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Talking Walls: Freeing Art in Bali, Indonesia
Get PDFIn some ways Bali’s street art manifests everywhere, in the form of abundant banten, decorations for Galungan and Kuningan, shrines, temples, ornaments, and the black and white checkered cloth draped over scared statues, rocks, and banyan trees. This aesthetic pleasure moves beyond the sacred, and into the street—peering out among Bali’s intricate ornaments and decorations. Declarations of Bali Tolak Reklamasi, and images of a Balinese woman sporting a gas mask circulate Bali’s cityscapes, along with other marks, writings, and murals finding homes on grey walls
The Road Into the Future of Health Care: The Importance of Addressing Access to Health Facilities in Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions
Get PDFBackground: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.
Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care facilities when making infrastructure funding decisions by providing evidence of the impacts such decisions have on pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. We also hope to provide tangible suggestions for how to make changes, from a policy standpoint in order to implement these suggestions. Finally, we hope to open a dialogue regarding what factors, apart from economic revenue, should and can be better considered when making funding decisions regarding infrastructure investments.
Method: Primary research, collected in the form of interviews with experts in the fields of health, transportation and policy and the collection of secondary research in the form of peer reviewed journal articles and reports from major development and humanitarian organizations were all used to help support this investigation. Ethical considerations were abided by throughout.
Results: We find that considering physical access to health care at the start of projects, for example in the case of PPIs, will likely help to ensure that transportation infrastructure projects do address concerns regarding health, without much extra required effort or money. We also find that by increase the amount of communication between ministers in SSA, there is likely to better consideration of health within transport decisions and vice versa. Furthermore, we see that there are many other benefits that come from improved transportation infrastructure in rural areas such as improved potential for economic growth and increased access to hubs of ingenuity.
Conclusions: We demonstrate the importance of physical access to health care for pregnant women and how vital the consideration of this topic is within transportation infrastructure funding decisions
Beyond the Three Delays: A Case Study of Haiti\u27s Maternal Health Sector
Get PDFThis research seeks to understand how the maternal health sector in Haiti can be understood and perhaps improved through the framework of the Three Delays, developed by Thaddeus and Maine (1994). These delays are (1) the delay in the decision to seek care, (2) the delay in reaching a health facility, and (3) the delay in receiving adequate care at a health facility. The findings of this capstone strongly demonstrated that global health practitioners in Haiti often opt for technical solutions, but in fact there are numerous shadow delays preventing these solutions from taking hold and ameliorating maternal mortality. Tensions between government actors, NGOs, healthcare workers and receivers of care play out in a landscape of imbalanced resources. Efforts lack collaboration and recognition of historical pain felt by Haitians at all levels of society, and NGO stakeholders are frequently oblivious to these dynamics. The research found that Haiti sits at the intersection of global health priorities, local histories of resistance, NGO strategies of community health and public institutional development. Many argue that care should be socialized, subsidized and public, while others admonish the government and advocate for privatized approaches more attuned to local needs. Approaches to maternal mortality must be both collaborative, inside and outside formal institutions, and take a broad view of of the barriers to healthcare and safe birth for women in Haiti, not just in the form of the Three Delays, but in the socio-political histories that dispossess key stakeholders from taking appropriate action
Los factores influyentes en las perspectivas de aborto de los estudiantes universitarios en Santiago, Chile: desde lo conservador a lo contrario
Get PDFResearch Question: What factors influence the pro-life and pro-choice perspectives of university students in Santiago, Chile? What are these perspectives? Objectives: The general objective of this study is to describe the pro-life and pro-choice perspectives on abortion held by university students in Santiago, Chile, and to describe how factors such as feminism, religion, and the right to life influence these views today. The specific objectives of this study are to define and analyze the way in which these factors work to influence students’ perspectives, as well as identify what percentage of students currently support various types of abortion.
