Inequality and Stratification Commons^™

Buscando El Agua El Papel Del Agua En La Histora, Las Vidas Cotidianas, Y La Educación De La Gente De Lomas De San Jacinto, Sabrina Faubert

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Entre Fronteras Historias Personales De Migración En El Austro De Ecuador, Hannah Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Este estudio trata de las experiencias de personas migrantes retornados y sus familiares en las provincias australes de Ecuador, un país ubicado en América del Sur que tiene fronteras con Colombia al norte y Perú al este y al sur (véanse Figura 1). Desde los años 2000, la migración se ha vuelto un tema muy importante en el país—más de 2.5 millones de ecuatorianos viven en más que 55 países en cinco continentes.[1]^{, [2]} Aunque el tema de migración es de mucho importancia y discusión hoy en día, para entender la situación actual de migración en Ecuador, es …

No Me Conoces: Integración Social De Refugiados Colombianos En Quito, Anna Luberoff

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

¿Qué significa ser refugiado? Técnicamente, una persona es un refugiado cuando está en una situación de peligro en su país de origen, mientras que un migrante es una persona que se mudó de su país de origen principalmente por razones económicas. Según la definición técnica de ACNUR, un refugiado es una persona que:

“debido a fundados temores de ser perseguida por motivos de raza, religión, nacionalidad, pertenencia a determinado grupo social u opiniones políticas, se encuentre fuera del país de su nacionalidad y no pueda o, a causa de dichos temores, no quiera acogerse a la protección de tal país; …

Departing From “Education”: Finding Autonomous Learning The Ability For Knowledge That Gives Itself, Matthew Jernigan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Initially, I set out to grasp an understanding of CIdeCI and its methods of learning, to observe these spaces in order to contrast them with those of modern western education. However, my time there has been a process of rediscovering as well as redefining the practices and routines of life; a life through struggle, through resistance, through passion and creation. Beneath the surface I found a different existence in which they pick up the world to hold it otherwise, as to see it from a new perspective, moving it further down and towards the left. So the following paper does …

Let's Talk About It: Political Relationships In Nepal, Benjamin Wolf Lehr Mueser

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines the relationship between citizens, political parties, and local government in Nepal. Specifically, the research focuses on the relationship as it pertains to the decision-making processes in the VDC and DDC in Salleri, Solukhumbu. Through interviews with individuals at the policy level in Kathmandu, officials in Salleri, and residents of Salleri, the research studies this interaction and how it relates to citizen’s individual agency, political parties’ role as a middleman, and local government’s ability to communicate with local residents. The research concludes that parties are the only way for citizens to take their demands to local bodies. This …

A Case Study Of Health Interventions And The Caste System: Addressing The Social Determinants Of Health Through Development At Crhp Jamkhed, Laura Kroart

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Southeast Asian country of India, the ancient but in some cases still rigidly intact caste system plays a role in determining health status and outcomes for much of its population of over 1.2 billion people.[1] The Comprehensive Rural Health Project, located in Jamkhed in the state of Maharashtra, India, approaches health interventions from a development standpoint, addressing biomedical needs, structural and environmental concerns, and the social and economic determinants of health that impact the lives of over a million villagers in the surrounding area.[2] This independent study project was designed to analyze how the Comprehensive Rural …

Las Negociaciones Entre Las Comunidades Nativas Machiguengas Y La Industria Extractiva Dentro Del Proyecto Camisea: Asesorando Los Roles De Y Las Interacciones Entre Los Actores, Julia Kim

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En esta investigación, estudié cuales eran los roles de actores diferentes en las negociaciones entre las comunidades nativas amazónicas (CC.NN.) y las empresas extractivas dentro del contexto del Proyecto Gas de Camisea (PGC), uno de los proyectos de extracción más importantes en todo America del Sur. Mis objetivos principales eran conocer el rol de cada actor – las CC.NN., las empresas extractivas, el estado, las ONGs, y la misión católica – en las negociaciones y entender como se interactúan y se relacionan. Completé estos objetivos por la siguiente metodología: entrevistas abiertas en Quillabamba, Koribeni, Monte Carmelo, y Kiteni en la …

La Educación Intercultural Bilingüe En Cusco: Un Análisis Crítico Del Discurso De Algunos Sectores Involucrados Con Su Implementación, Maggie Hutchison

