Community-Based Research Commons^™

Independent Study Project: The Impact Of Digitization And Payment On Community Health Promoter (Chp) Motivation And Effectiveness In A Peri-Urban Community In Kisumu, Kenya., Fiona Yohannes

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Kenya are the liaison between the community and higher levels of healthcare. As CHPs’ responsibility in the country has grown, stipends started being distributed, and digitization efforts have begun to support them. This ISP paper aims to investigate how recent digitization and payment of CHPs impact their motivation and effectiveness in a peri-urban community in Kisumu, Kenya. The project includes data analysis on CHP performance data from 2016 to 2021 and analyses of interviews with CHPs and CHAs in April of 2024. It was found that time was positively related to CHP performance. It was …

Beyond Blood: Informal Adoption And Family Dynamics In Yaoundé, Cameroon. Examining The Social, Traditional, And Family Values Associated With Informal Adoption, Elizabeth Greenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Although formal adoption exists in Cameroon, it is governed by colonial systems that directly contrast with the values and traditions of the citizens the laws are meant to protect. For this reason, informal adoption is the most prominent method of child circulation. This informal movement of children occurs for various reasons, many of which reflect the sociocultural context in which the children live. The intention of this study was to determine how adoption processes demonstrate Cameroonian notions of family, how individuals perceive the concept of family, and how informal adoption impacts family dynamics. Informal observations and interviews informed the conclusion …

Exploring Diasporic And Local Perspectives: Overseas Vietnamese’S Relationship With Their Homeland’S Culture, People, And Development, Amanda Le

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Given its global presence and decades-long history of migration, the Vietnamese diaspora is a unique cultural, social, and economic phenomenon. Thus, examining the nuances of Vietnam’s diaspora-homeland connections can contribute to broader knowledge about transnational relationships. While past research has delved into the diaspora’s historical contexts, cultural ties, and contributions to Vietnam's development, contemporary studies often overlook the personal interactions and perspectives that are formed between diaspora members and locals. This study compares perceptions from both Vietnamese locals and Overseas Vietnamese on diasporic engagement with Vietnamese culture, people, and development. A mixed-method study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative methods: …

The Influences, Experiences, And Sentiments That Create Indonesian Identity, Jack Wood

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research delves into the multifaceted and complex concept of Indonesian identity. Indonesia is a large archipelago nation with a populace who employ a varied and diverse collection of associations with their Indonesian identity. The notion of cultural pride, its expression across different backgrounds within the Indonesian populace, and the experiences that help create this sense of Identity are the main inquiries of this research. Through focusing on these questions, this paper seeks to understand what it means for individuals to take pride in their Indonesian identity and how this sentiment varies among Indonesians of diverse backgrounds, encompassing distinctions such …

Community Knowledge Of Shark Ecology, Abundance, And Species Composition In Wichubwala, Nalunega, And Porvenir Communities In The Guna Yala Comarca, Panamá, Kayley Jane Porter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Sharks play a critical role in marine ecosystems as apex predators that exert top-down control of lower trophic levels. In recent decades, global shark populations have declined to unprecedented levels, triggering a cascade effect that threatens ecosystem functioning and, therefore, coastal community livelihoods that rely on marine resources for food and income. It is known that shark populations are vulnerable and on the decline due to anthropogenic stressors such as fishing and coastal development, but shark species composition and abundance are difficult to monitor due to the evasive nature of sharks, the often remote and inaccessible location of certain shark …

Guna Community Perspectives On Attributes, Changes, And Revitalization Of Nainu Agroecological Practices In Isla Tigre, Guna Yala Comarca, Panama, Neshima Vitale-Penniman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Indigenous agroecological systems are gaining international recognition for their capacity to conserve biodiversity while promoting food security and sovereignty. Nainu is the ancestral agriculture of the Guna people of eastern Panama, and it is characterized by a successional growing system that imitates the regeneration of the tropical forest in which it is practiced. This research aimed to (a) characterize how nainu is practiced by farmers in Isla Tigre, a community in Guna Yala, (b) characterize how nainu practices have changed over time, and (c) describe how farmers and community members in Isla Tigre are envisioning and actualizing the revitalization of …

