Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Entrepreneurship And “Conscientious Capitalism”? Economic Solidarity Within The Banco Palmas Network, Caroline Whistler

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Capitalism is often thought of as a struggle between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’. Although the very nature of the economic system is to reward innovative ideas that can survive competition and the ‘free market’, many ‘have-nots’ do not have the same opportunities to succeed as those born with economic resources. The gap between those with capital and those without has gradually widened into a gaping hole that few can cross. While there are certainly enough resources in Brazil to keep all citizens above the poverty line, the reality is that economic survival has been replaced by one of the most …

Knowledge And Social Movements: Promotoras Populares And Social Transformation Beyond The Classroom Of Grupo De Mulher Maravilha (Gmm), Shanna Devine

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

I spent approximately one month researching the relation of Projecto Promotoras Legais Populares (PPLP) with its Subjects, Promotoras Legais Populares (PLP). It is a course aimed to foster political growth amongst marginalize groups in society through the exploration of their Rights. I explored the methodology used by PPLP in order to address the local needs of its Subjects --mainly black women with a poor/working-class background. How did this methodology facilitate the creation of a political space where they can voice these needs? I then looked at how this spread of legal knowledge has impacted Brazil’s most marginalized people in minimizing …

Uma Doença Esquecida: A Falta De Conhecimento Da Hanseníase No Brasi, Anders Gustafson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Hansen’s Disease is one of the world’s most misunderstood and stigmatized illnesses. Its patients are often discriminated against, and marginalized from society. This study examines what role a fault in information regarding technical knowledge plays in perpetuating this prejudice. Data is based on interviews collected from patients, family members, and persons from the most affluent sections of society, all from the city of Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, medical professionals provide their input. This information is referenced against sociological theory and historical precedence, to examine the role society and government have played in formulating the situation today. The study concludes …

“¿Quién Le Compró La Tierra A Dios?” El Conflicto Territorial Entre Los Mapuches Y Las Empresas Internacionales En La Patagonia, Lauren Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Patagonia region in southern Argentina manifests the clash of the traditional and the modern worlds. In the same region there are poor indigenous communities and some of the world’s richest men both seeking to utilize its many natural resources for very distinctive aims. For the Mapuche people, the land is part of them, and they are part of the land. For the foreigners that have bought millions of hectares in the area, the land is rich with natural resources that can be utilized for profit and export. With the influx of foreign investors, the minority rights of the indigenous …

Una Investigación De Las Políticas Públicas En La Argentina Dirigidas Hacia La Prevención Del Delito En Comunidades Vulnerables: En Estudio De Caso En Villa Tranquila De Avellaneda Y El Barrio Pampa En Lanús, Camilia Lozano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

During the decade of the ‘90’s until well into mid-2000’s, crime rates increased dramatically in Argentina. This was especially true after the socio-economic crisis of 2001, where a radical unemployment rate accompanied the growing crime rates. A public policy was thus implemented by the Ministry of Justice and Human Development in 2000 in order to attack this growing national concern. The National Plan of Crime Prevention is implemented in what will be referred to as “Vulnerable Communities”. These are marginal areas of the Province of Buenos Aires where drug use, unemployment and loitering on the streets are commonly observed. It …

Individual Responsibility Concerning Hiv Transmission Among Msm: A Comparative Study Of The Effectiveness Of Ngo Intervention Policies And Their Practical Applications Within The United Kingdom, Australia, And The Netherlands, Martha Kienbaum

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the complexities involved in utilizing the terms of individual responsibility for the construction of HIV prevention campaigns that target men who have sex with men. Four health workers in the Netherlands were interviewed about their personal opinions regarding HIV intervention, and these interviews were analyzed qualitatively for their points of comparison and contrast. Then, campaign materials from organizations in the United Kingdom and Australia were analyzed for their use of the language of responsibility, their portrayal of MSM, their balance between promoting disclosure and communication, their focus on individual groups within the MSM community, and their overall …

Home On The Range: Case Study Of Kham Nomadic Peoples And The Litang Region, Katelyn Ransom

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Migrant Working Children In Ho Chi Minh City: Emerging Trends Between Economic Migrant And Runaway Child Workers, Paige Fern

