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Avifaunal Community Composition in a Tropical Forest Corridor: A Case Study from the Atherton Tableland, North Queensland
Get PDFBird communities in tropical forest ecosystems are highly threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation. Replanted corridors connecting isolated forest remnants are a popular method of ameliorating certain negative impacts of habitat fragmentation. Such linkages can theoretically facilitate greater dispersal, increase gene flow, and reduce the risk of local extinctions in forest birds. However, relatively few studies have examined the utilization of reforested corridors by birds, and little hard data exists to support claims that this type of resource and time intensive project is the best use of often scarce funding for conservation. This study examined the avifaunal community present in the Lakes Corridor, located on the Atherton Tableland in northeast Queensland, Australia. Point counts were conducted at multiple sites during April 2016 to determine the range and abundance of species utilizing this 18 year old corridor. Reference sites in the two large forest fragments which it connects were also surveyed in order to provide a comparison between community composition in regrowth and remnants. Results were compared with data from two past studies of a similar nature at the same location, thereby showing change over time associated with the maturation of corridor vegetation. The Lakes Corridor was found to support similar species richness and a greater abundance of individuals than remnant forest. However, community composition varied between the two habitats, driven primarily by differences in the abundance of certain foraging guilds and the absence of many endemic species in the corridor. Although the corridor shows promise for increasing connectivity for many rainforest birds, questions remain about its effectiveness for certain species of particular conservation concern
Proceso identitario: la vinculación entre la autoadscripción de jóvenes chinos-argentinos en Buenos Aires, Argentina y las oportunidades laborales, experiencias educativas y la conservación del idioma chino
No full textThe purpose of this research is to analyze the identity processes of Chinese/Taiwanese-Argentinean young people in Buenos Aires, Argentina and connect their self-identifications with experiences and decisions related to education, careers, and cultural preservation. The narrative of Chinese and Taiwanese immigrant experience in Argentina traditionally focuses on the role of these immigrants in the supermarket sector of the economy, emphasizing conflict between the immigrant community and Argentinean natives and the isolation of the Chinese community perpetuated by the role the children of these immigrants played as translators and workers especially during the years between the 1970s and the 1990s. This investigation uses previous works and interviews with seven members of the Chinese/Taiwanese-Argentinean community, the majority of whom were born in China or Taiwan and came to Argentina as children or young adults, to construct a new image of the current immigrant identity experience.
The application of various identity theories to the self-identifications and life stories of these participants shows how the traditional concepts of Chinese/Taiwanese-Argentinean identities can no longer be assumed as applicable to the current generation, and questions the concept of identity itself. The research specifically addresses how each participant self-identifies, how each participant participates in or identifies with the larger Chinese community, the role each participants identity plays in finding work, the role the participants’ parents play in choosing their academic focus in college, and experience each participant has with the preservation of Chinese language. It also allows for the duality of culture within the identities of these people to be considered as advantageous, effectively putting into question conventional assumptions about Chinese/Taiwanese immigrant experience in Argentina
¿El derecho a una vida sin discriminación?: Un análisis de las representaciones discriminatorias sobre los migrantes bolivianos por parte de los residentes argentinos en el barrio porteño de Flores
No full textArgentina has always been a country where migration has influenced the nation’s identity. Although migration from bordering countries towards Argentina is a phenomenon that dates back to the beginnings of the nation, since the 1990s this migratory phenomenon has been the most visible in the country, especially migration from Bolivia. The visibilization of these migrants, who do not always share the characteristics of the hegemonic Argentine (the figure of the son of white European immigrants), caused in the 1990s a surge of discrimination and social rejection. Combined with the continued existence of the restrictive “Videla Law,” a migratory law from the last military dictatorship, the human rights of the migrants who entered the country were denied. After the social crisis of 2001, the government of Néstor Kirchner replaced the Videla Law with a new migratory law, Law No. 25871, in January 2004. This migratory law aims to guarantee the human rights to all migrants in Argentina, including the right to a life without discrimination.
