Asian Studies Commons^™

When Packaged Food Pollutes Our Body And Earth: Plastic Packaged Food Consumption And Waste Disposal Practices In The Himalayas, Jared Marsh, Jessica Shalvey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of our field study project is to examine current waste disposal practices and food preferences in rural Himalayan agricultural communities and to communicate the results, as well as our own outside research, to the villagers in Sikkim. We hope to promote safe disposal practices of packaged plastic, to offer responsible alternatives to packaged waste disposal, and to encourage the consumption of organic, homegrown food for all ages to benefit both human and environmental well-being.

Remembering Forgotten Foods: A Collaborative Project, Azher Jaweed, Sophia Alhadeff, Claire Roberts, Avery Perkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Our final project aimed to validate indigenous knowledge and empower younger generations about their rich, organic farming practices while also debunking the stereotypes of American food culture. Additionally, we aimed to reverse the sense of inferiority about agricultural practices in Sikkim amongst young people. The first component will consist of a cooking activity focused around forgotten foods. The second part of the project compares the preparation process of two dishes– one made in Sikkim and the other from the United States. The first poster compares a traditional Himalayan dish with a typical American dish. The second compares the sourcing of …

Dolpopa, Yvette Segan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The village of Dho is located in the Tarap Valley in the Himalayas of western Nepal. In the limited literature about the region, it is generally regarded as one of the most remote villages in the world with a culture that has been largely preserved due to the lack of accessibility. The villagers today maintain a trade that has been occurring for hundreds, if not thousands, of years with Tibet to ascertain the goods that they need. Lower Nepal is less available for trade due to the lack of a drivable road between Kathmandu and Dho Tarap. This has resulted …

Nature And Nomads: Service Approach To Mongolia Tours, Jesse E. Shircliff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tourism has potential to diversify Mongolia’s geopolitically challenged economy. Tourism development and promotion has increased since 1990, and there is reason to expect continued sector growth. Cultural tourism has potential to commodify or degrade cultural resources (Gilbert, 2006, Pigliasco, 2010, Soma & Suhkee, 2014) and alter the physical landscape and identity of local people (Chang & Yeoh, 1999, Seng, 2005, Phua & Berkowitz, 2014). As tourism in Mongolia increases, its effects on cultural resources should be understood. This study of Mongolian tourism interviews fifteen tour company employees to understand how Mongolian culture is perceived and used from a business perspective. …

Preserving Identity Through Discourse In A Changing Ladakh, Emma Cyr

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Situated in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, Ladakh is a vast high altitude desert. It's looming mountains, rocky vistas, crystalline lakes, and unique indigenous culture makes Ladakh not only a favorite destination for adventurers, thrill seekers, and camera toters of all types, but also marks it as one of the most ecologically fragile areas in the world. However, Ladakh has only been open for tourism since 1974. Prior to then, the region was fairly isolated, open to travellers only a few months of the year, when the high, icy passes melted enough to let trade through. In the time …

What To Expect When You’Re Expecting: The Impacts China’S Maternal And Child Health Care Law Has Had On Tibetan Birthing Practices In The Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Hannah Mishriky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

While childbirth is universal, it is undeniable that class, culture, ethnicity, and the scientific and political state of medicine all influence how women experienced it. The Tibetan ethnic minority of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is a culture that exemplifies the uniqueness of each birth. Due to both their distinctive childbirth beliefs and practices, as well as the swift changes China has undergone, Tibetan birthing experiences are asking to be explored.

