Civic and Community Engagement Commons^™

La Integración De Gimnasios Al Aire Libre Y El Desarrollo Local, Emily Feenstra

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación pretende explicar el inicio y desarrollo de gimnasios al aire libre en Chile a través del estudio de dos comunas en la Región Metropolitana: Providencia y San Ramón. En un área de poca investigación académica y poco conocimiento del gobierno, se intenta ofrecer una documentación y además un análisis de la instalación, uso, y efectos de los gimnasios al aire libre. Primero, ofrecer información de la gestión de instalación de las máquinas de dos comunas. Después plantea patrones generales sobre el uso de las máquinas, quiénes las usan, cuándo, y con qué hábitos. Finalmente, ofrecer algunas teorías sobre …

“Gente Que Va Y Viene”: Relaciones Entre El Turismo Y Las Comunidades Mapuche En La Zona De San Martín De Los Andes “People Who Come And Go”: Relationships Between Tourism And Mapuche Communities Near San Martin De Los Andes, Katharine Sullivan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this Independent Study Project, I investigate the relationship between tourists and the tourism industry and two indigenous Mapuche communities located near the popular vacation destination of San Martín de los Andes, located in the province of Neuquén in Argentinean Patagonia. Historically, these Mapuche communities have had a difficult and complex relationship with the government, Lanín National Park, and the tourism industry of San Martín de los Andes due to repeated human rights violations, discrimination, and marginalization on the part of these institutions. However, recently attempts to foster mutually beneficial and culturally respectful forms of tourism in the Mapuche communities …

We Are What We Eat: A Sherpa Cookbook, Renee Horen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Everybody eats. This is a basic fact of life: that all people, given that they have the means, consume some type of food on a daily basis. Although this is a common factor which on some level may unify us all as one people, the food produced and consumed by any given individual, or culture as a whole, divides us by who we are and where we come from. Food consumption is more than just an act of survival and within our eating habits lays greater meaning than purely sustenance. Eating is a form of expression shaped by history and …

Economic Empowerment And Hiv Prevention Among Young Women And Girls In Kenya: Lessons From The Study Of Economic Empowerment Programs, Samantha Van Putten

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

One of the major issues facing Kenya is HIV/AIDS. With recognition by the global community that providing women with economic opportunities can help both those who are HIV positive, as well as in prevention for those who are not infected, programs combining microfinance and HIV education have started to emerge. While women in these programs 3 3 have shown preliminary signs of success, young girls did not respond as well in part due to lack of interest in the particular programs themselves. As such, this study examines two economic empowerment programs for girls and young mothers at the non-governmental organization …

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 …

Acholi Clan, Ethnic, And National Identities In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: A Case Study In Koch Goma Sub-County, Nwoya District, David L. Davenport

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

the following essay, the researcher will explore the clan, ethnic, and national identities of the Acholi people in the context of post-conflict northern Uganda. The researcher will first describe and interpret the meaning of these identities to Acholi people he interviewed during his research, and then he will analyze them in the post-conflict, socio-cultural context of northern Uganda.

During a research period of four weeks, the researcher spent a total of twelve days in Koch Goma Sub-Country, Nwoya District conducting one-on-one interviews. During this time, the researcher was able to interview eighteen people. Data was collected and analyzed qualitatively as …

Feeling, Experiencing, Learning: Environmental Education At Escola Vila, Isabelle Aida Heilman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Teaching children about the importance of the protecting environment is a key step in preparing future generations to solve environmental issues. The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze how Escola Vila in Fortaleza, Brazil integrates environmental education into its curriculum to promote positive environmental actions later in the children’s lives. Classroom observations revealed how environmental education is incorporated into the curriculum in an interdisciplinary way. Students at Escola Vila learn about the environment through creative projects, experiential learning, sustainable practices on the campus and human rights education. Interviews with alumni showed that these four ways that Escola …

Constructing Cidadania: Shifting Visions Of Citizenship In The Mst Settlement Assentamento 25 De Maio In Ceará, Brazil, Alexis Victoria Cruzzavala

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The social movement known as Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) was founded in 1984 with the intent of agrarian reform in a newly democratic Brazil. The movement arrived in Northeastern Brazil in the late 1980s and successfully organized a group of landless workers in the interior of Ceará on May 25, 1989 to create the first settlement the state had seen. The citizens of Assentamento 25 de Maio, as the settlement was later named, have undergone a unique social transition from circumstances closely resembling forced servitude and latifúndio to liberation. This transition affected the men and women who …

