Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

R-E-S-P-E-C-T Expectations, Perceptions, And Influences On Moroccan Etiquette, Christina Ermilio

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Why do humans naturally create distinctions? How do we establish these distinctions between ourselves? What marks us as an individual within a particular group? In this project, I consider how etiquette is defined in Morocco and how it relates to the work of certain theorists and sociologists such as Pierre Bourdieu. Primarily, this project focuses on expectations of behavior, perceptions of the ‘other,’ and influences on the definition of good behavior in Morocco. In addition to observations in public spaces and more specifically at universities, I interviewed University students from Ibn Tofail in Kenitra and from Mohammed V in Rabat, …

Presence Of The Dingo (Canis Lupus Dingo) On Risk Sensitive Foraging Of Small Mammals In Forest Ecosystems, Amanda Lu

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Trophic regulation of mesopredators through top order predators can have profound effects on ecosystem community and diversity. In the absence of top predators, invasive mesopredators exert strong selective pressures on native prey and can alter prey foraging behavior. When foraging in the presence of predators, prey must weigh predation risk against food gain. To examine the indirect impacts of dingo baiting on risk sensitive foraging in forests, we measured differences in giving up densities (GUDs) and surveyed local populations of mesopredators and mammals. We hypothesized that in baited areas, mesopredators would be more abundant and prey would perceive greater predation …

Playing The Blame Game: English Education In Omani Government Schools, Valentine Sergon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Given that the Omani government has undertaken in recent decades a massive education reform to improve, among other things, the English level of Omani students, it is now time to evaluate how the system is faring, where it is failing and why. Under the new Education system enacted in 1998, Omani students begin learning English from grade one with the aim that, by grade twelve, students know enough English to be able to study at a university level in English. Unfortunately, a vast majority of students who enter university in Oman are forced to enroll in one to three semesters …

The Revolutionary Art: Street Art Before And After The Tunisian Revolution, Nicholas Korody

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Art and revolution have always commingled. Often, periods of social upheaval are also periods of profound artistic experimentation. For example, the Bolshevik revolution encouraged constructivism and the daring new forms of the Russian avante-garde. Additionally, art is often used as a mechanism to incite people into action. The Cuban revolution, Chinese revolution, and Russian revolution all created unique and highly influential political propaganda.

During the Arab Spring, the series of mass protests and government-overthrows that erupted in early 2011 across North Africa and the Middle East, little was reported in the media of the cultural changes that existed. These countries …

New Representations Of The “Golden Lineage”: The Mongolian Folk Rock Of Altan Urag, Jonathan Heins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This project will examine the ways in which the self-proclaimed Mongolian “folk rock” band, Altan Urag, combines elements of both traditional Mongolian and Western music and culture in order to recast and recreate Mongolian tradition. These new representations of Mongolian tradition occur within the context of a young and rapidly developing democratic nation which looks both deeply into its own past to construct a strong national sense of identity and looks increasingly outward to the international community with aspirations of establishing itself as a recognized and respected member of that community. Altan Urag’s new representations of Mongolian national heritage are …

“El Tema No Existe”: La Salud Sexual Lésbica En Valparaíso, Chile, Isabel Osgood-Roach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This independent study project investigates the status of lesbian health care in Valparaíso, Chile. Over the course of three weeks, I conducted interviews with six women who engage in non-heterosexual intimate relationships. These individuals identify on a spectrum of sexual orientation that includes lesbian, bisexual and hetero-dissident. I also participated in a political demonstration organized by Acción Gay supporting a proposed Anti-Discrimination law. Finally, I attended a meeting of the recently formed lesbian health group Colectivo Ropa Tendida to gain insight into an organization working towards visibilizing lesbian realities. To contextualize my investigation, I worked with theories regarding essentialist and …

“La Percepción Social De Vih/Sida En Chile Y Sus Efectos”, Philip Krause

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Research Question—How does the social perception of HIV/AIDs in Chile affect the country’s prevention and treatment programs?

Background-- This paper investigated the social perception of HIV/AIDs in Chile through the opinions of experts who work closely to the issue, including regional and national political professionals, medical professionals on HIV/AIDs treatment teams in hospitals, and leaders of social organizations that had a relationship to HIV/AIDs representation and prevention. The professionals were also asked how they believed this perception affected the efforts of the Chilean government and national organizations in prevention and management of the HIV/AIDs epidemic in Chile. An …

La Etnia Y Las Cesáreas En Los Partos En El Hospital Público De Arica, Chile, Marisa Westbrook