Background: Chile is one of the six countries in the world with the most restrictive abortion laws, forbidding abortions in all cases. There are a variety of factors within Chilean society, from the influence of the Catholic church to the rise of third-wave feminism, that have the potential to impact an individual’s view on abortion, and it is important to understand how these factors operate to obtain a better understanding of Chile’s current social climate. Methodology: 36 students from La Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, La Universidad Alberto Hurtado, y La Universidad de Santiago de Chile were surveyed with a questionnaire that included both open and close-ended questions, either via a Google form or in-person. To avoid potential bias, the surveyed population contained an equal amount of males and females, and an equal distribution of students across both all three universities and all four surveyed majors (anthropology, art, engineering, and business). To better analyze the quantitative data obtained through this questionnaire, semi structured interviews were then conducted with 7 professionals and activists in the field of abortion legislation and advocacy.
Results: Overall, the majority of the population supported abortion in all cases, with the highest amount of support for “when the woman’s life is at risk” and “when it is clear that the fetus will not survive outside of the uterus” (86%), and the lowest amount of support for “in any case” (53%). Only 11% of respondents agreed with the current legislation. On an individual basis, religion, the woman’s right to live, and the right to choose significantly influenced when participants felt abortion should be permissible. The right to life of the fetus, the woman’s right to live, and the right to choose influenced the most respondents. Feminism neither significantly impacted individual responses nor influenced a majority of respondents.
Conclusions: Overall, the surveyed population presented a view far more liberal than the current legislation, suggesting that a policy change is likely. The most influential factors within this population were the right to life of the woman, and the woman’s right to choose. Pro-choice advocates will most likely focus on advancing this rhetoric, rather than feminist rhetoric, when seeking to engage a wider Chilean audience. On the opposite pole, the right to life of the fetus influenced far more people than religion, and will most likely be the future direction of the pro-life campaign
Perspectivas locales sobre el Litio en el Salar de Uyuni: Niveles de conocimiento y opiniones regionales sobre el proyecto que puede determinar el futuro del litio en el mundo
Get PDFLa combinación del aumento en la urgencia por hacer algo sobre el cambio climático y la popularidad creciente de los vehículos eléctricos sitúan al litio como un material clave en la transición de hidrocarburos en los próximos años. A causa de que la reserva más grande del litio en el mundo está ubicada en el Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia tiene la oportunidad de influir en esta evolución. El proyecto estatal para industrializar el litio en el Salar de Uyuni comenzó en 2008 y continúa trabajando hacia el objetivo de la producción de baterías de litio. Para las comunidades alrededor del Salar, este proyecto provee la posibilidad para tener los recursos para desarrollarse. Esta investigación explora las perspectivas de las comunidades en la región para entender como ellos perciben los impactos- ambientales y sociales, positivos o negativos- del proyecto. A través de entrevistas a expertos y miembros de las comunidades, este estudio examina la cuestión subyacente relacionada con la forma como el rol del gobierno en este proyecto afecta las perspectivas locales. Para la gente de la región, la identidad del proyecto como un proyecto estatal le da confianza que la región tendrá la oportunidad para desarrollar a causa de los beneficios de la industrialización del litio.