Conflicting Perspectives, Contentious Problems A Case Study Of Kwale International Sugar Co. Ltd. In Msambweni District, Jayme Tsutsuse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper presents a report of the findings from a four-week study on the varying perspectives towards Kwale International Sugar Co. Ltd. which have brought about problems concerning land, development, and politics. It discusses findings fromliterary sources and field work, including correspondence, interviews, forums, and focus group discussions with government representatives, company managers, and community members. It highlights where recorded information is inconsistent, making it difficult for the people and company to coexist. Additionally, it describes how the community’s grievances developed and critiques the various actors and actions that are responsible. Lastly, it provides recommendations to a way forward towards …

Alliances Et Cultures: Cap Nord, Stacey Fitzpatrick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En essence, Alliance et Culture est un endroit où les gens peuvent rencontre et apprennent comment de vivre ensemble. Cette association, officiellement crée en 1987, avait la mission de répondre à problèmes d'intégration sociale par des actions collectives, et le développement d’une vie social dans les quartiers. Pour réaliser cet objectif ils offrent des activités et services ouvrent à tout le monde comme l’accompagnement à la scolarité, les ateliers, les cours d’alphabétisation et de Français, et les ludothèques et plus. Il y a trois centres en Toulouse dans diffèrent lieux qui contribuent aux les gens dans les quartiers des Mirail, …

The Role Of Information In Enabling Community Response To Mining Threats In Palmares Ii, Christine Gerbode

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The case of Palmares II is examined to understand the role that knowledge (or misinformation/lack thereof) of specific geologic interests and rights of surface communities plays in enabling those communities to respond to the possibility of mining on their land. Palmares II is an MST settlement located near the Carajás mining complex in southern Pará. Currently, a number of companies are authorized or requesting permission to conduct research for mineral ores such as gold, copper, manganese, diamond, and nickel within the borders of the settlement; it is therefore potentially possible that this community will face mining interest on their land …

¿Por Qué Participan? Las Motivaciones De Participación De Los Miembros De La Corriente Classista Combativa En La Matanza Why Participate? The Motivation To Participate For The Members Of The Corriente Classista Combativa In La Matanza., Googie Karrass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The ‘piquetero’ movement that emerged out of Argentina’s economic crisis of 2001 has undergone many transformations. Beginning in the early 90’s in response to the devastating neo-liberal policies of Carlos Menem, this movement of unemployed workers created new forms of political dissent and organization. While individual groups existed within the movement their method of public protest, the blockage of transit routes, and their shared objectives for institutional change and stable employment, allowed this movement to act as an untied front. During the crisis of 2001 and in the wake of the utter failure of Menem’s neo-liberal agenda the ‘piqueteros’ converged …

When Mountain Bellies Grow Round: Localized Knowledge And Behaviors Facilitating Pregnancy And Childbirth In Phaphlu, Nepal, Cailin Marsden

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In attempts to gain a level of understanding of a community’s localized experiences, beliefs, practices, and roles around pregnancy and childbirth, ethnographic fieldwork was conducted with the mothers and fathers of Phaphlu in the Solukhumbu district of Nepal. Aimed at the validation of diverse and localized ways of knowing revealed during the fieldwork period, this paper applies anthropologist Bridgette Jordan’s theoretical framework of authoritative knowledge to the emergent themes of subjectively understood childbirth (knowledge acquisition and flow, role of the husband, and protective behavior.)

Le Centre D’Alliances Et Cultures, Esther Wittenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

L’esprit de accueillance était déjà au bâtiment de centre avant d’il était officiellement le centre d’Alliances et Cultures. La structure était construite aux même temps des autres maisons qui sont dans le même quartier. Il était un projet du HLM, le Habitation à Loyer Modéré, qui construit des maisons pour les familles. Les familles sont locataires et ils paient un loyer modeste. Il était ouvert en 1982 comme un bâtiment où les familles pouvaient rencontre des autres familles au même quartier. Petit à petit, ils ont crée un microsociété, et ont gagné une rassurance de solidarité. Eventuellement, les familles ont …

Sem Terrinhas No More: The Place Of Second Generation Mst Settlers In The Agrarian Reform Movement Sem Terrinhas Não Mais: A Posição Da Segunda Geração Dos Assentados Do Mst No Movimento De Reforma Agrária, Lorraine Keeler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

After 28 years of fighting for agrarian reform, social justice, and sustainable agriculture, Brazil’s Landless Worker’s Movement (MST) is facing new challenge, one of which is how to retain maturing sem terrinhas, children of land recipients, in the rural settlements and in the movement. The southern region of the Amazonian state of Pará, where this study takes place, is a violent area badly in need of agrarian reform and sustainable development. At the same time, it has some of the highest levels of rural youth outmigration yet virtually no literature on the MST youth there. Through interviews conducted with youth …

The Revolutionary Art: Street Art Before And After The Tunisian Revolution, Nicholas Korody

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Art and revolution have always commingled. Often, periods of social upheaval are also periods of profound artistic experimentation. For example, the Bolshevik revolution encouraged constructivism and the daring new forms of the Russian avante-garde. Additionally, art is often used as a mechanism to incite people into action. The Cuban revolution, Chinese revolution, and Russian revolution all created unique and highly influential political propaganda.

