Community-Based Research Commons^™

Mama Nyani: A Study Of The Correlation Of Behaviors And Habitat In Papio Anubis, Madison Beran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As the population in Tanzania continues to grow more people are in search of jobs. In Northern Tanzania a village named Mto Wa Mbu is conveniently located directly adjacent to Lake Manyara National Park. With its good location and weather for crops, many people have moved there in hopes to earn some money from the 1 million tourists that visit Tanzania per year. As more people move to Mto Wa Mbu the pressure between animals and the people has increased. With the national park directly across the street from housing both animals and people can easily access each other’s homes. …

“Kallawaya Siempre Soy” La Descolonización De Ajayu En La Cosmovisión Kallawaya, Rizky Rahadianto

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Based on the lessons learned in this program about multiculturalism, globalization and social change in Bolivia, this project connects these themes through a character study of a kallawaya man named Ramón Quispe Lizárraga and examines the analogy between traditional ritual and social activism; between restoration of ajayu and decolonization. A village of kallawaya healers in the province of Bautista Saavedra has a long tradition of maintaining ancestral values and at the same time confronting modernism. I used the participant observation method to be able to immerse myself in this community and understand the Andean cosmovision internalized in people’s actions and …

Emergency State Cultural Imagination And Expression Among Afro-Descendant Youth In Pearl Lagoon, Jennifer Lunceford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Various societal factors demonstrate that Pearl Lagoon is in state of emergency. The youth today live in a Pearl Lagoon that is gradually losing cultural ground. However, the young people are not silent witnesses to this decline. The youth desire to learn more about their cultural traditions. Many of them romanticize their community’s past and emphasize the importance of their traditions, even though others are breaking away from their customs. The younger generation also critiques their community. This is hopeful because Pearl Lagoon needs cultural rescue. Technology is increasing the youth’s exposure to the outside world, which is not necessarily …

La Reinserción Familiar Como Cumplimiento De Los Derechos Humanos Del Niño: Un Estudio En El Hogar De Niños Antonio Valdivieso En Cuenca, Ecuador, Rachel Keyser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este informe explora la idea de la reinserción familiar desde un marco internacional y nacional de los derechos humanos del niño. Ecuador tiene un sistema formal para la protección del niño, el Sistema Nacional Descentralizado de Protección Integral de la Niñez y Adolescencia, que se ha fortalecido en la última década, por la elaboración de los marcos internacionales y nacionales de los derechos humanos. Esta refuerza el papel fundamental de los derechos humanos del niño y las familias, así como la obligación de los gobiernos para apoyar el cumplimiento de estos derechos. En la reinserción familiar interviene el gobierno para …

Window To The Unbanked: The Potential Of Mobile Money As A Means Of Saving In Uganda, Allison Ryder

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The meaning of poverty is more than just merely the shortage of money. It is the lack of access to the instruments and means through which the poor could improve their lives. Many people lack appropriate means to manage their finances, which limits their economic potential and renders them vulnerable to exogenous shocks. Increasing financial inclusion to those without access contributes to poverty reduction by providing people with means to manage their finances. This study was conducted through a month long internship at the Bank of Uganda following with a short trip to Gulu, northern Uganda. The objective of this …

Limits To Literacy: The Perceived Relationship Between Functional Literacy And Political Empowerment Amongst The Forest-Dwelling Van Gujjars, Nicola Soekoe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The failure of countrywide basic literacy campaigns to enhance social mobility has led to the promotion and development of localized, comprehensive functional literacy campaigns. These campaigns are particularly applicable to marginalized groups; as they aim to empower communities by providing them with the necessary skills to navigate their socioeconomic and political environments. This qualitative study examines the long-term impact of one such functional literacy campaign on the semi-nomadic pastoral Van Gujjar community. I use the Assets, Opportunity Structure, and Degrees of Empowerment (DOE) method to investigate community members’ perceptions of the level of political empowerment that followed their participation in …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Health Through Photovoice In Cato Manor, South Africa, Renee Lamoreau

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study will investigate how youth in Cato Manor perceive health in their community using photovoice as the primary methodology. Photovoice is a participatory action research method that gives participants the power to answer research questions through imagery. Participants take pictures in response to a question or prompt, and then describe a self-­‐selected number of pictures using the SHOWED process. This study will employ this methodology to answer the following questions: What objects, people, and events do youth associate with health? How do youth in Cato Manor define health and sickness? The following report will summarize the social and physical …

Planning Sustainable Food Hubs: Thinking Beyond Economic Viability To Democratize Local Food Access, Ashley Bahlkow

Capstone Collection

In light of an increasing awareness of the detrimental public health impacts of conventional food systems, the New Hampshire Endowment for Health (NHEH) funded a food hub feasibility study to develop a local food hub in the southeastern region of New Hampshire. The study centered on conceptualizing a food hub that would be both viable from a small business standpoint as well one that would increase access to local food, especially for marginalized communities in the city of Manchester--the major population center in the region.