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper studies the impact of doi moi on working children in Ho Chi Minh City. Doi moi, which was implemented in 1986, drastically changed Vietnamese society, economically, socially ad politically. These changes allowed a market economy to emerge, sparked remarkable economic growth, and reduced the overall level of poverty. The living standard of the entire population has improved as a result of these economic developments. Poverty reduction has not occurred equally across all regions of Vietnam. Since 1986, there has been a growing divide between rural and urban areas. Around 10 million children in Vietnam today, 30% of the …

‘Like A Parrot Screaming In Its Cage’ Activism And Empowerment In Nepal’S Bhutanese Refugee Community, Elena Phoutrides

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper will look at empowerment in the Bhutanese refugee community from a number of angles. First of all, it will examine issues of representation. Refugees are often represented to media sources and agencies by Bhutanese political leaders who do not always represent the variety of needs and views present in the 100,000-person plus refugee community. Second, this paper will discuss camp management and the ways in which participation is encouraged and discouraged by agencies involved in providing for refugees. The refugee community is far from silent on issues of participation and representation; thus this paper will look at several …

Searching For A Path: Evangelicals In Nicaraguan Politics, Jacob Siegel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Evangelicals now comprise approximately 20-25% of the Nicaraguan population, but the Nicaraguan political system has remained dominated by the specter of the Roman Catholic Church. As a result, in the 1990s, some evangelical leaders, including ones who had previously been vocal opponents of political involvement, sought new outlets for political participation. I claim that the evangelical political movement has drawn on three justifications: a struggle against political marginalization, a crusade for “traditional moral values,” and a fight for economic betterment.

Here, utilizing interviews with 18 Nicaraguan Protestants involved in Christian political or social movements, I trace evangelical political parties though …

Campesinas En Resistencia: Estrategias De Sobrevivencia Para Construir Una Cultura De Paz, Camia Crawford

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This essay speaks of the rural Nicaraguan woman, survival, and the development of strategies of "resistance" to construct a Culture of Peace. It discusses how society creates and reinforces the oppression of this woman, and how this woman confronts (resists) this oppression. This is a paper that documents the struggle of the woman that looks to access power from her impoverished and gendered condition from the time of the revolution until the present. Through a process of formal and informal interviews with rural women over a one month period in Paiwas Nicaragua, the goal of this project was to investigate …

Volviéndose Rebelde: Participación Política Juvenil La Historia De Participación Política De La Juventud Nicaragüense: 1975-2006 Recurring Rebellion: Youth Political Participation In Nicaragua, Julia Beaufait

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Youth act as both reflections of and protagonists within history and society. This is even more apparent in Nicaragua, where the 1979 triumph of the Sandinista revolution was sustained by the high levels of youth participation. In the following two and a half decades, youth have continued to play a defining role both following the example of and rejecting the proceeding models of participation. This essay is an exploration of the history of youth political participation in Nicaragua in the years between 1975 and 2006: from the insurrection to the most recent elections. I work under the assumption that the …

The Art Of Building Peace: How The Visual Arts Aid Peace-Building Initiatives In Cyprus, Daniella Gold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Often times, artists have the unique ability to see the world with fresh eyes. A specific group of Turkish-Cypriot and Greek-Cypriot artists have consistently used the visual arts to undermine people’s normal defenses and to help create an atmosphere of peace between members of the two communities. Interactions furthering this atmosphere not only take place between the artists of the two communities who are actively participating in these activities, but also between those individuals who choose to attend these events. Artists, therefore, can use their work to help facilitate peace between warring people. However, for a variety of reasons, artists …

Nixi: A Case Study Of The Influences Of China’S Economic Development On The Fringe Of Tibet, Zachary Johnson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

On the eastern mountainside of Nixi cling several tall, red earthen houses, the winding road to Deqin cuts between; they face a swell in the middle of the valley where several more houses stand, and one in mid-construction. The two clusters of beautiful Tibetan houses are connected by a fairly recently added crushed stone road, walled in by rough stonework patched with cement. The village is surrounded by evergreens and blossoming mountain laurels. To the north the green mountains are staggered until they slowly fade into pale blue creases humbled by a high snowcapped range at the Tibetan border. To …