Despite this migratory legal advance, it is clear that discrimination towards migrants, including Bolivian migrants, remains in everyday life in Argentina. This project studies the case of the neighborhood in Buenos Aires city of Flores, where Argentine born residents and Bolivian migrants live together. It utilizes the qualitative method of personal interviews with residents born in Argentina, a Bolivian migrant, and a key informant to examine the forms that discriminatory representations take toward Bolivian migrants in four dimensions: criminality, the job market, cultural customs, and access to social rights. The analysis of these dimensions discussed in these interviews reveal that discriminatory representations toward Bolivian migrants, created and reinforced through the construction of them as “racialized others” and the repetition of collective imaginaries about migration in Argentina and about the migrants themselves, remain in the discourses of the Argentine born residents in Flores
Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in Rural Maharashtra: a Preventative Approach to Risk Factor Reduction through Lifestyle Interventions
Get PDFThe primary purpose of this study is to assess the contribution and correlation between lifestyle behaviors and modifiable risk factors (MRF) established in adolescence and during pregnancy with development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) exclusive to preeclampsia (PE), eclampsia, and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). MRF include but are not exclusive to diet and nutrition, physical activity, and Mishri use. Associations of HDP with increased premature cardiovascular risk in the affected woman and child indicate the importance of healthy lifestyle modifications that promote cardiovascular health and longevity and reduction of risk factors through prevention. While cardiac conditions are primarily associated with patients over the age of 40, early prevention is key for establishing healthy behaviors. Subsequently, this study analyzed health behaviors and greater environmental factors in three stages of the woman’s life: adolescence, pregnancy, and adulthood. To follow, the secondary purpose seeks to analyze the impact and efficacy of lifestyle interventions and modifications made to prevent modifiable risk factors these three stages. Attention is focused on what factors influence or fail to influence women’s decisions to modify their lifestyles following the complication. For women living in villages and slums in rural Maharashtra, greater cultural, religious, political, and socioeconomic factors shape the realities of their lifestyle decisions and education. Such factors include health education interventions and counseling, socioeconomic development, and the degree of relevant cultural application of these interventions. Primary actors facilitating these interventions include health and social workers and educators from various political and non-political sectors. Village health workers (VHWs) among other outreach agencies of the Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP) in Jamkhed, Maharashtra have helped extend educational opportunities and health access for women seeking to understand health decisions and prevention throughout every stage of life. Interviews and 5 conversations with women with histories of complicated pregnancies, VHWs, social workers, and physicians helped contextualize prevalence and understanding of risk and prevention, prenatal and antenatal care, and the lifestyle behaviors of women with these histories. The interviews illustrated both the scientific and cultural complexity of risk factor assessment of HDP especially in the context of prevention through lifestyle MRF reduction but demonstrated numerous opportunities and platforms for building healthy lifestyle interventions in each of the three life stages included in this study
Paediatric Tuberculosis in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India: DOTS, Diagnosis, and Determinants
Get PDFTuberculosis (TB) is one of the world’s largest public health challenges, and it has a disproportionate impact on India. In children, TB is a serious but understudied illness due to the complexity of case-notification and relative lack of public health importance. This study took place over the course of one month in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In a mixed method study consisting of 53 quantitative patient interviews and qualitative interviews with healthcare providers, social determinants of TB in this setting were investigated as well as challenges faced at all stages of healthcare delivery. Malnutrition and housing were the most severe determinants of paediatric TB, though socioeconomic status, age, and household contacts also played a role. Diagnosis continues to be a challenge for healthcare providers. Overall, DOTS and the RNTCP is an effective public health program to address paediatric TB, but to reduce incidence interventions on determinants need to be prioritized
Intertidal Interactions: Stakeholder Relationships Arising from Kitesurfing in Paje, Zanzibar
