Latin American Studies Commons^™

Greater Wealth Inequality, Less Polygyny: Rethinking The Polygyny Threshold Model, Cody T. Ross, Monique Borgerhoff Mulder, Seung-Yun Oh, Samuel Bowles, Bret Beheim, John Bunce, Mark Caudell, Gregory Clark, Heidi Colleran, Carmen Cortez, Patricia Draper, Russell D. Greaves, Michael Gurven, Thomas Headland, Janet Headland, Kim Hill, Barry Hewlett, Hillard Kaplan, Jeremy Koster, Karen Kramer, Frank Marlowe, Richard Mcelreath, David Nolin, Marsha Quinlan, Robert Quinlan, Caissa Revilla-Minaya, Brooke Scelza, Ryan Schacht, Mary Shenk, Ray Uehara, Eckart Voland, Kai Willführ, Bruce Winterhalder, John Ziker, Christopher Von Rueden

ESI Publications

Monogamy appears to have become the predominant human mating system with the emergence of highly unequal agricultural populations that replaced relatively egalitarian horticultural populations, challenging the conventional idea—based on the polygyny threshold model—that polygyny should be positively associated with wealth inequality. To address this polygyny paradox, we generalize the standard polygyny threshold model to a mutual mate choice model predicting the fraction of women married polygynously. We then demonstrate two conditions that are jointly sufficient to make monogamy the predominant marriage form, even in highly unequal societies. We assess if these conditions are satisfied using individual-level data from 29 human …

The Economy Of Divorce: Pensions In Latin America, The Effects On Women, And The Decision To Divorce, Mary Walsh

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis addresses the gender inequalities produced in pension systems in Latin America, discusses pension reform, and specifically describes gender inequalities that exist for divorced women, and the relationship between divorce and pensions.This topic is important in the discussion in analyzing pension reform in Latin America, as well as analyzing the nuanced degrees of inequalities present for women in Latin America. It is crucial to understand this relationship, in order to address gender inequality as divorce rates continue to rise . To analyze this relationship,I looked at both qualitative and quantitative data.To start I examined the inequalities present within systems …

Do Climate Shocks Affect Smallholder Farmers’ Conservation Practices? Evidence From Peru, Heleene Tambet

Master's Theses

Peruvian agriculture is estimated to be subject to the greatest impacts of climate change in South America. Resulting shifts in rainfall patterns and extreme temperature realizations impose more frequent abnormal weather shocks on farmers and their production decisions. I study the impact of such shocks on agricultural practice choices of farmers growing two main staples, maize and potato; namely, I analyze adoption of practices reducing soil degradation, practices aimed towards water conservation, and application of inorganic fertilizer. I utilize unique cross-sectional data from Peru National Agricultural Survey over the years 2014 to 2016 in conjunction with long-term climate data, and …

Promesa, Puerto Rico And The American Empire, Pedro Caban

Latin American, Caribbean, and U.S. Latino Studies Faculty Scholarship

As the United States ascended to hyper-power status during the late 1970s, it changed colonial policy in Puerto Rico. The change, which included the elimination of favorable tax legislation and demilitarization, devastated Puerto Rico’s economy. Puerto Rico borrowed heavily in a failed effort to offset the dramatic decline in capital inflows. The federal government enacted PROMESA after Puerto Rico announced it could not repay the debt. The law was designed to restore Puerto Rico to financial solvency by imposing oppressive austerity measures. PROMESA was a watershed event because it stripped Puerto Rico of the limited sovereignty the federal government had …

Venezuela: Oil And Madness. Politics, Propaganda, And Realities Of The Chavista Era, Alvaro E. De Prat

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis is an interdisciplinary exploration of Venezuela’s political paradoxes and their consequences during the Chavista years. On a concrete level, in this work I propose how the manner in which Hugo Chávez implemented his at first apparently benign redistributive politics in fact precipitated the country's current humanitarian crisis and what I will argue are the times of starkest inequality in modern Venezuelan history. Integral to this, although on a more philosophical level, here I also offer a theory of how and why Chávez’s representations might have been so misinterpreted.

