International and Area Studies Commons^™

Researching Peers And Disaster Vulnerable Communities: An Insider Perspective, Stern M. Kita

The Qualitative Report

Conducting research among peers and communities that a researcher also serves may be both daunting and rewarding. Researching peers may make the researcher feel uncomfortable raising certain questions that are sensitive or that could be construed to be testing their competencies. This paper is inclined more towards showing that it is advantageous to be an insider, whose position can facilitate collection of information that could not have been accessed, or revealed to an outsider. The paper reports on fieldwork conducted in a low-income country in Sub-Sahara Africa as part of a doctoral study with communities affected by disasters and those …

Nicole Ludwig, Tsos, Nicole Ludwig

TSOS Interview Gallery

In September 2016, Nicole Ludwig led a group of her neighbors in Germany to assist newly-arrived Syrian and Afghani refugees. The volunteers collected clothing and toys, organized activities and field trips for the refugee children, and taught them German. Later, the volunteers offered homework support and led library reading groups. For the adult refugees, the volunteers provided cultural assimilation instruction and cooking classes. While there were occasional challenges to working together, the volunteers and refugees fostered a collaborative system and even hosted a Christmas party, during which one elderly Syrian man said, “This is one of the best memories I …

Layla, Layla, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Layla left Ethiopia 10 years ago to look for work opportunities. She left behind a father and three brothers. She went to Syria on a three-year work contract. She worked in a house and learned Arabic. She then went to Turkey by boat and then went on to Greece for 5 years. She worked and learned the Greek language. When she became pregnant she had to stop working. She travelled to Serbia to Macedonia to Austria all on foot. Then the Red Cross moved Layla and her daughter to Giessen, Germany where a roommate periodically beat her baby. Seeking safety …

Fadel, Tsos, Fadel

TSOS Interview Gallery

Fadel's family was originally from Palestine. However, for reasons he couldn’t recall, they moved to Libya, where Fadel was born, and he grew up there. He recalled that life inLibya used to be good, but that it became dangerous. Fadel came to Italy alone. His parents died and left him nothing seven years ago. His siblings died as well. He came to Italy 6 months ago seeking asylum by way of Tripoli to Sabratha, and then to Sardinia and Calabria. He has been living on the streets, and because he couldn’t provide an address, he was denied asylum

Katja, Ketevahi 'Katje', Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Ketevahi “Katja” is from Georgia. She’s in her late 40’s. She grew up on a farm in the country and became the financial support for her family after her mother died and her father became “emaciated.” When Putin came to power, diplomatic ties deteriorated between Georgia and Russia, which eventually led to war. She fled her country using forged documents and first worked in Turkey but has now lived in Naples for nine years and regularly sends money home to her brother, who cares for their father.

Katja expresses her feelings about war, government, liberty, and what it means to …

Felix, Tsos, Felix

TSOS Interview Gallery

Felix is originally from Nigeria and has now been inItaly under a year. He came from a family with a polygamous father who “married” multiple wives illegally. After returning home from a service mission for his church, which his father supported, Felix began to study engineering. At some point conflict arose within the family that causedFelix to have to flee.He was smuggled through Niger to Libya, losing several friends along the way.There he was held for ransom, before taking a treacherous voyage across the sea in an overfilled boat, where he witnessed several drown. Now he lives in a camp …

Momo, Momo, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

When Momo was only nine years old, he returned home to find his parents and his six sisters and four brothers had been killed in their own home. Sometime after that, he and his uncle left Somalia together to live in Yemen. He stayed in Yemen until he was sixteen, but when things became unsafe there, he moved to Libya. He had hoped to get on a boat in Libya to go somewhere for a new life, but he was thrown in prison instead. He was harassed and told to ask his family to send money so that he could …

Perdiendo El Paraíso: Lo Que El Turismo Se Llevó De La Isla Isabela / Losing Paradise: What Tourism Took From Isabela Island, Dylan Souquet Moglen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Desde los años 60s las Islas Galápagos se han convertido en una importante atracción turística para el mundo. En los últimos 50 años han tenido un rápido crecimiento para transformarse, por medio del sector turístico, en un gran poder económico para el Ecuador. Pero, ¿cuáles han sido las fuerzas que impulsaron este crecimiento? y, lo que es más, ¿cómo ha afectado el crecimiento tan increíble a las comunidades locales de las islas? Este estudio se enfoca en explorar, tomando a la Isla Isabela como base, lo que ha ocasionado (y se ha llevado) el turismo aquí en Galápagos, usando en …