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The principal objective of this project was to explore the relationship between ethnicity and the causes for Caesarean section in the regional public hospital in Arica, Chile. All births recorded in the maternity register (n=907) were analyzed over a 4-month period in 2011. The regional public hospital had a 27% caesarean section rate, higher than the WHO-recommended 15%. Last names were analyzed and deemed to be either of Aymara descent (n=275) or of European descent (n=632) based on criteria used from CONADI, the National Corporation for Indigenous Development. The overall rate of Caesarean section did not differ between Aymara and …

Psychosocial Problems Of Refugees: Understanding And Addressing Needs, Catherine Doren

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Because all refugees have, by definition, left their country due to a “well-founded fear of persecution due to race, political opinion, ethnic origin, religion, or belonging to a particular social group,” it must be assumed that they have experienced trauma, making psychosocial problems ubiquitous among refugees (Bulbul, 2011; M. Carballo, personal communication, 29 September 2011). Research has shown that refugees often experience a range of psychosocial problems, yet research about the potential avenues for ameliorating these problems and their consequences is lacking and must be increased. Through a combination of interviews and a review of the field’s existing literature, it …

“Los Huaynos Me Recuerdan A Mi Tierra”: La Música Radial De Cusco Y La Formación De Identidades Migrantes”, Violet Cavicchi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

La experiencia migratoria de muchos peruanos de comunidades con identidades andinas marcadas que se mudan a la ciudad de Cusco crea un conflicto identitario que es distinto. Estas personas se enfrentan con nuevas influencias que complican su conceptualización de una identidad propia. Este estudio considera la manera en que un foro especifico de la música radial funciona como un espacio para trabajar estas influencias solapadas y construir un entendimiento de identidad regional en este nuevo contexto. El artículo empieza con un análisis del contexto histórico que establece este fenómeno y que explica la importancia de la radio y su música …

La Reproducción De Desigualdad De Género En Los Liceos, Rebecca R. Miller

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper looks at how gender norms and thus gender inequality is reproduced in public schools in Valparaiso, Chile. In 2009 a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program found that 62% of Chileans, both male and female, “are opposed to full equality between the sexes” (Estrada 1). While the women’s participation rate in the paid labor fore has risen to 49% it is still behind other countries in Latin America (Estrada 1). While the country currently faces a 7.1% unemployment rate and roughly 11.5% percent live below the poverty line, women have a unemployment rate of 8.6 while …

Conflicting Perspectives, Contentious Problems A Case Study Of Kwale International Sugar Co. Ltd. In Msambweni District, Jayme Tsutsuse

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper presents a report of the findings from a four-week study on the varying perspectives towards Kwale International Sugar Co. Ltd. which have brought about problems concerning land, development, and politics. It discusses findings fromliterary sources and field work, including correspondence, interviews, forums, and focus group discussions with government representatives, company managers, and community members. It highlights where recorded information is inconsistent, making it difficult for the people and company to coexist. Additionally, it describes how the community’s grievances developed and critiques the various actors and actions that are responsible. Lastly, it provides recommendations to a way forward towards …

Reproductive Health Education In The Kibera Slum: Developing A Slum-Specific Curriculum, Susanna Schneider Banks

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The principal objective of this Independent Study Project is to make recommendations for a slum-specific reproductive health curriculum to be used in primary schools that serve the Kibera Slum in Nairobi, Kenya. In order to obtain data and form a credible basis for the recommendations, interviews were conducted with teachers, focus groups were facilitated with students, and questionnaires were distributed to parents. Additionally, observations were made about the current state of reproductive health education at each school. Data was collected at Kibera School for Girls, a private school in Kibera, and Olympic Primary School, a public school at the edge …

The Role Of Information In Enabling Community Response To Mining Threats In Palmares Ii, Christine Gerbode

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The case of Palmares II is examined to understand the role that knowledge (or misinformation/lack thereof) of specific geologic interests and rights of surface communities plays in enabling those communities to respond to the possibility of mining on their land. Palmares II is an MST settlement located near the Carajás mining complex in southern Pará. Currently, a number of companies are authorized or requesting permission to conduct research for mineral ores such as gold, copper, manganese, diamond, and nickel within the borders of the settlement; it is therefore potentially possible that this community will face mining interest on their land …

A Field Study Of Consociationalism In The Northern Ireland Assembly: A Moderating Influence Or Threat To Democracy?, Ellen Louise Noble

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is the outcome of a month-long exploratory study on whether consociationalism has a moderating influence on politics in Northern Ireland. I analyzed the impact of consociationalism on policymaking, party platforms and voter choice to determine if it strengthens and enlarges the middle ground or bifurcates the political community into two extreme and conflicting political agendas. Data was obtained through a literature study and eight interviews with academics as well as political representatives and advisors. This research tested two competing theories of consociationalism: David Horowitz’s theory of consociationalism as a centrifugal force and John McGarry’s and Brendand O’Leary’s theory …