The list of eminent political thinkers who have vouched for …

Out Of The Shadows: Women Of The Fmln Guerrilla Army In El Salvador’S Civil War, 1979–1992, Erica Gonzalez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Over the course of a century, revolutionary movements have emerged every few years across the region of Central America, movements that fought for overturning dictatorships and confronting socio-economic inequalities. Women experience higher levels of poverty, human rights violations and discrimination due to gender inequalities. Representing 30% of the FMLN guerrilla army, women in El Salvador took a quantum leap into one of the most horrific and violent armed conflicts in the history of the country (Montgomery 123). Theorists have sought to explain why women became involved in the war. Experts of insurgent collective action agree that women's participation played a …

Consciente O Inconsciente: El Rol De La Educación En La Formación De Una Conciencia Social Y Colectiva En La Juventud Chilena / Conscious Or Unconscious: The Role Of Education In Forming A Social And Collective Awareness In Chilean Youth, Samsara Davalos Reyes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explorará la formación de una conciencia social y colectiva en la juventud chilena y los distintas causas que contribuyen a su creación como los es la educación. En la última década se ha visto el surgir de una multitud de movilizaciones estudiantiles y ferviente espíritu militante que llaman a investigar, que impulsa de forma individual y colectiva a que uno tome conciencia y se movilice. Es por eso que este estudio observó tres clases de historia además de entrevistar a nueve estudiantes y 3 docentes en liceos históricos y/o emblemáticos en la comuna de Santiago y técnico en …

La Influencia Del Neoliberalismo Sobre Las Ideas De Lo “Natural”: Un Análisis De Las Ideas De La Naturaleza En Urbanizaciones Cerradas Y Grupos Subalternos En Tigre / The Influence Of Neoliberalism On Ideas Of What Is “Natural”: An Analysis Of Ideas Of Nature In Closed-Gated And Marginalized Communities In Tigre, Catherine Fraser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the 1970s, there has been a global increase in neoliberal policy and ideology, marked by privatization, deregulation, and the withdrawal of the state from social programs (Harvey 2005: 2-3). Neoliberalism has manifested itself in Argentina in various forms, notably in the rise of closed-gated neighborhoods. In Tigre, a northern suburb of Buenos Aires, real estate developers fill in wetlands and re-route river tributaries to construct closed-gated neighborhoods around artificial water bodies to create an idealized neighborhood that offers residents a life in contact with “nature”. Seeking to accumulate capital, real estate developers commodify and construct a specific form of …

Paradigmas Del Desarrollo Urbano En Cuenca: Abordando Los Procesos De Segregación, Marginación Y Desplazamiento / Paradigms Of Urban Development In Cuenca: Addressing The Processes Of Segregation, Marginalization And Displacement, Sarah Rothschild

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cuenca, tercerca ciudad más grande de Ecuador, ha experimento un crecimiento rápido en los últimos años, que ha influenciado en los paradigmas de desarrollo urbano de forma considerable. Los impactos de la urbanización han cambiado las dinámicas y condiciones de vida de la ciudad y de su gente, creando un ambiente urbano que favorece a los sectores más ricos de la población, y al mismo tiempo relegando y segregando a comunidades con menos recursos; si bien, no son tan extremos como en ciudades más grandes como Quito y Guayaquil. Por otro lado, el reciente fenómeno de migración extranjera, también ha …

Pearl Lagoon's White Lobster: The Societal, Economic, Political And Autonomous Effects, Rafely Palacios

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua is home to the greatest number of impoverished individuals in the country. However, the people of Pearl Lagoon - a municipality in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region - have found a way to escape their poor economic situations.

Due to the municipality’s close proximity to drug routes utilized by Colombian cartels and to the country itself, community members have turned to the drug trade in hopes of pursuing financial secureness. With the introduction of the “white lobster” or cocaine packets, the community as a whole has transformed its social, economic, and political spheres. In …

Spatial Effects Of Foreign Direct Investment (Fdi) On Poverty Reduction In Colombia: A Mixed Methods Approach, Mayra Alejandra Yat Aguilar

Masters Theses

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been identified as an important factor in stimulating economic growth and decreasing poverty. In particular, the relationship between FDI and economic growth has been extensively debated in the academic literature but with mixed results. Meanwhile, considerably less work has been done towards investigating the effects of FDI on poverty reduction. Evidence from the limited research linking on FDI and poverty levels is also mixed. Through a more comprehensive survey-based multi-scale method of assessing poverty, this empirical study investigates the contribution of FDI with respect to concurrent quantitative and qualitative assessment of changes in living standards …

Healthcare Coverage In The United States And New York Metropolitan Area, 2009 - 2015, Andrew S. Alger

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This study examines trends regarding health insurance coverage in the United States along lines of sex, race/ethnicity, place of birth, and poverty status between 2009 and 2015.

