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Bridging the Education Gap: Series of Infographic Guides to Sustainable Living for Low-Income Communities
Get PDFLow-income communities in Australia face numerous negative impacts, such as health issues, social exclusion, educational disparities, and discrimination, which limit their opportunities to improve their quality of life (The Public Defenders,2022). As a result, students from these communities often have fewer resources and less funding, contributing to poor educational outcomes and underrepresentation in STEM fields, which includes environmental education (Australian Department of Education, 2022).
To address these challenges, I created an 8-page infographic series titled “Sustainable Living: On a Budget.” The series includes a cover page, an overview page, and four infographics covering : climate change, waste, preserving biodiversity, and using nature for therapy. The front side of each infographic contains educational information, while the back side offers practical tips for promoting sustainability that are not only beneficial for the environment but can also save money. Additionally, I created a bonus infographic on the impact of nature on mental health, along with actionable ways to spend more time outdoors.
Infographics were the perfect medium for this topic because I wanted to educate low- income communities on environmental issues and sustainability, which could be overwhelming to research. Infographics make it easy to present information in an accessible and compact space, saving people time and making the information more digestible (Williams,2014). Notably, Coast Adapt and Climate Council recognizes the effectiveness of infographics and uses them to share information on current environmental issues, as well as interpreting environmental information. While searching for infographics that directly target low-income communities, I found inspiration from Sekharan (2015) infographics on the Homeless Hub website. The consistent font, bright colors, and playful graphics make the information presented both engaging and easy to comprehend, which was a key factor in creating my own series of infographics.
To further narrow the scope of my project, I had the opportunity to interview 2 organizational leaders: Carol Hicklenton, Founder of NUJO, and Elyse Cunningham, a Community Organizer at Friends of the Earth Melbourne. These interviews provided important insights into the importance of inclusivity and communication in sustainability efforts.
After completing the series, I took steps to ensure the effectiveness of the infographics. This included seeking feedback from 2 organizational leaders, as well as my advisor, and analyzing survey data from 6 members of my own low-income community. Through this process, I received valuable insights and suggestions which I incorporated to improve the project’s effectiveness.
As a black, low-income student from an inner city in the U.S., I created these infographics based on my own lived experiences. I was not aware of current environmental issues and their significant impacts on future generations growing up. Having experienced financial struggles, myself, I understand the significance of producing infographics that are accessible and relevant to the community. I hope my project delivers the message is that sustainability is a crucial aspect that needs to be accessible to everyone, regardless of socio- economic background. We all share the responsibility of preserving and protecting our planet for future generations. My infographics aim to inspire and empower individuals from low- income communities to make more sustainable choices and take action to protect our planet. By providing accessible and engaging information on environmental issues and practical tips for sustainable living, I hope to bridge the gap between low-income communities and sustainability education
Conflicting Socio-Cultural Attitudes and Community Factors Resulting in Backstreet Abortion in Cato Manor, KwaZulu Natal
Get PDFAbortion in South Africa is a complex topic, rife with augmenting and limiting political, social, religious, and cultural factors. In South Africa, abortion has been legal since 1996; however, abortions have been performed for centuries in the region. Although abortion is legal, many factors influence a woman’s choice and ability to terminate a pregnancy. Religious and cultural norms within morally conservative societies contribute to negative abortion sentiments and hesitation to seek formal medical abortions. This study explored multiple age groups within Cato Manor and whether the attitudes towards abortion and factors impacting the choice of where and whether to receive an abortion differ. The study employs a general qualitative approach with inserted narratives highlighting individual perspectives and stories. The sample cohort was identified using purposive sampling of women, obtained via convenience through Thando Mhlongo, the gatekeeper in the community. The participants are from two generations, and two expert interviews were conducted to gain various perspectives. The sample population is from the greater Cato Manor community, and the interviews were conducted in a semi-structured format. The main goal of this study was to understand how socio-cultural factors impact abortion attitudes within each generation in Cato Manor and if community attitudes impact women’s decisions on how and where to obtain medical abortions. The findings showed that negative attitudes towards abortion persist in Cato Manor due to religious and cultural rationale. Greater acceptance occurs among younger generations following abortion legalization in South Africa, yet prejudice remains. As a result, women are pressured to get abortions for a range of factors, so they turn to illegal options to avoid community shame
