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Dropping In: The emergence of skateboard culture in urban Nepal
Get PDFSince its inception less than a century ago skateboarding has epitomized youth counter culture. In recent years, this fringe sport has emerged in urban Nepal. Through in depth interviews with members of the skateboarding community and supplemental observational research, this study attempts to illuminate how social identity is realized for the skateboard community and how that conceptualization fits within the larger Nepali society. The following research suggests that skateboarding needs to overcome key economic limitations to truly become a cultural more in society
The Annapurna Road: Development and Tourism on the Annapurna Circuit
Get PDFThe Annapurna Circuit has oft been called one of the best treks in the world. Its popularity has brought countless trekkers to the region, resulting in a strong local dependence on tourism. In recent years, plan to develop rural regions of Nepal have resulted in extensive road networks being built along the route of the circuit. These roads have helped some locals and hurt others. This study investigates the implementation of the roads in Annapurna Conservation Area and the effects on both trekkers and locals. Further, it examines the New Alternative Trekking Trails that have been implemented along sections of the Annapurna Circuit and those that are continuing to be built in other areas. In order to learn about these issues, I traveling along the Annapurna Circuit, conversing with locals, trekkers, and conservation officials. These forms of communication ranged from casual conversations to formal interviews, but essentially every interaction was relevant and informative. This paper attempts to understand how the relationship between roads and trails has facilitated rural improvement while striving to satisfy tourists as well
The Role of Liberian Community Organizations in the Integration of Liberian Immigrants: A Case Study of Immigrants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Get PDFImmigrants that settled in a dominant new culture face challenges during the process of acculturation. Though minority culture is always at the disadvantaged end of acculturation in most cases, most research done on acculturation in the West mostly focused on the impact of immigrants on their societies, or on ways of strengthening integration in the host countries. As this continues, the dominant culture role and importance of the majority culture is what influence most narratives and not much is seeing from the minority culture. Most research on acculturation in the United States, for example, placed more emphasis on the Hispanic or Asian communities with less attention on the African community despite the massive wave of African immigrants in the US and the impact they are making on their US host communities.
As Liberians formed part of the African narrative, there was a need to know through a case study, to what extent acculturation is impacting Liberian immigrants, especially the youth population, and what the Liberian community in the United States is doing to minimize its effect. More to the impact of acculturation on Liberian immigrant, the research explored the unique way of life of Liberians and how Liberian immigrants are making an impact in their host communities as well. Philadelphia is the context for this study because of its host to the largest population of Liberian immigrant in the United States. The research considered the role being played by two of the many Liberian community organizations in Philadelphia and to what extent their work is impacting the community. The research conducted series of interviews to listen to personal stories, accompanied by a survey to gather Liberians perspective of how these organizations are impacting the lives of the immigrants. The findings are interesting as revealed in this paper
The 2015 al-Shabaab\u27s attack in Garissa, Kenya. An immersion into the structural, socio-political and psychological roots of violence
Get PDFThe paper studies the attack conducted by the Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab in Garissa, north of Kenya, on April 2, 2015. In contrast to judgmental and narrow- minded media explanations which tended to dominate the debate after the attack, the present paper uses conflict theories in order to investigate the deep roots of violence. It questions how a group such as al-Shabaab has been able to emerge, to find support and to become a major actor in the Horn of Africa, and to some extent internationally. It draws on Basic Human Needs, Collective Psychology and Structural and Cultural Violence theories to demonstrate that the attack in Garissa is the manifestation of decades of structural, cultural and direct violence between communities, as well as between colonial and post-colonial governments in Kenya and Somalia. Understanding the deep causes of violence and its endorsement by a part of the population is a first step to transform the conflict. Studying the relationships between the different actors is important in order to understand the cycle of violence, and to think of ways to defuse it and to heal decades-long wounds
Communalism and Its Impact on Human Development Future Civil Society Initiatives for Inter-Communal Peace in Gujarat
No full textCommunalism is defined as a distrust and acrimony among different faith-based social groups such as Hindu-Muslim, Hindu-Christians, and different ethnic groups which results in riots and violence. My research focused on identifying how communalism is a major hurdle and threat to human development in Gujarat. Communalism has been a problem in Gujarat for centuries, alongside other problems like unemployment, women‘s issue, climate change issues, illiteracy, and other social issues which impact growth towards sustainable development. Communalism in particular, including both inter-religious and caste issues, have been growing day by day and harming both sides of the community. Communalism has affected people‘s routine life, mental-physical capability, and resources. My research explored different ways to uproot communalism through community efforts which would support more sustainable human development. In this research, I have covered key points as causes and effects of communalism and future prevention methods suggested by participants to sustain peace. This research paper attempts to explore different sides of sustainable development, conflict resolution, and human development to rebuild sustainable communities in Gujarat
Relationship Between Preponderance of ADHD in the African American Community and How Teachers are Trained to Type Students as ADHD
Get PDFThe following capstone paper “Relationship between preponderance of ADHD in African American community and how teachers are trained to type students as ADHD” explores the epidemic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis in students and the prevalence of ADHD in the African American community. In recent years the number of African American children with ADHD have skyrocketed concerning parents about the over diagnoses and misdiagnoses of the disorder (Ahmann, 2016). A recent study by Getahun and colleagues found a 70 percent increase in the number of ADHD diagnoses among African American children, with a 90 percent increase among African American girls. This is compared to smaller increases in other groups- 60 percent among Hispanic youth and 30 percent among white youth . (Dr. Wallace, 2013). Diagnosing ADHD continues to become more prevalent in the African American community due to education and awareness, improvement in socioeconomic conditions, and societal factors (Ahmann, 2016).