Impacts Of Salt Production On Pemba, Lauren Wolchok

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The economic, social, and environmental impacts of salt production were studied on the eastern coast of Pemba Island. Solar salt production is associated with the clear cutting of mangrove forests, which are significant as soil stabilizers, animal habitats, and as an economic resource. An environmental assessment of this industry is necessary to determine whether the socio-economic gains from salt production justify the environmental costs. Interviews with owners, employees, and day laborers from 20 salt farms were conducted to assess the general sustainability of the industry. The average annual owner income was determined to be approximately 570 000 Tsh, while employees …

Development, Civil Society And The Conflict In Nepal, Shan Rehman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For more than two decades now, scholars such as Etienne Balibar and Antonio Negri have argued the ‘total subsumption of capital’; there remains no ‘outside’- all aspects of social life are governed by commodities and wage labor. This process, given impetus by the processes commonly referred to as economic globalization or market liberalization, also came to be synonymous with ‘development’. Imperfect markets, the widely implemented ‘Washington Consensus’ package of economic policies further implied, were far better social mechanisms than imperfect states.

The study and practice of ‘development’ worldwide, however, is in flux. Critiques of the mainstream ‘development’ project, widely implemented …

Los Impactos Socio-Económicos Del Proyecto De Desarrollo Sostenible En La Entrada Norte Del Canal De Panamá En La Comunidad De Cativá, Carey Pulverman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Proyecto desarrollo sostenible en la entrada Norte del Canal de Panamá ha sido desarrollado por la Doctora Gloria Batista de Vega desde 1992, con el apoyo de ChevronTexaco como parte de su Plan de Manejo Costera de la Costa Caribe en el distrito de Colón, provincia de Colón. Gracilarias de Panamá, S.A., Acelerador Tecnológico fue establecido en el Tecnoparque de la Ciudad del Saber para desarrollar una innovadora industria de biotecnología no contaminante cuya materia prima es renovable y que utiliza como fuente de energía la luz solar. Gracilarias de Panamá, S.A. es la manifestación comercial del Proyecto desarrollo …

El Movimiento Político Mapuche: Factores De División Y Debilidad E Ideas Para El Futuro, Devon Kay Whitham

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the Mapuche political movement in Chile since the military dictatorship. It asserts that the movement is more divided and weak presently than it was during the dictatorship because at that time all sectors of the Mapuche society were able to unite in order to fight against a common and concrete enemy. However, since the return of democracy in Chile the Mapuche political movement has experiences a process of fragmentation that has weakened it greatly. This study identifies the five most important factors that have contributed to the process of fragmentation within the movement—the diversity of opinions within …

War Over Water: Water, Poverty, And Conflict, Tyker Mcmahon

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The theme of this paper is; “What else would you do with 500 million dollars?” In a country as small and diverse as Nepal, with many immediate needs, are large scale projects really the answer at the present time? The stage that this paper will be set in is the 1990’s during the democracy and the beginning of the Maoist insurgency. Also, happening during this time was the pursuit of several large-scale projects like the Mahakali Treaty and the Melamchi Water Delivery Project. These both involved projects that would potentially bring large benefits but were also fraught with uncertainties relating …

Neutrality In Ireland: The War On Terror, The Use Of Shannon Airport And The Irish Anti-War Movement, Margaret Havemann

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In 2001, following the terrorist attacks of September 11, Ireland’s Taoiseach Bertie Ahern flew to America to offer President George W. Bush the unlimited use of Shannon Airport in an invasion of Afghanistan. Since then, Ireland has played the role of controversial accomplice in America’s War on Terror. Each year hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops land in Shannon to fill up on beer and craic while their planes fill up on fuel and supplies. And each year, new accusations surface of CIA rendition flights passing through Ireland on their way to torture camps scattered around Europe. With the Celtic …

The Development Of Environmental Consciousness And Identity In Surfing Subculture, Alex Mass

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Since the 1960’s and 1970’s, surfing has exuded the stereotype of a laid-back, environmentally conscious and left-wing culture, a connotation often spread through media outlets such as movies, television, and music that encourage the idea. While the stereotype is often known and widely accepted, no studies could be found that actually tested this view. Using a series of interviews and surveys of the New Ecological Paradigm, this study investigated the formation of environmental consciousness and identity in surfing subculture in order to examine the accuracy of such stereotypes, and analyse the effect that such generalized views have on the formation …

