Social Welfare Commons^™

A Case Study Of Rural Finance Self-Help Groups In Uganda And Their Impact On Poverty Alleviation And Development, Rebecca Flynn

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to assess the impact of financial Self-Help Groups (SHGs)on poverty alleviation and development in rural areasof Uganda and evaluate their successes, limitations, and potential for sustainability.An extensive literature review ofpovertyin Uganda, development theories and development in Uganda,andrural finance self-help group methodology and theorieswas conducted in order to provide a broader context for the research.

The participants in the research were members of SHGs in Central Uganda under the Self-Help Group Approach Uganda (SHGAU) organization andemployees of SHGAU.The primary methods were personal interviews and focus groups. Thesegave the researcher insight into the goals and structure …

La Vulnerabilidad De La Tercera Edad En Desastres Naturales: Un Estudio De La Inundación En La Plata, Argentina El 2 De Abril De 2013 = The Vulnerability Of The Elderly During Natural Disasters: A Study Of The Flooding In La Plata, Argentina On April 2nd, 2013, Katelyn Dutton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación, realizada dos meses después de la inundación en la ciudad de La Plata el 2 de abril de 2013, explora y describe las consecuencias que sufrieron la población de la tercera edad a través del desastre. Con una revisión bibliográfica de fuentes secundarias, se desarrolla un contexto de la historia de las inundaciones en esta región de Argentina y los efectos comunes en la salud física y mental que son causados por este tipo de evento. A través de una serie de entrevistas con funcionarios y voluntarios, este estudio detalla las respuestas que fueron llevadas a cabo por …

Fostering The Orphaned And Vulnerable Child: Exploring Identity Economics In Relation To Orphaned And Vulnerable Children In The Eastern Cape And Cape Town, South Africa, Khaliyah Yasmeen Washington

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

According to UNICEF, 3.7 million children are orphaned in South Africa (2010). Parliament enacted the Children’s Act on April 1, 2010 to grant and protect the rights orphaned or vulnerable children (OVC). The Children’s Act aims to promote the well being of children, prevent abuse or neglect, and increase options for the care of children found to be in need or care and protection (Jamieson, Mahery, and Scott 2011). Children not receiving care and protection from a parent or guardian are placed in one of three options of alternative care. One being child and youth care centers (CYCC); also known …

La Implementación Del Programa De Intervención Para Hombres Que Ejercen Violencia Contra Sus Parejas, “Hombres Por Una Vida Sin Violencia,” En Arica, Chile, Meghna Nandi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Battery intervention programs are an important domestic violence intervention method to study because they focus on understanding the perpetrator’s side of domestic violence and can shed light on the cultural and social forces that maintain domestic violence within society. Objective: This study explores Chile’s newly initiated battery intervention program, “Hombres por una vida sin violencia,” or “Men for a life without violence,” by documenting its implementation in the city of Arica, Chile through an investigation of both the program’s functioning and the perception of domestic violence within the greater community. Methodology: Interviews were conducted with professionals who work in …

The Institutional And Social Integration Of Child Asylum-Seekers In The Schools And Society Of The Canton Of Vaud, Switzerland, Sonja C. Brinker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As an increasing number of asylum-seekers cross the border into Switzerland in search of protection, Switzerland faces the challenge of accommodating and integrating asylum populations into society while protecting all basic human rights. This study looks at the reception of child asylum-seekers in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland in terms of their integration in the education system and society. A series of interviews and a literature review were used to identify what services are available to child asylumseekers both at school and within the canton that may facilitate integration. The findings of this study indicate that child asylum-seekers are receiving …

Investigating The Fight Against The Crime Of Human Trafficking In Argentina: The Ratt And Its Capacities As An Ngo Network - Indagando En La Lucha Contra El Delito De La Trata De Personas En La Argentina: La Ratt Y Sus Capacidades Como Una Red De Ongs, Avery Corinne Kelly

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this independent study project, I take a look at the Argentine social movement against human trafficking, analyzing one particular organization, the RATT Argentina (National Network Against Human Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents[1]) I analyze the structural and logistical characteristics of the RATT as a social actor using research on its functionality as a network. The RATT is an organization comprised of different regional nodes, partner NGOs, affiliate government branches, and individual members; thus, my project relates the organizational structure of the RATT to its agenda and capacities, looking at how its actions are …

La Opinión Pública De La Leche Del Programa Nacional De Alimentación Complementaria En Chile, Jennifer Rosenthal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research question: What is the public opinion of the free milk distributed by the Chilean Supplementary Feeding Program?