Teachers and parents are usually the first people to recognize signs of ADHD in children. This paper will focus on teachers within the state of Illinois and their ability to identify ADHD in their classrooms, the protocol that they follow, and training that they receive to decipher ADHD from other types of learning disabilities. This research aims to provide a better understanding of the correlation between race and class and how they play a major factor in the diagnosis or lack thereof of ADHD
Beyond What is Heard: A Documentary Film about Acoustic Ecology as Sustainability Activism
Get PDFAcoustic ecology is an interdisciplinary field that studies the relationship between sounds, sound sources, and environment they exist within. From an environmental perspective, this involves a holistic consideration of ecosystems, and how the various organisms within that ecosystem, including humans, impact and interact with each other through sound. Biosphere Soundscapes, an international, interdisciplinary project directed by Australian acoustic ecologist Dr. Leah Barclay, operates to engage communities within UNESCO Biosphere Reserves through acoustic-ecological concepts, monitoring, and techniques. In November 2016, I undertook the process of creating a short documentary film entitled Beyond What is Heard, which aimed to explore how the various programs and techniques utilized as a part of Biosphere Soundscapes have promoted sustainability in the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. This was done as a means to draw larger conclusions about the potential of the fields of acoustic ecology and environmental sound art to create change towards sustainable behaviors and structures for individuals, communities, and societies. To create the film, I conducted eleven interviews with a variety of artists, scientists, activists, community members and officials involved with Biosphere Soundscapes and the Noosa Biosphere and attended four events related to Australian acoustic ecology and the management of the Noosa Biosphere Reserve. The material from these interviews and events, traditional research methods, and my own personal experiences formed the basis for the documentary film, which portrays the importance of promoting listening as a method to connect with our environment, develop empathy and holistic mindsets, and thus work to make our own actions and communities more sustainable. Due to unforeseen technical and conceptual challenges and the complex political context within the Noosa Biosphere, I was unable to draw tangible conclusions about the impact of Biosphere Soundscapes on the Noosa Biosphere. However, the film’s larger purpose of encouraging deeper forms of listening, and demonstrating those practices’ value in the context of sustainability, remained intact to create an effective, impactful piece
Access is not Enough: Family Planning in Dar Es Salaam
Get PDFPopulation growth is a large problem, both globally and at local levels. The global population is growing at an unsustainable rate, particularly in developing nations. Tanzania, as a developing nation, is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and as a result, faces many hardships related to high population. The Tanzanian government, non-governmental organizations, and private institutions have made attempts to address these concerns by encouraging family planning. Even so, the national population continues to rise. Many social and cultural factors have contributed to this phenomenon. This study was performed in the Women’s Clinic at Sanitas Hospital in the Mikocheni district of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Results have shown that the usage rate of proven effective family planning methods is alarmingly low, even when women have full access to family planning information and resources. Family planning access and education was not proven to have an effect on the usage rate of proven effective family planning methods. This study has revealed the key contributors to family planning education and the spread of family planning information, as well as the key social and cultural concerns that women have regarding family planning use. Family planning initiatives could be improved by taking women’s opinions into account, using information from studies such as this
Independent Study Project: Investigation into the implications of zooarchaeological studies for climate reconstruction in the North Atlantic; zooarchaeological research at the Agricultural University of Iceland, Reykjavík
