African Studies Commons^™

Perspectives On Community Policing Of Durban Juveniles Living On The Streets, Dena Cheng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this project is to critically analyze the structure and performance of the South African Police Service (SAPS) at the nexus of juvenile criminal justice and homelessness. Facing issues of social discord, legitimacy, and patterns of corruption following the era of apartheid, SAPS plays a critical role in both preventing as well as eliminating crime. Therefore, this project focuses on a particularly marginalized community, under-aged street children, since the treatment of youth crime and/or criminality in Durban serves as a microcosm of a larger system of practices implemented by SAPS. Through in-depth interviews with local social workers, a …

It's Essential: The Ylang-Ylang Trade On Nosy Be, James Sleigh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper attempts to describe the production and sale of Ylang-Ylang from cultivation of the tree to the export of the flower, and examines the roles and power that each stakeholder has in the value chain. From there, the paper will look at issues associated with the trade; namely of the threat to the terrestrial ecosystem and the profit imbalance in the industry. Finally, the paper turns to potential strategies to resolve the previously stated issues associated with the production and sale of Ylang-Ylang. As a whole I hope that the paper can be seen as a rough survey of …

The House Of The Fish: Collaborative Coral Reef Awareness Project On Nosy Be, Meghan Hurley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this project was to initiate a place-based coral reef education project, with the ultimate goal of improved localized conservation efforts in the face of growing global threats. Three principal groups that interact with coral reefs on Nosy Be were interviewed: fishers, tourist guides, and conservationists. Research was conducted on the biology of coral reefs, and on the most prominent threats facing coral reefs in the Indian Ocean and around Nosy Be. Information and direct quotes from interviews, and the results of research, were incorporated into a photographic journal entitled "In the House of the Fish" or "An-tragno …

Where Do We Go From Here?: Two Key Informants' Perspectives On How To Address Conscientious Objection In Top Provision In South Africa, Talia Parker

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This perspectives research endeavor examines the barriers to TOP access that arise from conscientious objection through the conflicting network of rights and legislation in South Africa. While previous research has evidenced the demonstrable barriers to accessing TOP care in South Africa, this project aims to push the existing literature and the field as a whole one step further to interrogate how to move forward within the realities of conscientious objection.

To do so, I conducted interviews with key informants in the field of reproductive healthcare provision, research, and activism in Cape Town on their perspectives about the practice of conscientious …

The 25th Anniversary Of South African Democracy: Exploring Perspectives Of 10 Stellenbosch Residents On Patriotism And National Pride, John Mitchell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prevalence and qualities of a South African patriotism in Stellenbosch. 25 years after the transition to democracy and an election in 2019, this study aims to develop a sense of national pride using a small sample size. The major question is how is that pride expressed? Is it using rhetoric from the post-1994 ANC nation-building projects? Or have those efforts lost salience in people’s lives?

To conduct this research, I used mainly a 'vox pop' style interview, meaning participants were chosen randomly to answer a short, 5-6 question survey about national …

Z4, A Slow Puncture: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of Language, Embodiment, And Meaning-Making, Charlotte Rose Samuels

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In my ISP, I explored language as it relates to the ways in which people living in Cato Manor make sense of HIV/AIDS in their community. With 7.1-7.2 million people living with HIV (PLWHIV) in South Africa, individuals across the country are either infected or affected by illness. KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), the province with the highest rate of HIV, is also the province that was surveyed with the disproportionately highest internal stigma rates for PLWHIV. High prevalence of HIV, particularly in KZN, calls for a constant contextualization of life in the presence of illness.

Throughout the world, metaphor and symbolism is …

From The American People: An Autoethnographic Exploration Of South African Ngos' Perceptions Of Pepfar, Antonia Asher

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aim of this research was to understand what the ideal partnership would be between United States (US) governmental aid agencies and South African non-governmental organizations (NGOs), specifically concerning HIV/AIDS programs funded by the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), from the perspective of NGOs. PEPFAR is the largest relief fund for a single disease; thus, I additionally sought to deeply reflect upon myself as a US citizen in South Africa, a country that has received trillions of dollars from taxpayers such as myself.