Hchouma Alik!: A Look At The Evolution Of Hchouma In Contemporary Moroccan Society, Eden Dotan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In this paper, I intend to first explain the Moroccan concept of hchouma, or shame, and explore how it has evolved from past to present generations. I will then examine Moroccan television by looking at how it, too, has evolved, and what its impact is on various people’s ideas of hchouma. I will demonstrate that there has been a devaluation of the word hchouma over the generations, and will discuss the implications of that devaluation. I will conclude by arguing that although hchouma may hold less importance today than it once did, it is not, as some of …

Migration, Vulnerability And Xenophobia: Central African Refugee And Asylum Seekers’ Access To Health Services In Durban, South Africa, Cathy Kaplan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 1998, South Africa passed historic legislation that bridged international conventions on refugees and asylum seekers with the protections and rights defined in the South African Constitution and Bill of Rights. The 1998 refugees act defined specific rights that refugees and asylum seekers are entitled in South Africa, the most important of which include the provision of legal and immigration documentation, employment, adequate housing, and health and social services. When asylum seekers arrive in Durban, many are in the need of immediate health services as a result of long journeys, pre-existing conditions, pregnancy, or illnesses contracted in refugee camps throughout …

Oduvek (Since The Beginning): Roma Narratives Of Continuous Discrimination And Perspectives On Identity, Marginalization, And Assimilation In Niš, Serbia, Erin Humphries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Previous research into Roma memory studies and narratives has found a strong focus on the present and a tendency to ‘obliterate’ the past. This paper explores Roma perceptions of discrimination in Niš, Serbia and its continuity throughout history. Findings suggest that although a majority of participants did recognize a continuity of discrimination, agreeing that Roma had always been discriminated against, when asked about specific time periods in Serbia, such as Yugoslavia and the 1990’s, most interviewees acknowledged these as time periods of equality. The present situation is also discussed in relation to the state of discrimination, the role of the …

Effective, Efficient Health Care Reform The United States And Swiss Health Care Systems: A Comparative Analysis What Can The U.S. Learn From The Swiss Experience?, Rebecca Dittrich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Home to 45 million people without health insurance while still spending 17% of its GDP on health care expenses, the United States has been in need of a massive health care overhaul for quite some time. Some have speculated that the Swiss system may be an ideal model for health care reform, and in fact, many aspects of the newly instated Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) do reflect areas of LAMal, Swiss health care law. This paper evaluates the Swiss and United States health care systems (under ACA), their similarities and differences, and the pros and cons of …

Infectious Disease As A Security Threat, With Particular Application To The Migration Context, Marielena Faria

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper analyzes the threat infectious diseases impose on global security, specifically in the migration context. Infectious diseases can threaten security through a variety of areas, and this paper aims to identify the global spread of infectious diseases through migration, international crises, humanitarian emergencies, HIV/AIDS, and emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. This paper explores global health, security, and migration in an attempt to determine if combining these three areas can be meaningful. Generally, studies approach only two of the three areas to examine a topic, but this paper will assess and point out when combining all three fields is relevant. …

Bills, Bribery And Brutality: How Rampant Corruption In The Electoral System Has Helped Prevent Democracy In Uganda, Sam Tabachnik

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study looks at the electoral system in Uganda and the corruption and inefficiencies that go with it. In addition, this study delves into the most common electoral crimes and the way they are committed. Going even deeper, the study examines the reasons for bribery pervasiveness, the role of money in politics and the views locals have of their government and its leaders. Crucial institutions such as police, military, judiciary, Electoral Commission and civil society groups were also discussed in how they relate toelections and politics in Uganda.

The research design was qualitative, historical and descriptive. Information was gatheredby in-person …

Le Centre D’Alliances Et Cultures, Esther Wittenberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

L’esprit de accueillance était déjà au bâtiment de centre avant d’il était officiellement le centre d’Alliances et Cultures. La structure était construite aux même temps des autres maisons qui sont dans le même quartier. Il était un projet du HLM, le Habitation à Loyer Modéré, qui construit des maisons pour les familles. Les familles sont locataires et ils paient un loyer modeste. Il était ouvert en 1982 comme un bâtiment où les familles pouvaient rencontre des autres familles au même quartier. Petit à petit, ils ont crée un microsociété, et ont gagné une rassurance de solidarité. Eventuellement, les familles ont …

¿Por Qué Participan? Las Motivaciones De Participación De Los Miembros De La Corriente Classista Combativa En La Matanza Why Participate? The Motivation To Participate For The Members Of The Corriente Classista Combativa In La Matanza., Googie Karrass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The ‘piquetero’ movement that emerged out of Argentina’s economic crisis of 2001 has undergone many transformations. Beginning in the early 90’s in response to the devastating neo-liberal policies of Carlos Menem, this movement of unemployed workers created new forms of political dissent and organization. While individual groups existed within the movement their method of public protest, the blockage of transit routes, and their shared objectives for institutional change and stable employment, allowed this movement to act as an untied front. During the crisis of 2001 and in the wake of the utter failure of Menem’s neo-liberal agenda the ‘piqueteros’ converged …

