8411 research outputs found
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Spun Truths: Outcomes of Mongolia’s Cashmere Program in Domestic Processing Facilities and Supply Chain
Get PDFSince Mongolia’s transition to a market economy cashmere goats\u27 population quintupled and their share of the nation’s total live-stock doubled. Cashmere is Mongolia’s third largest export and herders’ primary source of cash income. However, Mongolian cashmere processing facilities operate well below capacity because they cannot compete with high prices paid by Chinese traders. The latest intervention in a series of industry reforms is the four year Cashmere Program, which is being implemented by the Mongolian Ministry of Agriculture and Light Industry. In order to increase the amount of cashmere processed and exported from Mongolia, the program invests in domestic processing firms who cannot operate at full capacity due to inadequate working capital. This paper interviews changers and processing facilities to better understand the outcomes of the policy at the firm level. The study finds that issuance of working capital loans in SMEs has been delayed for the past two year, negatively impacting the companies and the sector
Long-Term Mental Health Support for Refugees after Resettlement: Assessment of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services for Refugees in Switzerland
Get PDFBy definition, refugees are people forced to escape their home countries, often as a result of persecution, war, or disaster. While abundant literature exists on the psychological effects of trauma and corresponding psychological treatment during or immediately following crises, we know little about how post-migration factors affect refugees’ psychological well-being after resettlement. Few such longitudinal studies have been reported; moreover, evaluations of current long-term mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS) and refugee access to MHPSS in host countries remain sparse. This study presents an evaluation of MHPSS services for refugees currently implemented around the world, with a focus on services in Switzerland. Based on personal interviews with Swiss psychiatrists, policymakers, and humanitarian field workers while drawing on framing literature, we examine the causes of and types of psychiatric disorders that refugees experience, as well as discuss existing programs aimed to alleviate post-traumatic stress symptoms. We find not only that refugees endure traumatizing stressors before and during migration, but also that asylum-seeking and integration practices may further exacerbate PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, we find that school-based interventions, migrant-specific mental health teams, and repeated exposure to cognitive-behavioral techniques are promising interventions to increase access to mental health services and provide sustainable care. Future mental health interventions must consider barriers to access, cultural differences, insurance-schemes, and politics during development and implementation
A Secret in the Words Tales of Literature and Dissent in Communist Czechoslovakia
Get PDFIn order to better understand the parallel culture of the 1970s and 1980s Czechoslovakia, this paper aims to tell the stories of six members of the Czechoslovak samizdat community: Marie Klimešová, Ivan Lamper, Ladislav Šenkyřík, Tomáš Tichák, Jáchym Topol, and Jarka Vrbová. Through personal interviews with these individuals, we understand how editors, typists, artists, writers, translators, and readers played significant parts in this parallel culture as well as how these people continue to play important roles in society today. While the tales told here are only parts of the lives of six individuals, they help reflect the impact of an entire culture that led to the Velvet Revolution in 1989
Socio-Cultural Norms and Perceptions of Menstruation: An Intergenerational Analysis of Rural Jamkhed, Maharashtra
Get PDFThis study analyzes the socio-cultural norms and perceptions of menstruation between two generations of women in rural Jamkhed, Maharashtra. Interview questions were prepared for women between the ages of 18-26 and 35 or older to determine the level of dilution of the menstrual taboo and stigmas between age groups. All women resided in two villages in the rural area surrounding Jamkhed, Maharashtra. A variety of socio-cultural perceptions and practices were explored to determine their correlation with external influences on the shifting menstruation narrative. The socio-cultural factors of focus are family structure, media exposure, choice of material use, disposal and sustainability, segregation practices, and normalcy of discussion. The impact of CRHP as a source of information for community women is explored as well. The reappearing stigma that the woman is impure and polluted during menstruation is observed indirectly through interview questions regarding segregation practices. The overall significance of this study is to assist in developing an understanding of how the menstruation narrative is evolving between generations by building context of the socio-cultural practices and their influences
Perceptions of Rural Birthing Practices: A Glimpse into Maternal and Child Health for Women in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh
Get PDFOver the past two decades birthing practices within India have drastically changed. This change is most visible in the shift from homebirths to hospital births following the implementation of the National Rural Health Mission. This study aims to understand and give voice to women’s perceptions of birthing practices in the rural villages of Kangra District of Himachal Pradesh. A total of ten interviews were conducted with both mothers and healthcare practitioners in the surrounding villages of Kangra District in order to gain a thorough, qualitative understanding of birthing practices in the local communities. The healthcare practitioners’ responses were divided according to their profession: Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), and Birth Attendants. The mother’s responses were categorized according to five themes: Preparation for the Birth and Prenatal Care, Birthing Experience, Traditions and Cultural Norms Surrounding Birth, Changes in Birthing Practices over the Generations, and Hope for the Future: How to Improve Birthing Practices. Analysis of the interview responses indicated that the National Rural Health Mission has greatly influenced women’s perceptions of birthing practices. When combined with a greater level of education and health literacy, these government schemes have fully changed the narrative surrounding birth. Women now view hospital births as the norm and homebirths are seen as backwards and too risky. The NRHM has also greatly altered how women interact with other aspects of birthing practices, such as prenatal and postnatal care. The incentivization of institutional births has created a large generational gap in perceptions of birthing practices. While childbirth in India has become much safer for both mothers and children through these government policies and schemes, all of the women interviewed agreed that there needs to be efforts made to achieve more comprehensive, womencentric maternal care
“GOOOOOAL!”: An Exploration of the Dutch-Moroccan Footballer Experience
Get PDFThis study seeks to explore how fans of the Dutch national football team, Oranje, engage with the portrayal of Dutch-Moroccan footballers who are navigating between the paradigms of “success story” and “problematic immigrant.” In the climate of the seemingly tolerant country of the Netherlands, we hypothesize that fans of Dutch football interpret and perpetuate the concept that minoritized men have to maintain a flawless performance based on conditions determined by the majority in order to ascertain a higher position in society. By employing Krippendorff’s theory of content analysis (Krippendorff, 2004), we explore the language used to describe three Dutch-Moroccan footballers (Sofyan Amrabat, Hakim Ziyech, and Mohamed Ihattaren) in two different types of sources: a) news articles on the Football Oranje website, and b) an international fan group for Oranje on Facebook. Results indicate support for three major themes that appeared in the literature: Othering, transnationality, and globalization, which indicated varying levels of “Dutchness.” The qualitative findings indicate that Dutch-Moroccan football players are considered successful Dutch citizens when they perform their role as a football player perfectly, enabling them to escape their minority group stereotypes. However, if they do not perform this flawlessly, they are immediately Othered as an outsider. Limitations and future directions of this research are discussed
Checking a Box or Creating Change? Examining the Overall State of Gender Mainstreaming in Humanitarian Action
Get PDFHumanitarian organizations provide aid and assistance to millions of individuals impacted by natural disasters and armed conflict every day. However, not all individuals are equally impacted by humanitarian crises. Since the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women introduced the term ‘gender mainstreaming’, humanitarian organizations have recognized and taken steps to address gender specific needs in crisis situations.
While there is an abundance of research concerning these gender specific needs, there is little research on the overall state of gender mainstreaming in humanitarian policy. This paper seeks to fill this gap by examining gender mainstreaming in the humanitarian community through some of its key actors. Through analysis of primary and secondary sources, along with interviews from key humanitarian organizations working on gender issues, this paper presents an overview of the system as well as some key challenges and limitations surrounding the implementation of gender mainstreaming
Los proyectos educativos alternativos para terminar con la desigualdad
Get PDFEsta investigación se centra en la presencia de pedagogía crítica y educación integral y popular en el sistema educativo en Chile y Argentina y los intentos de establecimientos escolares de usarlas para liberar a sus estudiantes de ciclos de segregación, discriminación y desigualdad. Hay una brecha larga en el sistema educativo actual donde un grupo de estudiantes en alta condición de vulnerabilidad social han sido etiquetado fracasos sin esperanza. Cuatro instituciones escolares fueron estudiadas a través de entrevistas, conversaciones y observaciones participantes. Mientras estos proyectos muestran un gran esfuerzo para crear espacios para cada tipo de estudiante, todavía falta mucho trabajo y progreso para crear un sistema integral libre de discriminación. Los resultados muestran que docentes han hecho mucho trabajo para contrarrestar el efecto de un currículo nacional estricto y una sociedad implacable para proporcionar mejores vidas y estudios a este grupo de estudiantes
