Community-Based Research Commons^™

Digital Diplomacy And Its Effect On International Relations, Bridget Verrekia

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Digital technology has undoubtedly shaped the way in which the modern world works, going so far as to create a new form of diplomacy known as digital diplomacy. This paper seeks to explore the evolving nature of digital diplomacy and determine its effect on international relations. Four in-person interviews and 20 academic sources were used in order to assess the advantages and challenges that digital diplomacy presents. Acknowledging the way in which diplomats have been able to utilize social media to further the interests of their nations, this paper argues that digital diplomacy is a positive tool that can be …

Environmental Education In Post-Green Revolution Punjab, Qing Fan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In India, environmental education (EE) became compulsory for Classes I-XII nationwide in 1991, with curricula designed by central and state governments. Meanwhile, in the interest of food security, the government-promulgated Green Revolution of the 1960s brought about commercial agriculture practices have led to environmental degradation, with negative impacts on farmers’ livelihoods. This paper presents a case study in a rural region in the state of Punjab, the heartland of the Green Revolution. Through interviews with students, teachers and community members as well as a review of school curricula, it seeks to understand how EE in schools is impacting the perceptions …

Munnar Plantation Strike, 2015: A Case Study Of Keralan Female Tea Workers’ Fight For Justice, Shoshana Levy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the southern state of Kerala, tea leaf pickers are nearly all women. They work 14 hour days, six days a week, rain or shine. What’s more, they earn the lowest minimum daily wage of any sector in the state, bringing home a meager average of Rs. 231 a day. With women constituting more than half of the workforce on tea plantations across India it is becoming increasingly crucial to understand the challenged, yet integral role they play. Through a case study of the Munnar Plantation Strike of 2015 - a strike organized by the Pempilai Orumai women, against the …

El Estudio Del Viejismo En La Ciudad Autónoma De Buenos Aires Desde La Perspectiva De Los Adultos Mayores Con Diferentes Coberturas De Salud \ The Study Of Ageism In The Autonomous City Of Buenos Aires From The Perspective Of Older Adults With Different Health Coverage, Tara Tardino

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Argentina is a country with that has a growing population of older adults as the life expectancy continues to increase. Because the population of older people continues to grow, ageism is a topic of concern. Ageism, or discrimination against older people because of their age, can affect one’s mental health, one’s auto-perception of identity and abilities, one’s relationship with his or her doctor, and can contribute to maltreatment and abuse. In this present research I explored how older adults in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires perceive stereotypes of older people in society, how these stereotypes can lead to discrimination, …

The Tribulations Of Moroccan Child Laborers: A Forced Existence And Loss Of Innocence, David Wien-Kandil

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The principal focus of this research paper is to analyze the prevalence and status of child laborin the Kingdom of Morocco and reflectupon the compounding conditions perpetuatingitsuse in the labor market, especially pertaining to the domestic sphere.Despite several regulationsoutlawing its practice, the use of child labor is common across many industries but working conditionsfound in the domestic sectors are particularly severe. Consequently,the primary subjects of this study are concentratedaroundchildrenemployed within the household as maids known as “petite bonne” or little maids[1]. Many of these child maidssuffer physical, verbal, sexual andpsychological abuses by their employers. Additionally, they are sometimes …

From The Margins To The Frame: Social Identities And A “Pan-Pacific” Moana, Keara Sternberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the implications of Pacific representation and regional identity in Disney’s film, Moana. It evaluates if the film successfully represented a broad range of Pacific cultures and peoples. It weaves together 20 secondary sources, 8 interviews and 56 surveys. The sample population involved college-aged students from universities throughout the Pacific along with academic professionals and involved members of the Oceanic Story Trust. Overall, the study found that Moana successfully captured a pan-Pacific identity on several indicators, while it also found dissenting reactions toward the film by some respondents on measures of cultural representation. To Pacific students, Moana appears …

“Todas Las Comunidades Tenemos Solo Un Espíritu:” Un Análisis Del Reciente Surgimiento En Activismo Político Y Social De Las Mujeres Indígenas De La Argentina Y El Discurso Sobre Si Existe Un “Feminismo Indígena.” / “All Of The Communities We Have One Spirit:” An Analysis Of The Recent Rise Of Political And Social Activism Of Indigenous Women In Argentina And The Discussion Of Whether An “Indigenous Feminism” Exists., Larissa Peltola