The project work plan contained several activities for determining feasibility, which were completed over the …

The Primacy Of Context: An Exploration Into The Causes Of Food Insecurity In Kitere, Kenya., William O. Aludo

Capstone Collection

The purpose of this study was to explore the specific reasons why households in Kitere village, Kenya experience persistent food insecurity every year while the region enjoys the advantage of two planting/harvest seasons in a year. Kitere village lies within the lakeside region of Nyanza Province in Kenya, generally considered to be one of the more agriculturally productive parts of the country. The Participatory Rural Appraisal method was employed to gather qualitative data on the causes of food insecurity in Kitere village. The data sources were focus groups and a self-administered, one-time survey of random and non-random samples of key …

“We Give Way:” 6 Narratives Of The Academic Negotiation Between English And Afrikaans At The University Of Stellenbosch, Alexis K. Boyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The negotiations between the African National Congress (ANC) and the National Party in 1992 led to the creation of South Africa’s eleven national languages including English and Afrikaans. This paper discusses the intricate relationship between these two languages at the University of Stellenbosch. This project attempts to understand how undergraduate and postgraduate students have negotiated the rise of English as a universal academic language and the maintenance of Afrikaans as Stellenbosch’s core language of instruction. The project works to determine how students view the changes to the policy and how those changes affect them, looking particularly at the effect of …

Traditional Boat Building: An Intersection Of Zanzibar’S Culture And Environment, Eric Levenson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examined traditional boat building on Uzi Island as a manifestation of Zanzibar’s relationship of environment and culture. Information was gathered about traditional boat building practices, the resource use and management pertaining to boats, the cultural reliance on boats, and local views on environment and conservation. This information showed that the people of Uzi Island were dependent on the use of traditional boats to maintain their livelihood, however the tree types used for boat building are being over-harvested. This tension of culture and environment exposed the need for conservation of Zanzibar’s natural resources in a manner that does not …

“The Gift Of Gab”: An Investigation Of Self Help Groups As Sources Of Women’S Empowerment In Udaipur, Rajasthan, Leigh Thomas

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

India as a rising global superpower continues to be plagued by rampant poverty and gender inequality that has left it ranked 136th on the UNDP’s Human Development Index (UNDP). In its attempts to counter these trends, an assortment of development schemes have historically been employed to varying degrees of success. Recently, the grassroots model of the Self Help Group (SHG) has been widely adopted by government programs and NGOs alike as a community-based development model that can be especially utilized to address the status of women. SHGs are broadly defined as small informal associations formed so members can gain economic …

Una Primavera Incierta: El Momento De La Política Educativa En Chile, Alexandria Sadler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El estudio trata de la oportunidad presente para el movimiento estudiantil Chileno en un momento de incertidumbre política. En palabras más específicas, la investigación enfoca en el movimiento estudiantil en el contexto de las elecciones de la Federación Estudiantil de la Universidad de Chile y de la elección presidencial de Chile del año 2013 que resultaron en cambios del poder. La investigación examina el desarrollo del movimiento estudiantil en el contexto de las instituciones políticas en inestabilidad y explora la oportunidad para el movimiento estudiantil de no solo luchar por educación gratuita y fin al lucro, sino que la deconstrucción …

The Impacts Of Education: A Case Study Of Muslim Women In Ngaoundéré, Cameroon, Margo Brookfield

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the product of a study on the ultimate impacts that education can have on the lives of Muslim women in the city of Ngaoundéré, Cameroon. Women in the North of Cameroon have been confined within traditional gender roles that have been in place for generations, due to deep ties with culture and religion in the region. This research explores Muslim women’s opinions on the impacts of the modern education system in place in the city. In addition it looks into the impacts that this education can have on different aspects of a woman’s life, including her relations …

Modernization And Its Effects In Loma Bonita: A Leap From Historical Subsistence Agriculture Into The Precarious Commercial Market, Piper Halpin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This investigation studies the modernization effects on Loma Bonita and how these changes will ultimately shape the community in the future. By performing of series of 50 interviews and surveys, I used anecdotal and observational research to my make conclusions about the effects of electricity installation, road construction, and foreign influences on the town. Although it is recognized that there are an abundance of factors contributing to modernization, the scope of this paper only focuses on the three components mentioned above.

