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Dasaran: A Medium for Grief in Bali
Get PDFComing to Bali, I knew that I wanted to understand a sliver of the experiences that people have after a loved-one dies. Of course, there is no one way that people in Bali or anywhere process the loss of a loved-one, yet I am continually fascinated by how people understand and cope with the many feelings that occur after someone dies.
My interest in this topic started out of necessity my junior year of high school when I attended three funerals in ten days. The first was for an elderly friend, then one for my teammate’s father, and the last and hardest was for the sudden death of a close family friend’s six-month-old baby, Rhys. In the months following Rhys’ death, I watched the boundless empathy and care that my own parents gave to our grieving friends as the couple practically moved into our house. I learned when to cry, when not to cry, and when just to hold my friends until their exhaustion finally gave them brief rest from the nightmare they were living. My parents’ compassion and generosity throughout the experience moved me to immerse myself in emotional and academic understandings of death and dying. Although I did not know what aspect of grief to explore, I came to Bali with the intention of extending my understanding beyond my Quaker, Jewish, Spiritual, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist and Western conceptions into different religious and social spheres. I wanted to understand how to talk about grief with people coming from an entirely different mindset and background. Furthermore, I wanted to understand how spiritual healers and community members support people after a loved-one dies
Juntos Ya Somos el Cambio que Buscamos: Por qué la CONFECH Debe Fusionar los Movimientos Sociales para Aumentar Participación Electoral y Desmantelar el Régimen Neoliberal
No full textEsta investigación examina cómo las actividades de la Confederación de los Estudiantes de Chile (CONFECH) hacen el movimiento estudiantil más efectivo o inefectivo en lograr su meta de realizar una educación gratuita y de calidad para eliminar la desigualdad que el régimen neoliberal produce a través del sistema educativo chileno. Para contestar esta cuestión, el estudio analiza tres aspectos: cómo las personas de distintas clases sociales reaccionan y participan en el movimiento, cómo esta inclusión o exclusión socioeconómica en la participación en el movimiento influye el desarrollo de una consciencia colectiva crítica en la sociedad chilena, y las consecuencias políticas y sociales de esta influencia. Además, la tesis aplica un marco teórico que integra los conceptos del neoliberalismo, la cultura hegemónica, los movimientos sociales, y la educación popular para vincular los hallazgos descubiertos a través de entrevistas con estudiantes y políticos en Santiago de Chile con teorías sociales que explican sus acciones y actitudes. Al final, la investigación propone que la CONFECH fusiona el movimiento estudiantil con otros movimientos sociales con el fin de aumentar participación electoral y desmantelar el régimen neoliberal que domina el país
La relación entre el desamparo y la salud: El caso del Campamento Japón en Santiago, Chile
No full textEn esta investigación se busca exponer más a fondo como la desigualdad social afecta la salud de aquellos que han sido menos favorecidos. En esta ocasión se analizó el caso de los habitantes del Campamento Japón, en la comuna de Maipú, de Santiago, Chile, con el objetivo de entender el fenómeno de la desigualdad social y cómo esta afecta la salud de las personas que la sufren. La metodología de este estudio cualitativo se constituyó de investigación bibliográfica previa, y posteriormente visitas y trabajos voluntarios al Campamento Japón para hacer observaciones y entrevistas a los activistas del campamento, a los habitantes del campamento y al personal de salud pública en la comuna. Con esta investigación se pudo descubrir que las personas del Campamento Japón se sienten excluidas y discriminadas por el gobierno y las personas de otras clases sociales. Los resultados de los participantes del estudio llegaron a la misma conclusión de que hacen falta más médicos, especialistas y equipos en el sector de la salud pública al igual que una mejor planificación de estructura. Esto significa que el gobierno necesita invertir más dinero con el fin de mejorar el sistema de salud pública y mejorar la atención para todos, especialmente para los que no pueden acceder a la salud privada. La única manera que se puede combatir la inequidad de salud es a través de la eliminación de la desigualdad social, pero para esto se necesita una mejor colaboración entre todas las ramas del gobierno para que estén de acuerdo en sus políticas y juntos puedan mejorar la salud en Chile
This Is Not About Cows: Historic and Contemporary Challenges to South-Central Madagascar’s Cattle Systems
Get PDFMadagascar’s most cattle-dependent regions have, in recent years, been surrounded by narratives of a sudden and violent decline in both the sheer number of and benefits conferred by the nation’s distinctive zebu cattle, narratives which largely attribute this decline to theft and insecurity. This paper examines the broader state of cattle-based livelihoods in two such regions, Haute Matsiatra and Ihorombe, through evidence garnered from semi-structured interviews conducted over three weeks in the major cattle market towns of Ambalavao and Ihosy, and in the rural commune of Sakaviro, five kilometers south of Ambalavao. By incorporating secondary historical sources and recent work from both Malagasy and Western academics, the paper finds that the cattle economy has cyclically experienced high levels of related violence, foreign involvement in cattle trafficking, and conflict between and among the local and Malagasy state institutions involved in the process. However, the paper also finds that this historically cyclical system is under increasing duress from two mutually worsening sets of stressors: one constituted by deepening poverty, environmental adversity, and population growth, the other a pervasive process of social disintegration within pastoralists communities and the institutions that work with them. It concludes with a set of recommendations for relevant actors in an attempt to avoid the worst-case scenario- the collapse of cattle-based livelihoods due to a rapid decline in Madagascar’s cattle populatio