Get PDFThis study investigated the growth of the kitesurfing industry in Paje, Unguja, Zanzibar in relation to its social, economic, and environmental impacts on the community. Prior research has noted that the increase in unregulated kitesurfing tourism in the intertidal zone in Paje has led to conflicts between various stakeholder groups— including seaweed farmers, fishermen, the tourist industry, tourists, and community members. This research aimed to promote a better understanding amongst all actors regarding aspects in which the kitesurfing industry can continue to benefit those involved while ensuring that the rights and livelihoods of the locals are upheld. In order to do so, a diverse array of research methods including focus groups, formal interviews, informal interviews, and nonparticipant observation involving several stakeholder groups were employed. In addition, reviews of local as well as national policies and laws were conducted. It was concluded that the intertidal zone of Paje village lacks adequate management thus contributing to mounting sources of tension between the stakeholder groups that were studied. Thus, it is recommended that efforts be made to involve the community as well as stakeholder groups in order to create an integrated coastal management plan. In doing so, there is the potential to create sustainable and mutually beneficial relationships between the kitesurfing industry and all involved parties in Paje that are vital to mitigating conflict and ensuring equitable use of Paje’s intertidal zone in the future
Accessibility and Quality of Education for Refugees: A Case Study of Kyangwali Refugee Settlement
Get PDFEducation is a tool critical for a good future and success in an individual’s life. Without education, opportunities are lost. For vulnerable populations, including refugees, education is often not an indivisible right; living in a foreign country fleeing violence and persecution creates a difficult situation for learning. In Uganda, where there are over 600,000 refugees, hundreds of thousands of children are disregarded in the quality of their education. Kyangwali Refugee Settlement is one of ten Ugandan refugee settlements in Hoima district, housing over 40,000 Congolese and Sudanese refugees.
This research combined a practicum with Action Africa Help – Uganda, as well as qualitative research in Kyangwali Refugee Settlement in Hoima District to investigate the current state of educational opportunities for refugee youth. The researcher utilized a variety of different methods in their research. First, the researcher learned the assessment tools in order to properly evaluate education through refugee education. Second, the researcher assessed teachers and school administrations through interviews and focus groups. Next, the researcher conducted surveys with upper primary and secondary school students to understand crosscutting issues. Last, the researcher interviewed secondary school students to comprehend individual challenges.
The objectives of the research were as follows: first, the study broadly examined the education system in Kyangwali and identified pertinent challenges refugee children face in accessing a quality primary education. In conjunction, the quality of education was evaluated using standards of evaluation. Next, post-primary opportunities in the settlement were evaluated to understand the quality of secondary education.
Accessibility of school is an extensive problem for primary-aged children in Kyangwali; schools are usually at least an hour and a half from children’s homes and with the overwhelming majority of refugees in Kyangwali being subsistence farmers, many are kept home to dig or plant in the garden. Classrooms are congested or in disrepair, with up to eight children sitting on a bench made for four or five. This study also disclosed refugee-specific issues regarding language, gender, and culture. To conclude, this study addresses avenues of change that AAH-U or UNHCR could utilize in order to increase primary school enrollment and improve the quality of education received
Los Derechos Humanos en un Contexto Local: La relación entre los derechos humanos y los movimientos Mapuche / Human Rights in a Local Context: Relationship between the Human Rights and the Mapuche movements.
No full textLa comunidad internacional ha trabajado para plantear una visión amplia de los derechos humanos. Sin embargo, todavía existen críticas de las limitaciones y los sesgos del derecho internacional. Para entender más la utilidad y las limitaciones de los derechos humanos, hay un enfoque creciendo en la percepción e implementación de los derechos humanos en los niveles locales. Para contribuir a este cuerpo de información, este estudio se enfoca en la relación entre el activismo Mapuche—un pueblo indígena en Chile—y las organizaciones locales de los derechos humanos. El estudio plantea que, aunque existe apoyo internacional para las demandas del pueblo Mapuche, la relación entre los derechos humanos y los derechos individuales requieren que los activistas Mapuche forman sus demandas para sus derechos colectivos como una meta distinta de los derechos humanos. Con información cualitativa desde entrevistas con activistas Mapuche y trabajadores en los derechos humanos, los resultados confirman la hipótesis y apoyan un sesgo en los derechos humanos para los derechos individuales. A pesar de eso, existe evidencia de cambios para incluir los derechos indígenas y los derechos colectivos en discusiones locales sobre los derechos humanos
EL ROL DE LOS SERVICIOS SOCIALES EN EL ACOMPAÑAMIENTO DE MUJERES DURANTE EL PROCESO DE INTERRUPCIÓN LEGAL DEL EMBARAZO EN UN HOSPITAL PÚBLICO EN LA PROVINCIA DE BUENOS AIRES / THE ROLE OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE ACCOMPANIMENT OF WOMEN DURING THE PROCESS OF LEGALLY TERMINATING A PREGNANCY IN A PUBLIC HOSPITAL IN THE PROVINCE OF BUENOS AIRES
No full textEl acceso a la Interrupción Legal del Embarazo (ILE) sigue siendo limitado para muchas mujeres en Argentina. En la mayoría de los hospitales públicos, no se hace la ILE. Este tema es todavía muy polémico y tiene implicaciones diferentes, no solo en el nivel provincial, sino también en el nivel municipal. En las instituciones donde se hacen interrupciones del embarazo, los profesionales de la salud tienen mirada abierta que incluyen factores biopsicosociales. Por eso, las trabajadoras sociales, que miran la salud desde la perspectiva de determinantes sociales, tienen un rol importante en la facilitación del acceso a la ILE para mujeres en situaciones de embarazos no deseados.