Methods: This study uses the American Community Survey PUMS (Public User Microdata Series) for the years 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2015. These datasets were downloaded from the IPUMS USA website hosted by the University of Minnesota. The variables used in the study describe these populations in terms of sex, the four major race/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Latino, and Asian), being born either within the United States or abroad, and being …

El Valor De Verde Neoliberalismo, Crisis Económica Y Políticas Polarizadas: Cómo Afecta En La Vida Cotidiana De La Gente De Clase Media En Buenos Aires. / The Value Of Green Neoliberalism, Economic Crisis And Polarized Politics: How They Affect The Everyday Life Of The Citizens Of The Middle Class In Buenos Aires., Sierra Conboy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of a country can haunt them for decades. For Argentina, the history of neoliberal economics has plagued the economic development of the country; so much so that as a result of neoliberalism, Argentina experienced the worst social, political, and economic crisis of the countries entire existence between the years of 1998 and 2002. With the height of the crisis being in 2001, it continues to lurk in the economic and political infrastructure of the country today. The threat of constant economic dilemmas has manifested into the minds of the citizens of Argentina, but how far has it gone? …

Raci (Red Argentina Para La Cooperación Internacional): La Cooperación Internacional En El Contexto De Las Organizaciones De La Sociedad Civil En Argentina / Raci (Argentine Network For International Cooperation): International Cooperation In The Context Of Civil Society Organizations In Argentina, Juno Rettenmier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La cooperación internacional entre los actores estatales y no estatales —como las organizaciones de la sociedad civil, fundaciones y empresas— es un desarrollo relativamente nuevo en las relaciones internacionales, pero es una parte importante para el desarrollo social hoy en día. Este informe intenta introducir el concepto de la información como un recurso tan valioso como el dinero en el proceso de la cooperación internacional y en el logro de los objetivos de desarrollo social, especialmente para las OSC, apoyado por los aprendizajes y las observaciones que yo hice durante mis cuatro semanas como una pasante de RACI (Red Argentina …

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 …

Low Perceived Control Over Health Is Associated With Lower Treatment Uptake In A High Mortality Population Of Bolivian Forager-Farmers, Sarah Alami, Jonathan Stieglitz, Hillard Kaplan, Michael Gurven

ESI Publications

Indigenous people worldwide suffer from higher rates of morbidity and mortality than neighboring populations. In addition to having limited access to public health infrastructure, indigenous people may also have priorities and health perceptions that deter them from seeking adequate modern healthcare. Here we propose that living in a harsh and unpredictable environment reduces motivation to pursue deliberate, costly action to improve health outcomes. We assess whether variation in Health Locus of Control (HLC), a psychological construct designed to capture self-efficacy with respect to health, explains variation in treatment uptake behavior among Tsimane Amerindians (N=690; age range: 40–89 years; 55.8% female; …

Corruption: Brazil's Everlasting Parasite, Patricia Vilhena

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to explore corruption in Brazil, how it has endured for so such a long period, and the effects it has in the country. Understanding the history of Brazil, how the government was established, and how the branches operate is crucial to comprehend the rooting causes of the Brazilian corruption. The focus is not just about what corruption is and the effects it has on education, economy, and infrastructure, but also on the factors that contributed to its expansion and the circumstances that allowed it to sustain until today. Brazil is a country known for …

Why Not Mexico? Policy Recommendations For A Globally-Oriented Economic Strategy, Víctor Manuel Hernández-Rodríguez

CMC Senior Theses

Mexico, one of the world’s largest economies and an increasingly relevant actor in international affairs, is at a crucial point in defining its future policy course. Given the uncertainty surrounding the global economy, as well as the political situation in Mexico, it is important to have a clear vision for policy going forward. This thesis offers a foundation for a national economic strategy with a long-term vision, upon which future administrations can build as appropriate to maximize on the country’s economic potential. The task is undertaken through a three-part approach. First, a thorough and analytical overview of the country’s economic …