To accomplish this, I interviewed NGO staff about the nature of current partnerships, outcomes …

"I Have Plenty Of Things To Say:" The Language Choice Of Senegalese Women Writers, Alexander Cullison

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this research is to better understand the forces and motivations that influence Senegalese women writers’ choice to write in the languages they choose. Senegalese women writers began publishing written works in 1976, but the majority of works published by women from Senegal have been in French. While France’s colonization of Senegal has a major role in this, other factors, like the language policy of Senegal, play an important role in decision. Other external forces, like the narratives around what languages one should write in and politics of getting published, also influence this decision. Through the content analysis …

An Assessment Of Coral Bleaching Near Misali Island, Tanzania, Danielle Kulick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Coral bleaching and reef health were studied in fringing reefs around Misali Island, Tanzania. Over a 28-day period, 1,329 coral colonies were surveyed along 31 transects. For each colony, data was collected on growth form and bleaching severity. No significant differences in bleaching frequency or intensity were observed between the resource extraction and non-extraction zones protected under the Pemba Channel Marine Conservation Area (PECCA). Bleaching was observed to be extensive across all coral growth forms and was found to collectively increase over the study period in frequency and intensity. This study indicates the vulnerability of Misali coral reefs to bleaching …

Women In Conservation: A Study Of Effective Community-Based Conservation And The Empowerment Of Women In Tanzania, Ruby Krietzman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The subject of this study is women involved in Community-Based Conservation (CBC) from areas surrounding Lake Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Mount Kilimanjaro National Park. CBC is a participatory process between people and organizations who have responsibilities affecting conservation. Communities surrounding protected conservation areas tend to experience high levels of poverty and marginalization due to exclusive conservation policies and the lack of co-management principles. Although tourism revenue is abundant in these locations, the benefits rarely impact local community members that disproportionately experience the effects of conservation. This is especially true for women who hold the responsibilities of collecting …

Characterizing Systems Of Reporting And Mitigating Anthrax Outbreaks Near Mto Wa Mbu, Monduli District, Tanzania, Megan Levy

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Northern Tanzania has experienced several anthrax outbreaks in the recent past. In Monduli district, an outbreak in 2016 prompted an organization of district officials to create an updated outbreak response action plan. The pastoralist community is often affected by these outbreaks due to their frequent direct contact with cattle and herds’ proximity to wild species potentially affected by the disease. This characterization of the existing systems of reporting and mitigating anthrax outbreaks was accomplished through structured interviews with ward and village officers, local veterinarians, and members of the pastoralist community in Monduli district near Mto wa Mbu. The purpose of …

Cancer Management In Kenya - Awareness And The Struggles Patients Face To Access Treatment, Care & Support, Ashley Nmoh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The amount of cancer cases in Africa, and Kenya specifically, are rising at an alarming rate. This study was conducted to determine the challenges that patients with cancer in Kenya face to access treatment, care and support. Thirty-nine cancer patients were interviewed and thirty cancer patients filled out a questionnaire about their experiences of having cancer in Kenya. In addition, twenty key informants were interviewed including doctors, caregivers, cancer NGO executives, a researcher, a psychologist, a National Health Insurance Fund official and a director from the Ministry of Health. A breast cancer awareness survey was also administered to fifty-nine women …

Motorbike-Related Injuries & Safety Practices Among Motorbike Riders In Kisumu, Western Kenya In 2019, Rowan Poehler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Road traffic injuries are a growing public health problem throughout the world. Kenya has is known for having unsafe roads with an estimated 13,463 road traffic fatalities in 2016 and 24% of road traffic fatalities coming from 2-and 3-wheeled vehicles (WHO, 2018). This study sought to analyze road safety measures and road traffic injuries amongst motorbike taxi drivers in Kisumu, Kenya. A qualitative survey was administered to 152 motorbike taxi drivers in Kisumu over a two-week period in April 2019. The results were then analyzed. Results showed that 70% of drivers owned a helmet for themselves and 48.3% of drivers …