The combination of the increasing urgency to do something about climate change and the rising popularity of electric vehicles positions lithium as a key material in the transition away from hydrocarbons in the upcoming years. Because the world’s largest lithium reserve is located at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia has the opportunity to influence this evolution. The state began a lithium industrialization project in 2008 and continues to work towards the goal of producing lithium batteries. For the communities around the salt flats, this project provides hope that they will receive resources they can use to develop the region. This following study explores the perspectives of the communities in the region to understand how they perceive the projects impacts- environmental and social, negative and positive. Through interviews with experts and community members, this investigation examines how the underlying question of how the role of the government in this project affects local perspectives. To the people of the region, the identity of the project as a state venture gives them the confidence that the region will have the opportunity to develop with the benefits from lithium industrialization
La minería en la conciencia urbana: las estrategias de los YASunidos de Cuenca contra la minería en el Azuay
No full textEn la provincia del Azuay, Ecuador, hay dos proyectos mineros a gran escala. Los proyectos Río Blanco y Loma Larga/Quimsacocha consisten en minas subterráneas de oro y plata, y ambos se acercan a la fase de explotación. Los proyectos están ubicados en la Reserva de Biosfera Macizo del Cajas en la zona de amortiguamiento del Parque Nacional el Cajas. La zona es un páramo de alto endemismo e importancia con respecto a la regulación hídrica. Los páramos suministran agua potable a los pueblos campesinos y a los habitantes de la ciudad de Cuenca. La minería consume muchísima agua y energía y pone en riesgo las fuentes de agua y ecosistemas a la contaminación tóxica. Hay una grave historia de empresas transnacionales que sacan los recursos metálicos no renovables de los países de América Latina y dejan ecosistemas y comunidades devastadas. Así que en el Azuay, ambos Río Blanco y Quimsacocha, han incitado mucha resistencia comunitaria por parte de los pueblos afectados y los movimientos sociales. Ésta monografía trata sobre el papel que desempeñan los YASunidos Guapondélig, capítulo Cuenca de la organización nacional YASunidos, en la lucha contra la minería en el Azuay. Analiza sus esfuerzos en cuatro sectores sociales: la ciudadanía de Cuenca, los pueblos campesinos, la política local, y las universidades en la ciudad. Incluye recomendaciones estratégicas para el futuro, y concluye que la organización emplea estrategias innovadoras que podrían lograr el objetivo del grupo: obtener una moratoria de los proyectos mineros
Obstetric Violence within the Brazilian Healthcare System: A Critical Analysis of the Childbirth Narratives of Tupinambá Indigenous Women from the Olivença, Ilhéus Community
Get PDFThe objective of this research project is to hear the personal narratives of Tupinambá Indigenous Brazilian women living in the Olivença community in Ilheus, Bahia regarding their experiences giving birth in order to discern the prevalence of various forms of obstetric violence within their experiences. In the context of this study the term obstetric violence, derived from an extensive literature review, encompasses 1) physical abuse, 2) the unethical imposition of medical interventions, 3) the denial or lack of privacy, 4) undignified care which includes verbal abuse, 5) discrimination, 6) abandonment, neglect or the refusal to grant assistance, 7) detention in services and 8) institutional unpreparedness. After hearing fourteen personal childbirth narratives from Tupinambá women, I analyzed each narrative in order to identify the presence of these forms of obstetric abuse, and subsequently determined which forms are most common among the sample population and how this pattern compares to the national indicators and patterns.
My findings were thus: the most common forms of obstetric violence present in the Tupinambá narratives are institutional unpreparedness with 14 cases, neglect with 10 cases, a medical professional\u27s refusal to grant assistance with 5 cases, unethical medical interventions with 4 cases, and undignified care with 4 cases.
O objetivo deste projeto de pesquisa é ouvir as narrativas pessoais dos Tupinambá mulheres brasileiras indígenas que vivem na comunidade Olivença, em Ilhéus, Bahia sobre suas experiências que dão à luz, a fim de discernir a prevalência de várias formas de violência obstétrica dentro de suas experiências. No contexto deste estudo, o termo violência obstétrica , derivado de uma extensa revisão da literatura, significa 1) O abuso físico, 2) a imposição antiético de intervenções médicas, 3) a negação ou a falta de privacidade, 4) cuidados indigna que inclui abuso verbal, 5) a discriminação, 6) abandono, negligência ou recusa de assistência, 7) detenção em serviços e 8) despreparo institucional. Depois de ouvir catorze narrativas parto pessoais de mulheres Tupinambá, eu analisei cada narrativa, a fim de identificar a presença destas formas de abuso obstétrica e, posteriormente determinou quais as formas são mais comuns entre a população de amostra e como este padrão se compara com os indicadores e padrões nacionais .
