International and Area Studies Commons^™

Reaching Out: Navigating The Ethical, Legislative, And Physical Obstacles To Providing Assistance To Migrants In Morocco, Margaret Jackman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In order to meet the needs of the rising migrant and refugee population that have made their way to Morocco, numerous associations and non-governmental organizations have filled the gaps left by incomplete legislation and state infrastructure. These organizations provide what is traditionally viewed as humanitarian aid, including emergency medical assistance and shelter, as well as long-term support and advocacy in navigating the legal, education, and healthcare systems of Morocco. My research seeks to understand the ways in which these organizations facilitate the connection between migrants and refugees and the services they themselves provide. I look at the ethical, legislative, and …

A Glimpse Into Amazighophone Technology Usage An Example Of The Results Of Short-Term Ethnography, Garrison Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores the situation of the Amazigh language and its revitalization in Morocco, specifically aiming to shed light on the intersections of language use, technology, and youth, in order to obtain insight into processes that Amazighophone youth both undergo and enact in their lives. Through literature review and an interview, this research provides a glimpse into the use and reality of Amazigh and variants in technological media and an example of the shortcomings of a short-termed fieldwork research project. In all, despite only having one interview with one young woman who attends university and speaks Amazigh, the results provide …

The Poetics Of Power The Role Of Women’S Writing In The Moroccan Education System, Eli Makovetsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While women have always been writing in Morocco a lack of access to education and sexist ideals have limited the ability of women to disseminate their stories. Now, after years of attempted reforms women are still fighting against a society that relegates them to enact traditional gender roles. While more women are receiving education in Morocco the messages that the State projects continue to be androcentric. As such, this paper examines the role of women’s writing and literature in the Moroccan education system. By putting it in the context of the women’s rights movement this paper strives to trace the …

Imagining Intimacy Beyond Boundaries: 'Born-Frees' Conceptions Of Race And Relationships In South Africa, Reilly Torres

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Though South Africans are no longer legislatively governed by the color of their skin, race remains salient in the way individuals make meaning of themselves and the world around them. Previous scholarship suggests that citizens of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ still see race as a fixed category of difference, making socialization between races fraught and relatively rare (Finchilescu et al. 2007). This study seeks to explore how born-frees understand race in South Africa’s shifting socio-political terrain through the lens of intimate interracial relationships—a form of cross-racial contact complicated by histories of sexual stigma and constraint. Conversations with 17 ‘born-frees’ across the …

Participatory Development And Menstrual Health Management In South Africa: A Case Study Of Project Dignity, Natalie Geismar

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Menstrual health management (MHM) poses a significant public health concern in many South African communities. Though the national government is beginning to devote attention and resources to MHM, civil society organizations play a critical role in providing menstrual health products and education to female-bodied individuals who may otherwise lack access. This study examines the praxis and impact of Project Dignity, a nongovernmental organization which distributes washable, reusable sanitary pads and panties to students in public schools. The researcher collected qualitative data through participant observation as well as interviews and focus group discussions with Project Dignity’s staff and intended beneficiaries. Using …

The Mountain Stands: An Autoethnographic Inquiry Into Zulu Christians' Approaches To Spiritual Health, Makayla Lagerman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Spiritual health is a vital component of individual wellness that can be described in many ways; most commonly, it is thought of as the connectivity of the inner spirit to others, the world, transcendental beings, and more. From personal experience, I know that the state of my spiritual wellbeing can greatly impact my physical and mental health. For this reason, actively considered how to think about spiritual health for one of the first times in my life.

This project sought to explore Zulu Christians’ approaches to spiritual health in concurrence with my own. This was done by interviewing one Swazi …

Getting Sick Where Karma Is Gravity: Disease In The Tibetan Perspective, Moreau Hadley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Karma is the Buddhist idea that our actions from current and previous lives affect our fortune in this life. In particular, if we suffer in the current life, it is due to negative action in the past. Likewise, if we prosper, it is due to past positive acts, such as compassion. The idea of karma extends to illness; in simplification, sickness is attributed to negative past action.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the belief of karmic disease in the Tibetan Buddhist community of Shangri-La. Although disease is often used as an example of karmic suffering, and there …

