International and Area Studies Commons^™

Thinking Bigger: Pushing Singaporean Entrepreneurship To The Next Level, Arcot Desai Narasimhalu

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The environment in Singaporehas become more conducive forentrepreneurship. What lies aheadand what lessons can other Asiancountries learn?

Hodge-Podge Hybridity: Luo And Western Identities In The Kenyan Development Context, Hannah Tuttle

CLAS: Colby Liberal Arts Symposium

Kinship ties in Africa form the basis of social organization. Far different from the Western conception of individual agency, individuals in Africa often define themselves in terms of their community or lineage. The tension between these two forms of identity-formation is visible in the field of international development. The aim of this research project is to understand the ways in which the social organization of the Luo people of Kisumu, Kenya has interacted with the various projects implemented by both governmental and non-governmental actors. Do those programs emphasize the agency of the individual in ways that complement the larger social …

The Vietnam War, The American War And The ‘Bridge Generation’, Nancy K. Napier

International Business Program

One April morning in the 1990s during my commute to work on a project teaching business concepts and practices to professors and managers at the National Economics University in Hanoi, I saw red.

A Double Dispossession: The Crimean Tatars After Russia’S Ukrainian War, Stephen Blank

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Genocide and genocidal political processes have been used by the Russian state for decades—if not centuries—as a technique of self-colonial rule intended to eliminate “dissident” ethnic identities. Within this context, the historical fate of the Crimean Tatars is surely a unique one. Despite Soviet obstructions, the Crimean Tatars eventually returned to their homeland in Crimea after suffering forced deportations and genocide at the hands of the Soviet government. Now, 70 years after their deportation and genocide by Stalin, the Crimean Tatars are still fighting for justice. Defined as an autonomous group in their own land under the Ukrainian government, the …

“If It Ain’T Broke, Don’T Fix It”?: Analyzing The Politics Of The Un Security Council And The Viability Of The Group Of Four’S Proposal For Reform, Marissa A. Mcomber

Honors College Theses

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s mandate gives it the unique authority to maintain international peace and security. Made up of ten nonpermanent rotating and five permanent Member States (P5), the UNSC gives this decision making power to less than eight percent of the Member States of the UN at a time, five of whom never change. It has long been argued that the P5 represent a power distribution of the world as it existed in 1945, directly after World War II, and has not kept up with changing membership and power dynamics. This paper analyzes the history of the …

The Cold War: Over, Renewed, Or Never Ended?, Matt Phipps

Political Science Theses and Capstones

The Cold War has been studied repeatedly since the war supposedly ended in 1991. However recent events are starting to cause some concern and make many question whether or not the Cold War actually ended, if it took a different shape or perhaps has just been on pause. I argue that the Cold War has been a conflict that has been going on since 1947 and although the conflict has looked differently in recent decades the conflict was never properly put to an end. The research analyzes US decision making with respect to Russian and Asian relations over the last …

The Shaikh’S Republic: The Kurdish Regional Government’S Incorporation Of Tribalism, Brian A. Kennedy

Politics Honors Papers

Iraqi Kurdistan in 2015 is polity quite unlike any other. Iraqi Kurdistan has come to be treated in policy making circles as a model for what is sometimes believed to be impossible: a highly tribal, multi-religious and multi ethnic society in the Middle East with sentiments of unity, a burgeoning economy, the makings of a democracy, increasing literacy and quality of life, and (perhaps most impressively) an effective internal security arrangement in the middle of a chaotic region. Yet recent events have cast doubts on the future of Kurdistan. The advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS) …

Mary Elise Sarotte, The Collapse: The Accidental Opening Of The Berlin Wall, Basic Books, 2014. Barry Rubin And Wolfgang G. Schwanitz, Nazis, Islamists, And The Making Of The Modern Middle East, Yale University Press, 2014., Laina Farhat–Holzman

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Georgia Latino & Immigrant-Serving Nonprofit Organizations: Identifying And Mapping Human Services, Karen Costa, Gabriela Mosso

Symposium of Student Scholars

No abstract provided.