Daily lives of Loma Bonita residents have already been drastically changed by the electricity, road, and foreigners. The community …

Carbon Can’T Buy Happiness: An Analysis Of Ecological Footprints And Happiness Of University Students In The City Of David, Panama, Samantha Burlager

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Global climate change is perhaps the most pressing issue our world faces today. Greenhouse gas emissions reductions are urgently needed, however, there is currently a lack of action due to the fear that a reduction in the ecological footprint will lead to a reduction in GDP and happiness levels of a society. Increasing GDP and economic progress are equivocated with increasing happiness and overall well-being of society. However, based on the literature I discuss in this paper, instead of GDP, an objective measurement of happiness is a better indicator of success. In this paper, I investigate the ecological footprints (in …

Análisis Comparativo De Los Gobiernos Locales: La Política Del Medio Ambiente En Las Comunas De La Pintana Y Peñalolén, Nicolás Thorpe

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the approval of many international environmental agreements and the passage of national environmental laws, Chile has gradually created institutions at the national level that focus on environmental policy. However, given local government’s proximity to the people and their demands, local authorities also play an important role in environmental protection and sustainable development. This investigation answers the following question: What are the factors that influence a commune to have an environmental policy? After describing Chile’s national environmental policy and intergovernmental relations, this investigation will compare two communes in the metropolitan area of Santiago: La Pintana and Peñalolén, which both have …

Public Perceptions On Family Planning And Birth Spacing In The Cultural And Religious Context Of Senegal: A Case Study In Dakar, Senegal, Heidi Kahle

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Much prior research has examined the prevalence rates of family planning and contraceptive use in Senegal, as well as the importance of family planning for reducing maternal and infant mortality, improving the well being of families, and improving the national economy. Few studies, though, have captured the perspectives of Senegalese persons and their attitudes and beliefs toward family planning, rumors and stigmas that surround it, and how different actors can work together to dispel rumors and encourage the use of family planning. I conducted my research in Dakar, Senegal, where I interviewed a variety of persons – two gynecologists, a …

Himalayan Heritage: Local Organization And The Role Of Tradition In The Community Development Of The Thakali People, Erik Svedberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Within the communities of the Thakali people of Mustang, Nepal, decisionmaking power has traditionally been held by the local chieftain, the Mukhiya. However, this traditional authority appears to be threatened by two trends of Nepali development: the institutionalization of the Village Development Committee (VDC) as the official entity of local government, and the proliferation of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as part of a development push to expand community participation in decisionmaking. Current scholarship has deeply explored the sociocultural dynamics of the Mukhiya as well as how the sociopolitical landscapes of Thakali societies are changing, but a scholarly link between the …

Traditional Woodcarving In Elmina: The Creation Of A Fishing Canoe, Bjorn Olsen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

1. Objectives: My objectives for this project were three fold:

• To learn the process of carving the dugout canoe base through both observation and participation.
• To investigate the cultural importance of the fishing canoe in Elmina.
• To investigate the trade of canoe carving within the context of the Elmina community.

1. Methodology: My methodology includes observation, participation and interview. I spent a month researching canoe carving in Cape Coast and Elmina, Ghana, while keeping my research focused mainly on the Elmina community. I apprenticed and worked for a week with three carvers from Prampram who were in Elmina to complete …

Examining The Effectiveness Of The Millennium Villages Project Through The Health And Education Sectors: A Case Study In Ruhiira, Uganda, Meixi Guo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study is meant to present the information gathered by the researcher during a 6-wwek practicum with the Millennium Villages Project Ruhiira office. The objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of this organization by looking at its Health and Education sectors. By studying the interactions between the two, the paper aims to analyze the pros and cons of their interventions. During the course of this study, the researcher also learns about the local people’s view on the Millennium Villages Project as well as the difficulties Millennium has encountered when implementing the project.

The researcher used multiple methods …

Impacts On The Contemporary Visual Arts Community In Samoa, Sarah Cancelarich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study illuminates the world of contemporary visual art in Samoa. Research was primarily conducted using personal communications with members of the contemporary visual art community. A basic framework of the community was established by overviewing the present informal galleries, formal galleries, and art schools. This project explores the impacts felt on the contemporary visual art community; their subsequent challenges, and successes. These impacts include; a cash economy, conflict between traditional and contemporary styles, a need for higher education, Christianity, Samoan artists overseas, in-country and international support. Possible solutions and hopes for the future are also discussed.