The Women Of Dho Tarap: Gender Roles, Challenges, And Change In Dolpo, Nepal, Luke Testa

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By collecting and examining first first-hand accounts of women and men from Dho Tarap, this report illustrates the many challenges that women report facing throughout their lives in Dolpo, offers a conceptual framework for understanding the significance of gender, and highlights women’s thoughts on change. The difficulties that women face appear to be due to cultural concepts that suggest that women are less capable than men, social norms that provide various learning and growth opportunities to men but not to women, and customs that result in women experiencing discriminate treatment in the home and community. Through an analysis of the …

The Lives Of Smart Phones: People’S Relationships With Technology Along The Tamor Valley, Candice Jiang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The way people interact with smart phones and technology in their everyday life can reveal a whole lot about a culture, history and politics of a given place. In the Taplejung district in Northeastern Nepal, the Tamor valley has been a historical pathway for trans-Himalayan trade, business, and commerce (Saxer: 2015). However, it is also considered one of the most virtually and physically remote places in Nepal due to lack of physical and Internet infrastructure that enables all kinds of access. Nevertheless, smart phones have become an essential gadget in most people’s lives in this part of Nepal. In a …

Tibetan Perceptions Of Lgbtq, Lauren Champagne

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is aimed at understanding the perceptions of LGBTQ identities, people, and issues within the Tibetan exile community in Dharamsala, India. The project starts by contextualizing feminism in Tibetan spheres as well as Buddhist conceptions of gender and sexuality, as many Tibetans are practicing Buddhists. The focus then turns to the reactions to and experiences of queer Tibetans and how Tibetans talk about and conceptualize queerness. Finally, this project looks at the formation of various networks that have formed amongst a small community of out LGBTQ Tibetans. The main objective of this paper is to provide a context for …

Forest Conservation And Timber Management A Case Study Of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, Hoima District, Uganda, Nick Jickling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The refugee population in Uganda is the largest in Africa, more than 1.3 million in size and growing by 100,000 per year. The demand for cooking fuel and building material results a continuous degradation of Uganda’s forests and protected areas. Refugee settlement which often employ short term management to cater to refugee needs, are hotspots of forest clearing. Forest management and environmental conservation of Kyangwali refugee settlement was evaluated, during a five-week practicum with the Environment and livelihoods department at Action Africa Help. The availability, accessibility and affordability of forest resources using GIS mapping, household surveys, informal interviews and observation. …

“Because This Land Is Free” A Historical Perspective On Poverty, Settlement, And Conservation In The Lubigi Swamp, Adele Stock

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Between 1970 and 2010, 40 percent of the world’s coastal and inland wetlands disappeared (Ramsar Convention, 2014). 13 percent of Uganda’s land area is wetland (Elroy, Muhweezi, and West, 2005). A 2015 World Bank Study found that 40 percent of Kampala population lives in informal settlements in or or around wetland, and 50 percent of Kampala’s wetland cover has disappeared in the past 20 years (World Bank, 2015). Kampala’s Lubigi Wetland, the city’s largest, serves as a critical water catchment area for the entirety of Uganda’s Central Cattle Corridor. Alongside this, it provides vital social, environmental and economic functions and …

What Lies In The Gray: Creative Analytic Pieces On The Formation And Evolution Of Beliefs In Masxha, Robin Mwai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this project was to look at how members of Durban's Masxha township develop their belief systems and ideas about their world. This topic was developed out of a desire to better understand the factors that promote or inhibit individuals from changing their mind about topics relating to their community, society, and culture. I sought to gain a deeper understanding of the specific context of Masxha and the experiences and lives of those with whom I spoke.

To accomplish the goal of learning from lived experiences, this study employed a narrative inquiry approach. Using loosely-structured interviews involving eight …

Development Of Health Rehabilitation In Mainland China: From Traditional Chinese Medicine To Modern Western Rehabilitation Methods, Michelle Moy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study is to understand the changes occurring in China, leading to the development of health rehabilitation. This study will portray the shift of traditional Chinese medicine to modern influences of Western rehabilitation, and will also introduce the idea of an integrated model of TCM and Western Rehabilitation.