Queerness In Oaxaca: Perceptions Of The Lgbt+ Community, Sylvana Widman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how young Oaxacans perceive the state of LGBT+ acceptance in Oaxaca. In particular, this study surveys a general university student population, in comparison to the perceptions of a focus group of LGBT+ identifying young people. Focus group data was collected through a survey combined with a thirty-minute interview with four participants, while university data was collected through a survey distributed to 31 students at the Language School of Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca. Results from both groups found that participants’ perceived their peers as more accepting than their family or Oaxacan society at large. A significant …

Un Análisis De Los Programas De Asistencia Para Varones Que Han Ejercido Violencia De Género En La Área Metropolitana De Buenos Aires (Amba). An Analysis Of Programs Of Assistance For Men Who Have Committed Gender Violence In The Metropolitan Area Of Buenos Aires., Shreya Shrestha

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La violencia de género es una forma de opresión que tiene graves consecuencias para mujeres, niños y niñas y personas LGBTQ+ tanto en Argentina como en el resto del mundo. Históricamente, las iniciativas de prevención en este tema se han centrado en la asistencia destinada a las víctimas de situaciones de violencia, incluyendo apoyo económico y legal. Sin embargo, el hecho de que casi todos los casos de violencia están cometidos por varones ha iniciado una nueva discusión en las últimas décadas sobre los vínculos entre la masculinidad hegemónica y la violencia, junto con estrategías preventivas con el objetivo de …

Lo Nuestro: Turismo Y La Revalorización De La Cultura Kichwa Karanki En La Parroquia De Angochagua, Daltin Danser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Utkalla yuyaykuna

Angochagua ayllu llaktapi, chiri suyu, Ecuador mama llaktamanta, kichwa Karanki runa kawsayka asha llaki kan, wakinka llukshishka ayllaktamanta hatun markakunaman yachana wasiman rinkapak, wakinka llamkakapak.

Chayra kay watakunapi shuk mushuk muyukuna wiñarikun Angochaguapi chikan mashikunata ñanta paskankapak.

Angochagua ayllu llaktaka kimichin chikan mashikunata, sumak allpata rikuchinkapak, shinallata runa kawsayta malichinkapak. 2022 watapi, Angochaguata riksichinkuna sumak llakta kashkamanta, 32 ayllu llaktakuna akllashka ashka hatun pachapi, Organización Mundial del Turismo tantanakuypi. Kay llamkayta rurankapakka achka mashikunata kay hawa tapurkani, kawsarkanipash kimsa hunkaykunata pakta pakta Potosi Chuquin ayllukunawan, Angochagua ayllu llaktapi.

Paykunawan allpapi llamkashpa, paykunawan mikushpa, maykunashina muskushpa. Kay llamkayka tantachin …

Nyeshangpa: The Next Generation’S Search For Identity In Nyeshang, Emerson Brott

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Originally intended to be a report on the Nyeshang Valley and the cultural values that its people hold, Nyeshangpa quickly evolved into something different. Many thanks are given to the village elders who provided valuable insight into Nyeshangpa culture, but the most significant plaudits must go to the film’s main character, Karma Wangyal Gurung, my dear friend and invaluable co-researcher. Though a substantial portion of the film is dedicated to culture talk and general discussion on fading traditions, the spotlight is given to Karma and his fellow Nyeshangpa youth. A story of maintaining traditions is compelling enough, but a story …

Coming Out In South Africa: What’S Beyond The Closet?, Sophia Ludt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For many queer individuals, coming out is a significant moment in their lives. In South Africa, this process is made even more difficult due to prevalent homophobia, discrimination, and anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes. The colonial influence of Dutch and British colonization has perpetuated the notion that homosexuality is "un-African," adding to the challenges faced by queer individuals as they navigate their racial and cultural identities. Coming out can be dangerous for them, as it challenges expectations of the patriarchy, marriage, and childbirth. The response to a queer person's coming out greatly impacts their sense of self, safety, and acceptance. This study …