El Legado Colonial En El Turismo Comunitario : El Caso De Valle De Elicura, Fatma Shuaipi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Cultural or community-based tourism has grown exponentially in the last decade. This article seeks to, from a post-colonial theory perspective, analyze the process of developing community-based tourism in indigenous communities, identify the conditions that allow for the reproduction of colonial elements in this activity, and explore the elements that guarantee a higher degree of autonomy in the community to generate new decolonization processes. The hypothesis argues that community-based tourism carries both a colonial legacy and elements that allow for a process of decolonization or the creation of a new consciousness in relation to such colonial legacy. The article presents the …

Old And Alone: Analyzing The Developed And Inherent Social Avenues For Elderly In A Modernizing Society, Haley Sanner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Worldwide populations are experiencing dramatic demographic shifts in the number of older? people due to improved medical care and family planning campaigns that have both decreased fertility and increased life expectancy. It is predicted that within the next few decades half the world’s population will be over 50 and in developing countries the elderly population will increase four-fold (Adhikari, 2012, 1). Since the aging process is accompanied by the loss of physical and mental abilities due to health-related issues, this shift will create many new challenges for Nepal. Modernization has increased the presence of globalized labor and migration to urban …

The Trajectory Of Warwick Junction As A Site Of Inclusivity In Post-Apartheid South Africa, Kara Van Schilfgaarde Van Schilfgaarde

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Warwick Junction, a thriving trading hub in the inner city of Durban, has long been considered one of the best examples of collaborative urban management practices between the local government and informal traders. In a post-apartheid South Africa, there was a national desire to transform the old systems of governance, which in Warwick translated to city government institutions making an effort to include informal traders in the policymaking and management processes. This paper tracks the history of Warwick Junction, using its oppressive past to frame common perspectives of informal trade. It considers the legacy of the post-apartheid era South Africa, …

Challenges Affecting Street Children In Post-Conflict Northern Uganda: Case Of Gulu Municipality, Annie Weber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Northern Uganda has been beleaguered with political unrest and rebellion for over two decades. The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has wreaked havoc on the entire northern population, causing lives to be lost and leaving a stain of physical and mental trauma that will last forever. Children, having been the most affected during the war, are still feeling the influence that the LRA has left behind. This study sets out to try to understand the phenomenon of street children in post-conflict northern Uganda, specifically in Gulu Municipality. The phenomenon of street children is considered to be one of the most prevalent …

A Comparison Of Malnutrition Causes And Treatments: A Case Of Mwanamugimu Nutrition Unit, Mulago National Referral Hospital, Kampala District And Nakifuma Government Health Unit, Mukono District, Berkley Singer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In beginning of the investigation process, the researcher set out to study malnutrition in Uganda. She wanted to study an urban region in comparison to a rural region and so based her research out of both Kampala and the Mukono region. The researcher set out to learn more about the causes of the condition and why children become malnourished. She also was interested in the differences that exist between the two different locations and why they exist. Finally, the researcher was eager to learn what malnutrition meant to each community and how health care professionals go about treating the condition …

Blood, Self-Sufficiency, And The Government Dime, Elijah Ober

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project begins with an examination of the blacksmith trade in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, based upon the observation and limited apprenticeship of the author.

It then examines the caste system in Spiti. Th9is system more intense in certain regions than others, but throughout the region the Zoks, the metal-smith caste, are second from the bottom. This has two main effects on the caste. First, caste is keeping zoks who remain in the village in the lower class. Secondly, the fact that their historical profession is the symbol of their caste, combined with the fact that their Scheduled Caste Status makes …

Fros, Weaves, And Kinks: The Social And Political Significance Of Hair For Black And Coloured Women In Cape Town, Carol Antunez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project seeks to explore and understand hair performance by black and coloured females in Cape Town and understand 1) its possible political significance and 2) its social role. This ISP will attempt to explore the construction of hair as a symbol of class and beauty by looking at its historical significance. In this paper, I will investigate how young women in Cape Town, specifically black and coloured women, choose to represent themselves through hair and explore the connotations attached to their particular hairstyle choice. Furthermore, in this paper I will try to answer the following questions 1) Do black …

The Movement Of A Movement: Vetëvendosje! And The Transition From Grassroots To Government, Helena Bruce

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Fifteen years after the enactment of UN Resolution 1244, the resulting international administration in Kosovo has been experiencing a waning sense of legitimacy among the state’s population. Heading up the opposition to this ongoing administration is a group of self-proclaimed ‘young international activists,’ also known as Lëvizja VETËVENDOSJE!, or the Self-Determination Movement! Since its creation in 2005, however, this group has transformed from a small, tightly-knit group of outspoken activists to a new type of political force with an elected body of officials in Parliament. This paper attempts to determine how such a transition from political movement to political party …