Observations were held at a TCM hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, as well as a TCM hospital that provided modern rehabilitation services. Two online questionnaire surveys were sent out to rehabilitation health professionals working in mainland China, one of which collected quantitative data while the other collected both qualitative and …

Methodism In Macedonia Between The Two World Wars, Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

After World War I ended, the part of Macedonia commonly called Vardar Macedonia was incorporated into the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (subsequently renamed Yugoslavia). It was officially proclaimed to be a part of Serbia as the Serbian government did not recognize a separate Macedonian nationality. Some 10 stations of the American Board, including the Bitola Girls' School, were in this area. The American Board attempted to maintain a semblance of unity in the Balkan Mission, but Greece, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia were on such unfriendly terms that this was not feasible. For a while the American Board was …

Sets, Modular Systems And Interconnections: Comparing Singapore Law With Eu Legislation, Gordon Ionwy David Llewelyn, T. Prashant Reddy

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Singapore registered design law is largely based on UK legislation and, notwithstanding subsequent amendments, the underlying principles remain broadly similar. This article aims to compare Singapore registered design law with EU legislation in relation to sets, modular systems and interconnections.'Sets of articles' are afforded protection under both Singapore law and EU registered design law. Under both regimes such protection can prove problematic, as under Singapore law it may require a court to make an artistic assessment as to whether the goods are of the same 'general character' and under EU law the Guidelines issued by the EUIPO appear to go …

The Lessons We Learned From A Smart Nation: Germany, Thomas Menkhoff, Jonas Schorr

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

A study trip tp Germany by a group of Singapore Management University students offers insights into how this European nation has built its cities sustainably and innovatively.

Inflation Expectations In Singapore: A Behavioural Approach, Alexander Clark, Aurobindo Ghosh, Samuel Hanes

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The expectations of economic agents have significant impact on their decisions and are key determinants of macroeconomic outcomes such as inflation, economic growth and unemployment. For example, if a worker believes that consumer prices will rise sharply next year, she would demand a wage increase. Similarly, a homeowner with a fixed interest mortgage might make an early repayment if she expects price levels to fall, knowing that the real value of her mortgage debt will increase. In these cases, expectations about inflation could lead to changes in behaviour and in the aggregate, influence prices and become self-fulfilling.

(Re)Producing Buddhist Hegemony In Sri Lanka: Advancing The Discursive Formations Of Self-Orientalism, Religious (Im)Mobility And 'Unethical' Conversion, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper explores how Buddhist groups in Sri Lanka attempt to suppress conversion to Christianity. Conversion to Christianity can dilute the power and legitimacy of Buddhist groups, which has caused them to promote a discourse of ‘unethical’ conversion. My argument is that such a discourse is self-Orientalising in nature, and is designed to enable the (re)production of Buddhist hegemony in Sri Lanka. By constructing Buddhists as vulnerable and in need of protection, the hegemonic actions of Buddhist groups are validated. These constructions serve to restrict the religious (and socio-cultural) mobility of Buddhists, and to legitimise the persecution of Christians through …

Interview With Tan Chin Tiong: Creating A New Management University, Chin Tiong Tan

Oral History Collection

The interview covered:

• Involvement with SMU
• Private university
• Collaboration with Wharton School
• Challenges

Cross-Cultural Virtual Exchange: Innovative Learning For Social Change, Jo Anne Hart

Lesley University Community of Scholars Day

I want to demo for my Lesley colleagues the cross-cultural virtual exchange that my undergrad students are taking part in for 8-weeks this semester. Each Lesley student in my Modern Middle East History course is matched into a weekly two-hour live video discussion group of about 12-15 other undergraduate students living in the Middle East, Europe, and around the US. This is a structured, moderated, synchronous international forum with a trained facilitator run by an international non-profit called Soliya.

Intended as a deep-dive into diversity and difference, this innovative approach allows students to “explore how their identity …

Discriminación Racial: Discurso Oficial Versus Realidad En Cuba Postrevolucionaria, Sergio Rojo

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

El objetivo de esta investigación es buscar y analizar las causas que han mantenido la discriminación racial dentro de Cuba después de 1959. En mi investigación pretendo examinar cómo la Revolución Cubana no eliminó la continuidad histórica de discriminación racial heredada del pasado. En mi análisis quiero verificar cómo el estereotipo y la imagen política del afrocubano que ha sido formada tras los cambios sociales ocurridos después del 1959, no es más que el resultado de una falacia política montada en nombre de la igualdad.