Strengthening The M&E System Of Peace Corps Colombia, Samuel Burke

Capstone Collection

In 1961, when the Peace Corps was established, Colombia was the first country chosen to receive volunteers. The program ran for 20 years, with volunteers working all over the country in various sectors. Then in 1981, due to the increasing violence from the guerilla civil war, the US government decided to withdraw the volunteers and suspend the Colombia program. After a 29-year hiatus, at the request of the Colombian government, the Peace Corps was invited back to Colombia in 2010.

The Peace Corps Colombia post currently has two programs, Practical English for Success (PES), established first; and, Community Economic Development …

The Impact Of Culture On Hispanic Entrepreneurs As Mediated By Motivation, Challenge, And Success, Valerie V. Ballesteros

Theses & Dissertations

In the modern economic environment, demographic shifts in U.S. population resulting from changing immigration, changing economic policies and environments, and growing socioeconomic disparity, scholarly research examining the business behavior of specific groups and the impact of behavior on the broader marketplace is valuable and necessary. Hispanic entrepreneurs, when compared to both minority and non-minority business-owners, started and flourished in successful business ownership at a greater growth rate than any other group (Davila, Mora, & Zeitlin, 2014). Since the beginning of the 21st century, Hispanic entrepreneurs have become a measurable economic force. The cultural experience of the Hispanic entrepreneur is important …

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 …

Luchadoras: Resistencias Contra La Violencia De Género Por Las Mujeres En La Región De San Ramón, Olivia "Livey" Beha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This qualitative study describes the dynamic resiliency-building process against gender-based violence in two rural coffee-producing communities in the region of San Ramon, Nicaragua. It examines the methods and efficacy of economic empowerment and educational interventions facilitated by the Union of Agricultural Cooperatives Augusto Cesar Sandino (UCA San Ramón) in addressing gender inequality, preventing gender-based violence, and increasing access to resources for women in the cooperatives of El Privilegio and Danilo Gonzales. This complex ecology, comprised of the interactions between women, their communities, available resources, and institutions, is assessed through the lens of women’s individual perspectives as they engage in three …

Considerations For Mexican Immigration Policy Reform: How Motivations To Migrate Align With U.S. And Mexican Macroeconomic Conditions, Alix Naugler

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The nationalistic rhetoric adopted by the newly-elected president’s administration along with the public’s climaxing anti-immigrant hysteria has recently forced Mexican immigration intervention to the top of the U.S. agenda. Misconceptions regarding Mexicans’ role in stealing jobs, threatening cultural and ethnic traditions, and straining public welfare, educational, and healthcare resources have spurred a fear among the American people. This politically-fabricated “schizophrenia” has ceased the political and economic collaboration between the two nations and has resulted in the unilateral militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border. In this evaluation of the U.S. government’s immigration policies, the proposed economic theories related to Mexicans’ motivations in …

The Demilitarization Of Costa Rica, Patrick Buscone

College Honors Program

Costa Rica is one of the few developed countries in the world to be completely demilitarized. In the first chapter, this thesis explores why the country decided to demilitarize and how effective their demilitarization has been. Further statistical analysis is applied in Chapter 2 to determine the effect military spending has on growth in Latin America. With Costa Rica experiencing great stability and growth following their demilitarization and the statistical analysis showing military spending to have a negative impact on growth in Latin America, the third and final chapter explores other Latin American countries that could benefit from demilitarization.

The Dream Act: A Retrospective On Immigration Policies Across Time And Nations, Ernest M. Oleksy

The Downtown Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal Written and Peer-Reviewed by Mandel Honors College Students at Cleveland State University

The United States has a long tradition of assimilating diverse peoples into a shared culture and thus developing a transformative, holistic national identity. Despite this historical affinity for immigration, there have also been points during which rose issues with migrants entering the country illegally. Once this happens, politicians must decide how to deal with an influx of undocumented aliens. This paper focuses on amnesty acts, particularly ones past through the American Congress in the past century. The relationship between amnesty legislation and immigration flow will be investigated. Also, an exploration of European policies towards immigration will all be conducted in …