Improving U.S. State Department Cultural Exchanges With The Middle East: A Case Study Comparison Of Iraq And Jordan, Irene K. Gibson

Political Science Honors Projects

The U.S. State Department conducts cultural exchanges with the purpose of encouraging participants to instigate changes in their home countries. Despite extensive efforts by programs to measure their impact on participants, these effects are only indirect correlates or background variables for the ultimate goal of direct action. This thesis explores the impact of State Department cultural exchanges with the Middle East by drawing on eight interviews with exchange administrators of numerous programs in Iraq and Jordan. The case studies of Iraq and Jordan allow more careful scrutiny of the types of factors, both internal and external to programs, that affect …

Fealess Friday: Kelsey Chapman, Christina L. Bassler

SURGE

Kelsey Chapman ’15 fearlessly advocates for human rights, peace, and justice, focusing on the Middle East. An economics major and Middle East and Islamic Studies (MEIS) minor, Kelsey is the house leader for the MEIS House, an Arabic PLA, and the founder of Gettysburg’s chapter of J Street U. [excerpt]

Environmental Change And The Emergence Of New Livestock Production Systems In Central Gansu Province, China, Gregory Veeck

Faculty Research and Creative Activities Award (FRACAA)

Post-2000 efforts to protect China’s grassland areas are distinct from earlier efforts in that funding for the most recent round of policies and programs is commensurate with the task. Among the most controversial of the current policies is the provision of an annual subsidy ranging from 2 yuan to 20 yuan/mu (1/15 hectare) to herders to not graze livestock contracted by their families for periods from 3-10 years. Many other recent policies, such as fencing programs and hunting and burning bans to protect keystone species are also controversial. Ideally, the policies are intended to protect grassland ecological systems while assuring …

Will Beijing Reconsider Its Maritime Strategy In The South China Sea Following The Melting Of The Arctic?, Nalanda Roy

Robert Ingram Strozier Lecture Series

China is asserting its territorial and maritime claims in the East and South China Sea. But as strategic questions are being raised about the SCS dispute, another issue of growing importance for China is the Arctic. China has become increasingly serious about the consequences of the melting Arctic as this would have a major impact on China’s future economy, and also open up more available routes with a lower risk of piracy. Interestingly, this research will analyze whether Beijing will learn how to share and bear, due to her increasing quest for natural resources in the Arctic thereby undermining its …

The Girl With The Peanut Necklace: Experiences Of Infertility And In Vitro Fertilization In China, Ruoxi Yu

Student Work

A 2014-2015 William Prize for best essay in East Asian Studies was awarded to Ruoxi Yu (Berkeley College '15) for her essay submitted to the Department of Anthropology, “The Girl with the Peanut Necklace: Experiences of Infertility and in vitro Fertilization in China.” (Marcia Inhorn, William K. Lanman Jr. Professor of Anthropology, advisor; Susan Brownell, Professor of Anthropology at USML, secondary reader.)

Ruoxi Yu’s essay, “The Girl with the Peanut Necklace: Experiences of Infertility and in vitro Fertilization in China,” situates original research within the history of the one-child birth control policy and the tension between the …

Devoile Ou Degage: An Examination Of The Debates Surrounding Female Islamic Dress In France, Kristen Canavan

Honors Theses

In 2003, the French state appointed the Stasi Commission to determine whether or not “ostentatious symbols” should be banned in public schools. Their investigation concluded that the wearing of Muslim headscarves in public schools defied the principle of secularism and in March of 2004, legislation was passed banning all religious symbols, including the Muslim hijab in public schools. Six years after Law No. 2004-228 was passed, the Sarkozy administration passed a similar law also targeting Muslim women. Known as the “burqa ban” (an erroneous term used to describe the niqab) Law No. 2010-1192 forbids the concealing of one’s face …

Michael Wong Pakshong [Singapore, Managing Director Of Mas], Michael Wong Pakshong

Digital Narratives of Asia

Michael Wong Pakshong was the first Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He shares with DNA the challenges of building up a new institution in a newly independent country, as well as the obstacles he faced when the government's vision for MAS changed.