El Trabajo de las mujeres: los impactos del feminismo socialista en la organización sindical de Buenos Aires después de la crisis orgánica de 2001 / Women’s Work: The Impacts of Socialist Feminism on Buenos Aires Union Organizing Following The 2001 Organic Crisis
Get PDFEn diciembre de 2001, en Argentina eclosionó una crisis orgánica en donde emergieron múltiples experiencias de participación social, política y cultural. En este período de dura inseguridad política y económica, se desarrolló una relación rejuvenecida entre la clase trabajadora de las fábricas que cerraban y despedían a sus empleados y los movimientos sociales (movimientos de trabajadores desocupados, asambleas de vecinos en los barrios de Buenos Aires y feminismo, entre otros). Poco tiempo después, con la recuperación económica, una nueva generación se incorporó a los nuevos empleos creados a la salida de la crisis. Esta generación, que había vivido las experiencias de movilización, autonomía y colaboración entre distintos movimientos sociales, le dio un carácter novedoso a la clase trabajadora y su organización sindical. Con asambleas en los lugares de trabajo, enfrentando no solo al sector patronal sino también a las viejas direcciones sindicales, esta democratización y radicalización ha llegado a ser conocida como “sindicalismo de base”. Al mismo tiempo, el país comenzó a ver nuevas manifestaciones del movimiento feminista y llamó a un mayor enfoque nacional en los derechos y oportunidades de las mujeres, específicamente por su propia autonomía. A medida que estos dos movimientos crecieron de maneras paralelas, los puntos cruciales de superposición alteraron significativamente las trayectorias y prácticas de las manifestaciones feministas y obreras por venir. Este proyecto examina estos puntos cruciales de interacción entre los dos movimientos después de la crisis orgánica de 2001 e interroga cómo los dos movimientos se han moldeado mutuamente a través de sus prácticas, oportunidades, éxitos y cambios de identidad. Realizo un análisis en profundidad de tres momentos cruciales de interacción: el surgimiento de un movimiento de creciente autonomía cultural con la crisis y su “memoria” en el posterior sindicalismo de base los casos de Kraft-Terrabusi y MadyGraf (Ex-Donnelley) como escaparates de la evolución del movimiento, y la organización de Ni Una Menos y La marea verde de Argentina como lugares de ejemplo de impacto mutuo
Costumbre y Carnavales; el rol de alcohol en la comunidad Aymara de Putre
Get PDFEsta investigación tuvo como objetivo evaluar el impacto del alcohol en la comunidad aymara de Putre, localidad rural del norte de Chile. Se realizaron 17 entrevistas semiformales en Putre y sus alrededores con profesionales de la salud de la comunidad, pacientes adultos del CESFAM local, curanderos tradicionales aymaras y líderes comunitarios. El estudio encontró que el consumo de alcohol en Putre está intrínsecamente relacionado con las costumbres y la cultura aymara, ya que su perspectiva sobre el alcohol informa su consumo. El alcohol tiene un papel importante en la religión aymara, la medicina y las fiestas locales. Los hábitos de consumo problemáticos surgen de la ruralidad de la región, una cultura de consumo excesivo de alcohol durante las fiestas locales y eventos sociales, y la migración de la población adulta joven de la comunidad a Arica. El tratamiento y la prevención de los trastornos por consumo de alcohol se concentran en el CESFAM local y el programa gubernamental SENDA, aunque existen varias brechas en la accesibilidad y eficacia del tratamiento. En particular, las mayores barreras de los programas en Putre son la falta de continuidad de la atención y los recursos/personal.
This investigation aimed to evaluate the impact of alcohol on the Aymara community of Putre, a rural town in Northern Chile. 17 semi-formal interviews were conducted in and around Putre with healthcare professionals in the community, adult patients of the local CESFAM, traditional Aymara healers, and community leaders. The study found that alcohol use in Putre is intrinsically linked to Aymaran customs and culture, as their perspective on alcohol informs their consumption. Alcohol has an important role in Aymaran religion, medicine, and the local festivals. Problematic consumption habits arise from the region’s rurality, a culture of binge-drinking during local parties and social events, and migration of the community’s young adult population to Arica. Treatment and prevention for alcohol use disorders is concentrated in the local CESFAM and government program SENDA, although there are several gaps in treatment accessibility and efficacy. Most notably, the biggest barriers of the programs in Putre are a lack of continuity of care and resources/personnel
A Comparative Plague Study of Cacao Fungal Disease in Cacao Pods Within Monocultures and Indigenous Agroforests in Ecuador’s Napo Province
Get PDFThis study analyzes the composition of three major fungal diseases in Theobroma cacao fruits compared between monocultures and chakra agroforests in the Napo province of Ecuador with the goal of noting similarities and differences in the disease composition between the two systems, as well as investigate possible variation within this poorly understood category of agroforest to better structure future studies. Cacao pods on sampled trees were counted and fungal infections identified visually and by touch. Chakra systems were selected in the communities of Cinco de Enero and Seis de Marzo to the Southwest of Tena, Ecuador. Monoculture data was collected from Chonta Punta, Ecuador, East of Tena. Black pod rot (Phytophthera spp.) was the most prevalent disease affecting cacao pods in chakra systems, followed closely by frosty pod rot (Moniliopthera roreri). Monocultures exhibited significantly lower proportions of black pod rot and instead were dominated by infections of frosty pod rot. Witches’ broom (Moniliopthera perniciosa) was the least present in both. Overall, monocultures had a much lower rate of infection than chakra systems, likely explained by differences in management intensity, lower rainfall, and differences in cacao. More than half of young pods in both systems were lost due to cherelle wilt, a poorly understood physiological condition with tenuous ties to fungal disease. Subvarieties of cacao nacional exhibited little difference in disease composition, with similar slight differences being observed along an age gradient of cacao trees. Overall, these findings suggest that chakra cacao systems in Tena’s climate suffer greater losses to disease than neighboring monocultures to the East under and would benefit from continued research on responsible factors and the increased application of cultural management practices