A Study Of The Formative Factors Of The Free Trade Agreement Between Oman And The United States, Gregory Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the process by which the Omani-American Free Trade Agreement was so quickly agreed upon between Omani and American negotiators. By interviewing the major government officials involved in the architecture of the agreement, and by examining the role of other institutions and interest groups that are typically involved in the process in the US, the author demonstrates how very narrow the policy-making arena in Oman is. He argues that the benefits Oman hoped to gain from the agreement were far more political than economic, but that political liberalization is more important than economic liberalization for the long-term interests …

Politics And Propriety In Oman: Omani Reactions To The Danish Cartoon Controversy, Averell Schmidt

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper investigates the unusually quiet reaction in Oman, in comparison to many other Muslim countries, to the Danish cartoon controversy in the spring of 2006. Through interviews with young adults, elites, members of the religious establishment, and the business community, the author demonstrates how people learned about the controversy and how their reactions were influenced by the economic and political concerns of the regime. The survey showed that the young adult survey respondents almost uniformly misunderstood the relationship between press and government in the West, and in Denmark in particular, and that they felt powerless to protest the perceived …

The Development Of Bilingual Education In Berlin’S Primary Schools, Elizabeth Buckley

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The debate on language education is flourishing in the current state of globalization and immigration. The rising amount of globalization has increased the amount of linguistic diversity present in one’s everyday life. There are between 6,000 and 7,000 languages in the world and half of them are in danger of disappearing. Therefore, it is becoming more common for the presence of many different linguistic groups within one country. For instance, in Indonesia, there are over 700 languages spoken. Although, the distribution of languages is not equal, it is nearly impossible to go through life without being exposed to another language …

Les Aspects Positifs Et Négatifs Dans La Nudité Dans La Publicité Française, Caitlin Thornton

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Transnational Citizenship: Perspectives On Migration In The Greek Cypriot Community, Molly Bowen

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research explores the phenomenon of rapidly increasing migration to the Greek Cypriot community. Through observation and interviews with migrants (including domestic workers, laborers, students, and asylum seekers) and Greek Cypriots the research explores the impact of residence in a foreign country on the migrants identity, questions feelings of belonging and integration in Greek Cypriot society, and asks Greek Cypriots how they perceive the migrant community. Additionally policy recommendations are made based on the ideas and problems faced by the interviewees.

El Arte Ngöbe De La Chácara: Su Significado Cultural Y Potenciál Financiero En Una Asociación De Artesanas, Danica Taber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the role played by traditional, plant-derived bags known as “chácaras” or “kra” in the Ngöbe indigenous culture of Panamá, with a focus on the market for chácaras as experencied by a Ngöbe women’s artesanal association.

Chácaras have played an integral and versatile part in the lives of the Ngöbe for centuries, functioning to carry heavy loads of bananas, cradle babies while they sleep, and everything in between. However, in recent decades the previously isolated Ngöbe culture has experienced exposure to mainstream Latino culture, resulting in a dwindling cultural regard for chácaras and traditional Ngöbe culture as a …

From Soldiers Of War To Soldiers Of Peace: La Red De Promotores De Paz Y Desarrollo, Stephanie Gharakhanian

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Reconciliation, one told me, “is to throw away the land of the past, to forsake the hate that we have.” “It is a friendship,” said another, “If I don’t have it, I can’t break the silence that I carry.” The poetry of these words astonished me. Both quotes were of women ex-combatants, one had fought for the Resistencia and the other for the Sandinistas during the dreadful Contra War that beleaguered Nicaragua for much of the 1980s. Today, these women are fellow Promotores de Paz y Desarrollo, colleagues in a network of war veterans and community leaders working together to …

Catholic Community Services In Fiji Solutions To Poverty Alleviation, Rebecca Richard

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper is an attempt to research various Catholic community service programs in and around the Suva area of Fiji. I visited various Churches, religious orders, and Catholic organizations in the hopes to learn about their actions, and how their services affect the community and alleviate poverty. In the beginning of this paper, I stressed the religiosity of Fiji, and how many people are devoted to their faith, but only through ‘individual piety,’ consisting of prayer, reading the bible, and mass attendance. I speak of the role of the Catholic Church and its commitment to service via Catholic Social Teaching, …

Here, There, And Everywhere: Tale-Ing Liz Weir; Uses Of Storytelling In Northern Ireland Today, Leanne Gaffney

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.