Ecological Succession On Neotropical Landslides: Comparing Successional Patterns Of Four Different Aged Landslides In The Cerro Candelaria Reserve, Nace Keifer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstract In an area that is vulnerable to frequent landslides due to steep montane slopes and heavy rain falls it is important to understand how the ecosystem regenerates after it has been disturbed. This study examined ecological succession patterns by comparing the vegetation on four different aged landslides and the unharmed forest within the Cerro Candelaria Reserve, located in a cloud forest ecosystem in central Ecuador. One meter soil profiles and 5x5 meter vegetation quadrats were used to observe and characterize the habitats on the four individual landslides and unharmed forest. At each location, soil color, texture, and structure were …

The Urban Farmer, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Bjorn Low left a high-flying advertising job to reshape the urban, agricultural, and social enterprise landscapes in his native Singapore

Why Expanding Hong Kong Disneyland Is Important, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The expansion plan of Hong Kong Disneyland has been a highly controversial topic in Hong Kong. Local lawmakers have criticised the government of taking a weak stance in the “unequal deal” with the US firm.

Rethinking The Afropolitan (Library Resources), Holy Cross Libraries

Library Resources for Campus Events

A bibliography of resources available through the Holy Cross Libraries which provide additional information related to "Rethinking the Afropolitan," a conference organized by History Department professors Rosa E. Carasquillo and Lorelle Semley at the College of the Holy Cross. The conference is sponsored by the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and was held at the College of the Holy Cross on October 19-21 2, 2017.

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 …

Who Am I? The Relationship Between Cultural Identity And Globalization Within The Local And Global Intersections, Nir Aish

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The imminent phenomenon of globalization has been mainly explored in academia through the lens of economics and politics. Little attention has been given to the relationship between this phenomenon and culture, and yet the yield of this relationship could be tremendous as culture determines how individuals operate in our growing globalized world. This research project takes place in Bertoua, the capital of the East Region of the Republic of Cameroon. The country is located in Central Africa, and is often referred as “Africa in Miniature” due to its vast cultural and geological diversity. The focus of the study is on …

Pololeo Y Protección: Las Barreras De Acceso A Métodos Anticonceptivos Para Adolescentes Vulnerables En La Comuna De Macul, Santiago De Chile / Pololeo Y Protección: Barriers To Access Contraceptive Methods For Vulnerable Adolescents In The District Of Macul, Santiago De Chile, Louisa Boswell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El embarazo adolescente sigue siendo un problema de salud pública al nivel nacional en Chile. Aunque por ley, todos tienen el derecho a una educación sexual y a elegir un método de control de fecundidad, todavía existen casos de embarazos no planificados, particularmente entre adolescentes. Este estudio investigó las barreras que limitan el acceso a métodos anticonceptivos para adolescentes, enfocando primariamente en el sistema público en la Región Metropolitana. Específicamente, la investigación consideró las adolescentes de la comuna de Macul, utilizando muestras de un colegio local y dos centros de salud familiar para hacer conclusiones. La investigadora entrevistó a matronas …

¡El Agua Es Nuestra! Pensar Desde Afuera Del Discurso De ‘Público Vs Privado’ / The Water Is Ours! Thinking From Outside The 'Public Vs. Private' Speech, Julius Figueroa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cualquier persona que haya vivido en Cochabamba por más de unos pocos años puede decir que la ciudad tiene una larga historia de problemas de agua. La respuesta del Estado a estos problemas ha sido variada y, a veces, problemática. En el año 1999, el gobierno de Bolivia firmó un contrato con una empresa transnacional llamada Aguas del Tunari en una tentativa de privatizar el suministro municipal del agua de Cochabamba. Después de un drástico aumento en los precios del agua, protestas y manifestaciones estallaron por toda la ciudad de Cochabamba. La gente de Cochabamba finalmente logró presionar al gobierno …

Neoliberalismo & Pensamiento Crítico: Relaciones Entre La Educación Popular Y Sistemas Actuales Chilenos / Neoliberalism & Critical Thinking: Relations Between Popular Education And Current Chilean Systems, Sarah Wagner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El objetivo de este trabajo es explorar el vínculo entre la teoría de la educación popular y los sistemas neoliberales en Chile. Intenta a entender cómo es la educación popular y como aparece en los pensamientos políticos de los estudiantes, especialmente sobre el neoliberalismo, y cómo afecta a sus vidas después de que se gradúan. Entrevistas con unos exalumnos de un liceo que practica la educación popular están usados para describir sus experiencias como estudiantes del colegio y como personas que participan en un mundo neoliberal. Se encuentra que los estudiantes consiguen una nueva forma de ver el mundo y …