Friends in High Places: Establishing pollination networks for the Páramos of Central Ecuador
Get PDFWell-known for being a global biodiversity hotspot, the Andean Páramos hosts a unique array of floristic diversity seen nowhere else in the world (Luteyn, n.d.). With the resiliency of this ecosystem dependent on the successful reproduction of these plants, it is crucial to understand the pollination network which sustains them. Modern-day research has outlined networks in the Chilean, Venezuelan, and Argentinean Páramos, but one has yet to be defined for Ecuador, despite being the suspected home to nearly half of floristic diversity in the Páramos (Arroyo et al., 1985; Pelayo et al., 2021; Medan et al., 2023; Caranqui et al., 2019). In light of this disparity, this study establishes a preliminary network for the Páramos of Central Ecuador by surveying plants and their pollinators across multiple elevational zones throughout the region. By doing so, it was found that the plant community is dominated primarily by species of the Asteraceae family, while the pollinator community is composed largely of flies, accented throughout with activity from bees, true bugs, and lepidopterans (butterflies and moths). With a fundamental goal of this research being to understand how the dynamics and structure of this pollination community lend themselves to its resiliency against external disturbances, further analysis was conducted to determine a baseline conservation status. Analysis done from initial survey data suggests that the pollination of the Central Ecuadorian Páramos exhibits little elevational overlap and concerningly, lacks much in the way of ecological buffers—such as community nestedness—to respond against potential hazards to the overall network. These findings thus create grounds for further research into the vulnerability of Páramo pollination, and call-for organized conservation efforts that properly defend this pollination system and all the ecosystem services it provides to its surrounding landscape.
Conocidos por ser un punto crítico de biodiversidad global, los Páramos Andinos tienen una diversidad de flora única que no se encuentra en ningún lado del mundo (Luteyn, n.d.). Como la resistencia de este ecosistema depende en la reproducción exitosa de las plantas, es necesario entender la red de polinización que las sostiene. Otras investigaciones modernas han establecido redes en los Páramos de Chile, Venezuela, y Argentina, pero aún no se ha definido una para Ecuador, a pesar de sospecha que sirve como el hogar a casi mitad del diversidad de flora en los Páramos (Arroyo et al., 1985; Pelayo et al., 2021; Medan et al,. 2023; Caranqui et al., 2019). A la luz de esta disparidad, este estudio establece una red preliminar para los Páramos de Ecuador Central inspeccionando las plantas y sus polinizadores a través unas zonas de altitud por todo de la región. Al hacerlo, encontró que la comunidad de plantas está dominada de especies de la familia Asteraceae, mientras la comunidad de polinizadores está compuesto por moscas primitivamente, con un poco actividad de abejas, hemípteros, y lepidópteros (mariposas y polillas). Con un objetivo fundamental de esta investigación ser para entender cómo la dinámica y estructura de esta red de polinización se prestan a ellos mismos a su resistencia contra de perturbaciones externas, más análisis fue hecho para determinar un estado de conservación de referencia. El análisis realizado a partir de los datos iniciales del estudio sugiere que la polinización de los Páramos de Ecuador Central muestran poca superposición de elevación y preocupantemente, no tienen mucho en el lado de amortiguadores ecológicos—como anidamiento comunitario—para responder contra peligros potenciales al red en general. Por lo tanto, estos hallazgos crean bases para futuras investigaciones sobre la vulnerabilidad de la polinización del Páramo y exigen esfuerzos de conservación organizados que defiendan adecuadamente este sistema de polinización y todos los servicios ecosistémicos que proporciona al paisaje circundante
Reef fish wariness behavior: Fish flight initiation distance mediated by territoriality and body size in three reef sites off the Western coast of Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, Panamá