This study will focus on two major factors influencing Tibetan women's birthing experiences. To begin, research will be done to understand the Buddhist influences surrounding pregnancy and childbirth, …

Thangka Painting: An Exploration Of Tibetan Buddhism Through Art, Hannah Slocumb

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Thangka painting is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist art form which depicts Buddhist deities. The deities must be made in very specific proportions, as it is believed that the deities can inhabit the paintings and thus the painting must be of the utmost beauty. Thangkas have a variety of uses, but they are mostly used as a means of gaining merit, in death rituals, during meditation, and in Buddhist ceremonies. In order to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism, I spent two and a half weeks studying thangka painting. I learned the entire process of creating a thangka, from the creation of …

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 …

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 …

Coming In Hot: Motor Vehicles, Capitalism, And Modernization In Mongolia, Thea Bergen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditionally, nomads in Mongolia have used horses for transportation. The horse was used to help herd livestock and also allowed them to get to the soum center quicker (Yembuu, 2015). This way of transportation is seen less and less now. With globalization comes an increase in different products from around the world. Herders now have the opportunity to buy cars and the ever popular motorcycle. Now, when out in the open Mongolian steppe, one can see motorcycles racing around to get herders from place to place. Some even use them to herd instead of a horse. And when a family …

Money Speaks: Education, Awareness And Facing Development In Rasuwa, Ariel Murray

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Rasuwa district of Nepal, an area affected profoundly by the 2015 earthquake, development and infrastructure have been fast growing both since the natural disaster and the opening of Rasuwa Gadhi as the more formal trade route to and from China. For those in the district, a race has commenced building as much as possible in anticipation of an influx of tourism and business opportunities from both the border and new trekking in the area, though at varying expectations for both. With all this change on the rise, a big question is how are local efforts – like local …

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 …

Shaped By Changing Space: Exploring Gender And The Discourse Of Empowerment In Sikles, Nepal, Rachel Yanover

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Development work as it relates to women in Nepal is an ongoing topic of debate and discussion that may never have a concrete end. In the late 1970’s Indian women took a stand in defending their livelihood against commercial logging operations with authorities. This event was known as the Chipko movement and is often cited within the history of women and development as it caused people to “engage the question of gender and gendered livelihoods in the Himalayas” (Gurarani and Berry, 2015). It was women who served as the backbone of this movement in organizing nonviolent demonstrations against commercial deforestation. …

Optimized Organic Waste Treatment System An Assessment Of Composting And Biogas Potential At Santos Organics, Abbie Winter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Food waste holds incredible environmental degradation implications due to its ability to produce and emit potent greenhouse gases, as well as allow for the resources initially used to produce it to go to waste. When in a gloabal crisis of environmental degradation as well as food security, it is a shame to see food be wasted when other more optimal outlets are available.

This study utilizes the Triple Bottom Line to assess the ideal systems with which the three branches of Santos Organics should manage their food waste to optimize its lifecycle in order to further promote the business’ status …

The Shifting Roles Of Dai Maas: An Intersection Of Healthcare And Female Empowerment In Rural Udaipur, Julie Morel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), known as dais in an Indian context, have historically served as women’s primary caregivers throughout their pregnancies and during childbirth in rural regions where access to formal healthcare institutions is nearly impossible. With a heavy reliance on traditional knowledge passed down through generations, dais have aided with home deliveries for millennia. Approximately 15 years ago, however, groups such as WHO, UNICEF, World Bank, and the UN began addressing India’s high maternal mortality rate (MMR), thereby instigating the discouragement of home deliveries in favor of the encouragement of institutional deliveries. Infrastructural changes were established to improve accessibility …

Understanding Sanitation Preferences: An Exploratory Study In The Sirohi District Of Rajasthan, Karen Mac

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Of all the countries in the world, India has the highest number of people practicing open defecation, causing adverse health outcomes from the unconfined spread of faecal matter. The Government of India is ambitiously aiming to end this practice through the construction of 12 million toilets by 2019, but historically, many toilets across India have gone unused. This study focused on understanding: (1) the reasons why people continue to openly defecate despite having toilets and (2) the requirements of a toilet that rural households would be willing to use. Along with 36 observations of household toilets, semi-structured group (n=8) and …