Exercising Agency in Medical Decision-Making Processes Conventional and Traditional Medicine -A Case Study of 67ha, Antananarivo-
Get PDFThe formal integration of traditional and conventional medicine has been touted as a prime method to improve access to quality healthcare in Madagascar. This study draws on interviews with both traditional and conventional medical professionals as well as 100 residents of 67ha, Antananarivo to critically analyze the advantages of each sector in order to understand how integration can be used to strengthen the medical-decision making capacities of marginalized populations. Currently the ability for millions of Malagasy to exercise their freedom of choice in seeking their treatment method of choice is seriously compromised not only by cost and accessibility but by widespread mistrust and misinformation surrounding conventional medicine, caused in large part by the corrupt actions of healthcare professionals, particularly in the public sector where individuals lacking in financial resources are most likely to seek treatment. On the other hand, traditional medicine empowers marginalized populations to take control of their own health with readily accessible resources that can be used with knowledge passed down from their ancestors. Further investment in the regulation and research of traditional medicine is necessary in order to validate traditional medicine in the eyes of conventional healthcare providers, both in Madagascar and abroad. Such efforts need to be implemented in a responsible manner that ensures the conservation of national medicinal plant resources for generations to come
University Abroad Pathway Program Orientation: A Targeted Design for Chinese Students
No full textThe following paper presents a short-term orientation program for the University Abroad Pathway Program located in Colchester, Vermont. The program brings Chinese students to study in the Saint Michael’s College English Language Programs and provides them with additional student support services. University Abroad’s pathway program is a bridge for students who will eventually transfer to degree-granting institutions, but first require additional language support. University Abroad is partnered with the International Education Consortium, a group of six elite schools in the northeast, and together they guarantee admission to at least one school upon completion of the pathway program.
This proposed orientation program is a seven-day program based in New York City and Vermont and aims to prepare all pathway participants for success in their program. The program provides this preparation by way of lectures, workshops, social activities, and cultural activities. The focus of the seven-day program is on transitioning to a new culture, cultivating understanding of the United States, and building academic skills for success.
University Abroad Pathway Program Orientation: A Targeted Design for Chinese Students was created out of a determined need to provide unique support services to Chinese students coming to study at Saint Michael’s College. The design has been informed using best practices in the field, credible student development theories, and cultural information specific to China
CIEE Local Coordinator Training: Supporting U.S. Department of State High School Exchange Students
No full textThe Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), based in Portland, Maine, is a large, nonprofit, third-party provider for study abroad, teach abroad, international internships, professional development, and high school exchanges (both inbound and outbound). Each academic year, the CIEE USA High School program places and supports approximately 160 U.S. Department of State high school exchange grants students from the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES), Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), American Serbia and Montenegro Youth Leadership Exchange (A-SMYLE), and Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) programs. Local Coordinators provide the first crucial and local step in supporting these Grants students throughout their exchange year.
The CIEE Grants Local Coordinator training was designed and delivered April 17-19, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. The weekend consisted of workshops and presentations in order to provide training for new Local Coordinators on better support of Grants students. The workshops were conducted by CIEE staff as well as representatives from the U.S. Department of State and American Councils. The program design is grounded in the principles of adult learning, McCarthy’s 4MAT learning styles, and intercultural communication. The workshops also discussed adherence to the J-1 Exchange Visitor regulations stipulated by the U.S. Government. The previous end-of-training survey as well as student end-of program surveys were consulted in order to identify the needs and provide the most effective and successful training. Local Coordinators evaluated its effectiveness in order to continuously improve training and to plan for the 2016 Grants Local Coordinator training
The Global Village: Improving Intercultural Experiences at Keene State College Through Living/Learning Communities
Get PDFComprehensive internationalization is a paradigm in higher education that recognizes the many aspects of higher education affected by an internationalizing world (Hudzik, 2011). At Keene State College, internationalization is limited to the outbound study abroad students and the few inbound exchange students each semester. There are also few opportunities for Keene State students to gain an intercultural experience without leaving campus, which can be difficult for some students to manage. There is an opportunity to build on the existing Living/Learning Community framework to create a new Living/Learning Community that can address the trend for increased internationalization on campus as well as providing exchange students with a support system while attending Keene State College.