Meus resultados foram assim: as formas mais comuns de obstétrica violência presente nas narrativas Tupinambá são despreparo institucional com 14 casos, a negligência com 10 casos, a recusa de um profissional médico para conceder uma ajuda com 5 casos, as intervenções médicas antiéticas com 4 casos e cuidados undignified com 4 casos
The Vibrant Traditions of Masaya: El Mestizaje as a Culture, a Process, and a State of Being
Get PDF“The only constant in life is change.” What this old adage leaves out is that the processes that catalyze these changes can occur in vastly different ways which impact the product. In the case of the history of Masaya, Nicaragua, today’s dominant culture of mestizaje is the result of the arrival of the Spaniards to the Americas and the process of racial and cultural blend that followed between Spanish, indigenous and African peoples. But in this mixing process, Spaniards held disproportionate power: most of the changes they imposed were made through violent and deceptive imposition. Yet indigenous and African people still subversively preserved their traditions and left bold influences on the new mestizo culture. This essay records how these cultures amalgamated and are present in Masaya’s folklore and sense of identity, paying mind both to the influences of the cultures that mixed to form it as well as giving dignity to mestizaje is its own distinct culture. It also extends the concept of mestizaje as a process of racial and cultural syncretism that is still occurring in Masaya today. This modern mestizaje is a more balanced, natural, and equal exchange of cultures occurring through globalization and technological advances. Masaya’s traditions of folklore, which were originally products of global fusion, are now being subject to more modern fusion. This investigation also examines how Masaya is receiving these changes and modern formation and perception of mixed identity
Hanoians’ Experience: Suspending Moral Bias to Recognize Human Dimensions of War
Get PDFTalking about, and learning lessons from The American War in Vietnam can be a process whose genuine engagement requires a suspension—even if temporary—of moral and cultural biases that are embedded in the Western mindset. This research project is one that composes military strategy, government rhetoric, and very human accounts of war in Vietnam in order to understand how people in Hanoi experience and talk about war, with an ultimate aim of making some of these stories and lessons digestible to a Western audience.
My findings discuss some key components of the North Vietnamese mindset towards the American War in Vietnam: the relevant historical context regarding foreign occupation, patriotism and unity, duty and defense, and some overall effects of attacks and bombs, with a deeper focus on what I found to be the most important aspect: unity. I then compare the picture of this mindset with some respective elements of the U.S American wartime mentality. The ultimate pursuit of this research is increased understanding and diplomacy between nationalities and philosophies, as well as advocacy for human-oriented analysis of international conflicts in general.
This is a project oriented towards epistemology and constructivism. A constructivist approach to studying war is a human approach to studying war, and it is one that helps us to understand the true impact of governmental decisions that might seem distant to us. Analysis of war without adequate attention to the human dimension, at its worst, risks uninformed policy decisions and inaccurate historical analysis
Law and Order: Lawsuit, Regulations and Implementation of S.T.E.M. O.P.T. at The University Of Arkansas
Get PDFIn 2015, Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) reported that over 1,054,000 international students were studying in the United States in F-1 student status (SEVP, 2015). F-1 status comes with many regulations and benefits, such as Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows students with F-1 status to work after they complete a degree from an American higher education institution. Students in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields are allowed an additional 24-months of OPT, called STEM OPT. While this is a benefit in many senses, it is accompanied by a lot of responsibility for the student, the university and the U.S. government. Furthermore, in 2014, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was sued by Washington Alliance of Technology (WashTech) workers due to allegations that STEM OPT reportedly takes jobs from U.S. workers. This lawsuit was the beginning of many changes to STEM OPT. This capstone project provides an overview of the immigration regulations for STEM OPT and performs a policy analysis of the changes that ensued after the final ruling in the WashTech vs. DHS lawsuit. Using qualitative research methods, including evaluation techniques, provided a framework for gathering data, analyzing and discussing the regulations, implementation and impact of the changes. This capstone uses in-depth interviews and follow-up meetings with Arkansas’ International Students and Scholars (ISS) Compliance Staff to understand the regulations and their impact at the institutional level, analyze the effects of the resulting regulatory changes, and develop institutional policies for STEM OPT at the University of Arkansas, which is the practicum site for this project. ISS Compliance Staff are currently still in the process of updating our procedures in order to smoothly transition. The findings from interviews and the policy analysis show that different stakeholders will likely view the new STEM OPT rule differently. Findings demonstrate that overall, the University of Arkansas ISS Compliance Staff thought that these changes would be beneficial to students but could negatively affect ISS and employers.
Keywords: immigration, optional practical training, international students, F-1 status, STE