Coronary Atherosclerosis In Indigenous South American Tsimane: A Cross-Sectional Cohort Study, Hillard Kaplan, Randall C. Thompson, Benjamin C. Trumble, L. Samuel Wann, Adel H. Allam, Bret Beheim, Bruno Frohlich, M. Linda Sutherland, James D. Sutherland, Jonathan Stieglitz, Daniel Eid Rodriguez, David E. Michalik, Chris J. Rowan, Guido P. Lombardi, Ram Bedi, Angela R. Garcia, James K. Min, Jagat Narula, Caleb E. Finch, Michael Gurven, Gregory S. Thomas

ESI Publications

Background—Conventional coronary artery disease risk factors might potentially explain at least 90% of the attributable risk of coronary artery disease. To better understand the association between the pre-industrial lifestyle and low prevalence of coronary artery disease risk factors, we examined the Tsimane, a Bolivian population living a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, gathering, fishing, and farming with few cardiovascular risk factors, but high infectious inflammatory burden.

Methods—We did a cross-sectional cohort study including all individuals who self-identified as Tsimane and who were aged 40 years or older. Coronary atherosclerosis was assessed by coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring done with …

Migration And Injustice In The Neoliberal Era: A Comparative Analysis Of Migratory Laws And Sweatshop Labor Conditions In Argentina And The United States, Kelly L. Johnson

Spanish Honors Papers

In the contemporary neoliberal era, the global phenomenon of migration dominates the international political discourse and generates empirical and normative questions regarding the admission, rights, and realities of migrants who leave their home countries to live elsewhere. Argentina and the United States are countries in which migration was, and continues to be, a main factor in shaping the nation’s identity. Despite the similar migratory phenomenon in both of these countries, their migratory policies vastly differ—Argentina considers migration to be a right, but the United States constantly strengthens its efforts to deter migrants from entering the country. Even though migratory policies …

The Tsimane Health And Life History Project: Integrating Anthropology And Biomedicine, Michael Gurven, Jonathan Stieglitz, Benjamin C. Trumble, Aaron D. Blackwell, Bret Beheim, Helen Davis, Hillard Kaplan, Paul L. Hooper

ESI Publications

The Tsimane Health and Life History Project, an integrated bio-behavioral study of the human life course, is designed to test competing hypotheses of human life-history evolution. One aim is to understand the bidirectional connections between life history and social behavior in a highfertility, kin-based context lacking amenities of modern urban life (e.g. sanitation, banks, electricity). Another aim is to understand how a high pathogen burden influences health and well-being during development and adulthood. A third aim addresses how modernization shapes human life histories and sociality. Here we outline the project’s goals, history, and main findings since its inception in 2002. …

La Lucha Por Kimsakocha: Resistencia Contra La Minería En Azuay, Ecuador \ The Struggle For Kimsakocha: Resistance Against Mining In Azuay, Ecuador, Lydia Petroske

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Ecuador, hay una “reprimarización” de la economía, un fenómeno por el que se produce una creciente dependencia en exportaciones de productos primarios como recursos no renovables. Este fenómeno ha sido acompañado con una retórica estatal sobre pobreza y deuda social. Para el gobierno del estado, la industria extractiva es parte importante de su estrategia y retórica para hacer inversión social y combatir la pobreza, lo cual ha justificado una rápida expansión del sector extractivista. En el sur de Ecuador, la gente de las parroquias de Victoria del Portete y Tarqui ha estado luchando por más de 15 años contra …

¿Qué Pasa Con Cuba Ahora?: La Economía Actual Y Sus Proyecciones Para El Futuro, Erica L. Nye

Student Publications

A través de un análisis de las opiniones y datos del libro Cuba. Hacia una estrategia de desarrollo para los inicios de siglo XXI y de las acciones que han ocurrido desde la publicación de este libro en el año 2012, este ensayo es una explicación de la economía actual y una proyección de lo que viene para Cuba. Los elementos de la economía que están considerados son: el sistema de microfinanzas y la pequeña y mediana empresa (Pyme), el sistema monetario, el control estatal, las industrias biotecnológicas e farmacéuticas, el acceso al internet, la infraestructura, la agroindustria de la …