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 …

Open Development: A Critique, Brittni A. Bryan

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This essay presents a summary and critique of the book entitled Open Development: Networked Innovations in International Development. Open Development presents a compilation of chapters from a diverse set of researchers and frontline experts within the field of International Development. The volume was published in late 2013 by MIT Press in Cambridge Massachusetts and is a result of work initiated through the International Development Research Center. Open Development was chosen for this critique because it provides innovative strategies new to the field of international development. As such, it presents a crucial opportunity for members of the international development community …

Why Maasai Parents Enroll Their Children In Primary School: The Case Of Makuyuni In Northern Tanzania, Robinah Gimbo, Nadine Mujawamariya, Sara Saunders

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This study analyzes the reasons why the Makuyuni parents of Northern Tanzania do or do not enroll their children in school. Ten Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and several key informant (KI) interviews were conducted in the Mswakini Juu and Makuyuni villages. The parents who participated in the FGDs all had children in primary school at the time of interview. The findings revealed that reasons for enrolling these children in school included future economic stability for the family, government policies enforcing parents to enroll their children in primary school, partnership with World Vision, increased physical accessibility to education, and the World …

Impact Of Women Empowered Through Community Savings Groups On The Wellbeing Of Their Families: A Study From Mgubwe, Tanzania, James Kesanta, Billy Andre

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This study explores the impact of economic empowerment among women and the well-being of their families and their communities through a community savings and loans association model. The research, conducted in Mgubwe, Tanzania, consists of 83 respondents from four villages, representing 12 Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using Focus Group Discussions (FGD), survey questionnaires and key in-depth interview methodologies. The findings indicated women who participate in community-based micro-lending associations have positive impacts on their children’s education, health, and livelihoods. The findings also revealed members of community savings and loans groups do not collectively …

Social Workers In International Relief And Development: A Natural Fit, Sharon Pittman, Carman L. Sugawara, Mark E. Rodgers, Andrea Bediako

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This study sought to examine the compatibility between social work competencies with humanitarian assistance job skills requirements in the market. A systematic analysis of international job descriptions (N=500) was conducted with a focus on the skills required of potential employees. The main themes identified and operationalized into discrete skills and/or behaviors were: technical expertise, intra- and extra-organizational competencies, personal abilities, sector specialization, education, and language requirements. To aid educators in curriculum building, the identified skills were cross-referenced with the Council on Social Work Education’s Education Policy and Accreditation Standards practice behaviors to determine how they translate into standardized competencies. The …

Perceptions Of Non-Governmental Organizations And Socio-Economic Progress: The Case Of Four Latin American Countries, Héctor Luis Díaz, Vijayan K. Pillai

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

This article identifies multiple roles and functions of non-governmental organizations as perceived by various stakeholders. The primary purpose of the study on which this article is based was to test the theory of community capacity that states that social capital, human capital, and organizational resources available to the community are predictors of its collective ability. The methodology for this article included secondary data analysis from a survey and qualitative study conducted to assess the effectiveness of Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Internationals’ food security programs. The four Latin American countries in which the study was done are Peru, Bolivia, …

Improved Dairy Cattle: Impact And Distribution In Rural Tanzanian Communities, Jeremy Weaver, Alexon Mwasi, Lindsay Weaver

Interdisciplinary Journal of Best Practices in Global Development

Improved dairy cattle are recognized as an integral part of improving the livelihoods for the rural and urban poor in developing countries. The aim of this research was to measure impact, reveal challenges, map distribution, and establish recommendations for moving forward in improved livestock distribution initiatives. The methods consisted of a hybrid model using both quantitative and qualitative modalities, especially focusing on personal interviews, focus group discussions, field observation, and GIS data capturing. GIS based comparisons could not be made because of a lack of available GIS demographic data for the area. The combined modalities approach (especially the in-depth interviews …