El Movimiento Que Aún Falta: ¿De Qué Forma Existe Y Se Promueve La Educación Teatral En Las Escuelas De Chile? ¿Cómo Se Ensena El Teatro En Los Liceos Con Conexión Al Cambio Social? / The Movement That Is Still Missing: How Does Theater Education Exist And Is Promoted In Schools In Chile? How Is Theater Taught In High Schools With Connection To Social Change?, Andrés G. Aguilar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el mundo del teatro, ha habido muchos teóricos y practicantes del arte. No solo se han desarrollado en el mundo del teatro, sino que muchos otros han transformado lo que es el teatro y el poder que puede tener. En relación con este estudio específico, comenzaré abordando tres de los teóricos del teatro: Konstantin Stanislavski, Bertolt Brecht y Augusto Boal. En relación a cada practicante, se encuentra una relación sobre cómo el teatro puede ser utilizado en la educación, destacó por la experta chilena Verónica García-Huidobro. Para complejizar aún más esa relación, abordaré cómo la educación teatral es, sin …

La Música Como Una Forma De Educación: Canciones Para Cambios Sociales / Music As A Form Of Education: Songs For Social Changes, Di Hu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de ISP no tradicional busca recrear un mini EP de tres canciones basado en el entorno problemático del sistema educativo chileno y sus influencias negativas en los estudiantes. Las canciones pretenden pedir cambios sociales y aumentar la conciencia al criticar los problemas y al mismo tiempo servir como una forma de educar a los jóvenes de la nueva generación sobre las realidades del sistema educativo actual. Usando información de observaciones escolares anteriores, inspiraciones de la música de diferentes músicos y lo más importante las narrativas de entrevistas, estas tres canciones tomaron forma en tres temas principales: un llamado …

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 …

Hummingbird Foraging Preference: The Hierarchical Impacts Of Color, Position, And Concentration On Visitation Frequency, Erin O'Connor

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hummingbirds are well adapted to efficiently locate high quality nectar sources, but relatively few studies have examined the mechanisms of that process under natural conditions in the field. This study investigates the visual signals that allow hummingbirds to do just that, as well as the external factors that limit their choices in foraging. More specifically, feeder color and nectar concentration were manipulated to determine the effect of those independent variables on visitation frequency. An initial experiment was conducted in order to explore color preference among the visiting species. Red, orange, and blue feeders were filled with nectar of equal concentrations …

Coral Species Distribution And Percent Cover Of Sessile Organisms On Protected And Non-Protected Coral Reefs In Digir, Buga, Dubbir, And Kanir Kinnidup, Guna Yala, Panama, Sarah Paulson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral reefs are the most productive, biodiverse ecosystems in the ocean despite covering only <.5% of the ocean floor. In today’s changing climate, coral reefs face a multitude of threats including ocean warming, coral bleaching, ocean acidification, overfishing, increasing human population, and coral mining, among others. One way to protect coral reefs is to establish a marine protected area to limit damage and contamination. This study aimed to examine coral species distribution as well as percent cover of sessile organisms and substrates including coral, fire coral, algae, and sponges on protected and non-protected reefs in order to attempt to analyze the effect of protection on coral reefs in Guna Yala, Panama. Based on the data collected, protected areas had higher algae cover (P<.01, df=107), lower coral cover (P<.0001, df=138), and a higher relative abundance of corals with a “weedy” life history such as Porites astreoides (P<.05, df=80). The data also showed that uninhabited islands tended to have significantly higher average coral cover (P<.0001, df=146) and lower average algae cover (P<.0001, df=161), as well as lower relative abundance of P. astreoides (P<.01, df=134). When the protected site sampled was compared to an unprotected site that was around the same island, the protected area was found to have higher coral cover (P<.01, df=71) and lower algae cover (P<.05, df=72) than the unprotected area. Ultimately, lack of human population and protected status were found to be positive factors for coral reef health, and future study should be done to further examine the relationship between these two factors.

