as well as non-fiction that was being published about the city—at least things coming out in English and Chinese. Somehow, though, Bo Caldwell’s excellent 2001 Shanghai novel, The Distant Land of My Father, passed me by initially. I didn’t learn of it until the Pasadena Public Library invited me to give a public lecture on Shanghai’s past to provide background for an upcoming author’s visit. This would be part of their “One City, One Story” program, …

China In 2008 Price Drop

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Last Wednesday, Amazon dropped the price of China in 2008 to its lowest yet–just over $20 (the price has been fluctuating over the past couple weeks). And the site has also bundled China in 2008 with Peter Hessler’s Oracle Bones for about $30, so if any River Town fans never got around to ordering the second book by one of our contributors, now would be a great time to do so.

Amazon’s book bundling can be a little hit or miss, so we were wondering who Amazon would pair China in 2008 with, and were hoping it wasn’t a book …

The Effects Of Climate Change On Food Security, Nicolas Trilla

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Global hunger has become one of the most pressing issues our planet faces. The need to research the causes of this food shortage are more urgent than ever, and if we fail to act, the situation will only grow direr. Climate change and food shortage are both highly intricate, but their common ground is the area that is of greatest importance. Climate change has proven too much for global food production systems to bear, and as a result, climate-stressed regions are now experiencing food insecurity as well. Climate change has shaken the three pillars of food security—availability, access, and utilization—and …

Francophone African Immigration To The United States: Causes And Implications For American Social Work Practice, Whitney Henderson

Global Studies Student Scholarship

Francophone West Africans are a special population within whole African immigration to the US. Due to the political instability in the West African region, it is understandable why West Africans would seek immigration to more stable environment. What is not understood is why Francophone immigrants are immigrating to an English-speaking country such as the United States instead of France, where there is an official language commonality in addition to cultural similarities. In terms of social work practice, this is of great importance, as social workers will be aiding this group in resettling in the United States. This paper explores why …

This American Suburb: Fossil Fuels, Personal Misconceptions, And Loss Of Community, Stephan Mirando

Global Studies Student Scholarship

How did we come to live this way? The modern suburb has become synonymous with the American dream and yet its inception is still rather new. This work examines the creation of this way of life thanks to the ready availability of cheap fuels and questionable modes of thinking. In light of the energy crisis these vast expanses of homes may not be able to sustain themselves after the peak consumption of oil. In light of this possibility, the author questions what these people will be missing since the sense of community has all but been lost in these areas …

The Ngo Sector In Community Development: Emerging Roles, Strategies And Identities, Victoria Neff

Global Studies Student Scholarship

This community engaged thesis will articulate some of the identities, patterns, and dominant practices of NGOs related to community development in the hope of uncovering emerging trends. The literature review of this thesis will have a slight focus on NGO’s working in direct conjunction with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, it will manifest the promise of social capital as necessary to an organization’s success. Civic participation remains critical in enabling an NGO to be politically active, to continue building networks, and instilling positive social attitudes. After expounding on these issues, this thesis will then propose a solution- …

Commemoration In 2009

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Readers may be interested to know that the new issue of China Heritage Quarterlyis out, and it examines the issue of commemoration (a relevant issue at the moment as, having just passed one sensitive set of dates, we are now into the spring–months strewn with anniversaries). As Editor Geremie Barmé writes in theMarch issue’s editorial:

The year 2009 also marks other significant anniversaries. Some of these will be commemorated with due pomp and circumstance in the official media and dissected at length by learned gatherings. Others—those events best thought of as ‘dark anniversaries’—will pass by in an atmosphere of heightened …

A Reader On Tibet

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

Tibet has been much in the news the past few weeks, as China attempted to divert attention from the anniversary of last year’s riots and protests and reports leaked out of arrests and crackdowns in Tibet. Here are a few of the pieces from this week that we recommend.

In the current issue of The New York Review of Books, Pico Iyer writes about the Dalai Lama’s sinking faith in the Chinese leadership’s desire to resolve the situation in Tibet. Iyer points to the current situation in Tibet as the reason why—the title of his piece is “A Hell on …

China’S Way Forward?, Mark Selden

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

2008—Annus Horribilis for the world economy—produced successive food, energy and financial crises, initially devastating particularly the global poor, but quickly extending to the commanding heights of the US and core economies and ushering in the sharpest downturn since the 1930s depression.