Still Separate And Still Unequal: Community Relations’ Policy In Post-Conflict Northern Ireland, Wilma Metcalf

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Community relations‟ policy is the only reconciliation policy in Northern Ireland. With this being said, this paper is an exploration of community relations‟ policy in Northern Ireland and its efficacy in terms of Contact Theory, identity, and education. I begin by describing my methodology, challenges of doing the fieldwork, and overview of sources used. Then, I define the issue the policies are meant to address: Northern Ireland‟s segregated society. Then, I present a description of the approaches, both political and organizational, to address segregation and improve community relations. Here, I look at the Northern Ireland Act (1998), Sharing over Separation, …

Local Solutions For A Global Problem: The Role Of Ngos In Maximizing The Efficacy Of Local Government Sanitation Efforts In Rural Maharashtra, Jorge Aceves

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This independent study project looks at the topic of sanitation within rural Maharashtra. Although the Government of India, through the state governments, has initiated nationwide campaigns against poor sanitation and waterborne illnesses, these programmes do not reach all communities or find significant success in improving sanitation. Recent revisions of these sanitations programs have shifted their focus from a centralized supply-driven approach to a localized demand-driven approach, yet the system requires more work to become fully functional. In some areas, non-government organizations, such as the Comprehensive Rural Help Project (CRHP), have stepped up to bridge the gap between the available government …

We Are What We Eat: A Sherpa Cookbook, Renee Horen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Everybody eats. This is a basic fact of life: that all people, given that they have the means, consume some type of food on a daily basis. Although this is a common factor which on some level may unify us all as one people, the food produced and consumed by any given individual, or culture as a whole, divides us by who we are and where we come from. Food consumption is more than just an act of survival and within our eating habits lays greater meaning than purely sustenance. Eating is a form of expression shaped by history and …

A Geologic Guide To The Gokyo Ri Trek: Its Hazards, Nepal’S Hindrances, Allison Bolger

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this Independent Research Project is to study the geology of the Gokyo Ri Trek and record it in the form of a publishable, trailside guidebook. This guidebook will not only enhance trekkers’ academic experience with enjoyable, interesting facts about Gokyo’s geology, but will also inform them of the natural hazards all around. From glacial lakes and high mountain peaks to precarious scree slopes and towering ice falls, the geology of Sagarmatha National Park offers more than just rocks and snow. With these natural, yet highly unpredictable wonders and the tourists they attract also comes the power to …

The Influence Of Family Structure On Women’S Role In Agriculture In Two Distinct Societies Of Southwest China, Audrey Boochever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

A popular idiom in China is nángēngnǚzhì: men plow, women weave. This ubiquitous saying reflects traditional gender roles in agriculture throughout Chinese history, how men traditionally were in charge of the land, while women took care of tasks within the home, such as making clothes for the family. The cloth used to weave usually came from cotton.[1] In this regard, both men and women have always had roles to play in agriculture in China, but from different facets.

While recognizing that women and men have played different roles in Chinese agriculture, my field study examines the role of …

Differentiating The Vulnerability Of Kothis And Hijras To Hiv/Aids: A Case Study Of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Poonam Daryani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study aims to begin the process of differentiation between the various subpopulations that fall under the agenda of interventions targeted at Males who have Sex with Males (MSM). This separation is accomplished though an investigation of the sociocultural factors and behavioral patterns impacting the vulnerability of MSM and transgender (TG) 5 communities to HIV/AIDS. Specifically, the situation of kothi and hijra populations are compared in order to understand how the differences in their cultural practices and lifestyles create unique sexual health needs. The study was completed in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh under the guidance of Bharosa Trust and MAAN …

Las Montañas Respiran: La Cosmovisión De La Comunidad De Rayampata Representada A Través Del Mito Pitusiray-Sawasiray, Gillian Thornton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

En las altas montañas de los Andes, donde los árboles crecen lentamente y los vientos están constantemente pulsando a través de la hierba desaliñada, se dice que la tierra respira. Allá, aun los animalitos más pequeños tienen una gran fuerza en el ciclo de vida, y cada uno de los seres vivos, de las plantas, y de las piedras tiene vida. Se dice allá que aun las montañas pueden hablar. En la comunidad alta de Rayampata, la gente se comunica con la tierra para sobrevivir; escucha a los murmullos del río para saber cuando es tiempo a cosechar, lee las …