Sociology Commons^™

“No Voy A Invitarte A Mi Cumpleaños”: El Acoso Escolar De Niñas, Hana Maruyama

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After working with children, mostly girls, between the ages of four and eight, I noticed a pattern of exclusion with one girl in the group. This experience has shown me the subtlety with which bullying can occur, even at very young ages. I decided to write my essay about this to illuminate the issue at hand, one that is all too often forgotten. With boys, bullying is generally more direct but this does not mean that bullying with girls does not occur. I begin my essay by defining bullying, and follow with an explanation of the causes and the manifestation …

Análisis De “Proyecto Mirlo”: Aprendiendo A Acoger Al “Desconocido”, Abigail Bissette

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the fall and early winter of this year, I volunteered with a program called, “Proyecto Mirlo,” which is a small part of a larger organization, “Caritas,” whose focus is providing support to marginalized groups of people in Spanish society. Proyecto Mirlo is a subsection that provides free language classes for immigrants, as well as food and, in extreme cases, financial help. In my volunteer work, I taught basic Spanish classes to an eighteen-year-old immigrant from Senegal. As my student grew in his language proficiency, I grew in my teaching proficiency, especially on the discovery of teaching resources that I …

La Cara De La Explotación: Un Estudio De La Industria Minería En El Sur De La República De Ecuador, Jillian Howell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Mi viaje continúo al sur oriente a la ciudad de Macas en la provincia de Morona Santiago, a dónde había una reunión del Programa de Pequeños Donaciones (PPD) de las Naciones Unidas - Proyecto de Desarrollo (UNDP) sobre los pequeños proyectos sostenibles en el sur de Ecuador. Unos de estos proyectos era sobre mitigando de los impactos ambientales de los mineros artesanales de La Pangui y Congüime en el Cordillera del Cóndor. Yo visité este proyecto una semana después, cuando fui a La Pangui y viví una noche con la familia del presidente de una asociación de los mineros artesanales. …

Una Lucha Por Valor Y Dignidad: La Situación Actual De Trabajadoras De Hogar En Bolivia = A Struggle For Value And Dignity: The Current Situation Of Domestic Workers In Bolivia, Jenny Kauffman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El gobierno actual de Bolivia tiene una retórica de cambiar el poder en el país para dar más capacidad y una voz más fuerte a la gente marginalizada. Esta investigación entra a este tema para entender cómo estas ideas e ideologías del estado han afectado las vidas de los bolivianos. Para examinar la relación entre los ciudadanos y el estado, la investigación explora las realidades de las vidas de trabajadoras de hogar. La situación actual de trabajadoras de hogar es muy pertinente porque ellas viven los efectos de una confluencia de tensiones entre Bolivia. Basado en entrevistas con varias trabajadoras …

Cultural Tourism In Mjini Ole, Pemba: A Case Study In Its Establishment And Marketing, Peter Rashid Clabby

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to attempt to better outfit the Kidike Pemba Flying Fox Ecotourism Center of Pemba Island, Zanzibar, in order to increase its appeal to a wider audience of tourists and to benefit the surrounding community of Mjini Ole. This goal was specifically carried out by establishing and marketing cultural tourism under the Kidike brand. In Kidike’s initial condition, guests were able to see the roost site of this endemic giant fruit bat – the Pemba Flying Fox – and continue on to see historical ruins and a mangrove forest, but the presentation and experience as …

Les Impacts De L’Éco-Tourisme Sur La Population De Ranohira: Étude De Cas Du Parc National De L’Isalo, Benjamin Cook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

À Madagascar, une île dans l’Océan Indien, le tourisme et les installations touristiques sont en processus de développement. Alors que certains étrangers profitent du climat tropical pour aller à la plage, d’autres passent le temps dans l’un des 20 parcs nationaux, tous connus pour la flore et la faune uniques. Madagascar National Parks, une organisation privée qui était établie en 1990, est chargé de la gestion de chaque parc y compris l’éco-tourisme, la conservation, et le développement durable. Généralement reconnu comme l’un des parcs les plus visités de Madagascar (avec des dizaines de milliers de touristes chaque année), le Parc …

Rally Around The Flag And Support The Black Stars: Multi-Relational Analysis Of Nationalism And Contemporary Football In Ghana, Elka Peterson Horner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper examines the relationship between sports and nationalism in Ghana. I draw on Ghana‟s performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup as a major resource and site of argument in framing the research. Ghana, just like many other postcolonial African countries, has a multitude of ethnic groups and cultural variations; past governments worked very hard to cultivate a sense of nationalism Ghana. I am arguing that football transcends these differences or variations, especially since the culture of football is a significant tool in promoting expressions and feelings of unity and nationalism. I also argue that football is an …