Get PDFZooarchaeology, the study of animal remains from archaeological sites, is crucial to the understanding of human interaction with the environment in the North Atlantic region and in Iceland, where the archaeological record is quite rich (Dugmore et al., 2005). Since its inception, zooarchaeology has drawn methods and concepts from both the natural and social sciences, as well as from history and the humanities, to inform an interdisciplinary understanding of the interactions between humans and their environments and the consequences of these interactions for humans and animals (Reitz and Wing, 2008). In this way, zooarchaeology can inform discussions about historical anthropogenic relationships to animals and the environment, and these relationships can be used to develop adaptation and mitigation strategies in this time of rapid environmental change (McGovern et al., 2007). An integrated adaptation approach requires knowledge of contextual history and cultural environmental landscape that only archaeology, and particularly zooarchaeology, can provide (McGovern et al., 2007). This study investigated the relationship between zooarchaeology and climate science through a literature review and work on the osteological reference collection at the Agricultural University of Iceland. The information provided here serves as an introduction to basic zooarchaeological methods, as well as to the importance of comparative osteological reference collections and to the significant role zooarchaeology plays in environmental reconstruction across the North Atlantic
La lluvia y el océano oculto: el estudio del unu cambio y su relación con Viracocha en Chinchero / The rain and the occult ocean: the study of the change and its Relationship with Viracocha in Chinchero
No full textChinchero es una comunidad pequeña donde tradiciones han permanecido, pero a la misma vez el ambiente se está cambiando rápidamente. Una de las actividades más importante de Chinchero es el cultivo seco. El cultivo seco depende de la temporada de lluvias. Mi investigación se trata del unu cambio porque mezclan fuentes de aguas sagradas para atraer lluvia durante sequias. Chinchero siempre ha sufrido de sequias y el unu cambio es un método de prevención desde los tiempos pre-incaicas. Con pocas fuentes de agua en Chinchero, tienen que buscar y utilizar fuentes sagradas afuera de sus inmediaciones. Al otro lado de la investigación es un dios antiguo, que se manifiesta como un océano subterráneo: Viracocha, el proveedor de todas las aguas. Con el colonialismo, el cristianismo, y las tradiciones actuales, esa identidad se ha convertido en algo oculto. Analizo la práctica del unu cambio y los elementos de Viracocha que están presentes en este rito. La mayoría de la información recolectada viene de entrevistas con individuos que tienen posiciones en la comunidad o trabajan la tierra. Los resultados del estudio demostraron que la ejecución del unu cambio es una cuestión de vida. Si Chinchero no tiene los recursos suficientes, es obligatorio que los encargados del unu cambio busquen fuentes de aguas afuera de Chinchero. La ayuda externa también viene en la forma del dios cristiano y en Viracocha. Las aguas que vienen del subsuelo son manifestaciones de Viracocha y esto alinea con la cosmovisión andina de una vida cíclica. El agua viaja a todas partes de la sierra y los encargados siguen las rutas de agua para el unu cambio, que continua una vida saludable.
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Chinchero is a small community where traditions have remained, but at the same time the environment is changing rapidly. One of the most important activities of Chinchero is the dry crop. The dry crop depends on the rainy season. My research is about change because they mix sacred water sources to attract rain during droughts. Chinchero has always suffered from droughts and unu change is a method of prevention from pre-Inca times. With few water sources in Chinchero, they have to seek and use sacred sources outside their vicinity. The other side of the investigation is an ancient god, which manifests itself as an underground ocean: Viracocha, the all waters. With colonialism, christianity, and current traditions, that identity is has become something hidden. I analyze the practice of unu change and the elements of Viracocha which are present in this rite. Most of the information collected comes from interviews with individuals who have positions in the community or work the land. The results of the study showed that the execution of the change is a matter of life. Yes Chinchero does not has sufficient resources, it is mandatory for those in charge of the change to seek sources of waters outside of Chinchero. External aid also comes in the form of the Christian god and in Viracocha. The waters that come from the subsoil are manifestations of Viracocha and this aligns with the Andean cosmovision of a cyclical life. Water travels all over the mountain range and managers follow the water routes for unu change, which continues a healthy life