La sostenibilidad de la reconstrucción 2014-2019 tras el Gran incendio en Valparaíso: una mirada desde la habitabilidad, resiliencia y preparación en la gestión de desastres
No full textThe beautiful port city of Valparaíso, Chile is home to 42 colorful hills that overlook the Pacific Ocean. This unique city, however, is also home to multiple disasters, including urban and forest fires, tsunamis, landslides and earthquakes. This descriptive study explores the case of the 2014 “mega-fire” that destroyed 3,000 homes and affected the lives of 11,000 residents. Through five semi-structured interviews and the review of several academic and official documents, the present study analyzes the process of post-disaster reconstruction, seeking to understand the habitability and the resiliency of the reconstructed houses and neighborhoods. In order to understand the challenges of reconstruction after the 2014 mega-fire, this investigation considers the historic deficit of urban planning, the challenging topography, and the culture of informal housing that characterizes the city of Valparaíso. The investigation considers improvements and shortcomings following the process of reconstruction on three levels: houses, neighborhoods, and the city. The results find that many people are living in better conditions after the fire but that many more have reconstructed in the same vulnerable conditions as before. The investigation goes on to discuss how at all three levels Valparaíso is far from being sustainable or resilient due to the reactive rather than preventative culture of disaster risk management. The present study finds that Valparaíso is prepared to respond to disasters and to reconstruct quickly but that the city’s residents are not aware of the risks they face or the individual roles they play in preventing disasters. By revealing some of the faults of the post-disaster reconstruction process after the 2014 fire, this research offers a vision of the political and cultural changes that are necessary to make Valparaíso a more sustainable, resilient and prepared city.
La ciudad-puerto hermosa de Valparaíso, Chile es la sede de 42 cerros coloridos que miran desde arriba el Océano Pacífico. La ciudad única, sin embargo, también es la sede de varios desastres, incluso incendios urbanos y forestales, tsunamis, derrumbes y terremotos. Este estudio descriptivo explora el caso del mega incendio de 2014 que destruyó 3.000 viviendas y marcó las vidas de 11.000 residentes. A través de cinco semiestructuradas entrevistas y la revisión de varios documentos académicos y oficiales, el estudio presente analiza el proceso de la post-desastre reconstrucción, pretendiendo entender la habitabilidad y la resiliencia de las viviendas y los barrios reconstruidos. Para comprender los desafíos de reconstrucción tras el incendio en 2014, la investigación considera el déficit histórico de planificación urbana, la topografía desafiante y la cultura de vivienda informal que caracterizan la ciudad de Valparaíso. La investigación considera los mejoramientos y los defectos tras el proceso de reconstrucción en tres niveles: las viviendas, los barrios y la ciudad. Los resultados encuentran que mucha gente está viviendo en mejores condiciones después del incendio pero que muchas más personas han reconstruido en las mismas condiciones vulnerables como antes. La investigación continúa a discutir cómo a los tres niveles Valparaíso está lejos de ser sostenible o resiliente debido a la cultura reactiva en vez una cultura preventiva hacia la gestión de riesgo de desastre. El estudio presente encuentra que Valparaíso está preparado para responder a desastres y para reconstruir rápidamente, pero que los residentes de la ciudad todavía faltan consciencia de los riesgos que enfrentan y los roles individuales que juegan en prevenir desastres. Revelando algunas de las fallas de la post-desastre reconstrucción después del incendio de 2014, esta investigación ofrece una visión de los cambios políticos y culturales que son necesarios para convertir a Valparaíso en una ciudad más sostenible, resiliente y preparada
Subversión del Binario de Género: Descubriendo Las Violencias Ejercidas Sobre las Personas Trans en Valparaíso
No full textThe key purpose of this investigative work is to identify the types of transphobic violences that are inflicted on Trans people in the specific case of Valparaiso, Chile. In an attempt to understand these violences, this project follows the experiences and understandings of these violence of two trans individuals who live in this city. Following a theoretical framework of gender performativity, and the way in which gender is constructed and repeatedly performed, outlined by Judith Butler, this investigation also analyzes how these violences are derived from the subversion of trans bodies to the gender binary and the cisnormativity of society. This study finds that the subversion of the gender binary results in 3 principal forms of violence inflicted on trans people— the psychological, the physical, and the institutional