Intercultural Ambassadors: Foreign Students’ Conflict And Expectations Revisited, Luz Elena Cortes

College of Social Sciences and Public Affairs Presentations

The recent increase of foreign students in higher education conflicts with resource budgeting and priorities. Universities are compelled to implement diverse strategies to keep them solvent. Interestingly, one of the responses to increase revenues is to recruit out-of-state students especially international students for higher tuition returns additionally, universities posit internationalization as a necessary component to becoming a “metropolitan research university of distinction” (Task Force 2006, 1). The goal is to elevate its standing in the global market of higher education. However, these efforts compromise the education of foreign students and how thesestudents are taught. By recruiting foreign students, universities transfer …

Wandering The World Without Leaving Your Chair: Crossing Borders Through Esports, Caitlin Robertson

Honors College Theses

There is a deafening roar as a point is scored. Millions of people from all over the world watch their teams with bated breaths. This is a scene that any sports fan might recognize. As the world is getting increasingly more globalized and interconnected technology is making it easier than ever to connect to one another across borders. In my research I will be looking at how the emerging medium of eSports is becoming a way for players all around the world to connect through a competition which is easily accessible to all. I will be focusing on an online …

How To Get An American Boyfriend: Japanese Women And Westernization, Nicole M. Puckett

Honors College Theses

Since the end of World War II, and even more so since the 1980’s, Japanese women have been gaining more and more independence through jobs and international experience. Part of this move towards liberation can be seen in how brand-focused many Japanese girls and women are and the overt manner in which they try to express themselves in typically western ways. This report will focus on Japanese women and how they try to make themselves appear western as a means of defining their individual identities and how they balance that with their usual prescribed roles as traditionally Japanese mothers and …

Learning From Cinara: Exploring The Depths Of Participatory Water Engagement In Cali, Colombia, Zachary T. Strickland

Honors College Theses

Located within the Universidad del Valle in Cali, Colombia, CINARA is an academic institution, comprised of both engineers and social scientists, that has almost three decades of experience regarding participatory approaches to water supply and environmental sanitation. In this paper, I argue that CINARA’s work is important due to its emphasis on meaningful community participation that significantly involves communities in decisions on technical matters that are usually allocated exclusively to “experts.” Furthermore, the valuation of social considerations and non-technical knowledge found amongst CINARA’s engineers stands in distinct contrast to traditional development practices and engineering mindsets. This paper will go on …

Citizenship Without Borders: Understanding Empathy And Domestic Direct Service As Powerful Approaches To Making Global Connections That Matter, Courtney Tielking

Honors College Theses

By unraveling a case study on Georgia Southern University's Alternative Break program, this research examines the relationship between empathy and globalization. Alternative Breaks are week-long trips, during University holidays, which facilitate and encourage direct service, immersion in a specific social issue, and guided reflection sessions. Four active Alternative Break participants and advisors were interviewed to outline accurately and depict their experience with culture-based Alternative Break trips. Their stories demonstrate an alternative to traveling abroad in order to achieve a sense of global citizenship. The research suggests that through empathy and direct service, one can become a global citizen without ever …

Freddie Aguilar [Philippines, Musician, Political Leader], Freddie Aguilar

Digital Narratives of Asia

Freddie Aguilar is not just a Filipino musical icon but a political icon. Influencing people through his music, Freddie shares his frank take on political leadership in the Philippines and what he thinks leaders should do to move the country forward.

Discussion Of Iran Awakening By Shirin Ebadi, Musselman Library

Iran: Beyond the Headlines

In preparation for our book discussion on Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi for our Iran: Beyond the Headlines series, we created some of our own discussion questions about the book. Please feel free to use for your own book discussion!