Objectives: The general objective is to reveal the public opinion of the milk distribution program in order to propose improvements. The specific objectives are to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the program, to become familiar with the perceptions of the milk according to various socioeconomic groups, and to investigate the level of awareness in order to propose strategies for development and education if necessary. Ultimately, this investigation identifies improvements to the program to satisfy the various needs of health …

Drug Sentencing Policy Discourse Of Fortaleza, Nick Sundback

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Drug sentencing is a pressing issue in Brazil. With the context of high and increasing rates of crime and drug use, overcrowded prisons, and high rates of recidivism both in terms of prison and drug addiction, attitudes of individuals towards drug sentencing policy are worthy of observation and examination.

The objective of this monograph is to examine discourse by informants, five individuals who interact with sections of society most affected by drug sentencing, namely drug users. This monograph will consider pluralistic observations on, and evaluations of, drug sentencing practices, implementation of drug sentencing, an overview of the broader debate over …

The Clash Of Human Rights Principles And National Security Concerns: The Implications Of The Readmission Agreement Between Ukraine And The European Union On The Rights Of Unaccompanied Migrant Children, Kateryna Ustymenko

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is the analysis of the efforts of the European Union to stop the flow of irregular migration to the European Union and its impact on the lives of unaccompanied migrant children, who find themselves in a transit zone between the EU and Ukraine. This study will provide a general overview of the issue of unaccompanied migrant children, the analysis of international legal protections granted to unaccompanied migrant children, and the overview of the discrepancies between international law and actual practices based on the example of Ukraine in the context of bilateral Readmission Agreement between Ukraine and the European …

Take Back Rondebosch Common: A Case Study On Discontent With The Da And Urban Land Reform In Rondebosch, Cape Town., Kyle Dallman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In late January of 2012, undercurrents of dissatisfaction with Cape Town’s ruling political party, the Democratic Alliance, and their pace of development and service delivery came to a head as aggrieved citizens marched through the southern suburbs of the city to a green known as Rondebosch Common. The citizens had planned on protesting the lack of opportunities for Cape Town’s non-white citizens while at the Common in a “Land, Housing and Jobs Summit,” but were met with police batons and armored vans that quelled the movement in an astonishing show of force. This paper will investigate the motivations of the …

Discourses Around Social Welfare Grants As Antipoverty Policy: Effectiveness And The Potential For Reform, Sarah Maniates

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In a South Africa where many still live in poverty, the government has chosen an extensive system of social grants as one of the primary methods by which it attempts to reduce this poverty. Research has generated substantial quantitative evidence that the system is successful, but there has been little analysis of public opinion around this costly policy, its effectiveness, and the need for its reform. This study explores discourses around the grants, both within government and among everyday people, in order to gain insight into such opinions. This insight is important in a South Africa that is now democratic, …

L@S Desaparecid@S No Desaparecen: Testimonios De Familias Desgarradas, Sara Jacobs

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the beginning of time, migration has been a reality in our world. It is a phenomenon linked with the human race that has always existed and is always going to exist. There are a multitude of theories and reasons behind why people choose to migrate, whether it is in search of something different or to flee from something unsustainable, among other things. There are many reasons and each person has his or her own explanation and motive for migrating.

Although there are different motives, migrants and their family members share a human experience, and this experience connects millions of …

A New Face In The Crowd: An Examination On The Social Integration Of Children With Disabilities, Christen Maguire

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Historically in India people with disabilities have been pushed to the side and have not been given the attention which they need and deserve. As a result this population has become extremely marginalized and has not been included in making decisions with the rest of society. The main reason why this has become such a marginalized group is because of a negative stigma which has been associated with mental disabilities. Slowly this stigma is beginning to change, but it still affects the way people view and act towards the disabled. The integration of people with disabilities into the rest of …

Reproductive Realities: Fulani Women & Contraception, Corrina Regnier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the product of three weeks of research on contraception and the lives of married Fulani women in Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Based on interviews with Fulani women, conducted both in French and in the Fulani language of Fulfulde with the aid of a French interpreter, I discuss the cultural and religious influences on women’s lives that impact their decisions or abilities to use contraception, as well as the ways these influences and realities have changed, are changing, and are expected to change in the future. I also look into the more practical concern of the availability and accessibility of …

Una Desconstrucción Y Análisis De Centros Del Sename: Las Perspectivas Y Experiencias De Los Jóvenes, Gema Cardona