Body Politics Within The Body Politic: Ghanaian Disabled Communities And Their Relationships To Power, Conner Chivone Spinks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I chose as my research topic disabled communities within Ghana and their relationships with different sources of power in Ghanaian society. To begin my analysis, I deconstructed the „disabled body‟ and established disability as an axis of identity that has bearing on social positioning. I explored the power dynamics that dictate the lives of minorities, particularly the lives of those with non-normative bodies. Using my interviews of disabled Ghanaians and my observations of disabled Ghanaians in public spaces, I analyzed how systems are felt in everyday life.

Conditional Acceptance: Asserting Fa’Afafine Claims To Legitimacy In Samoan Society, Teake

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The author aimed to gauge levels of acceptance throughout Samoa of individuals known as fa’afafine. The term translates literally: “in the manner (or fashion) of a woman.” The term applies to those male-bodied individuals whose lifestyle and general conduct is characterized as feminine in the public’s imagination of a strict gender binary. Fa’afafine generally perform “feminine” roles in a sexual division of labor (often from a very early age). Some fa’afafine dress in women’s clothing and speak or walk in a manner commonly associated with feminine patterns of behavior.

The author initially hoped to investigate the extent to which the …

Persecution Of Religious Minorities In Samoa: The Bahá’Ís Struggle To Face A Common Problem, Zoe Bryan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this research is to determine the prevalence of religious persecution and examine how minority religions, particularly within the Bahá‟í Faith, have experienced it in Samoa. Case studies from the Bahá‟í and research looking at prominent stories of persecution will demonstrate the overarching problem that a lack of religious freedom presents in Samoa for minority religions. Understanding Samoans‟ perceptions of religious persecution will be gleaned from the survey portion of the research. Finally, the paper will yield some ideas for improvement in looking at the future of the Bahá‟í Faith and religious freedom in Samoa. In addition to …

Ngo’S: The Voice Of The People: The Relationship Between Government And Civil Society In A Samoan “Democracy”, Dani Karnoff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project examined the meaning of civil society, both in its true form as well as in the Samoan context, the roles of civil society, and whether civil society is used as a modem to converse with the Samoan government on behalf of the people. The purpose of this study was to formulate a more complete understanding of the term “civil society”, how civil society works within the Samoan Democracy, and the relationship between civil society and government. Research for this study was completed through interviews, surveys, secondary research, and field based observations. The interviewees for this study were either …

Post-Independent Kosovo: From Prescriptive To Descriptive Identities, Marisola Xhelili

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this study was to uncover the existence, or possibility of, a Kosovar identity in today’s Kosovo. I intend to discuss the role personal experience plays in confirming or challenging one’s identity, and in this light show how the memories and personal experiences of Kosovo Serbs and Albanians endorse their ethnically-based interactions.

The methods of my research were mostly of an experiential nature, and consisted of staying in Kosovo for a two-week period. My research shows that there is no clear idea of what a Kosovar identity means for the people of Kosovo at this time. Their narratives …

Sobrevivientes Del Holocausto En Argentina: La Importancia De Sus Testimonios = Holocaust Survivors In Argentina: The Importance Of Their Testimonies, Jessica Michelle Katz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After World War II ended and Nazi’s prisoners were released from concentration camps, labor camps, and ghettos, many refugees immigrated to Argentina, either to live with a relative who had emigrated before the war or because the language was similar, or because life was easier there, among other reasons. Today there are around 800 Holocaust survivors living in Argentina, 450 of them just in Buenos Aires. Despite the efforts of the testimonial project done by Steven Spielberg and the Shoah Visual History Foundation to record oral histories of survivors around the world, including many in Argentina, there is still a …

¿Amigos, Enemigos O Hermanos En Riña?: Cooperación Y Conflicto Entre El Gobierno De Morales Y La Confederación De Los Pueblos Indígenas, Antti Aki Eemeli Isoaho

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este trabajo investiga la relación entre la Confederación de los Pueblos Indígenas del Oriente, Chaco y Amazonía Boliviana (CIDOB) y el actual gobierno, es decir, identifica conflictos, así como áreas de cooperación recientes entre los dos. A través de la realización de ardua investigación literaria, distintas entrevistas y participación directa en la Gran Asamblea Nacional de los Pueblos Indígenas (GANPI 2010), esta investigación propone responder de manera detallada la siguiente pregunta: ¿Cómo es y cómo ha evolucionado la relación entre el actual gobierno boliviano (liderado por un indígena) y los pueblos originarios del Oriente? Este estudio revela que a pesar …

