Obama Suka Nasi Goreng! American Foreign Policy And Cultural Affinity With Indonesia,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Obama Suka Nasi Goreng! American Foreign Policy And Cultural Affinity With Indonesia, Mario Feola
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This essay will first focus on the historical legacy of United States foreign policy towards Indonesia, arguing that security exigencies and military-to-military linkages have historically driven the US-Indonesian relationship. I will also briefly explain the current diplomatic consensus of how best to “broaden” the US-Indonesia bilateral relationship. The second section will explain roadblocks towards strengthening the relationship, including strategic, economic and cultural barriers to cultural affinity. The third and final section will use public opinion polling data and collected primary source information in order to make recommendations about how to implement future US-led cultural programs in Indonesia.
Hip Hop Highways: Mapping Complex Identities Through Moroccan Rap,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Hip Hop Highways: Mapping Complex Identities Through Moroccan Rap, Anisha Bhat
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
During the post-colonial period, Moroccan visual artists belonging to the “School of the Sign” reformulated traditional symbols of Moroccan heritage in new and innovative ways in order to directly challenge orientalist conceptions of Moroccan identity. Today, media outlets have heralded the rise of the musical genre of Moroccan hip-hop as a potential new medium for the transmission of Moroccan youth identity and revolutionary ideals. As a result, the purpose of this study was to investigate how Moroccan rappers assert their personal conceptions of cultural identity in a larger framework of resistance against societal expectations. What, if any, are the “signs” …
Memoirs Of A Mother: Life Between An Islamic Fantasy, Cultural Patriarchy, And The Startling Reality.,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Memoirs Of A Mother: Life Between An Islamic Fantasy, Cultural Patriarchy, And The Startling Reality., Nicole Fauster
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Article 490 of the Moroccan Penal Code deems sexual relations outside of marriage illegal and punishable by one month to one-year prison time. But in a society where marriage is often delayed due to financial restrictions, premarital sex is common and pervasive. Though premarital sex is the norm amongst many, if a lady becomes pregnant, the tables turn she is labeled a “whore” or a “street woman”. If a man fathers a child out of wedlock; he can simply deny affiliation and walk out of the picture.The woman is marginalized, and the father of the child does not bear any …
The Quota For Women’S Representation In Parliament: An Empty Gesture Or A Vehicle For Change? Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Women Members Of Parliament In Jordan,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
The Quota For Women’S Representation In Parliament: An Empty Gesture Or A Vehicle For Change? Analyzing The Effectiveness Of Women Members Of Parliament In Jordan, Mackenzie Kieborz
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Understanding the unique Parliamentary situation in Jordan and the potential possessed by the quota for women in Jordanian Parliament as a measure to empower women politically and introduce their presence in an otherwise male dominated sphere has enormous implications. Undoubtedly a feminist measure, it merits understanding if the quota has similarly feminist outcomes. This study seeks to evaluate the women elected through the quota, examining how effective the women members of Parliament (henceforth MPs) are, to see if they really are capable of initiating major societal change or if instead they simply perpetuate the patriarchal and tribalism based systems. Through …
Not Just A Formality: How Inefficient Bureaucracy And Government Distrust Fuel Nepal’S Informal Economy,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Not Just A Formality: How Inefficient Bureaucracy And Government Distrust Fuel Nepal’S Informal Economy, Anders Karl Lindgren
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Currently the Nepali government and the International Labour Organization (ILO) are involved in a campaign to increase rates of government registration among small businesses, which are technically illegal to operate unregistered. The program incentivizes and facilitates registration, attempting to change the cost-benefit analysis that shopkeepers make when deciding whether to register. Using interviews with small business owners in the Kathmandu area, this study provides qualitative data about what information these shopkeepers have, how they perceive the registration process, whether the government has traditionally followed through on its promises, and how all of these factors affect their registration cost-benefit analyses. Additionally, …
Limits To Literacy: The Perceived Relationship Between Functional Literacy And Political Empowerment Amongst The Forest-Dwelling Van Gujjars,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
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 …
Give And Take: The Struggle Of Being A Part Of The System You Want To Change- Childline: Solving And Perpetuating Child Vulnerability In Bikaner, Rajasthan, India,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Give And Take: The Struggle Of Being A Part Of The System You Want To Change- Childline: Solving And Perpetuating Child Vulnerability In Bikaner, Rajasthan, India, Angela Soley