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En el siguiente trabajo, intento de presentar e identificar cuál es, en mi opinión, el movimiento social más reciente en la Argentina y estudiar el activismo de las mujeres Argentinas nativas, de comunidades indígenas y pueblos originarios[1] y las formas en que se encuentran participando en este movimiento social. El primer objetivo de este ensayo es identificar brevemente la manera en que las mujeres de estas comunidades han sido históricamente excluidas de las posiciones tradicionales de poder y las diversas formas de discriminación basadas en la raza, el género y el estatus socioeconómico. En segundo lugar, examinaré las formas …

Una Aproximación Al Proceso De Construcción De La Identidad Cultural Coreano-Argentina En La Ciudad De Buenos Aires / An Approach To The Korean-Argentine Ethnic And Cultural Identity In The City Of Buenos Aires, Hyeree Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Korean migration to Argentina is still fairly new, with the first migrants having arrived in the 1960s. However, the population of Koreans in Argentina has created a collective society large enough to be named its own Barrio. The purpose of this research is to investigate the construction of ethnic identity among Korean-Argentines living in the city of Buenos Aires in Argentina. In this process, the investigation considers the relationship between discrimination and ethnic-identity formation, as well as the importance of the knowledge and practice of heritage language, customs, and rituals in the familiar world in order to maintain ethnic-identity. Furthermore, …

La Resistencia Cultural A Través Del Teatro De Las Oprimidas Para La Cultivación De La Subjetividad De La Mujer En Un Contexto De Violencia De Género: Un Estudio De Caso Del Colectivo De Mujeres Osadía / Cultural Resistance And The Cultivation Of The Subjective Through Theatre Of The Oppressed For The Woman In A Context Of Gender Violence: A Case Study With Colectivo De Mujeres Osadía In Jose Leon Suarez, Province Of Buenos Aires, Lela Biggus

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hay en este momento en la historia una ola de movimientos feministas barriendo la vida política de Buenos Aires. Movimientos como Ni Una Menos busca, en una variedad de métodos, para interrumpir el discurso destructivo de la cultura machista que produce la violencia de género y hace que el acto de femicidio, el asesinato de una mujer por su género, sea común.

En mis investigaciones exploro cómo el Teatro del oprimido, una práctica teatral de Augusto Boal, puede transformarse en una experiencia de resistencia cultural y subjetivación de la mujer en un contexto de violencia de género. Yo pasé tiempo …

Challenges And Successes Of Adolescent Reproductive Healthcare And Education In Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil, Elana Margosis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this project, I discuss the impact of social, medical, and political factors on the reproductive healthcare of adolescents in Cachoeira, Bahia, Brazil. I collected qualitative data through formal interviews with public health professionals in the Sistema Única de Saúde (SUS), the Brazilian public health system, and through observations of clinic and home visits. Due to ethical concerns, I did not conduct formal interviews with the patients, were not of legal age. I focused on prevention of pregnancy and STI transmission of adolescents as metrics with which to measure sexual health. I gathered information with the intention to understand SUS’ …

Una Exploración Del Proceso De Recuperación Frente A Desastres Y Las Fuentes De Resiliencia En Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada” / An Exploration Of The Disaster Recovery Process And Sources Of Resilience In Alimapu, "La Tierra Quemada", Alison Stewart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The history of Chile has been fraught by natural and socionatural disasters. Nevertheless, research on the mental health effects on the disaster survivors and the mechanisms used to overcome the catastrophes and mend the psychological damage is scarce. Therefore, this descriptive study explored the experiences of those that were affected by the great fire of Valparaíso, Chile in 2014 and the work of those involved in the recuperation process in order to reveal the manner in which resilience is manifested among the communities of disaster sufferers. The sample population was composed of 7 disaster survivors from the communities of Cerro …

¿Trabajando Juntos? La Dinámica De La Relación Entre Movimiento Estudiantil Y Movimiento Docente De 2014-2015 / Working Together? The Dynamics Of The Relationship Between Student Movement And Teacher Movement 2014-2015, Klielle Glanzberg-Krainin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Esta investigación explora la relación entre movimiento estudiantil y movimiento docente en período de movilizaciones por demandas educativas. Para investigar esta relación, este proyecto se centra en los años 2014-2015 como un estudio de caso, porque durante esos años, hubo una movilización docente grande, y casi al mismo tiempo hubo una movilización estudiantil. Por eso, es viable la pregunta acerca de si existía una relación y si existió, cómo fue a través de estos movimientos, porque estaban sucediendo simultáneamente. Este proyecto se realizó a través de entrevistas con personas que estaban involucradas con los movimientos. Después de recopilar toda la …