The Incompatibility Of Dependence And Development: A Critical Analysis Of International Development Efforts In The Nicaraguan Context, Molly Dunton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Countries in the Global South have been receiving billions of dollars annually in humanitarian and development aid for the past half-century. But they still remain poor, marginalized, and on the periphery in spite of this massive influx of money into the region. Many would argue that this very aid is in fact working to maintain the economic hierarchies responsible for their poverty. Through the lens of Dependency Theory, I analyze this apparent failure of the International Development Industry in the context of Nicaragua. After researching what was working and what wasn’t in Nicaraguan rural development, I was able to categorize …

Modernization Of The Hijab In Amman, Jordan: A Symbol Of Islam And Modernity, Nicole Mcdermott

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This goal of this research is to obtain data that describes how modernization has affected the practice of women wearing the hijab in Jordan. The intention of this project is also to refute the commonly held notion that the Islamic veiling practice is a backwards, oppressive act that is hinders women from becoming modernized in current society. This study collected data through distribution of surveys to 38 subjects and by conducting six in-depth interviews with respondents (44 respondents in total). The survey consisted of questioned that aimed to capture beliefs on the mandates of wearing the hijab in Islam, views …

Queering Normal Or Normalizing Queer? Marriage Equality And The Divisions Between The Queer And Mainstream Gay Movements In The Netherlands, Catharine Atkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This Independent Study Project examines the queer movement and the mainstream gay movement in the Netherlands and the ways in which these communities are divided and the ways in which they are united. The project specifically uses the issue of marriage equality to understand these differences and similarities. Data was obtained by conducting eight in-depth semi-structured interviews and attending a queer conference called “Queeristan.” This data was then analyzed using Butler’s theory on recognition, regulation, and normalization, the theory of Intersectionality, the theory of Covering, and Subculture theory. It is concluded that, while there are several differences between the queer …

“Real Culture” Preservation, Authenticity, And Change In Hoi An’S Heritage Tourism Industry, Ursula James

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Following the achievement of World Heritage site status in 1999, Hoi An shifted from a primarily agricultural economy to a primarily tourism-oriented economy. This economy is based on the idea of heritage tourism, focused mostly on preserved tangible heritage but increasingly accompanied by attempts to preserve and capitalize on intangible heritage. As the heritage tourism industry grows, the city of Hoi An must make constant decisions as to the nature and goals of the ideas of preservation and authenticity and their interplay with economics and the forces of globalization. The city has consequently had to balance the many conflicting demands …

Cultural Heritage Preservation Meets Modern Port Development: Securing The Integrity And Authenticity Of The Lamu Town World Heritage Site In The Face Of Current And Future Challenges, Sarah M. Wiggins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study identifies the current major threats to the Lamu Town World Heritage Site, which lies on the coast of Kenya. Lamu gained status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its well preserved Swahili living culture as well as the physical representations of that culture in architecture etc. Lamu is a tourist hotspot within the region and hosts over 50,000 for the Maulidi Festival alone. However, the town is in desperate need of infrastructure development if it is to be maintained for the future. The greatest barrier to development and cultural heritage preservation is the lack of a …

“We Can No Longer Declare Ourselves A Multicultural City Until We Start Reacting To Things Like This” : Contextualizing The Violence At The 2008 Queer Sarajevo Festival, Sarah Schrag

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The 2008 Queer Sarajevo Festival was an effort by LGBTIQ activists to raise visibility and educate the public through a series of artistic and cultural exhibitions over the course of five days. However, the Festival was preceded by a month-long media campaign in widely distributed right-wing newspapers, which declared the immorality of the Festival—particularly because of its timing during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan—and a crowd gathered outside the opening exhibition, throwing stones and violently assaulting at least eight Festival attendees. The remaining events of the Festival were cancelled. Government officials, political parties, and religious leaders’ responses to the …

Civil Society And Inequality In Jordan: A Study On The Effectiveness Of The Community Development Center In Ashrafiyah, Mary-Katharine Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Poverty exists across the globe, in almost every region and area there is present a form of social injustice. This inequality comes from several different factors and is caused by a multitude of both domestic and foreign affairs alike. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is no exception to the rule. This study is aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the Community Development Center in reducing the inequalities that exist in the town of Ashrafiyah, however, through the method of teaching civil society. Civil society, originally a western, democratic concept, is not often spoken about in Jordanian society. However, with the …

Alcohol And Dutch Masculinity: How Does Alcohol Influence The Dutch Male Image?, Adriana Lara