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Children are the most vulnerable population in India; they are at risk of human trafficking on the street, corporeal punishment at school, domestic violence at home, and the list continues. There are 12.7 million child laborers in India, the rate of child marriage is 47%, and 69% of children suffer from physical abuse (India.gov, 2011)(Tahir and Hussain, 2012, p.664)(Hello CHILDLINE, 2013, p.7). Unfortunately, much of this abuse is accepted by India’s culture: hitting children is a standard form of punishment, child marriage is a norm in rural villages, and child labor is a necessity for impoverished families. One organization attempting …
Challenges To Women In Political Leadership In Samoa,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Challenges To Women In Political Leadership In Samoa, Kiki Martire
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Samoan women hold an integral and valued place within their families and communities. Despite this, Samoa continues to report some of the lowest representation of women in political office in the world. The newly instated Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing 10% of Parliamentary seats for women will bolster female political involvement in the upcoming 2016 elections. An investigation into the challenges that face women entering political leadership roles at the village and Parliamentary level will bring awareness to the struggles encountered by women and contribute to dismantling the barriers which stand against them. Fourteen female politicians and experts in the field were …
Livelihood Strategies Of People In The Himalayan Region Of Nepal: A Study In The Villages Of Eastern Manang,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Livelihood Strategies Of People In The Himalayan Region Of Nepal: A Study In The Villages Of Eastern Manang, Prashanta Chhetri
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This is a study on the changing livelihood strategies of people in Manang -a district that lies on the northern side of Annapurna Himals. I have focused my study on the villages in the eastern part of lower Manang. Primarily, my study has been done in these villages: Besisahar, Khotro, Nachai, Tachai, Tilche, Dharapani, Yak Kharka, Surki Khola and Bhimthang. As defined locally, these villages fall under the region of Nyishang and Gyasumdo in the Manang district. In this paper I talk about the shifts made by the people in their livestock keeping/raising from yaks to dzhopas to mules, depending …
Identidades Sociales En Situación De Pobreza: La Construcción De Identidad Y Comunidad En La Villa 31,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Identidades Sociales En Situación De Pobreza: La Construcción De Identidad Y Comunidad En La Villa 31, Sam Gips
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
The villas of Buenos Aires began to form in the 1940’s as immigrants poured into the city from Argentina’s interior and from neighboring countries like Paraguay and Bolivia. These villas formed in precarious conditions without adequate government assistance, which has led to difficulties with public services such as running water and electricity. Estimates say that over 300,000 of the 3 million residents in Buenos Aires live in villas today. Unlike most villas located in the southern outskirts of the city, Villa 31, which was the first villa in the city, is a community of 30,000 residents located in the center …
Logrando Educación Democrática Para Un Chile Democrático: Una Mirada A La Formación De Ciudadanos A Través De La Educación De Historia,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Logrando Educación Democrática Para Un Chile Democrático: Una Mirada A La Formación De Ciudadanos A Través De La Educación De Historia, Samantha J. Stevens
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Este ensayo se base en una investigación que fue conducida con el objetivo de conocer la forma única que la democracia ha tomado en Chile como resulto de su historia y contexto social, cultural y político. Porque la democracia se defina en parte por la participación activa de todos los ciudadanos, este ensayo Intenta conocer la relación entre el sistema de educación y la sociedad para determinar la medida en que el sistema prepara estudiantes para esta participación. A través de las experiencias y opiniones personales de profesores de historia, este ensayo pretende presentar una vista de todos los factores …
Fútbol Femenino: Empoderamiento En Una Cultura Machista,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Fútbol Femenino: Empoderamiento En Una Cultura Machista, Chloe Wheeler
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Este trabajo investiga el efecto de la cultura machista en el fútbol femenino, y cómo la participación en fútbol de las mujeres puede ser una fuente de empoderamiento a pesar de que existe el machismo en formas diferentes. Ha sido un trayecto difícil para las mujeres en fútbol, pero hay mucha esperanza hacia el futuro, porque los jóvenes de esta generación están progresando con sus actitudes hacia los derechos y las oportunidades de las mujeres—los roles de género no son tan fijos como hace años atrás. Resultando que, los puntos de vista de la gente más adulta están cambiando. Sin …
Ayllu,Migracion Politica Desde Abajo En Bolivia: Perspectivas Desde El Ayllu Bombo, Oruro,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Ayllu,Migracion Politica Desde Abajo En Bolivia: Perspectivas Desde El Ayllu Bombo, Oruro, Lucas Rénique