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En la segunda mitad del siglo XX en el Perú, la iniciativa de la Educación Intercultural Bilingüe, o la EIB, ha sido una manera importante de promover la revaloración de las lenguas y culturas indígenas y contribuir a un cambio social donde los espacios nacionales políticos y sociales incluyen por primera vez a las poblaciones indígenas sin la discriminación del pasado. La EIB tendrá mayor posibilidad de realizar un cambio social en el Perú si tiene el apoyo de todos los sectores involucrados con su implementación exitosa y más extendida. Cada sector tiene su propio discurso y comprensión de la …

Derechos Humanos Y La Manera De Defenderlos - Human Rights And The Manner Of Defending Them, Savannah Martínez

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This short essay revolves around the definitions and defense of Human Rights in the Spanish city of Granada. As a sociology major, I chose this topic because I desired to observe and to learn about a social phenomenon happening in this diverse and rich city. Similarly, while Granada has and is experiencing social issues like immigration, I am from an area of the same multicultural roots. As such, I saw a connection in how the society is grappling with issues of how to enforce and secure Human Rights for those that desperately lack them. This opportunity presented itself and I …

“Los Esfuerzos Escolares En España Y El Papel De La Escuelita” - The Scholar Challenges In Spain And The Role Of “La Escuelita”, Adriana Barriga

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I began volunteering in La Escuelita in March, and during my time there, I helped a class of children from La Paz with their homework and also played with them at the end of the day. After a few weeks, I developed an interest in the educational system in Spain, specifically related to children in primary education. I wanted to know more about some of the problems with the education in poor neighborhoods and how La Escuelita functions to help the children who are at a socioeconomic disadvantage to equalize their opportunity for educational success. In this paper, I address …

Building Houses, Making Homes: The Experiencing Of Returning To Post-War Sanski Most, Claire Griffith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Over half of Bosnia’s population was displaced by the war from 1992-1995. One of the political objectives of the war was the separating of Bosnia’s ethnically intermixed population into homogenous spaces. This was achieved through ethnic cleansing of communities. Broadening the discussion of ethnic cleansing, authors, such as Gearoid O Tuathail and Carl Cahlman, have analyzed ethnic cleansing, as it occurred in Bosnia, within the framework of ‘domicide,’ or the ““he intentional exercise of violence to destroy a particular type of spatiality: homes. It is ‘the deliberate killing of home’” (O Tuathail and Dahlman, 244). Assuming ‘domicide’ rather than just …

A Long Road Home: Housing Rights In South Africa’S Informal Settlement, Joe Slovo, Kaitlyn Bowles

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Most countries legally consider housing to be a necessary human right. But for
millions of individuals in this world, adequate housing is out of reach. Homelessness is evident in different manors throughout the world, but in South Africa, the problem of insufficient housing develops itself in the form of informal settlements. One such settlement, Joe Slovo1, is situated just outside of Cape Town, and is the primary focus of this paper. Recently, Joe Slovo has been a prominent feature in the local news because of its involvement in a Constitutional Court case. On March 30, 2011, 20,000 residents of Joe …

Rising Food Prices In Kenya: How The Government And Its Citizens Are Coping, Or Not, Teresa Eilers

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Kenya’s food prices are skyrocketing and the price of Kenya’s staple food, maize meal, is escalating fastest out of all food prices. The global market is experiencing rising food prices; but, Kenyans are paying dramatically more for their food compared to other global citizens. The Kenyan government can confront these rising prices by utilizing various policy change options. Unfortunately, the Kenyan government and Kenyan citizens must confront the causes to exorbitant maize meal prices to address the current food crisis in the country.

Healing South Africa: The Institute For Healing Of Memories As A Lens For Post-Conflict Trauma Initiatives, Rachael C. Ward

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates how South Africa is attempting to deal with its violent past and present, by way of helping individuals cope with trauma. The Institute for Healing of Memories was examined through a case study and the Trauma Centre for Victims of Violence and Torture was also researched. I inquired first, what is most successful about these organizations’ work, and second, whether these successful approaches could be exported to help a larger percentage of traumatized people in South Africa. My research found that the entire Healing of Memory workshop methodology is successful and would need to be exported as …

The Hands Behind The Handicraft: How “Fair” Is Fair Trade?, Carly Hubbard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nepal’s male-dominated society, tradition, and culture have left its female population to experience an undermining of their gender socially, politically, and economically. There are fewer opportunities for women in education and in the labor market. In an effort to encourage equality and decrease levels of the widespread poverty existing among Nepal’s female population, thousands of Fair Trade skills training programs have been established. By teaching simple tasks like weaving, sewing, and dyeing, such programs strive to teach those who would otherwise struggle to sustain themselves to perform tasks that will allow them to earn a living. Research and observation of …

The Language Of Action: A Creative Study Of Resistance To Slavery From West Africa To The Days Across The Sea, Kali Block-Steele

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The goal of this paper is to study one of the lesser known aspects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade: resistance. Before the discussion of resistance, a brief history of the trade can be found. The focus on active resistance to slavery both on an individual and collective level begins on the African continent and continues through the Middle Passage, finishing with a discussion on forms of resistance in the Americas. There is a second part encompassing some creative writings inspired by the formation of this paper.