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study investigated the impact alcohol has in creating Dutch masculinity. Twenty Young men between the ages of thirteen and nineteen participated in interviews for this project, participants under the age of eighteen were required to have a parental consent form signed. The focus of the research was to find out how, and if, alcohol plays a role in creating masculinity. It was assumed that most participants would drink alcohol on a regular basis and believe that drinking it was essential to be a man. In my results, my assumptions were proven incorrect. Most of the boys were not …

Indlovukazi Yase-Afrika (Zulu Queen): A Curriculum For Young Women’S Empowerment In Kwa-Zulu Natal, Judith Merzbach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fifteen years into a democratic society, fifteen years after the abolition of a governmental structure that purposefully marginalized a majority of citizens, South African women are still living as a marginalized majority. While the position of women holding symbolic and representational positions remains changed for the better, the role of women in civil society has made little progress. Since the end of apartheid, the number of cases of sexual assault and rape against women continues to increase, painting a bleak picture regarding the protection of women. Young women also find themselves the victims of HIV/AIDS at an incredibly unbalanced rate …

Policing With The Community, Dream Or Reality: Perspectives Of The Police Service Of Northern Ireland In West Belfast, Tom Carey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This report is a culmination of three weeks of intensive primary research on community policing methods suggested in the Patten Report and the perspectives concerning police and policing in west Belfast held by Police officers as well as members of the community. My research question was; is the PSNI policing with the community as the Patten Report suggested in 1999? I set out to find if the active partnerships between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the community were actually being realized. Data was collected through interviews with both the Police Service of Northern Ireland officers from the Woodbourne …

“It’S A White People Thing”: The Experience Of Negotiating Sexual And Cultural Identity For Young-Adults In Durban, Erin Schaff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The creation of the post-apartheid government founded itself on the principles of equality for all people as laid out in the Constitution. However, while discrimination against people based on sexual orientation is illegal, homosexuals still experience a lack of acceptance in mainstream South African society. The purpose of this study is to understand the experience of Zulu and other black and coloured young-adult lesbian, gay, and bisexual (lgb ) peoples living in Durban, South Africa. I looked at how these people have developed their identities and what challenges and surprising joys they have found in their lives in relation to …

Coloured Identity In The Rainbow Nation: Historical Narratives Of The Durban Coloured Community, Olivia Greene

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

South Africa is working to come to terms with the residual effects of institutionalized racist policies that governed all aspects of its citizens’ lives during Apartheid. One struggle individuals and communities must wage is to define how they see their own racial identity in a post-Apartheid South Africa. There are many questions to ask. Is race no longer pertinent, or does it have a past that must be earnestly engaged and challenged, or does it constitute eternally fixed boundaries embodying cultural norms and biological traits? I, as I show in this paper, see the concept of race itself as a …

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 …

Vietnamese Beauty: Exploring The Definition Of Female Beauty In Present Day, Urban Vietnam As Seen Through The Desire For White Skin, Dorie Topolsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Upon my arrival in Vietnam, I was exposed to Vietnamese women’s desire for white skin. The beauty industry in Vietnam is heavily represented in everyday life through the women who do not go into the sunlight unless they are completely covered from head to toe and by the numerous skin care stores and advertisements on every block. I started my research on the skin whitening community in Vietnam with hopes of gaining an understanding of the motivations behind why Vietnamese women are willing to put so much effort into obtaining white skin and quickly realized that the development of the …

El Muralismo: El Papel De Los Murales En La Lucha De Los Organismos Sociales En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires = Muralism: The Role Of Murals In Social Organizations, Loren Crosier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

There are an ever-growing number of social movements in the city of Buenos Aires, and a number of these groups are using art in the streets in an attempt to “recuperate” urban neighborhoods. Muralism is an art form and a concept that has a long legacy of militancy and vanguardism. This paper will address the breach between art as a product and a social reality by analyzing the meaning of muralism. What is the role of the muralist and what is the social function of the mural? Or more importantly, what is the social function a social organization or movement …

Creating A Culture Of Accountability: The Prosecution Of Gender Crimes In The Icty, Alice Hansen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates if the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) successfully creates a culture of accountability through its prosecution of gender crime. It first frames the concepts of sexual violence in war as well as accountability theoretically, and describes the historical context of the war in the former Yugoslavia. The ideas of ethnic identity, gender roles, and rape as a war crime are placed against a historical and cultural background. Next, it uses twelve Statements of Guilt issued by the ICTY as a means to discuss the definition and creation of a culture of accountability within the …