La Educación Multicultural: Enfoques Y Brechas En Cuatro Escuelas Municipales En Santiago, Chile / Multicultural Education: Approaches And Gaps In Four Municipal Schools In Santiago, Chile, Fiona Riebeling

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La investigación se enfoca en la educación multicultural en cuatro escuelas municipales en Santiago. Se usa teoría notable de James Banks y Rolando Poblete Melis para identificar, categorizar, y comparar enfoques y brechas actuales en las escuelas y en la sociedad chilena. Se organiza y provee análisis de los desafíos, las iniciativas en desarrollo, y sugerencias para mejorar el futuro de la educación integradora e inclusiva en varias sub-categorías, destacado a través de conversaciones formales e informales con estudiantes y profesionales trabajando en el contexto escolar. Se aborda los límites de la investigación y enfatiza la necesidad de seguir investigando …

Un Rescate Incompleto: Los Éxitos Y Limitaciones Del Programa De Educación Intercultural Bilingüe Como Un Proyecto Anticolonialista / An Incomplete Rescue: The Successes And Limitations Of The Bilingual Intercultural Education Program As An Anticolonialist Project, Aviva Thal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project is an exploration of the Bilingual Intercultural Education Program (EIB) mandated in Chilean schools with a high density of indigenous students. It focusses on the implementation and impacts of EIB in Putre, a small town in the Arica and Parinacota region of Chile where the majority of the residents are Aymara. After gaining the region in the War of the Pacific at the end of the 19th century, the Chilean government waged a violent campaign of forced cultural assimilation known as “Chilenization” against the local Aymara people. The effects of the linguistic repression that occurred during this period …

“Que Rica...”: Sexualización Y Exotificación De Mujeres Migrantes Y Sus Experiencias Y Percepciones En El Centro Urbano De Santiago / "How Rich ...": Sexualization And Exotification Of Migrant Women And Their Experiences And Perceptions In The Urban Center Of Santiago, Alexandra Barton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Migration to Chile has been increasing every year since the end of the Pinochet dictatorship. The recent migration to Chile is feminized and centralized to the urban center of Santiago and surrounding areas. Current migrations trends in Chile are also including a wider range of immigrants, especially an increase of afro-latina women. These women tend to experience more discrimination, racism and sexism than the average Chilean woman. Previous studies and colonial theory demonstrate a history of the sexualization and exotification of migrant woman, especially in women of color due to the processes of colonization, euroization and racialization. Many migrant women …

Transmitiendo La Identidad: Revalorización Sociopolítica Del Kichwa Por Los Medios De Comunicación \ Transmitting Identity: Sociopolitical Revaluation Of The Kichwa By The Media, Abi Mcdougal

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este Proyecto de Estudio Independiente considera cómo los medios de comunicación kichwas están involucrados en la conciencia sociopolítica indígena. Establece una historia de la opresión lingüística hacia los kichwa; provee un marco conceptual de los espacios de uso sociolingüísticos en la diglosia; e introduce el tema de los medios de comunicación kichwas, localizados en Otavalo y los pueblos de Imbabura cercanos. Presenta la información primaria sobre los medios de comunicación, obtenida a través de entrevistas, diálogos informales, observación enfocada y participante, y una encuesta pública en Otavalo. Considera el radio, lo audiovisual, y publicaciones escritas, a través de unas organizaciones …

La Lucha Por Kimsakocha: Resistencia Contra La Minería En Azuay, Ecuador \ The Struggle For Kimsakocha: Resistance Against Mining In Azuay, Ecuador, Lydia Petroske

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En Ecuador, hay una “reprimarización” de la economía, un fenómeno por el que se produce una creciente dependencia en exportaciones de productos primarios como recursos no renovables. Este fenómeno ha sido acompañado con una retórica estatal sobre pobreza y deuda social. Para el gobierno del estado, la industria extractiva es parte importante de su estrategia y retórica para hacer inversión social y combatir la pobreza, lo cual ha justificado una rápida expansión del sector extractivista. En el sur de Ecuador, la gente de las parroquias de Victoria del Portete y Tarqui ha estado luchando por más de 15 años contra …