Fight Or Flight: The Situation Of The Young And Jobless In Morocco, Anduriña Espinoza

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the context of the Arab Spring, Morocco faces some of the biggest anti-government protests in recent history, many of which are motivated at least in part by the poor and persistent employment problem. Bearing in mind the staggeringly high numbers of unemployed youth in a country that is also one of the biggest senders of migrants to Europe and North America, I have based my study on the duality of choice Moroccans face. When confronted with deteriorating quality in a given product, as economist Albert O. Hirschman has articulated in his theory on exit, voice, and loyalty, people can …

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 …

Fighting Fire With Flame: Visual Storytelling As The Antidote To Negative Media Imagery, Léna Sulpovar

Capstone Collection

This paper is an examination of the power of art in building bridges between groups of people in conflict. Through two complementary case studies where theater and film are utilized as catalyst for dialogue, the paper highlights the impact of visual storytelling on the hearts and minds of participants entering the experience with certain prejudices towards and fear of the “other” group. In particular, it shows that complex visual stories and empathetic characters have the ability to increase understanding of other perspectives, transform perceptions, and even instill narratives that are contrary to the ones dominant within the given culture. Interviews …

Immigrant Women Organize For Justice: A Listening Project, Sandra Catalina Nieto

Capstone Collection

Over nineteen million immigrant women live in the United States. Each one of those nineteen million women carries with her a powerful history. Immigrant Women Organize for Justice: A Listening Project is an attempt to capture a breath of those histories, in particular the histories of four mujeres luchadoras: immigrant women who are organizing communities surrounding them and devoting much of their life and their work to the lucha (struggle or fight) for a more just and equal society. Immigrant Women Organize for Justice: A Listening Project is a two-part project. The first section is devoted entirely to remembering the …

Funding The Fundamentals: A Peace First Teacher’S Recommendations For Increased Quality Sixth Grade Curriculum To Effectively Engage And Educate An Increasing Quantity Of Students., Pamela Gonzales

Capstone Collection

In the United States, the top 20% of the population owns 85% of the wealth. This leaves only 15% of the wealth for the rest of the population. This clear disparity of wealth, in combination with the common practice of racial segregation (created by 300 years of inequality) has direct correlations to violence in United States cities. Boston is one of these cities. Impoverished minority neighborhoods are struggling because they exist in a society that is essentially ignoring them. There are fewer opportunities in poor minority neighborhoods, particularly for young people. As a result, a cycle of violence has continued …

Is Mine Risk Education (Mre) Having A Significant Effect And Long-Lasting Impact On Attitudes Towards Uxos At The Community Level?, Phounsy Phasavaeng

Capstone Collection

For over 30 years, UXO (Unexploded Ordnance) contamination in Laos has affected the ability of the population to maintain suitable livelihoods in a number of provinces. This constraint is a significant challenge to community development as well affecting National Social Economic Development. UXOs are the cause of many accidents in Laos, the casualties are often children and farmers who are involve in agricultural activities and scrap metal collection.

UXO-LAOS is the key UXO clearance agency in Laos. Other UXO clearance agencies have also tried to address the problem by providing the clearance work as well as Mine Risk Education (MRE) …

Perceptions Of Access To Education: Inclusion And Exclusion For Non-Karen Refugees In Mae La Camp, Matthew Gross

Capstone Collection

Mae La refugee camp on the Thai/Burma border is the largest of the seven “Karen” refugee camps in the area and is considered the center of education for refugees. Continued fighting inside Burma between the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) and the ethnic armies as well as the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis in 2008 have greatly altered the demographics in Mae La refugee camp. Perceptions of Access to Education: Inclusion and Exclusion for Non-Karen Refugees in Mae La Camp attempts to understand, through qualitative data, how non-Karen speaking refugees perceive their access to education. Is education in Mae …

Mind The Conflict: Mindfulness And The (Israeli-Jewish) Conflict Mindset. Dis-Covering Psychological Barriers To Peace, Shiri Barr