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio de campo investiga y analiza las perspectivas y experiencias de diez jóvenes del centro semicerrado La Cisterna del SENAME en la región metropolitana de Santiago, Chile. Específicamente, ver si existen temas comunes en las experiencias dentro de estos centros y los colegios, para ver si estos temas explican las razones por las cuales jóvenes en la región metropolitana se salen o son expulsados del colegio y terminan en la delincuencia y crimen. En los resultados de esta investigación, se encontraron temas que puedan explicar esto, los cuales fueron: las similitudes entre centros cerrados y cárceles de mayores; las …

Employing Empowerment: Developing The Discourse For Women’S Empowerment In Uttarakhand, India, Harriet Napier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following research study was conducted between the dates of 12 April, 2011 and 6 May, 2011 in the district of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and in surrounding rural villages. The investigation focuses on the empowerment of marginalized women through NGO and government programs, particularly through their employment in the field of public health within the role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and related Community Health Worker models developed by NGOs. The study will consider how empowerment through employment in the health sector works to decrease gender inequities by improving the status of the woman, increase the woman’s confidence, training her …

A Long Road Home: Housing Rights In South Africa’S Informal Settlement, Joe Slovo, Kaitlyn Bowles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Most countries legally consider housing to be a necessary human right. But for
millions of individuals in this world, adequate housing is out of reach. Homelessness is evident in different manors throughout the world, but in South Africa, the problem of insufficient housing develops itself in the form of informal settlements. One such settlement, Joe Slovo1, is situated just outside of Cape Town, and is the primary focus of this paper. Recently, Joe Slovo has been a prominent feature in the local news because of its involvement in a Constitutional Court case. On March 30, 2011, 20,000 residents of Joe …

La Operación Y Estructura De Salud Familiar Comunitaria Intercultural En El Caso De Achocalla, Dominic Strada

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación se centra en la nueva política sanitaria del programa Salud Familiar Comunitaria Intercultural, su nueva administración y su aplicación en Bolivia. La Salud Familiar Comunitaria Intercultural es una política de salud social que décadas después del proceso de descentralización del poder ha puesto la responsabilidad sanitaria en manos de las comunidades. Este estudio se centra en las estructuras de Salud Familiar Comunitaria Intercultural desde el nivel municipal, hasta un total de ocho estructuras, en el municipio de Achocalla. Achocalla es un caso interesante ya que es a la vez una localidad urbana, por formar parte de los suburbios …

The Successes And Shortcomings Of Participatory Slum-Upgrading In Villa 31, Jacob Perten

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Villa 31, an urban shantytown in the heart of Buenos Aires, a team of technical professionals and community members are working together on a slum-upgrading project. Through a participatory approach, in which community members are involved in all aspects of the upgrading process, this project seeks to better overall conditions through infrastructural and structural improvements. This study investigates the participatory process used in the upgrading of Villa 31, and using theoretical best practices as a basis of comparison, underscores key achievements and limitations of the current project. Based on chosen shortcomings, the final section makes recommendations to maximize participatory …

The Influence Of Local Government And Bid Initiatives On Cuca Che Guevara As A Center For Social Inclusion, Tessa Baizer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fortaleza, Brazil, is a city known for its extreme levels of social inequality in between the center of the city and the periphery. Over time, these have led to high rates of social problems among youth living on the outer reaches of the city, including truancy and lack of employability. These problems have led many of the youth in the city to become excluded from general society, and more likely to engage in risky behaviors, including crime and early pregnancy. After abandoning these areas for many years, the local government decided to create a physical center to promote the employability …

“Mieux Vaut Prévenir Que Guérir”: The Effect Of Natural Disasters On Water- And Sanitation-Related Infectious Diseases And The Increasing Need For Disaster Preparedness, Naomi Malam

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The world is suffering from an extreme global water crisis. 1.1 billion people in the world lack access to adequate clean water, and 2.6 billion people lack access to water and sanitation. Approximately 10 million deaths per year can be attributed to this water crisis; water-borne infectious diseases play a significant role in this death toll. Diarrhoeal disease accounts for 2.6 million deaths per year and is one of the leading causes of death in many developing countries.