Exploring The Influence Of Globalization And Self-Expression In Shaping The Vietnamese Lgbtq+ Community In Urban Vietnam, Minh-Thy Tyler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The LGBTQ+ community is estimated to make up around 9% to 11% of Vietnam’s total population. Over the past few decades, Vietnam has undergone significant changes, marked by its increasing interconnectedness with the global community. These changes have also brought about a shift in perceptions and advocacy toward the LGBTQ+ community. Also bringing along a change in attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community in Vietnam is self-expression and fashion. Through drag or wearing gender-nonconforming attire, queer individuals are able to challenge the restrictive gender binary prevalent in Vietnamese society. Self-expression and fashion are also critical in helping queer individuals form and …

Ecological Living In Nepali Food Systems: A Synthesis Of Circular Nutrient And Knowledge Flows In The Kathmandu Valley, Kaitlyn Feely

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Researching food-systems in Nepal can feel like drinking from a fire hydrant. Sixty-six percent of the population is directly involved in agriculture and a diverse set of ecocultural understandings influence the practice across the country’s landscapes, ranging from the Himalayas to urban centers to southern plains. In the Kathmandu Valley and peripheral hills where I conducted my research, seemingly any spare land was under cultivation, enabled by fertile ground, optimal climate, and market potential. But despite the prevalence of farming in daily life throughout the country, Nepal’s food system is not domestically self-sufficient. A complex web of imports and exports …

The Headbangers Of The Himalaya: An Investigation Of Nepal’S Rock And Metal Scene, Samuel White

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this research endeavor was to generate findings which unveil information about the culture, the bands, and the lives of the musicians and fans who make up the Nepali rock and metal scene. The community is rather esoteric and information regarding certain bands and their musicians’ background is limited to broad, outdated articles published online. Thus, most of the information regarding the scene can only be obtained if one truly immerses themselves within it. I was fortunate enough to make friends which granted me a firsthand look into the Nepali rock and metal scene. The general questions which …

Tibetan Vegans In Diaspora, Ringzen Wangmo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Despite the Tsampa (Roasted Barley) eating culture and yak cheese merchandise in the market, the Tibetan culture is widely known as highly dependable on meat eating by non-Tibetans, little is known about the Tibetan Vegans officially known as karkyong. Overall vegetarianism is known and practiced in the Tibetan history throughout the centuries that’s what’s commonly known as vegan diets in modern society. But not known as Vegans in the Tibet then. This study also shed some light on Tibetan vegans in the diaspora and their journey of becoming vegan through interviews with restaurant owners, vegans, monks, nuns, and lay Tibetans …

La Crisis Carcelaria En El Ecuador: Las Causas, Manifestaciones Y Algunas Recomendaciones, Ava Lausch

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta monografía trata de la crisis carcelaria en Ecuador. Empieza con las causas multidimensionales de la crisis y las maneras en cómo se manifiesta. La próxima sección explica la narrativa del gobierno versus lo que realmente está haciendo y la política pública relacionada con el sistema penitenciario. La tercera sección tiene que ver con soluciones y recomendaciones por la crisis. Finalmente, hay una sección sobre la aplicación e importancia de la justicia restaurativa como una alternativa a la privación de la libertad. Para conseguir la información incluida, realice una revisión de fuentes secundarias e hice entrevistas con los varios funcionarios …

La Cultura Familiar: Una Exploración De Herencia Y Memoria A Través De Comida, Alexandria Pizzino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora las conexiones entre la comida, la memoria, y la cultura familiar. La investigación duró cuatro semanas, y fue completada a través de entrevistas orales y de demostración con cuatros personas. Cada entrevistade pudo escoger una receta principal de su familia y contar una narrativa sobre las memorias asociadas con esta comida para contribuir a la formación de un libro de cocina y memoria. Las entrevistades eran representantes de las zonas sur y centro de Chile, de ciudades y zonas rurales. Incluyó la participación de tres mujeres y un hombre. Cada entrevistade tenía una manera única de usar …

“Antes ÉRamos De Tierra Firme”: Community Perspectives On The Past, Present, And Future Of Isla Narganá And Isla CorazóN De JesúS, Comarca Guna Yala In The Face Of A Changing Climate, Izabella R. Klosterman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The objective of this research was to learn about Isla Narganá and Isla Corazón de Jesús, Comarca Guna Yala residents’ perspectives on climate change and, to learn about what needs to be done to mitigate the effects of climate change on the islands. In April 2022, eighteen semi-structured interviews were conducted in Spanish with residents of the islands. Interviews revealed that flooding caused by sea level rise, intensification of precipitation events, extreme heat, and biodiversity loss were the most reported impacts of climate change on participants’ lives. Poor waste management opportunities were also discussed as a critical environmental issue affecting …