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Este proyecto consta de una investigación acerca del ayllu hoy en día. Los ayllus son gobiernos-agrupaciones familiares, sociales, económicas y culturales con una base territorial que persisten desde antes del imperio Incaico en la región andina de Bolivia y Perú. El estudio se enfoca en el ayllu Bombo, un ayllu en proceso de reconstrucción con territorio en la Provincia Dalence, Oruro pero cuyos miembros en su mayoría radican en la mina Huanuni, Cochabamba, El Alto y otros lugares de Bolivia y el mundo. Intento entender la naturaleza de las transformaciones socio-políticas en este ayllu ocasionadas por la migración y extractivismo …
“Kallawaya Siempre Soy” La Descolonización De Ajayu En La Cosmovisión Kallawaya,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
“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 …
Coming Into Consciousness Women’S Empowerment Projects In Chinandega, Nicaragua,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Coming Into Consciousness Women’S Empowerment Projects In Chinandega, Nicaragua, Brittany Wightman
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
Nicaraguan people are gridlocked into various oppressive hierarchies. Those who find themselves at the bottom of these hierarchies face what Paolo Freire calls “dehumanization”, because they are unable to engage in the inquiry and praxis of their realities. Through my independent study project, I address the hierarchical system of patriarchy in Nicaragua, and highlight the ways in which women empowering themselves are reclaiming their humanity through increasing consciousness. I was fortunate enough to work with two organizations in Chinandega: El Movimiento de Mujeres de Chinandega, and El Grupo Crecer. In working with these organizations I became immersed in the the …
Emergency State Cultural Imagination And Expression Among Afro-Descendant Youth In Pearl Lagoon,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
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 …
“We’Ve Lost Sight Of The Blue And White, And We Need To Find It Again.” Youth, Divergence Of Memory, And Political Polarization In Post- Conflict Nicaragua,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
“We’Ve Lost Sight Of The Blue And White, And We Need To Find It Again.” Youth, Divergence Of Memory, And Political Polarization In Post- Conflict Nicaragua, Cameron Kesinger
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
In this essay, I analyze the results from 20 interviews I completed in Managua, Matagalpa, and San Ramon, selecting 8 to delve into in depth. I conducted the interviews in pairs, asking parents about their memories of the Nicaraguan Contra war in the 1980s and then asking their children about the histories their parents shared with them and their personal views of Nicaragua. Through these interviews, I sought to understand in a Nicaraguan context the presence of historical memory, the politicization of historical memory, the diversity of youth activism, and the way that youth view reconciliation within their countries. My …
“Nous Souffrons” Examining The Problems Facing Urban Refugees In Yaoundé, Cameroon,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
“Nous Souffrons” Examining The Problems Facing Urban Refugees In Yaoundé, Cameroon, Morgan Walbert
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This paper is the product of a study that examines the experiences of urban refugees in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Refugees around the world, often victims of unthinkable human rights abuses, are forced to rely fully on the hospitality and protection of the international community. This unique relationship between a refugee and his/her host state can present serious challenges to both parties. This research examined the resources available to refugees in Yaoundé, evaluated their effectiveness, and explored possibilities for improving the experience of these urban refugees. I utilized eighteen structured interviews with refugees and four follow-‐up in depth interviews with three refugees …
Slachtofferhulp: An Analysis Of The Amsterdam Police Department’S Response To Lesbian Domestic Violence,
2014
SIT Study Abroad
Slachtofferhulp: An Analysis Of The Amsterdam Police Department’S Response To Lesbian Domestic Violence, Taylor Sczymecki
Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection
This independent study project examines the role that the Amsterdam Police Department plays in the context of lesbian domestic violence. Amsterdam is a city well-known for its tolerant culture and large LGBT community, yet there is little to no discussion between the government, the police, and the citizens of Amsterdam. This article examines the taboos surrounding lesbian domestic violence, perceptions of how the police are handling such cases, and asks who should be initiating discussions. Although the research looks at lesbian domestic violence as a general topic, it looks specifically at the way the Amsterdam Police Department networks Roze in …
American Indian Activism And The Rise Of Red Power,
2014
University of Massachusetts Boston
American Indian Activism And The Rise Of Red Power, Rachael Guadagni
Graduate History Conference, UMass Boston
Recent historical scholarship has determined that the socio-political environment of post-World War II America provided the necessary catalyst for Native American activism which when combined with the socio-political atmosphere of the civil rights era lead to the development of the Red Power Movement. In the thirty or so years immediately following World War II America witnessed profound social and political change. Initial fear of communism lead to strict, pro-capitalist Indian legislation resulting in the termination of hundreds of tribes and the relocation of countless Indian people. From this same environment rose strong leaders, including many veterans, influenced by Cold War …