Este estudio se hizo en el hospital X de la provincia de Buenos Aires donde reciben muchos casos de ILE y tienen un equipo, que incluye trabajadores sociales, capacitado en el tema. Se hicieron entrevistas semiestructuradas con las trabajadoras sociales del hospital.
En este informe se exponen los pasos de la investigación, así como las conclusiones esenciales a las cuales las entrevistadas llegaron. Por un lado, explica la situación de la ILE en el hospital X y determina los elementos que facilitan el proceso, como la existencia de redes informales. Por otro lado, se identifican los principales factores obstaculizadores, que abarcan desde una falta de conocimiento hasta desafíos estructurales del hospital.
For many women in Argentina access to the legal termination of a pregnancy (ILE) is still very limited. In the majority of public hospitals, ILE are not performed. This topic is still very controversial and has different implications, not only at a provincial level, but also at a municipal level. In establishments where the ILE is available, health professionals have an open perspective that includes biopsychosocial factors. Therefore, social workers, who look at health from the perspective of social determinants, have an important role in facilitating the access to ILE for women with undesired pregnancies.
This study was conducted in the province of Buenos Aires, in Hospital X, that deals with many cases of ILE and that has a team, including social workers, trained in this area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the social workers of this hospital.
This report presents the steps that the research involved, as well as the main conclusions drawn by the interviewees. On the one hand, it explains the situation of ILE in Hospital X, determining elements that facilitate the process like the existence of informal networks. On the other hand, it identifies principal obstacles, from a lack of knowledge to the structural challenges of the hospital
An Evolution of Tradition: Understanding the Unintended Effects of the 1999 Inheritance and Marital Property Law on Intra-Family Relationships in Rwanda.
Get PDFIn the months following the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, a disproportionate number of Rwandan women were left without husbands, homes, family, or property. These losses required women to take on cultural responsibilities hitherto reserved for men. One roadblock to assuming these responsibilities was the legal and cultural right of property ownership reserved exclusively for men. Then in 1999, the Rwandan government enacted legislation which allowed women and girls the rights to family property -- Law/nº 22/99 of 12/11/1999 on Matrimonial Regimes, Liberalities, and Successions. On paper, this Rwandan policy seemed like a step toward gender equality, a watershed moment in the larger Rwandan history of women’s empowerment. However, claiming family property has marked the beginning of a series of hurdles and conflicts for some. The law has served as a basis of conflict among family members, in particular men who have failed to recognize that property ownership is now a Rwandan woman’s right. The intent of this study, therefore, is twofold. First, this study will attempt to gather evidence to determine the ways in which the 1999 law impacted the Rwandan cultural beliefs regarding women’s ownership of family property. Second, this study will examine Rwandan perceptions on what extent and in what forms the execution of this law affected intra-family relationships between the female member who have claimed family property and the male members of the same family. A sample of five genocide mother widows living in Kimironko Village were identified, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with each. In addition, a total of eleven civil society actors and government employees were interviewed to gauge local perceptions. The research project took place in the month of November, 2016. Qualitative data was analyzed, unintended consequences of the law identified, and policy implications discussed