Capstone Collection

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is regarded as an intractable conflict – a lengthy, violent and seemingly insolvable conflict. Social-psychologists assert that individuals and societies entrenched in intractable conflicts develop a problematic psychological infrastructure, which is here termed the Conflict Mindset. Made up of certain attitudes, beliefs, and emotional inclinations, the Conflict Mindset serves as a double-sword: on the one hand it helps the society endure the difficulties of the ongoing conflict; on the other hand it feeds an ever escalating cycle of violence, by promoting narrow and rigid perspectives that block possibilities for change. The Conflict Mindset is only part of …

Transforming Lives And Communities: A Case Study On Building Partnerships In The Philippines Through Appreciative Inquiry, Rizalina L. Ababa

Capstone Collection

The growing number of poor in the Philippines is alarming. Neither the national government nor any individual organization acting alone has been able to alleviate the rising percentage of poverty. With this prevalent need in the country, networks, alliances and partnerships among several organizations, including faith-based organizations, have been established to help respond to the needs of those living in poverty.

OM Philippines–Cebu Ministries, a faith-based Christian organization was started in 2001. It has worked specifically among the poor through children’s programs in partnership with local Protestant churches. Like many NGOs, OM Philippines has been exploring new strategies to expand …

Beyond Heard: Young Adults In North Kivu, Eastern Democratic Republic Of Congo, Their Resilience And Role In Peacebuilding., Cynthia Tarter

Capstone Collection

People in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) have faced decades of direct and structural impacts from conflict and war. Of the many key actors in the peace process of DR Congo, the voice and capacity of young adults is generally left unheard. This study examines the role of Congolese young adults in peacebuilding in conjunction with identifying contextual protective factors of resilience. The role foreign aid workers have in development and conflict interventions is an included backdrop of focus.

Primary research data was gathered from rural communities in North Kivu from July 2010 – February 2011, and …

The Insecurity Of “Secure Communities”: A Case Study Of An Advocacy Campaign To Protect Immigrant Rights In Santa Barbara, Ca, Tina Pia Peirano

Capstone Collection

This case study describes and analyzes the work of advocacy work of PUEBLO, a human and immigrant rights organization in Santa Barbara, California. The paper focuses on the ongoing campaigns of PUEBLO and its allies, including national and state-level organizations and coalitions, to influence one of the most recent federal immigration policies, titled Secure Communities. It also addresses PUEBLO’s advocacy to change local law enforcement policies or practices which have targeted Hispanic residents, including undocumented immigrants, for traffic citations and car impoundments. Based on knowledge acquired through my six month, full-time internship with PUEBLO and through various forms of primary …

The Water Project: A Short-Term Study Abroad Program Design For Alfred University, Caitlin Paul

Capstone Collection

The Water Project is a short term, faculty-led program, which will address the global water crisis by using the strengths of Alfred University (AU). The Water Project will include students from five different disciplines -Engineering, Art, Business, Language, and Anthropology- and have them work in collaboration with each other and the faculty of AU to create low-cost, ceramic water filters for a community in need of a clean water source in a rural area of Burkina Faso. The Water Project is not intended to be an imposing force on the community, but a welcomed collaborator that works to create a …

The Campaign For Bias-Free Policing In Vermont: One State’S Resistance To The Localization Of Federal Immigration Agency, Amanda L. Park

Capstone Collection

There are roughly 1,500 immigrants from Mexico and Central America currently working on farms in Vermont, helping to sustain approximately half of all milk produced in the state. But the lack of adequate visa-to-work options leaves these individuals without proper documentation to be in the US. As such, they are vulnerable to exploitation by their employers, susceptible to harassment from the communities in which they live, and under constant threat of deportation by federal immigration agents. Now, the US Department of Homeland Security—in charge of domestic defense and immigration—is attempting to use local and state law enforcement officers in the …

The Role Of Youth In Post-Conflict Reconstruction (The Case Of Liberia), Marit Woods

Capstone Collection

African youth today no longer want to view themselves as future leaders; instead they want to be viewed as leaders of today who have the ability to shape their own future. Despite the limited opportunities available to youth in the developing world, they strive to become contributors to their communities. Once the world realizes the importance of empowering youth, young Africans will have more opportunities to excel. The purpose of this inquiry is to answer “What opportunities are available for Liberian youth (15-35 years old), and how can these opportunities enhance youth participation in the National Reconstruction Process?” Utilizing qualitative …