The Perceived Mental Health Effects Of China’S One-Child Policy, Avery Rasmussen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looked at the perceived impacts of China’s 30 year One-Child Policy (OCP). Previous studies suggested the OCP affected Chinese culture and society in a number of ways, however no studies (to the knowledge of the principal investigator) had looked at perceptions of the effects of the OCP on anxiety levels and other mental health issues of students in China. This study sought to fill the aforementioned knowledge gap and aimed to determine perceptions about the mental health effects of the OCP on students. Specifically, this study endeavored to gain a better understanding of perceptions of the effects of …

A Comparative Study Of The Barriers To Hiv Self-Management Among Myanmar Migrant And Han Chinese Women In Yunnan, China, Anna Gaden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

HIV has transitioned from high-risk populations to the general population through sexual transmission – now the primary mode of transmission in China – and is currently the biggest public health crisis in China. Those who are not directly involved with commercial sex work (CSW) or intravenous drug use (IDU) are now vulnerable to contraction. Han Chinese women, especially young women, are generally more vulnerable to transmission than their male counterparts, both physically and socially, and the virus affects their lives more deeply. Myanmar migrant women are even more vulnerable, as their migrant status leaves them without support structures or protections …

Asean And The South China Sea: Approaches To Resolving The Conflict, Jennifer Jie Li

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, tensions have escalated between actors in the South China Sea, one of which is the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the region’s primary intergovernmental organization. The purpose of this report is to determine the effectiveness of ASEAN in resolving the South China Sea disputes and to clarify how geopolitical factors have impacted the organization’s actions. Through an analysis of evolving maritime claims and the current state of affairs, this paper suggests that ASEAN must be involved in any attempt to resolve the conflict peacefully. Acknowledging the importance of the diplomatic channels that ASEAN has created to …

An Abbreviated Leap: The Geopolitical And Geoeconomic Significance Of The China – Pakistan Economic Corridor To The New Silk Road, Emma Nichols

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this analysis is to reveal the geopolitical and geoeconomic significance of the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor of the Belt and Road Initiative to its major stakeholders; Pakistan and China. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping unveiled one of the most ambitious international infrastructure plans in modern history. The plan, in its earliest stages, is currently underway with its first portion, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Through careful preliminary analysis of the greater Belt and Road Initiative, the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor, and history of Sino-Pak relations, the motivations of the collaborating nations are …

Kali Gandaki: The Road From Lower Mustang To A Global Food Market, Austin Van Wart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Development in Nepal continues to be a major issue in both metropolitan and rural areas of the country. Of the many obstacles standing in the way of this objective, one of the most challenging is the mountainous geography that shapes the country’s lands, culture, and people. To overcome this obstacle, Nepal has followed many other developing countries by making rural road development a main priority in hopes of increasing connectivity, travel, trade, education, and accessibility to other benefits. One such example of this is the Kali Gandaki road in Lower Mustang.

The purpose of this research paper is to identify …

The Business Of Brandy: The Changing Roles Of Women In Apple Brandy Production In Lower Mustang, Nepal, Madeline Sachs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Lower Mustang, Nepal is famous across the country for its well-known trekking circuit and an agricultural climate especially suitable to apple cultivation. Home to the indigenous Thakali ethnic group, the region was made accessible by motor vehicle via the Jomsom-Beni road just ten years ago. While before the road transportation of fresh apples was nearly impossible, necessitating the production of dried apples and apple brandy, now farmers make a lucrative profit off of high demand throughout the country. Additionally, the production of apple brandy has boomed, and the region has four to six distilleries in production at any one time. …

Developed Toast, Modern Laundry: Nepali Household Appliance Discourses, Maureen Mccord

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project investigates discourses of modernity, globalization, class identity, and social change in Kathmandu, Nepal, through the lens of ten Nepali women’s purchase and usage of home appliances. Four weeks of ethnographic research sought to identify prevailing practices and attitudes toward household appliances in the city, situating them in broader discourses of globalization, modernity, class identity, and social change. The project is composed of participant observation in Nepali homes, including informal interviews, with project participants sourced from my own social network. My collaborators’ practices and opinions on appliances engage discourses of the developmentalist and modernizing South Asian state, fluid and …