La Ciencia Deshumanizada: La Relación Humano-Ambiental Entre El Cadic-Conicet Y La Antártida, Ariel Silverman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Las investigaciones científicas reconocen cada vez más que los humanos tienen una relación recíproca con la naturaleza, donde cambios rápidos en uno produce inestabilidad en el otro (Mace, 2014). Los humanos y la Antártida son particularmente interdependientes considerando la vulnerabilidad de los servicios ecosistémicos antárticos al cambio climático antropogénico. El Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas (CADIC) en Ushuaia, Argentina, es una institución importante en la producción del conocimiento sobre el continente. Por lo tanto, cómo lxs científicxs del CADIC perciben la relación de los humanos con la Antártida pueden afectar la manera en que la Antártida es afectada, y, en …

Cbos As A Tool For Sustainable Community Development: The Case In Kapchorwa, Annie Manges

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research was to assess the ability of Community Based Organizations, or CBOs, in the Kapchorwa District of Uganda to create long-term and sustainable community development that meets the needs of their community. To provide the necessary context for the study, I conducted a literature review of poverty in Uganda, theory in sustainable and community development, the connection of CBOs to sustainable community development, challenges and strengths for CBOs, and the general context of the structure of and the regulations for a CBO in Uganda.

The participants in the research were members of CBOs in the Kapchorwa …

Found In The World: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of How Place Influences The Growing Formation Of One’S Identity, Sydney Atkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper incorporates both background information on place, human identity, and the African term Ubuntu, as well as personal stories from interviewees, to attempt to understand how both the physical location as well as human relationships aid in the growing formation of one’s identity. The stories synthesized in this paper come from individuals living in Cato Manor, as well as my own personal experiences living in Colorado, Louisiana, and South Africa. I conducted six interviews with participants ranging in age and gender. I asked them to share their stories with me when answering questions about their personal relationship to Cato …

Escuchando Y Enseñando: Un Proyecto De Investigación-Acción Participativa Sobre El Tema De Radio Con Los Estudiantes Del Centro Calpulli, Delaney Zuver

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este proyecto de investigación-acción participativa examina mis experiencias produciendo radio con los estudiantes de Centro Calpulli en Oaxaca de Juárez, Oaxaca. Durante un período de cinco semanas, participé en diez sesiones donde mis suposiciones sobre mi papel como una participante en la organización fue desafiado. A través de reflexiones y un análisis de mis notas de campo, pude entender que al utilizar pedagogías liberadoras y una alfabetización mediática como la define Hoeschsmann y Poyntz (2012), podría equilibrar muchas de las suposiciones de la organización y los principios de investigación-acción. Basado en mi experiencia y análisis, ofrezco sugerencias a la organización …

Church Of The Scattered: Navigating Cultural Identity In The Protestant Churches Of Senegal, Joy Kirkland

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Senegal is a country renowned for its peaceful religious pluralism in the midst of turmoil and demographic change in neighboring West African nations. Though the vast majority of the population adheres to Sufi Islam, they seem to live in peace and cooperation with the prominent Catholic minority. Wedged between these well-established groups, Protestantism struggles to distinguish itself. Protestant missions have been planted in Senegal for over a century, but the church remains small with almost no cultural presence, and up to 80% of its members are non-Senegalese. This paper will present some preliminary basic research about this oft-ignored community in …

Hábitos Sobre El Autocuidado En Salud Bucodental En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires (Caba): Estudio De Caso En Los Alumnos De Una Escuela Primaria Pública En Caballito / Habits About Self-Care In Oral Health In The Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires (Caba): Case Study Of Students In A Public Elementary School In Caballito, Franklin Zhang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Las enfermedades bucodentales son unas de las enfermedades no transmisibles (ENT) y una de las cargas más grandes del mundo. Según la Organización Mundial de la Salud, entre el 60% y 90% de los escolares de todo el mundo tienen caries dentales, siendo una enfermedad extremadamente prevalente en el nivel primario. Además de visitas al odontólogo para chequeos de rutina, es importante prevenir esta la caries dental con una integración entre salud y educación y desarrollar hábitos saludables. El objetivo del siguiente trabajo es explorar los conocimientos sobre el autocuidado de la salud bucodental en los alumnos de …