During the Arab Spring, the series of mass protests and government-overthrows that erupted in early 2011 across North Africa and the Middle East, little was reported in the media of the cultural changes that existed. These countries …

Cap Centre : L’Epicerie Sociale, Ana De Pina

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contrairement à autres study abroad programs, « The School of International Training (SIT) » donne les étudiants Américains une opportunité de découvrir la culture Française, d’apprendre la langue Française, et de s’intègre dans la société Française. Pendant notre séjour en France, nous avons fait de bénévolat dans une association que correspond à nos études aux États-Unis. Aux États-Unis j’étudie la sante publique. Je suis très intéressé pour l’administration des hôpitaux et autres institutions de santé et la relation entre la sécurité sociale et la bonne santé. Donc, pendant trois mois j’ai travaillé au CAP Centre, une épicerie sociale qui aide …

Puerto Disperso: La Existencia O No De La Comunidad Y El Espacio No-Heteronormativa En Valparaíso, Chile, Rebecca Raymond-Kolker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The social and political reality of contemporary Chile continues to be characterized by hegemonic social conservatism and restrictive and often violent government. Within this context, studies of sexuality and deviations from normative sexuality in Chile have historically focused on certain identity groups—namely gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual/gender populations—in relation to this conservative context. Previous work on specifically lesbian and gay individuals focus on the relationship between identity formation and social realities. Gay and lesbian studies in Chile are often based in Santiago; as the capital and the largest metropolitan area, the 15th Region is the site of the most GLBT …

Cultural Conceptions Of Health, Caroline Stephens

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Healthcare is a complicated structure, influenced by multiple economic, social and cultural factors. It is problematic enough to determine how to administer healthcare in countries that rely only on the western healthcare system, but it is even more difficult in places such as Madagascar where multiple healthcare systems exist. Today the Malagasy have a culture that combines the many French practices with the traditional Malagasy beliefs, traditions and values. Many Malagasy chose to utilize allopathic medicine, but many others still prefer to go to a traditional healer. By gaining a better understanding of the average Malagasy person’s perceptions of proper …

Community Empowerment Through Youth Employment: A Comparative Study Of Social Programs For Youth Job Creation, Stacey Nelson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Entrepreneurial training may be a better means to livelihoods for youth in Uganda today than vocational or traditional education models. Even those with university degrees have difficulties being selected from saturated applicant pools for professional careers; vocational training programs give their otherwise-uneducated or unskilled students the means to an occupation though positions are limited. In traditional education systems or vocational programs, supplementary education encouraging entrepreneurship can help create careers where opportunities are scarce. By mobilizing youth, communities prosper. These activities can even create direct community benefit themselves.

This research observes the processes of both a vocational training model and a …

Yak, A Green Icon And A Good Investment, Caroline Kang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

“Yak, A Green Icon and Good Investment” was conceived after I briefly interned for the Mongol Yak Society during the NGO Drop Off. I became interested and even, invested in their mission. For three weeks of the ISP period, I worked closely with the Mongolian Yak Society based in Ulaanbaatar and researched how increasing the productive value of yaks through improved communications, equipment, knowledge, and support will address several key environmental and economic issues. I further focused on the Mongolian Yak Society and its role as a detached entity that intervenes on various levels of the yak wool value chain: …

The Impact Of Qmm On Social Relations In Fort-Dauphin, Christopher B. Collier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My interest in this subject began with a general desire to understand how Malagasy society adapts to “outsiders.” We learned throughout the semester about the various external forces that have shaped the culture of the island since the arrival of the first people here thousands of years ago. At first, my ideas were focused more on the experiences of people immigrating to Madagascar. I observed very particular patterns: immigrants of certain ethnicities fill specific socioeconomic niches in specific geographic areas, and with varying reception from the Malagasy community.