Factors That Determine Civil Action In Opposition To Hydroelectric Development Along The Chiriquí Viejo River In The Chiriquí Province Of Panamá, Nora Sawyer

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hydroelectric development has increased rapidly throughout Latin America in the late 20th and early 21st centuries (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). In 2014, Latin America represented 20 percent of the world’s hydropower (del Mar Rubio et al. 2014). It is also the main source of power generation throughout Latin America, accounting for roughly 65 percent of all electricity generated (Wheeler 2012). Within Panamá, significant hydroelectric development has been happening in the Chiriquí province. Local peoples’ dissatisfaction with the actions of the hydropower companies has increased with time, resulting in civilians and organizations taking action in opposition to these companies …

El Comienzo De Un Cuento: Los Desafíos De Promover La Lectura Infantil En Cochabamba / The Beginning Of A Story: The Challenges Of Promoting Children's Reading In Cochabamba, Cecilia Caro

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La promoción de la alfabetización en los niños y los adultos, se observa alrededor de todo el mundo. Organizaciones a niveles locales, nacionales e internacionales han surgido para combatir el problema del analfabetismo. Parece que aquí en Bolivia, también se han visto desafíos en crear una cultura de lectura en los niños, tanto dentro como fuera de la escuela. A través de entrevistas y mi propia experiencia como voluntaria en dos bibliotecas, este corto estudio explora el tema de la lectura y los niños en la ciudad boliviana de Cochabamba. Aunque no se ha visto mucha acción a nivel nacional …

Fruit And Vegetable Bucks: Adams County Grocery Store Snap Incentive Program, Meredith A. Cox, Amy B. Dailey, Kim Davidson, Kathy Gaskin, Etta Saltos, Audrey Hess, Megan Shreve, Cherry Arvin, Elizabeth Weller

Student Publications

Veggie Bucks provides a 50% discount on all fresh fruits and vegetables sold through Kennie’s Market produce department at the point of sale for the 5 highest cost items. The incentive period ran January - April, 2017. Intended outcomes include an increase in the number of fresh fruits and vegetables purchased by SNAP recipients at Kennie’s Market locations in Biglerville and Gettysburg by 10% in January-April 2017 compared to baseline figures obtained in 2016, and to familiarize SNAP recipients with fresh fruits and vegetables and to provide information about the ACFMA markets’ Double Dollars program. SNAP recipients were invited to …

Why Have Youth From Different Neighborhoods Of Durban, South Africa Developed Different Opinions Regarding The Role And Importance Of Voting In The Current State Of South African Democracy?, Anthony L. Wagner

Student Publications

The field of political science has become increasingly interested in the electoral participatory habits of young people in recent decades, and in post-apartheid South Africa more specifically in light of the recent and ongoing #feesmustfall movement within the nation's tertiary institutions. Since 1994, South Africa has made a great deal of progress towards dismantling the apartheid system; however, vast inequalities remain and many, mostly black African communities have not yet reaped the rewards of a democratic South Africa. Using qualitative data gathered from three focus groups, this paper examines why youth from black African township communities of Durban, South Africa …

Documenting ---- In Bloomington-Normal: A Community Report On Intolerance, Segregation, Accessibility, Inclusion, And Progress, And Improvement, Brittany Ashmore, Molly Cook, Alyssa Cooper, Teddy Dondanville, Ryan Duncan, Lindsey Earl, Justin Estima, Jake Fredericks, Mary Frey, Diamond Frison, Doug Gass, Myer Hursey, Kathryn Jones, Alesha Klein, Megan Koch, Kathryn Mcgee, Taylor Messamore, Jonathan Mansma, Jaresa Morrison, Jake Murray, Renee Palecek, Rainee Sibley, Chaney Skadsen, Vanessa Soto, Emily Spencer, Danielle Stevens, Corinna Strawn, Patricia Longwood, Frank D. Beck

Student Research – Stevenson Center

For the local chapter of Not In Our Town, we document intolerance, discrimination, segregation, disparities of access, and disparities in the criminal justice system in Bloomington-Normal, IL. Using archival material, secondary data, and primary data, we examine these issues from the mid-1990s to the present. We also assess the position of the organization in the community and provide strategies for future success. In sum, Bloomington-Normal was and is intolerant; discrimination did and does take place in this community; there are disparities of access and in the criminal justice system; we are segregated. The community is also less of these things …