Get PDFCoral reefs are highly productive and diverse underwater ecosystems, providing a variety of environmental services including sand generation, nutrient processing, fish supply, and tourism. However, coral reefs have been increasingly impacted by natural and anthropogenic disturbances, which has negatively affected fish security within their environment. A significant observation is the reduction in evasive behaviors among reef fish in marine reserves compared to those exposed to anthropogenic threats. The present research aims to investigate the factors mediating fish wariness behavior through an exploration of the roles of territoriality and body size on fish flight initiation distance (FID). FID is the distance at which an animal flees from an approaching threat, representing how wary that animal is. A point count transect sampling method was implemented at three different reef sites, Lime Point, Mid Point, and Conch Point, located along the Western coast of Isla Colón, Bocas del Toro, Panamá. Results revealed Pomacentridae, a highly territorial family, to have a decreased FID relative to the more sociable family, Scaridae. Furthermore, family body size was found to have a strong positive correlation with FID. Thus, territoriality and body size play an essential role in determining FID and how readily fish perceive an approaching threat. Overall, the current work helps enhance our understanding of the factors informing fish wariness behavior, and consequently, contributing key insights into how to design more effective reef conservation programs to preserve natural marine ecosystems
Bryophyte (SL) growth and environmental factors along an altitudinal gradient on Cerro Gaital, El Valle, Coclé, Panamá
Get PDFResearch on bryophytes (SL) in the tropics has been lacking compared with the high number of species found there and the potential benefit of bryophytes (SL) as indicators of pollutants and other forms of human disturbance. This study investigated whether or not bryophyte (SL) growth patterns showed relation when compared with environmental factors on the mountain Cerro Gaital in El Valley, Panamá. Whether or not bryophytes (SL) are present, extent of the area covered by their growth, and height of their growth are all aspects of bryophyte (SL) growth that were used. In this study, these three aspects are compared with three environmental factors – substrate type, altitude, and canopy cover. Data were collected along transects at four sites at different altitudes along a trail ascending the mountain. Hypothesis tests were run on each of the nine comparisons between the three bryophyte (SL) growth aspects and the three environmental factors. The results very strongly suggested that there were positive associations between bryophyte (SL) presence and substrate type, as well as presence and altitude and growth height and altitude. They also strongly indicated associations between bryophyte (SL) cover and substrate, bryophyte (SL) cover and altitude, and growth height and substrate. Canopy cover only showed an association with growth height and failed to show one for either presence or bryophyte (SL) cover. In general, the results of the tests involving substrate types and altitudes resembled results from other studies done in the tropics and elsewhere. However, the results for canopy cover did not match with other results and the one test that passed showed a negative association between canopy cover and growth height which is the opposite of what other findings indicate
Belonging and Identity in Mustang: Lived Experiences, Social Identities, and Mobility Patterns among Himalayan Peoples of Nepal
Get PDFThis paper delves into an immersive exploration and contemplation of a pivotal transformation unfolding in the heartland of Lower Mustang, Nepal. What began as an endeavor to channel my creative expression and unearth the diminishing world of yak herding soon necessitated a broader, more nuanced analysis of the profound changes sweeping across the region. This paper, mainly drawing upon the narratives of the inhabitants, seeks to portray the contemporary cultural and capital significance of yaks, as well as the various factors— climate change, outmigration, national policy discrepancies, conservation initiatives, and shifting cultural paradigms— that render specific patterns of movement increasingly untenable. Notably, the study also traces the impact of migration and modernity on identity formation, exploring the tension and intersections between local and migrant identities. It underscores the evolving concept of home that extends beyond physicality to encapsulate shared experiences, emotions, and relationships. Furthermore, despite geographical isolation, it reflects upon the pervasive influences of cross-cultural connections and the wider world. Thus, this paper offers a nuanced understanding of the Mustang community\u27s complexities, commitment to their heritage, and resilience in the face of constant change. It contributes to the broader discourse on identity, belonging, and cultural change, providing valuable insights for the Himalayan region and beyond
Pop Spirituality in the Context of Nepal
Get PDFIn this research report, Pop Spirituality in the Context of Nepal, I look to add clarity to what it means to be “spiritual” and how that has been applied historically in context of Nepal. This paper focuses on what has led up to our modern day perceptions on spirituality. In the first section of the paper, I briefly describe what I mean when I say, “pop spirituality” or a “modern spirituality.” I define spirituality and how it differs from religion, a religion, and what secularization is. I want to acknowledge that there are many types of spirituality that exist of course, but for the purpose of this paper, I only refer to a narrowly specific kind of spirituality and its history. From there I dive into the religious tourism in Nepal, what its impact is, and why it is lucrative. It is followed up with some of Nepal’s history on the Hippie Trail and how it shaped Nepal’s tourist industry. To explain why Nepal became the final destination of the trail, I had to explain the history of the West’s fascination with Tibet. This fixation that the West held created a distorted image of Eastern spirituality and ruminants of those effects are still around today. Then I address the complexities of commodification in our capitalistic society and how that affects our relationship with spiritual practice. Finally, I emphasize why this spirituality is so attractive and perhaps addicting to partake in. Then I discuss how spiritual bypass may be implicated as a coping mechanism for the stresses that we experience in our lives