The Global Village is a Living Learning Community set to pilot in the 2016/17 academic year in collaboration with the Global Education Office and Residential Life Office. Residents in the Global Village will have an experiential learning experience outside the classroom to expand their cross-cultural competence. Learning communities positively impact student academic performance, collaborative learning, and “overall satisfaction with the college experience” (Zhao & Kuh, 2004, p. 124). The aim of the Global Village is to enhance intercultural learning for undergraduate students on campus within a residential setting. The Global Village will provide exchange students with a support system as they transition to everyday life in Keene. It will also provide Keene State participants with a cross-cultural living experience without leaving campus. As a pilot program, the Global Village has the potential to foster a more globally-minded campus and expand according to the comprehensive internationalization needs of the Keene State College campus
Moving to Amend: How One Social Movement Aims to Restore Democracy and Abolish Corporate Personhood
No full textThe role of money in the American political system has come under increasing scrutiny in the past five years in the wake of the 2010 Supreme Court decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission. In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that campaign advertisements are a form of free speech and that limiting them was unconstitutional in light of the First Amendment guaranteeing free speech. This decision ultimately reinforced the idea of corporate personhood in which money equals speech and corporations are considered people. A number of groups have taken issue with this ruling and have rallied around various solutions to dealing with the influx of money into our political process, arguing that powerful corporations are able to “buy” elections by outspending their opponents. This paper will focus on Move to Amend, a national organization whose sole purpose is to rally support for a Twenty-Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Their amendment would not only overturn this decision but also abolish corporate personhood for good and maintain first amendment rights for “natural persons” only. While a variety of alternative policy solutions have been proposed (including other versions of an amendment) by various elected officials and organizations, Move to Amend believes anything less than their proposed amendment would be a “dilution” of their goals and thus have chosen to remain semi-autonomous in their efforts. This paper, following guidelines for Policy Advocacy course-linked capstones, examines the organization’s campaign to amend the Constitution and analyzes the political and strategic dimensions of its campaign. Drawing insights from literature, personal interviews, and other current campaigns addressing the issue, it evaluates the degree to which Move to Amend is achieving its goals and identifies general lessons for advocacy practitioners
Habitat selection, behavior, and natural history of the newly described leaf chameleon Brookesia micra (Reptilia, Squamata, Chamaeleontidae; Glaw, Köhler, Townsend & Vences, 2012) on Nosy Hara, Madagascar
Get PDFThe micro leaf chameleon genus Brookesia is exclusively endemic to Madagascar and represents some of the smallest reptiles in the world. The newly-described species Brookesia micra is exclusively endemic to the islet Nosy Hara in the north of Madagascar, and is the smallest described Brookesia species member. There exists no density, behavioral, or habitat preference studies on B. micra. Here, the researcher presents preliminary density, behavioral, habitat selection, and natural history information on B. micra. A total of 117 B. micra had data collected on them between April 10 and April 23, 2015. Density was found to be 1950 B. micra/ha (assuming 70% detection) and through aerial analysis it is estimated that the population size of B. micra is between 70,000-95,000 individuals on Nosy Hara. This study found no significance of SVL between adult males and females, but did find significance between male and female juveniles/sub-adult SVL. This study also found no significance in roost height between males and females of adult and juvenile/sub-adult age classes. B. micra was significantly closer to tsingy outcroppings compared to trees both during the day and at night. In addition, higher abundance was positively correlated with slope, and a leaf litter-tsingy ratio of 1:1. However, B. micra was also found in abundance in habitats with little to no leaf litter, indicating that this is a tsingy-associated species. Defensive behavior such as perch release, dead leaf mimicry, and vibration were observed, as well as low movement between successive roost locations, a preference for slope, horizontal to head-up roost orientation preference, and a preference for dead twigs with small diameter as roost locations. The researcher supports the IUCN designation of near-threatened due to the high density and large estimated population size, but threats due to tourism and small range size could pose problems for the specie’s conservation