Twenty Reasons To Publish In Dignity, Donna M. Hughes

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Worcester's Youth Employment Sector, Laurie Ross Phd, Ramon Borges-Mendez Phd, Alex Rothfelder

Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise

Overall, the employment rate for Worcester youth has improved since 2000; yet mirroring the nation, Worcester continues to have a smaller share of youth 16-24 employed. This situation is intensified for youth of color and young people facing barriers such as homelessness, exiting foster care, juvenile justice involvement, and limited English proficiency. Mass, Inc. estimates that in Worcester there are 3400 disconnected youth—756 are between 16-19 and 2644 are between 20-24. From the youth employment program inventory, we learned that the city’s programs offer many opportunities for “first job” experiences; has some exemplary programs that integrate youth development and workforce …

Grandparents Of The Community: Lakota Elders’ View Of Intergenerational Care, Mary Kate Dennis, Nancy J. Kepple, Joseph Brewer Ii

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This exploratory, qualitative study provides insight into the traditional concept of tiospaye (extended family and kinship to these relations) by Oglala Lakota elders in the modern context of the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in South Dakota. The authors reframe the modern implementation of these traditional practices of kinship as community grandparenting, in which the elders extend the role and responsibilities of grandparenting behaviors to all youths in the community. This study employed Indigenous methodologies, which allowed the 25 elders to share their stories in a culturally tailored, relational manner. The study uses thematic analysis to identify three themes associated …

Young Men In Neighborhoods With Cure Violence Programs Adopt Attitudes Less Supportive Of Violence, Sheyla A. Delgado, Laila Alsabahi, Jeffrey A. Butts

Publications and Research

New York City neighborhoods with operating Cure Violence sites show stronger declines in less violence-prone attitudes. This databit displays data collected by the NYCCure study at JohnJayREC. It demonstrates that the presence of Cure Violence in a neighborhood is associated with significant reductions in the willingness of young men to use violence in conflict situations.

Alice Paul Awards For Women Who Have Worked To Confront Men's Violence Against Women, Robert Brannon

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

No abstract provided.

The Color Ceiling: African Americans Still Fighting For Equity And Equality, Osaro Airen Ph.D, Lpc, Ncc

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

There currently exists a unique ceiling-effect that has plagued the African American community for a number of years but due to the group being placed under the Glass Ceiling umbrella, the true nature of their issues have been vastly overlooked. To bring to light the true nature of these issues, the author created the term, Color Ceiling. The Color Ceiling refers to the invisible barriers that impede financial equity, employment equity, and promotional advancement for African Americans in the workplace specifically higher education.

Participant Observation: Enhancing The Impact Measurement In Community Based Participatory Research, Brent Hammer, Fay Fletcher, Alicia Hibbert

The Qualitative Report

Participant observation parallels the principles of community based participatory research (CBPR), recognizing that each community should be understood in its own context. Using fieldnotes from the Métis Settlements Life Skills Journey (MSLSJ) program, the authors explore the benefits and challenges of using participant observation in CBPR program evaluation. Participant observation was incorporated in 2014 and 2015 as researchers sought a complementary perspective and context to determine the impact of the program. The authors explore relationships with a large number of stakeholders (children, facilitators, community members, and project staff) and discuss ensuring the participant observer’s perspective is not privileged above others.

Comprehensive Neighborhood Portraits And Child Asthma Disparities Introduction, Ashley W. Kranjac, Rachel T. Kimbro, Justin T. Denney, Kristin M. Osiecki, Brady S. Moffett, Keila N. Lopez

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Objectives Previous research has established links between child, family, and neighborhood disadvantages and child asthma. We add to this literature by first characterizing neighborhoods in Houston, TX by demographic, economic, and air quality characteristics to establish differences in pediatric asthma diagnoses across neighborhoods. Second, we identify the relative risk of social, economic, and environmental risk factors for child asthma diagnoses. Methods We geocoded and linked electronic pediatric medical records to neighborhood-level social and economic indicators. Using latent profile modeling techniques, we identified Advantaged, Middle-class, and Disadvantaged neighborhoods. We then used a modified version of the Blinder-Oaxaca regression decomposition method to …