After The Flood: Fish Farming And Climate Change Adaptation In Chitwan, Nepal, Signe Stroming

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Last summer, Nepal’s Terai region experienced some of the worst flooding in recent memory. Climate change is expected to increase the number of natural disasters that Nepal experiences in coming years, and more vulnerable demographics will be more adversely affected. Fish farming is a highly profitable and slowly growing industry based primarily in the Terai, that many believe is less vulnerable to climate-related risks than conventional forms of agriculture, and thus a possible livelihood adaptation strategy. In this study, I conducted semi-structured interviews with ten farmers in Madi, Chitwan, to understand the daily challenges and threats to fish farming, the …

From Kipat To Kathmandu: A Failed Integration Of Limbu People Into The Nepali State In Biblate, Ilam, Andrew Blunt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In eastern Nepal, a territory historically known as Limbuwan, the Limbu people make up just under 400,000. Historically, this region and its people were accompanied by the practice of kipat, a system of land tenure and management as well as one of community and cultural governance. In 2021 (1964) the Land Act formally ended the practice of the kipat system and transferred all lands to the state held raikar form of tenure. With the end of the practice of kipat came the attempted integration of the Limbu people from their traditional governing systems into the burgeoning Nepali democracy. A combination …

Losing Faith: An Exploration Of Village Ponds In The Thar Desert, Pentti Hanlon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The intention of this study is to provide a holistic look at the Naadi: a rain-fed common property resource used for drinking water collection in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan. A sustainer of human life in the Thar, Naadis have decided how and where residents of the Thar lived. This study examines both current and historical naadi use in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan. The format of the study is a compilation and analysis of 15 field visits, a series of interviews, and investigation of recent alternatives to naadis. The success of a naadi is a function of geology, geography, and …

Women Of Leh Town, Ladakh: An Overview Of Perceptions Of Health, Health-Seeking Behaviors, And Access To Health Care, Sophia Marion

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following study seeks to investigate access to health care services and perceptions of health care among women residing in traditional farming communities around the Ladakh region, and to analyze perspectives on health, health-seeking behavior, and access to health care. This project was prompted by the fact that health care in this region is understudied. This study also focuses on marginalized communities including local women and immigrant women. Methods used for the collection of data were qualitative interviews conducted with 24 women, as well as an amchi worker, doctors, and informal and formal conversations with people from different nongovernmental Organizations …

When Knowledge Flows: A Case Study Of Village Health Workers’ Motivations In Jamkhed, Selaem Hadera

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across the field of global health, there have been many attempts to cater to the health needs of the most marginalized populations. Community health workers (CHWs) are individuals that live in the communities they serve and are typically low-­‐income women with little to no formal education. After a period of training by their program, they enter their communities equipped as a bridge between the community and the health system. Although CHWs do play a substantial role in health delivery and education, the structure of CHW programs varies widely, but a common characteristic of these programs is that the CHWs are …

Community Perception Of The Hiv Vaccine In Western Kenya: Acceptability, Potential Behavior Changes, And Views On Compulsory Vaccination, Deborah Keen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) suppresses the immune system by attacking T cells, leading to the development of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). HIV affects over 30 million people around the world and 1.6 million people in Kenya. On August 18, 1987, the FDA sanctioned the first human testing of a candidate vaccine for HIV. Currently, multiple HIV vaccines—projected to be on the market in five to ten years—are being tested for efficacy and safety. The goal of this study was to explore opinions related to the HIV vaccine so that there is a guide for future policy development in Western Kenya. …

Cultivating Peace Through Teaching History In Rwandan Secondary Schools: Opportunities And Challenges, Brittany Fried

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Education has the ability to cultivate a Culture of Peace or Violence. In Rwanda, pre-1994 formal education became a tool for inciting violence by presenting a discriminatory and identity-based view of history. In the 23 years since the genocide, the Rwandan government has propagated education that promotes national unity and decreases division amongst students. The 2015 national competence-based curriculum (CBC), which incorporates the holistic idea of Education for a Culture of Peace (ECOP), is one pertinent example. This study addresses: (1) the historical narrative portrayed in the secondary-level national curriculum and how it is taught, and (2) the opportunities and …

Sí O No A La Carretera: Las Distintas Perspectivas Geopolíticas En El Debate Sobre La Carretera A Través Del Tipnis / Yes Or No To The Road: The Different Geopolitical Perspectives In The Debate On The Road Through The Tipnis, Brigid Freed

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Abstracto

Podemos ver el Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure (TIPNIS) como una representación importante de los valores de Bolivia. El parque tiene más de un millón de hectáreas de selva protegida y es el hábitat de 64 comunidades indígenas. Por eso, el territorio es muy importante para el medio ambiente y también para las culturales de las personas indígenas en Bolivia. Aunque, bajo el liderazgo del primer, presidente indígena de Bolivia, Presidente Evo Morales, se está realizando un proyecto de desarrollo para construir una carretera a través de la corazón del territorio. Recientemente, en Agosto de 2017, el …