Supplying Slaves: The Disguise Of Greener Pastures: An Exploratory Study Of Human Trafficking In Uganda, Kyla Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study was to evaluate labor migration in Uganda with a specific focus on the role labor recruitment agencies play in transporting people and how certain circumstances such as lack of knowledge of safe migration can leave people vulnerable to human trafficking. Labor externalization is beneficial specifically for developing countries because it provides jobs for the robust and available labor in these countries. Nonetheless, when reports appear that young girls are stranded abroad in the middle east after being taken there for work, labor recruitment agencies are first to receive the blame. Although Uganda issued a ban …

Home And Healing In The In-Between: Migrant And Refugee Mental Health In Tunisia, Donia Torabian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research is a study of migrant conceptions of home and healing in Tunisia. It seeks to understand the ways in which migration, trauma, and healing interact as lived experiences for people who migrate for various reasons to Tunisia. Using past research from Terre d’Asile and Médecins du Monde, the research seeks to understand the main risk and protective factors of migrant mental health. The research is a qualitative study of the ways in which migrants identify with having experienced trauma and the healing practices they may have brought to or learned in Tunisia. It also hopes to build connections …

A Study Of Stambeli In Digital Media, Nneka Mogbo

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research paper explores stambeli, a traditional spiritual music in Tunisia, by understanding its musical and spiritual components then identifying ways it is presented in digital media. Stambeli is shaped by pre-Islamic West African animist beliefs, spiritual healing and trances. The genre arrived in Tunisia when sub-Saharan Africans arrived in the north through slavery, migration or trade from present-day countries like Mauritania, Mali and Chad. Today, it is a geographic and cultural intersection of sub-Saharan, North and West African influences.

Examining The Culture Of Poverty Argument In Morocco: How Development, Criminalization, Education, And The Makhzen Craft Perceptions, Raegan Loheide

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper explores if and how stakeholders in Moroccan poverty reduction invoke the culture of poverty argument. The thesis originally proposed by Oscar Lewis has been used and transformed to justify a variety of policies or lack thereof over the past several decades and varies according to history and cultural context. We understand the notion of what it means to be poor in Morocco through the lens of NGOs working with vulnerable populations. The organizations interviewed in this research were all connected to government or foreign aid funding, which inserts a particular development and Western oriented lens to solutions. Although …

Seeing Every Corner Of Tangier: A Photographic Collection Going Beyond The Media Sphere, Cynthia J. Coleman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Tangier is an iconic city, with an image recognized internationally. Its image is created, not only by the city itself, but by its representation in the media. That said, it is worth considering, how true to Tangier is its image? This study considers this issue by addressing the following question: how does the image of Tangier, as represented in photographs, compare with that portrayed in the media? To accomplish this, a collection of 18 photographs over the area of Tangier, an area of 44 square miles, was taken. The photos were taken to as objectively as possible represent the city …

Local Perceptions Of Cannabis And Cannabis Laws In Morocco: Unpacking Past Laws, Moroccans' Perceptions, And Exploring Organizational Efforts, Shadae Tingman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In Morocco, cannabis production and consumption are illegal, both medicinally and recreationally. The cultivation of the plant is among the top five in the world. This research will explore many aspects of cannabis in Morocco. There is much literature that exists surrounding the agricultural, economic, and political implications of cannabis, but this research will focus on social perceptions of cannabis and cannabis laws of local Moroccans. This research will explore past government attempts to legalize marijuana and why they did not pass. It will also explore the work of local youth organizations (that focus on cannabis) to understand what they …

2019 Iggad Conference Program, Charles Joyner Institute For Gullah And African Diaspora Studies

IGGAD Conference Programs

Program of the 2019 IGGAD Conference: Tracing the African Diaspora: Places of Suffering, Resilience, and Reinvention.