We are entering a period of undeniable climate change which is bringing about more natural disasters and extreme weather events than ever …

La Integración De Los Inmigrantes: Una Sociedad Que Acoge, Weddy Worjroh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The first truth that I stumbled across upon arriving in Granada is that immigration has and continues to have a great impact on the society as a whole. I have always been intrigued by immigration because both of my parents were immigrants. Coming from a country that was built by the hands of immigrants, I get irritated when people say offensive things about the immigrants of today. Ever since I was a child my parents have told me many stories about the struggles and adversities they overcame in order to obtain a better life. For this reason, when I look …

A Review Of Psychosocial Support And The Challenges Faced In Disclosing Hiv Positive Status To Children In Kibera, Katherine Lesyna

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The AIDS pandemic has become an increasingly global problem as well as an everyday reality for most people living in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2009, an estimation of the number of adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa totaled around 22.4 million.1 The people that have been affected most by the pandemic are women and children.
In Kenya, about 1.5 million people are infected with HIV, about 180,000 of them being children.2 While a lot has been done to reduce HIV infections and treat those who are infected, children have been left behind until recently. There is still much …

Finding The Right Fit: Unique Challenges Faced By Health Ngos In The Health System Of Lamu District, Lauren Hartel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how nongovernmental organizations and community-based organizations in Lamu District interact with the governmentally structured health care system at the district level. This is done through participatory observation, interviews and removed observation of NGOs, CBOs and government officials. From these observations, this study then identifies major challenges faced by health NGOs that inhibit them from performing to the best of their ability, and at times even compromise the health of the people they are trying to help. The results of this study show that in Lamu District, the most relevant challenges are continuity of care, dissemination of information, …

A Step Towards Realization Of The Twenty-Seventh Right?: A Preliminary Analysis Of The Proposed National Health Insurance For South Africa, Kelsey Fraser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As part of a three-week social analysis study, the African National Congress’ (ANC) proposal for a National Health Insurance (NHI) scheme was examined. Legal commitments in Section 27 of the Constitution and Section 3 of the National Health Act oblige the South African government to work progressively towards realization of the right to healthcare. The latest push for NHI can be interpreted as an attempt to broaden realization of this right.

Information on the NHI proposal was obtained primarily from documents released by the ANC and was supplemented by written analysis found through Internet research. A partial understanding of public …

Life On The Periphery: The Effects Of Urbanization On Health In A Bidonville In Bamako, Mali, Adrienne Epstein Dit Raki Bah

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the past decade, the world has crossed a threshold that a century ago would have seemed unimaginable: the majority of the global population now lives in cities.A startling pattern of rapid urbanization began in the final decades of the 20th century and continues today at a striking pace. The percentage of the global population residing in urban areas increased from 32 percent in 1955 to 47 percent in 2002, and is expected to reach 65 percent in 2015. This trend is particularly notable in the developing world, where an arrival of rural migrants in search of labor has caused …

Breaking The Cycle Of Domestic Violence, Rebecca Bolden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Domestic violence is a serious problem that affects women all over the globe. It has been found that children who witness domestic violence in their homes are more likely to be involved in a violent relationship later on in life, perpetuating an intergenerational cycle of violence. This project aims to look at services that exist for women who suffer from domestic violence, in order to suggest future prevention strategies to end the cycle of violence. My methodology was interviewing four different organizations that exist in Salvador that support women who have suffered domestic violence as well as work to prevent …

Trapped In The Street: Defining The Health Care Use Of The Homeless Adult In Salvador, Bahia, Nicole Lunardi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Problem Statement

Homelessness is a universal problem. This population represents some of society’s most marginalized members who, paradoxically, need society’s help the most. In this study, data was collected in order to discern in which circumstances and how homeless people utilize medical care in order to better understand the concepts of self efficacy and self agency among this population.

Question and Hypothesis

In what circumstances and by what means does the adult homeless population seek medical attention?

Since the homeless population is marginalized by society, I believe that this population lacks the self efficacy and agency that is required to …

La Prise De La Violence, La Force De La Femme, Abi Pollokoff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Excerpt from Introduction:

Qui est Olympe de Gouges ? Au fond, c’ est la femme qui a écrit la Déclaration des Droits de la Femme et de la Citoyenne. Mais, cette définition est de ce qui elle était : phrase peu claire. Aujourd’hui, elle représente le courage et une âme prête à défendre celles qui ont besoin de défense, de protection. Elle est l’espoir des femmes terrorisées par l’abus, la violence. Et donc, on a pris son image et ses connotations pour nommer une association qui assiste exactement le groupe ciblé par Olympe elle-même.

L’association Olympe de Gouges est la …

Race, Class, Gender And The Law: A Study Of The Relationship Between Empregadas Domesticas And Their Patroas, Vasti Marilyn Mejía

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research analyzes the intersectionality of race, class, gender and governmental regulations, as they relate to violence against black women who are employed in domestic work. In order to reasonably address this larger issue in three weeks of field research, I have chosen to study this relationship as it relates to violence against black domestic workers, as domésticas and their female employers, as patroas, largely white women. Drawing from existent knowledge regarding the forms of oppression used against the black community during slavery, I conclude that that this hegemonic, dominant societal structure continues to function today in new, yet still …