Muchas de las políticas adoptadas por el estado se hicieron en pos de eliminar la …

Roundtable: Supporting Professional Masters' Programs In Social Science And Policy Fields, Elisabeth Shields

Transforming Libraries for Graduate Students

Professional masters programs in the social sciences and policy fields prepare participants for middle and senior positions in the private sector, government, non-profits, and international organizations. In addition to ensuring further disciplinary knowledge, programs often include components on managerial, organizational, communication, policy analysis, and similar skills. Institutions are adding programs in interdisciplinary and emerging areas to their existing professional programs in business, counseling psychology, social work, and public administration.

Librarians face distinctive challenges in supporting such programs. Faculty teaching in these programs may be adjuncts unfamiliar with their institution’s library offerings and services. Some students have just completed undergraduate programs, …

Literature And Scholarship In Times Of Crisis, Radost A. Rangelova

2017 College Authors

When I was asked to talk about research, and about my own research, I thought it was important to recognize that much of my work I owe, first, to Research and Professional Development Grants that I have been fortunate to receive at Gettysburg, and also to the people, resources, and institutions that opened their doors to me during the time that I’ve spent doing research in Puerto Rico, including at the University of Puerto Rico and at the National Archives of Theater and Film. Today I would like to speak briefly not only about doing research in Puerto Rico, but …

Siempre Hemos Vivido Aquí: La Figura Literaria Del Indígena Y La Otra Argentina Posible, Jennie R. Robinson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This project engages with what various academics in the past twenty years have identified as a “discourse of invisibilization” that effectively erased indigenous presence from the Argentine national discourse. Following the Conquest of the Desert, a military campaign carried out between 1878 and 1879 that sought to eliminate indigenous presence in the Pampas and Patagonia, the common belief was that indigenous peoples no longer resided in Argentina. In reality thousands remained but indigenous identity and presence was effectively erased from the national discourse until the constitutional reform of 1994 which legally recognized indigenous pre-existence and articulated specific rights for the …

Ambassadors Distinguished Scholars Program

Distinguished Lectures on Africa

No abstract provided.

The Geopolitics Of Canadian Defense White Papers: Lofty Rhetoric And Limited Results, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

As the United States northern neighbor, Canada serves as a NATO ally and a strategic partner with Washington through the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Canadian forces have fought honorably and bravely in concert with American forces in many wars. Canada's government, however, has been less consistent in promoting a credible vision of Canadian national security policy and geopolitical interests in its defense white papers. These documents have often contained idealistic rhetoric about adhering to a rules-based international order and defending freedom. In reality, Canadian governments of varying political parties have consistently failed to provide the sustained funding and …

Interview With Howard Hunter: Creating A New Management University, Howard Hunter

Oral History Collection

The interview covered:

• Involvement with SMU
• Law school
• Support from the government
• Curriculum
• Board of trustees
• Private university

Support For Open Borders: A Case Study Of Spanish Society, Anna Ondracek

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In his book “The Ethics of Immigration”, political philosopher Joseph Carens argues for the rights of migrant populations on the grounds of democracy, freedom, and equality. He advocates for open international borders, focusing on democratic countries in North America and Europe. Carens compares the current international order of closed borders to feudalism and discusses various forms of privilege Westerners have, which, he says, makes those in the West complacent and unaware of the injustices from which Westerners benefit. Focusing on the case of Spain, this project evaluates public opinions on the debate over open borders. I survey the support for …

Sex Differences In Political Leadership In An Egalitarian Society, Christopher Von Rueden, Sarah Alami, Hillard Kaplan, Michael Gurven

ESI Publications

We test the contribution of sex differences in physical formidability, education, and cooperation to the acquisition of political leadership in a small-scale society. Among forager-farmers from the Bolivian Amazon, we find that men are more likely to exercise different forms of political leadership, including verbal influence during community meetings, coordination of community projects, and dispute resolution. We show that these differences in leadership are not due to gender per se but are associated with men’s greater number of cooperation partners, greater access to schooling, and greater body size and physical strength. Men’s advantage in cooperation partner number is tied to …