Radical Moves: Negotiating Community And Transformation With (Some Of) Sit/South Africa’S Students Of Color, Kavita Sundaram

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Finding its foundations in inquiries of community, knowledge(s), relational truths, and radical transformation, this project wonders specifically how students of color from the School of International Training (SIT)/South Africa: Multiculturalism and Human Rights Spring 2019 semester abroad in Cape Town experience, negotiate with, and envision the potential futures of community/ies in and around the program. My research operates within a socioprogrammatic context which is highly racialized, seeking to listen to, document, and place in conversation the perspectives of our students of color. My meditations ground themselves in the individual and collective narrative(s) of our students of color, explored primarily in …

Quality Over Quantity: A Comparative Analysis Of The Quality Measures And Performance Between Switzerland And The United States, Lexi Farina

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Even in the best health systems, poor quality of care continues to cause harm to patients and prevent them from receiving the best treatment possible. Thus, it is important to record and report quality of care measures because they can help inform policy changes and improve performance. In this paper, a comparative analysis between the United States and Switzerland is conducted to understand the process for defining and assessing quality indicators in each country as well as compare their quality of care performance results. The methods for this study include a literature review of relevant background information relating to quality …

Over A Cup Of Tea And Koko Sāmoa, Elizabeth Stanis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Fa’aSāmoa, a concept that incorporated culture, tradition, and heritage all specific to Sāmoa, impacts the daily life of Sāmoans. Agriculture and farming also have a role in everyday life, as they impact food security, the economy, and have ties to cultural events. This paper recognizes the importance of the Fa’aSāmoa and agriculture separately and then observes how the Fa’aSāmoa impacts agriculture and is incorporated into agricultural development. Through interviews with local Sāmoans and the use of historical particularism, the cultural side of agriculture and farming is better understood and its importance in society is analyzed through customary land and …

Stories From A Place Called Walung, Jenny Ding

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of the project is to explore the relationship between people and the natural landscape through storytelling. I’m interested by elements like: terrain, topography, path, wayfinding, natural disasters, weather, natural resources, flora and fauna. How do these elements manifest in people’s oral history, daily lives, and spatial identity? How are these elements and the environment changing, and how are people adapting to these changes? My approach will be to talk to people at Walung about their interactions with elements of the natural landscape, both current and from the past. I will also document my own observations of these elements. …

Articulación Y Apoyo Del Programa De Los Agentes Sanitarios De Mendoza: De La Teoría A La Práctica / Coordination And Support In Mendoza’S Community Health Worker Program: From Theory To Practice, Kelly Mchugh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Información contextual: Desde que fue publicada la resolución de la Alma-Ata, varios sistemas de salud al nivel mundial han implementado programas de agentes sanitarios para ayudar en el cumplimiento de la estrategia de la Atención Primaria de la Salud (APS) y el aseguramiento de la salud como derecho humano. Sin embargo, en los últimos años, varios investigadores identificaron obstáculos comunes que enfrentan los agentes sanitarios en el alcance de sus tareas como resultado de la falta de apoyo que reciben por el sistema de salud. En forma sucesiva, dicha falta de apoyo ocasionó daño potencial para su capacidad de contribuir …

Somos Todos Juncos Y Mapuches / We Are All Reeds And Mapuches, Jonah Kone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A partir del siglo XVIII, ha sido una migración criolla hacia el Delta de Paraná, Argentina, lo que representa una zona de humedal, situada en el delta del río de la Plata. Principalmente a partir del siglo XIX comenzó una serie de procesos para formar lo que se refiere a la “identidad isleño,” lo que implica un estilo fuertemente conectada con los procesos ecosistémicos del humedal, y viviendo de la tierra para la sobrevivencia: actividades que incluyen el junco, la pesca, y el cultivo de frutas entre otros. A partir del fin de los años 50 empezó un proceso de …