I came to realize, however, that similar patterns take place even between …

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 …

Public Perceptions Of Corruption In Tanzania: How Does The Corruption Perceived By A Sample Of People In Arusha, Tanzania Compare To Tanzania’S Transparency International Cpi Rating Of 3.2 And What Does It Mean For Tanzania?, Kelly L. Mcdonnell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The World Bank defines corruption as “the abuse of public power for private benefit.” The definition of corruption can have many permutations, however, and acts of corruption are rarely recorded, thus it is difficult to quantify the level of graft in a town, city, or nation. In response to this problem, non-governmental agencies like Transparency International proposed using questionnaire-based surveys to measure public perceptions of corruption. This particular study focuses on trying to measure perceptions of corruption in Arusha, Tanzania. Arusha is a major metropolitan area in Tanzania, located in the northeastern part of the nation. Using Arushans as the …

The Identity Of The Chinese In Belgrade: A National Question, Wan (Sabrina) Tsai

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Chinese community is an unknown population to the general Serbian society. Since most of the Chinese function within their own established spaces, it is difficult for outsiders to fully understand the dynamics of Chinese identity. This study aims to explore the layers of identity formation in the Chinese transmigrant community in Belgrade, Serbia. By taken into account different daily-life factors that impact identity formation, this study examines the extent to which Chinese identities are influenced by living and working in Serbia.

The methods used in this study are four semi-structured interviews and thirty-two informal conversations with the Chinese in …

Homelessness: A New Culture Of Poverty In The Streets Of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Lindsay Lanteri

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El problema de las personas que viven en situación de calle no es un fenómeno nuevo en la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires (CABA) ni en las otras grandes urbes de América Latina. Sin embargo, se torna necesario explorar las características que este problema va configurando en relación a la “nueva cultura de la pobreza” instaurada en el país y los vínculos entre sus componentes intergeneracionales y crónicos. Con un enfoque localizado en la CABA este ensayo investiga cómo el problema ha evolucionado durante las tres últimas décadas y además provee al lector un análisis en profundidad a través de …

“Jamás Será Vencido:” Un Estudio De Caso De La Producción De Deporte Y Capital Social Del Club Deportivo Unión Jiménez En Valparaíso, Kevin Mechenbier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper seeks to address the relationship between the “clubes deportivos” of Valparaíso and the offices within the city government. Both national and municipal laws address the importance of developing sport within their jurisdictions, along with methods of developing and maintaining relevant institutions. The “clubes deportivos,” while they are a collection of private actors, are widely popular, and appear to be an effective method of achieving the goals that are set out in the municipal laws. The research question, then, is: how does the municipality perceive the local clubs, and based on this, in what ways does the municipal government …

Sandino Socialists, Flagwaving Comrades, Red Rabblerousers: The Struggle For A Left Praxis In Northern Ireland, Benny Witkovsky

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the outcome of three weeks of research on Left politics in Northern Ireland. Taking the 2011 Assembly Elections as my focal point, I conducted a number of interviews with candidates and supporters, attended meetings and rallies, and participated in neighborhood canvasses. These experiences led me to two contrasting conclusions: in many ways the Left in Northern Ireland appears disconnected from contemporary political scene; and the Left has an important critique to offer the region regarding Sectarianism, the economic collapse and post‐Good Friday Accords politics. Finally, by discussing changes to the Lefts

theories, organizations and environment, I attempt …

Experiencing Samoa Through Stories: Myths And Legends Of A People And Place, Samantha Lichtenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research will explore oral tradition, indigenous beliefs prior to Christianity, and the significance of place through the study of Samoan myths and legends. The researcher will investigate the tradition of storytelling by hearing the stories from Samoan elders themselves. These stories will be supplemented with details from secondary written resources in order to compile comprehensive versions of the myths and legends. The research will consider the affect that Christianity has on the meaning of the stories and examine whether traces of indigenous belief/religion are preserved today through storytelling and the remembrance of myths. The researcher will spend a significant …

Claiming Manaslu: The Agency Of A Rural Community In Nepal’S Developing Mountain Tourism Industry, Sierra Gladfelter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Due to the commoditization of Everest‟s summit and road construction around Annapurna, adventure tourists drawn to Nepal for wilderness and „authentic‟ village experiences are increasingly seeking more remote destinations like the Manaslu Circuit, which only opened to trekkers in 1991. The trekkers and mountaineers who travel such routes play a crucial role in ushering in the development of remote regions and reshaping the face of previously isolated villages. As agencies, nonprofits and community organizations design and market these alternative treks with the noble goal of alleviating poverty in rural Nepal, there is often a disconnect between those promoting the destination …