As all nations strive to respond to the financial gridlock that began in the United States and quickly sent world industrial production and trade plummeting, there has been much discussion of the ability of the high-flying Chinese economy to weather the storm, of the prospects for the intertwined US and Chinese economies, even of the potential for China to …

The Dalai Lama And The Nobel Prize: Correcting A Misunderstanding, A. Tom Grunfeld

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

As many readers of this blog doubtless realize, everything having to do with Tibet is subject to mythologizing. That the Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on behalf of Tibetan independence is one of these myths. This notion gets mentioned in the Western press routinely, and it sometimes even shows up in comments by academic specialists. In fact, the prize was awarded to him more because of the events in Tiananmen Square that had happened just a few months before the award than for anything related to the Tibet struggle per se.

Indeed, it appears …

'Conflict Analysis:' Exploring The Role Of Kuwait In Mediation In The Middle East, Abdullah R. Al Saleh

Dissertations and Theses

The Middle East is a large geographical area, and while people think of it as a homogeneous area in terms of language and culture, the region IS actually more of a melting pot of ethnic, religious, racial and linguistic groups. Understanding the distinctions between these groups is of paramount importance to understanding the region. Historical rivalries between some groups, for example, Sunni and Shia Muslims, go back hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years. Yet, people continue with life. How do countries continue to deal with each other when there are open, unsettled questions, such as boundaries or control of islands? Is …

Flarr Pages #66: Russian Values In A Global World, Darima Budaeva

FLARR Pages

I'll try to reveal basic Russian values and I hope to spark interest and appreciation for these values.

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore: Executive Summary 2008, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University (ISES) was appointed by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to implement and maintain an annual benchmark for the services sectors in Singapore. The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) was first launched in April 2008 based on data collected from a nationwide survey conducted in 2007. In this second year, the results of CSISG 2008 were derived from the survey data gathered between November 2008 and January 2009.

La Crisis Financiera De 1982-1983 En Chile: Orígenes, Intervención, Efectos Y Implicancias Para El Modelo Neoliberal, Luke Shoemaker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is an analysis of the financial crisis in Chile between 1982 and 1983. I will begin with a summary of the crisis with respect to three variables: the origin of the crisis, the government’s intervention to confront the crisis, and the effects of the crisis. Afterwards I will discuss the implications that the financial crisis has for the neoliberal model. There are two hypotheses for this discussion. One hypothesis is that the neoliberal model caused the crisis. The alternative hypothesis is that the crisis was caused by errors in the application of the neoliberal model and other external …

Pisco Por La Razon O La Fuerza El Debate Entre Perú Y Chile Sobre La Denominacion De Origen Del Pisco, Y Sus Implicaciones., Courtney Harrell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Chile and Peru pisco is an appellation of origin that has caused a trade conflict between both countries. Peru asserts that pisco can only be Peruvian given its strong ties to Peruvian identity, history and tradition, while Chile affirms that they too have a historical tie to pisco, be it not as strong as Peru’s, y that furthermore they produce, consume and export more than Peru. Investigating this conflict in detail one will notice that an appellation of origin of pisco is too restrictive in this case. The Peruvian arguments, within the restrictions of the definition of an appellation …

Politics And Architecture: At The Crossroads With Young Moscow Architects, Andrew Mckernan

Inquiry Journal 2009

No abstract provided.

Changing The Culture Of Corruption - Do Small Steps Count?, Rhona Smith

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Corruption is endemic in modern society, but history attests this problem is as old as states themselves. No single solution to date has garnered sufficient political and/or popular support to effect change. Could education play a role in changing the culture?

Toward A New Era Of Russian–American Collaboration On Railroads, Andrew Langsner

Inquiry Journal 2009

No abstract provided.

We Are Who We Are: How Filmmaker And Unh Student Anna Bruning Captured The “Will To Be” Basque, Matthew Kingston, Travis Taylor

Inquiry Journal 2009

No abstract provided.

Obama To Visit China

China Beat Blog: Archive 2008-2012

After meeting today with Hu Jintao in advance of the G20 in London, Obama accepted an invitation to visit China later this year:

The leaders agreed to “strengthen ties at all levels” ranging from the economy to fighting terrorism, and would expand consultations on “non-proliferation and other international security topics,” the White House said.

“The two sides agreed to resume the human rights dialogue as soon as possible,” the statement said.

In January and February, China Beat ran a series of reading (and sometimes viewing) recommendations for the new president. [See installments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.] Now …

Mass Privatization And Mortality: Is Job Loss The Link?, John S. Earle

Employment Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

April Roundtable: Introduction

Human Rights & Human Welfare

An annotation of:

“Cambodia's Curse” by Joel Brinkley. Foreign Affairs. March/April 2009.