http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification 720 https://escholarship.org/uc/gis_globalsocieties/rss Recent eScholarship items from Global Societies Journal Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:01:25 +0000 https://escholarship.org/uc/item/94r956pv This paper examines utopian ideologies and their effects in motivating iconoclasm. Using the cases of Islamic State, the Nazi’s destruction of Warsaw, and the Taliban’s destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas, this paper analyzes the utopian elements of each group’s ideology that motivates iconoclasm. I argue that Islamic State engages in iconoclasm in order to promote a unified and ideal community rooted in their utopian religious ideology. They achieve this goal by destroying cultural artifacts and museums that clash with their vision. While most of the debate around Islamic State has focused on non-religious aspects like oil-backed finance, this paper attempts to reorient the debate around the religious character of Islamic State’s actions. Given the salience of Islamic State and other similar groups in recent attacks globally, this paper attempts to analyze their operational motivations through the destruction of cultural artifacts. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/94r956pv Mon, 1 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Tsongas, Galen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5323q0km <p>As the international community has become increasingly connected, cosmopolitanism has often been proposed as a means to reduce inequalities and maintain peace. Cosmopolitan scholars, like Martha Nussbaum, hypothesize that this citizenship can be achieved through standardized, international education standards. While it is undeniable that the projects which cosmopolitans seek to solve are vital, this paper seeks to examine the plausibility and effectiveness of cosmopolitan theory, contending that modern cosmopolitan justifications only serve to further Western interests. It is imperative to examine the applicability of cosmopolitanism, because flawed theory produces flawed policy. Cosmopolitan scholars fail to recognize that one universalized standard of education creates a monolithic culture, without a capacity for innovation or ability to cultivate strong cultural identities. Furthermore, while cosmopolitans call for the disintegration of physical borders, past trends suggest... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5323q0km Mon, 1 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Wieske, Samantha https://escholarship.org/uc/item/51x1r30s The diasporan occupies a liminal space as a person that comes from one place, yet lives in another. This split identity can often pose challenges for diaspora communities, not only in questions of assimilation but also in coming to an understanding of what “identity” means at all. Understanding the diasporan’s lack of belonging and its influence on the way in which different diaspora communities function in their host nations is crucial in the present day, at a time in which identities are more fluid than ever. In this study, I explore the concept of diaspora through the particular lens of Armenian diaspora communities in the United States. This article will not only focus on the causes and effects of Armenian migration historically, but will also explore the characteristics and goals of the Armenian diaspora in the United States today – particularly in terms of its current understanding of identity, its uniting factors, and political influence. In studying the Armenian diaspora,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/51x1r30s Mon, 1 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Bolsajian, Monique https://escholarship.org/uc/item/43q236m8 <p>Water scarcity has direct implications for food security in arid regions. Egypt faces an escalating situation of water scarcity, as its renewable fresh water resources are fixed and the population is growing rapidly. The per capita supply of fresh water is already dangerously low and predicted to plummet even further by the year 2025. This paper critically analyzes three different approaches to the water scarcity problem in Egypt: importing virtual water, using Nile water more efficiently, and creating new sources of fresh water with desalination. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach are reviewed. This exposes a number of fundamental trade-offs that must be resolved. Discussion and recommendations are made as to which solution is most viable.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/43q236m8 Mon, 1 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Bargout, Remy N. Fraser, Evan D.G. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1d6159h1 <p>Demonstrated by the establishment of anti-human trafficking institutions such as the Palermo Protocol and the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 (and the associated Trafficking in Persons (TIP) reports), the commodification of forced labor swiftly rose to the forefront of political and humanitarian consciousness beginning in the 1990s. The dominating institution remains the unilaterally enforced TIP reports, issued annually by the United States. This paper examines the TIP reports, seeking to explain their effects on human trafficking outcomes for institution-implementing nations. Focusing on two critical cases—Thailand and South Africa— this research demonstrates the ways in which the same anti-trafficking models can lead to very different consequences—both beneficial and costly— for implementing countries. Ultimately, through an examination of cultural values, political alliances, and economic well-being for implementing nations, it is shown that the effects... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1d6159h1 Mon, 1 Oct 2018 00:00:00 +0000 Riback, Matt https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8wq2p3sj <p>Iranian contemporary visual artist and filmmaker, Shirin Neshat gives us a unique lens into contradictions within Islamic feminism. She uses her situation as a culturally-hybrid individual to mediate the dichotomy construed between Eastern and Western cultures and male and female relationships. Special attention is paid to her use of art as a window into systemic socio-political and gender issues she observes from the vantage point of her “third space” locus. In her photographic and cinematic work, she creates provocative juxtapositions built on binaries to expose biases. Her work is equally political and personal. She uses it to critique societies and to construct her own cultural identity. As an actor in the supranational women’s rights movement, with the support of the Art World, she raises gender consciousness across cultures via her artistic provocation. Islamic feminism navigates the space within this chasm and Islamic feminist art is a visual articulation of its carefully... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8wq2p3sj Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Haring, Jenna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6zt2s3jb <p>This paper seeks to address the question of why so many Saudi Arabians use social media. Prior literature investigating social media usage in the Saudi Arabia is either too broad or too narrow. This necessitates academic inquiry that addresses the “middle ground”. Saudi Arabians' markedly high rates of social media usage appear incongruous with the traditional, highly restrictive nature of Saudi Arabian society. Given social media's status as a relatively new phenomenon, and its recognized ability to engender civil engagement and political participation, its foothold in a conservative, undemocratic society appears unusual. Thus, this paper investigates the motivations behind Saudi Arabians' social media usage. Qualitative and quantitative data from NGO reports, statistical databases, case studies, news articles, and social media accounts demonstrate a causal link between state repression and social media usage. The evidence indicates that Saudi Arabians use social media to... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6zt2s3jb Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Hayman, Fiona https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6xb9t97w <p>Citing news reports from the height of the Syrian refugee crisis and academic papers relating to cultural identity and memory, I will suggest that the diaspora of Syrian people and the loss of their material culture will have extreme repercussions on the current and future identity of the Syrian people.  This paper shines a light on the human cost of war and loss of irreplaceable material cultural heritage.  I will posit the effects of such cultural trauma on the future of the displaced Syrian people by focusing on individual stories of loss, relocation, and change, using historical examples to validate the experience of the refugee.  Finally, I will look to the future, grounding this analysis in scholarly theories of identity and memory to ask the question: what is next for Syrian identity? In May 2015 the terror group, ISIS first overtook Palmyra—a cultural World Heritage Site that dates back two thousand years. The destruction of the ancient Roman ruins was swift and devastating.... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6xb9t97w Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Gibbons, Elizabeth https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j0285dz <p>Why have Religious Zionists perpetrated acts of violence in Hebron post-2005? Israel’s disengagement from Gaza and the northern West Bank settlements in 2005 caused the Religious Zionist settler movement to rethink the status of their struggle, leading to increased settler conflict throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the ongoing, multi-generational persistence of Religious Zionist theology in vibrant segments of the Israeli settler community. Particularly in Hebron, the fallout from Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza aroused a strong sense of betrayal and distrust among Religious Zionists in the region who evidently believed strategic realignment was imperative at a time when the ongoing project of Religious Zionism was challenged on the basis of its founding principle – that is, Jewish biblical right to total settlement throughout the Occupied Territories. Disengagement thus symbolized the direct opposite of everything the original Religious Zionist movement... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6j0285dz Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Picciuto, Nico https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5995641f <p>Over the past two decades, millions of immigrants have begun to seek refuge within the European Union due to its open economy, stable job market, and security. This paper will help readers better understand the motives behind the current “European Immigration Crisis.” It highlights EU legislation and systems that have been proposed or have been put into effect throughout the 20^thand 21^st centuries, and their effectiveness. In particular, it examines the Commission’s efforts as well as individual member states’ responses within the Council and to the Commission. There have been growing internal concerns regarding the ongoing crisis, which many believe may be threatening the EU’s stability and identity. As a result, some member states have responded with reluctance to aid crisis relief efforts. Nonetheless progress has continued and various political shifts have occurred within the EU. For these reasons, the Commission and member states have begun to reassess... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5995641f Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Salazar, Joshua https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4m91s3fb <p>This paper seeks to draft a human rights campaign with regards to contemporary slavery in Mauritania. The research focuses on political, economic, social, and religious factors that account for the persistence of the institution of slavery within the Mauritanian society. These aspects are taken into consideration to construct a campaign that addresses the human rights issue at hand. In order to ensure a measurable impact, a twofold top-down and bottom-up approach is considered. The focus is set on measures aimed at the Mauritanian government, while simultaneously engaging with the local grassroots population. The core pillars of the campaign are a symbolic voice that articulates the human rights claims, a convincing message constructed around the well-established frame of slavery, the adequate use of media, and the construction of a receptive audience. This work gives an overview of the possibilities of promoting a certain aspect of human rights in a society where slavery is... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4m91s3fb Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Rütti, André https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39p5p4th <p>The 2016 presidential primaries in the US featured a discussion of Donald Trump’s hands. Trump was a leading candidate for the Republican party and ultimately went on to win the presidency. This study analyzes the public discourse around this issue through the content analysis of nine news publications. A semiotic theory of mythology and symbolic politics is employed alongside sociological and psychological interpretations of fascist movements to understand the ideological underpinnings of the 2016 Presidential election. Because of the US’s central, hegemonic status in global politics, an understanding of the symbolic content and unconscious narratives which drive presidential elections is crucial to an understanding of emerging nationalist ideologies, governance, and culture. The language employed in presidential politics is an indicator of some of the cultural values and internal tensions characteristic of American society which are expressed through politics. Questions of... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39p5p4th Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Arias-Benavides, Pablo https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2dq9f2s7 <p>In developing countries, women often have responsibilities that are water dependent, such as collecting water and tending to the sick (Sewpaul, 2008: 45) As unpolluted water supplies diminish, these tasks become increasingly difficult to accomplish. Women face greater threats to their security as they are forced to walk farther, occasionally into dangerous areas, and lose several hours of their day, potentially reducing the household income and resulting in missed economic opportunities (Sewpaul, 2008: 46) To treat, ration, and dispense water, states may resort to privatized water management systems. Privatization, however, has routinely resulted in unaffordability and inaccessibility as well as poor service and water quality. This tendency has resulted in the question that this thesis will resolve, which is whether privatized water management is a violation of human rights. To answer this question, this thesis will analyze the impact privatization has on a number of groups,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2dq9f2s7 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Pavelich, Kelly https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1gf8z5v1 Global Societies, Global Futures https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1gf8z5v1 Sat, 17 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000 Chajdas, Tymoteusz https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6s9711nr The Zika virus outbreak erupted in Brazil in 2015 and spread to dozens of countries in just a few months. There is no vaccine, treatment or cure for this virus that is now a sexually transmitted disease and causes microcephaly in babies. While scientists work to develop the vaccine, 500,000 tourists get ready to travel to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympic Games. Brazil has struggled to eliminate Aedes Aegypti, the mosquito vector of Zika and several others viruses, for the last 30 years. As the outbreak erupted on the eve of the Olympics, it globally exposed Brazil’s deficient healthcare and sanitation systems and lasting poverty and inequality gaps. It also happened in the wake of a severe political and economic crisis, which determined the state’s response to fight the virus.  This paper examines the role of military forces as Brazil’s response to contain the Zika virus through three perspectives: 1) Brazil’s ambition to strengthen its role as a humanitarian superpower; 2)... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6s9711nr Mon, 30 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Pinheiro de Oliveira, Amanda https://escholarship.org/uc/item/78m2035b <p>One of the most challenging aspects of the historiography of modern nation states is how to write diaspora peoples of an immigrant past into the national history, especially when the diaspora settlement pre-dates the birth of the modern nation state itself. The Korean Chinese as a minority nationality in today’s People’s Republic of China exemplify the myriad issues that occur when nationalistic historiography seeks to override and sanitize an uneven past. By looking at the impulse of Chinese nationalistic historiography in appropriating the subaltern past of Korean Chinese, this paper exposes and problematizes the master narrative of nationalism in history writing. Master narratives, by imposing "nationalism," a prototype modern set of values, retrospectively on a chaotic and contingent past render diaspora peoples particularly vulnerable to the sways of nationalism. Historians of diaspora peoples should therefore be critically aware that the past is full of contingencies... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/78m2035b Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Hai, Peng https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6g4786zx Two intersecting concerns in development studies include gender inequality and inaccessibility to safe and affordable drinking water. In five rural communities of Mexico where non-governmental initiated and community managed water systems seek to address these concerns, this original ethnographic research asked how the gender composition of the management of a water service influences people’s perception of the given water service. This question was influenced by the need for research on perceptions of water quality in developing countries and the importance of understanding and promoting gender equity as a process involving men and women. Using ethnographic tools, original data were gathered at each of the five water systems, two of which are managed by committees made up entirely of women and three with mixed-gendered committees. The results suggest that the gender composition of the committee and gendered distribution of responsibilities among committee members carry influence... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6g4786zx Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Sainburg, Estrella https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4zc389qg <p>As globalization upsets traditional notions of the homogenous nation state, education becomes an avenue through which countries can define and redefine themselves, constructing national narratives through curricula decisions and education policies. Education initiatives in the post-imperial era showcase England grappling with both the loss of the British Empire and the influx of globalization, specifically in terms of incorporating the flood of migration from former West Indie colonies into its national education system. This article looks at the formal and informal education policies in England from the 1960s-1990s, situating them as negotiations over national narratives, identity, and citizenship. While multicultural education initiatives were implemented, these were later criticized by race scholars for failing to address the institutional racism and barriers to successful education within the English public school system. The black community responses to conservative education... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4zc389qg Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Drew, Rachael https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4w64g29s <p>Illegal drug production, specifically marijuana in California, and cocaine in South America, is resulting in intensive environmental degradation. While commonly cited as detrimental to societal health, the impacts of illicit drugs are rarely referred to as environmentally threatening. Ecosystem toxification, greenhouse gas emissions, and unsustainable water usage account for a variety of malign effects resulting from the plantation, harvest, and production of cannabis and cocaine. Ecosystem degradation remains a serious concern into the 21st century, a result indicative of the fact that current methods designed to stem the drug-trade too often involve reactionary enforcement measures by unitary actors. Preventive, not reactive, actions must be implemented to stop the production of illicit drugs in their initial stages, before ecosystem injury occurs. Coordinated efforts involving the integration of environmental and enforcement agencies, in intrastate<em> and</em> international... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4w64g29s Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Burns-Edel, Tristan https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4028c5t9 <p>In the early 1990s, while a global pivot towards democracy was slowly accepted into civil society, authoritarian regimes began losing legitimacy. Paradoxically, the spread of democracy was accompanied by the insurgence of patriarchal one-party autocracies. This phenomenon catalyzed my interest to research into gender parity and one-party rule, the differences between a one-party state and a one-party dominant system, and the overall implications of adding gender quotas in party and state politics. The paper focuses on the relationship between women’s political participation in legislatures and one-party systems in three countries: China, Turkey and South Africa. The aim of the research is to uncover the impact and trend of one-party rule on women representation in legislature. As a result, the research will clarify whether there are differences in political treatment of women in a one-party state in China and one-party dominant state like South Africa. Another layer of the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4028c5t9 Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Rezai, Ava https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23w0n5sw After the American invasion of Iraq in 2003, neoliberal hawks in the Bush administration embraced the goals of liberating the Iraqi people from economic constraints. This fast regime change, however, soon turned into a long quagmire that required a nation-building effort, reflecting the language of modernization theory. Thus, in the case of the Iraq War, two distinct and opposing theories of economic development—neoliberalism and modernization—merged together. What made this possible was the nature of analyzing American history through a lens of exceptionalism, as well as the transformative moment in the post-Cold War 1990s that began to remake the Middle East as the next adversary of the American superpower. This article uses this episode to suggest that intellectual histories of political economy need to reconsider narratives that present dominant theories through rigid periodization, while relying on works from Walt Rostow, David Harvey, Benjamin Barber, Timothy Mitchell, and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23w0n5sw Thu, 26 May 2016 00:00:00 +0000 Reyes, Kevin D. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9xd906cz <p>Much has been written on the negative aspects of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Haiti and elsewhere as organizations have been criticized for squandering donor funds, back room decision making and operations, and for creating a cycle of dependence between developing and developed countries. On the other hand, many NGOs have done good work in their respective nations.<em> </em>This paper examines the projects of two NGOs working in Haiti<em>: Build Change </em>and<em> Partners In Health. </em>Drawing on observations gathered from travel in Haiti as well as scholarly books and articles, press releases, and other content, I highlight similarities between the strategies taken by these organizations, such as their focus on development and in installing a full system or industry in Haiti, rather than distributing imported commodities. My conclusions provide insight that can be used by potential donors as well as local and international governments. Moreover, other NGOs... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9xd906cz Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Neiman, Andrew Joseph https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9p08t856 <p>Although political apartheid in South Africa ended in 1993, racial and economic inequity persisted. The end of White minority rule in government prompted the birth of the multicultural/non-racial “Rainbow Nation,” promising freedom and equality for all South Africans. However, the shift in political representation to Black majority rule in 1994—led by the African National Congress (ANC) and former president Nelson Mandela—failed to confront and reverse the vast inequities produced by the former apartheid state. This paper contextualizes the current state of affairs by tracing the histories of occupation and racial capitalism in colonial South Africa.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9p08t856 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Farkash, Andrew Tzvi https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8s1938qf Various factors besides culture and religion assist in defining the identity of a community. In the case of Cambodia, the tragic genocide of the Khmer Rouge and its aftermath forged a Cambodian identity suffering from severe psychological trauma. The lack of essential reconciliation and rehabilitation efforts by the government has played a role in the transgenerational passage of the trauma and needs to be addressed for the stable progression of Cambodian society.<p> <strong>Political Psychology, Identity Politics, and Social Reconciliation in Post-Genocidal Cambodia</strong> </p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8s1938qf Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Ebrahim, Shireen https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5vg7n7kt <p>This paper analyzes the writings of Sayyida Salme bint Sa’id ibn Sultan (1844-1924), the Zanzibari-Omani princess who married a German merchant and converted to Christianity. While she spent the rest of her life as Emily Ruete, existentially she lived “between two worlds.” I argue she successfully navigated her core identities as an Islamic(ate) woman despite adopting and adapting to European customs. Her successful <em>Memoirs of An Arabian Princess</em>, originally published in German as Memoiren einer arabischen Prinzessin in 1886, and her <em>Letters Home</em> (Briefe nach der Heimat), published in 1993, demonstrate her ongoing significance to scholars of gender, travel, globalization, and culture. I seek to expand her legacy by going beyond the constraining narrative that she failed to achieve her initial goal of monetary remuneration. I will instead focus on moments of hybridity, wisdom, resilience, and growth to show how she made progress in her second goal: to rectify... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5vg7n7kt Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Maxwell, Katherine https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m41z83s Drawing chiefly upon Judith Butler’s theory of <em>gender performativity</em>, this article argues that feminist theory does not operate in isolation from the body, but rather that the body is a medium through which feminist theory is <em>performed</em>. It examines how various feminist theorists conceive of the body, both <em>corporeally</em> and <em>affectively</em>, and how the body is <em>mediated</em> by a variety of culturally specific forces. Through a carefully crafted Butlerian lens, the article examines the body of the third world prostitute, the body of the fetus, the invasion of bodies by modern capitalism, the reimagining of the body in radical feminist utopia, and other constructions of the body. By placing the work of multiple feminist theorists in conversation with one another, the article offers theoretical insight by synthesizing seemingly disparate feminist theories. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3m41z83s Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Baker, Sally https://escholarship.org/uc/item/24g728jb <p>Mayan women are often victims of obstetric violence in the Yucatan Peninsula. Obstetric violence is defined as violence women experience by health officials or midwives during birth. This article will examine five different communities within the states of Yucatan, Campeche, and Quintana Roo in Mexico and compare and contrast activism efforts against obstetric violence among Mayan women. Mayan women are organizing to create unions for midwives, workshops on reproductive rights and health care, and demonstrations that advocate for the end of obstetric violence in their communities. Through unstructured interviews and participant observation, this research illustrates the variety of experiences these women face when giving birth, and the expressions of activism women utilized to counter obstetric violence and resist larger issues of structural violence. This research can help us understand the obstacles Mayan women face and provide strategies for organizations, governments, and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/24g728jb Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Gonzalez-Flores, Marina https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15v5j7w3 <p>Since the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997, there has been underlying tension and many outbreaks of civil disobedience in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong people’s hostility towards China was fully visualized in the student-led “Umbrella Revolution” in September 2014. This paper explores the roots of conflicts this social uproar from cultural and political perspectives. It examines the fundamental flaws of “One country, two systems” that provokes fear of re-colonization by assessing the similarities between the British hegemony and Chinese sovereignty in Hong Kong. This paper also analyzes the rhetoric of the Hong Kong Federation of Students and their demands, in order to provide a deeper investigation into why Hong Kong people often alienate themselves from their mainland counterparts. One hypothesis in this paper suggests that over a century of British colonization influenced the political ideals in Hong Kong, while such concepts cause resentment as they deviate... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15v5j7w3 Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Yip, Anastasia https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0487w52c <p>Although lowriders may be a familiar image, many people merely label these custom cars as a manifestation of gang culture rather than seeing them as a Chicano cultural production. The former view dismisses the rich background that informed and led to the creation of lowriders. This paper argues that the creation of lowriders is not a manifestation of gang culture, but instead reflects efforts to create a space that expresses Chicano identity informed by inequality and segregation. The lowrider is a way of symbolically and literally traveling beyond segregated spaces that marginalize Chicanos, giving rise to Chicano pride and power. Lowriders also express Chicano identity through their abstract and representational painting, for example the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, a significant Chicano icon, which is often painted on lowriders. The lowrider is more than a vehicle; it is a representation and display of Chicano identities informed by experiences with inequality, segregation,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/0487w52c Thu, 12 Nov 2015 00:00:00 +0000 Cano, Beatriz https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fx326b5 <p>This paper analyzes the United States education system and how it has recently declined in comparison with other developed countries. The impending results of this lack of educational quality contribute to a possible shortening of the economic gap between the United States and other developed countries. Many nations in the world, though quite strong economically, have GDPs that currently fall behind the United States by a vast amount. However, with the change in education rankings, comes a likely a change in economic rankings in the future. This development could possibly close the gap between developed nations’ GDPs, demonstrating the effect that the United States education system potentially has on the global economy.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9fx326b5 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Burns, Amanda https://escholarship.org/uc/item/75m582wc <p>The globalization process, accelerated through technology proliferation, has “brought about profound changes in the international context [and] could have far-reaching implications for development” according to Deepak Nayyar.  He argues a myth exists advocating the spread of globalization and global economic wealth convergence; however, globalization is uneven and a sharp divide between rich and poor countries persists. For example, during the 1980s and 1990s poverty increased in most Latin American, Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan African countries. However, not all developing nations have stagnated, some have experienced high sustained economic growth rates. Both China and Botswana have been hailed as such examples in the developing world while some of their neighbors, notably Mongolia and Zimbabwe, have had more trouble. This begs the question, why have some developing countries achieved development while others have not? To begin to address this question, one must look at various... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/75m582wc Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Brown, Hannah K. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x06c2x6 <p>Indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada define self-determination as the right to be recognized as an autonomous nation with international status free from paternalistic intervention by settler-state governments. The discourse on Native self-governance suggests that self-determination can be best realized through Native centered practices and logics. Mohawk scholar, Taiaiake Alfred, argues that chief among them is the regeneration of Native lifeways and spiritual practices. The work of Andrea Smith cautions us to recognize how the self-determining subject is in itself a racial project wherein the Native subject is always aspiring to be “fully human.” In contrast, Smith argues that true liberation could be realized by negotiating an alternate definition of personhood that is constituted in and through our beings. Alfred theorizes a form of self-determination that is based on the regeneration of religious lifeways, which, I argue, express the ‘radical relationality’ that Smith... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6x06c2x6 Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Avalos Cisneros, Natalie https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66k9b4km <p>The growth of the coffee industry over the last 20 years has led to expanding global coffee markets. During this time, consumer product awareness has increased the demand for higher quality products. Coffee has been a leading export of many developing countries due to their fertile growing regions and availability of cheap labor. The creation of the Fairtrade Labelling Organization has led many to believe the coffee they are consuming is contributing to development in these products countries of origin. Recent studies show that the push towards fair trade coffee production has had little impact on the goals the organization seeks to achieve. An alternative model, Direct Trade, is increasingly becoming more popular with roasters and has proven to have a more relevant impact on individual farmers and villages it sources coffee from.</p> https://escholarship.org/uc/item/66k9b4km Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Latta, Peter https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5vb3n9tc In the wake of Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Autonomous Republic, some scholars and analysts of international relations rushed to proclaim the inauguration of<em> </em>the new world order. In this paper, I argue that such claims are mistaken and groundless. Further, Russia’s actions in the peninsula do not represent a stratagem of geopolitical expansion and pose no implications for the global balance of power. Of course, Russia’s annexation of Crimea was in severe violation of international law. Nevertheless, only careful and informed analysis of the political coup that ousted the government of Yanukovych and familiarity with Crimea’s history can illuminate one’s understanding of the causes of the territory’s decision to secede from Ukraine’s authority and reunite with Russia. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5vb3n9tc Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Saluschev, Sergey https://escholarship.org/uc/item/34c5582q <p>Despite being the fifth largest religion in the world, Sikhism continues to be misunderstood. This research looks at the diaspora of Sikhs, specifically from Punjab to the United States of America. The goal is to illustrate the components of their experience – when, why, and how they came, along with reasons why Sikh struggles have eventually developed into triumphs. It is clear that a focus on community has been an overarching theme of their resolute success. However, that community has experienced nuances of division within itself, due to developing relationships with tradition that inevitably follow diaspora and modernization. Misplaced strife faced in the aftermath of 9/11 is also examined. Research was drawn primarily from academic writings and articles, government documents, a joint study by the Stanford Peace Innovation Lab and Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and personal interactions with Sikhs. By understanding the Sikh Diaspora, one is able to view... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/34c5582q Tue, 21 Oct 2014 00:00:00 +0000 Tanabe, Sean https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rw706q3 Cholera, a disease with a long history, continues to devastate populations around the world. Due to the route of transmission of Vibrio cholerae, the bacterial pathogen that causes the disease, cholera only seems to affect developing countries, giving rise to a health disparity. For developed countries with adequate water and sewage treatment systems, the threat of cholera is irrelevant. Meanwhile, developing countries which have underlying vulnerabilities of poverty and lack basic access to clean water and proper sanitation are disproportionately affected. There are many factors that put different populations at risk for cholera outbreaks. Epidemiological studies of cholera outbreaks show that the combination of poverty with the effects of conflict or natural disaster produces the most vulnerable population of refugees or internally displaced persons (IDP). Not only are these populations more susceptible to the risk of cholera outbreak, but they are more vulnerable to its devastating... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/2rw706q3 Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Sim, Christianna https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23h636xc Should a developing nation embrace foreign direct investment, or are such decisions more likely to result in a dependency that inhibits growth in the long run? The recently elected presidents of neighboring countries Bolivia and Peru have opposing attitudes in this regard, despite their analogous reliance on mineral exports and predominantly indigenous populations. I closely examine the impact of two lucrative mines—both in production for over one hundred years, privatized around the turn of the last century, and most recently owned by Swiss company Glencore. I find that Morales’s choice to renationalize the mine in Bolivia is justified based on the perceived impact of foreign involvement, the desires of his constituents, and his overwhelming concern for the environment. However, though the country has made significant financial gains thus far, it is still too soon to fully realize the repercussions of his decision. On the other hand, as Peru enjoys a relatively prosperous economy,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/23h636xc Mon, 23 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Peinado, Daniela https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dr224z3 This essay examines and criticizes copyright law as it now functions in Western society. I argue that copyright law only serves corporate interests and functions to limit the development of and use of cultural symbols and texts. In effect, this eliminates the use of cultural texts by marginalized groups. Furthermore, I bring to light several case studies that suggest copyright law does not only hinder the production of cultural material, but is not necessary to facilitate a healthy environment for the production and distribution of cultural material within a given society. Conversely, I suggest that by way of eliminating copyright law altogether, we may expedite a process I call the "democratization of cultural production and exchange". By allowing citizen consumers of cultural products, using new digital technologies, to assign cultural value to cultural texts without the politics and economic injustices that arise from the use and abuse of copyright law, we may have a richer... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9dr224z3 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Pitzek, Kristopher https://escholarship.org/uc/item/77m340wn This paper explores the emerging popularity of Native American inspired goods within the context of URBN retail stores. Using American Indian stereotypes and symbols these products speak to the western desire to mimic the perceived ideals of Indians, including spirituality and environmentalism thus allowing Americans to assuage technological anxieties with the consumption of a contrived naturalistic lifestyle. It is argued that the production of such “native” goods has further restricted the self-determination of American Indians and perpetuated intolerance by limiting the scope of modern Native American life to once again fit within the definition of a western world. This cycle is additionally harmful in the recreation of the good and bad Indian narrative, popular in the seventeenth century. The good Indian has become a passive naturalist, whose culture is available for consumption while the bad Indian remains the enemy, he continues to lie and cheat and is exemplified by portrayals... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/77m340wn Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Fowler, Sarah https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4r64r5wj Through a gendered lens, this paper seeks to explore certain social realities and their effect on the global economic climate. Many across the globe are subjugated, actively oppressed and even murdered simply because they are female. While this can easily be seen as a human rights issue, it is also arguably an important economic factor that has yet to be adequately incorporated into development discourse. For example, gender equality is one of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), however, the connection between women’s rights and all of the other MDGs is inextricable. Further, key to the realization of gender equality is one of the most difficult pieces to the development puzzle—personal empowerment, which is not something that an outside force can easily influence. Applying these concepts to a case study of Sri Lanka illustrates the difficulty in measuring gender equity and the complexities in understanding the effect that gender relations has on development. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4r64r5wj Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Adcock, Kimberly https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4jr8s5v2 Arab women are often marginalized in the minds of the West as oppressed by Arab, Muslim men. The language used to represent these women is often that of victimhood, stripping the women of the possibility of self-determination and agency. This article looks at a total of six articles and their commentary from Al Jazeera, Fox News, and Huffington Post to analyze how the language used in news articles both reproduce and challenge these stereotypes. The articles are specific to events related to the Arab Spring and women’s involvement in it. The commentary proves to be the true representation of Western knowledge production about Arab women as it ignores the elements of empowerment echoed in the articles, and focuses solely on the elements of Arab women’s passivity and Arab men’s brutality. I make the argument that this discourse is produced and reproduced in order to sustain a sentiment of Western superiority over the “brutal”, “oppressive” East. First, I discuss the absence real... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/4jr8s5v2 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Rice, Paige https://escholarship.org/uc/item/40m4t2rt While the European Enlightenment marked the dawn of our modern era, marked by a belief in the rule of law to deliver security and prosperity to all people, the geopolitical reality of world order has not delivered on this promise. The case of Western Sahara, a UN declared non-self-governing territory demonstrates the negative implications for human rights where fissures occur between what Charles Taylor deemed the <em>modern social imaginary</em> and this global <em>political reality.</em> This paper explores the history of the Western Sahara conflict with respect to the UN framework of international law regarding self-determination. It concludes by offering suggestions for moving past a mere acceptance of the feasible, looking towards the ideal. https://escholarship.org/uc/item/40m4t2rt Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 McManus, Allison https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3n85m56s This article seeks to highlight and discuss many of the legally problematic aspects of the US’s War on Terror targeted killing policies and programs, namely drone strikes and “capture/kill” missions. First, the US has sought to characterize the War on Terror, in its entirety, as a “non-international armed conflict of international scope” and, as a result, governed by the paradigm of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). While the factual basis of this definition is dubious at best, it is exceedingly more permissive of the sort of lethal force that central to the targeted killing program. Suspending disbelief, however, it seems equally questionable that the US actually respects the legal provisions of a non-international armed conflict. Though current disregard for transparency impedes a more thorough analysis, what information is available strongly suggests that targeted killing policy explicitly violates the IHL principles of proportionality and distinction. Cumulatively and... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3n85m56s Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Medeiros, Christopher Paul Kailani https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1bv3q5jj This essay seeks to analyze some political complexities of the country of Lebanon in light of popular literature concerned with global governance. By particularly considering some of Lebanon's demographic complexities in light of John Ikenberry's <em>Liberal Leviathan: The Origins, Crisis, and Transformation of the American World Order</em>, James Mittelman's <em>Hyperconflict: Globalization &amp; Insecurity</em>, Mary Kaldor's <em>New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era</em> and Charles Taylor's <em>Modern Social Imaginaries</em>, conflict in Lebanon can be contextualized within a sort of global governance framework. Or rather, a global governance framework can offer an approach for explaining some complexities of conflict and the distribution of power in Lebanon. Such a framework can be extracted from the above mentioned literature, by understanding how multiple modernities bound under hegemonic power can become the fault lines for conflict and competition when... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/1bv3q5jj Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Zorub, Daniel https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13s698mx Arab media has experienced a radical shift starting in the 1990s with the emergence of a wide range of private satellite TV channels. These new TV channels, such as MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) and Aljazeera have rapidly become the leading Arab channels in the realms of entertainment and news broadcasting. These transnational channels are believed by many scholars to have challenged the traditional approach of their government–owned counterparts. Alternatively, other scholars argue that despite the easy flow of capital and images in present Arab television, having access to trustworthy information still poses a challenge due to the governments’ grip on the production and distribution of visual media. This paper brings together these contrasting perspectives, arguing that despite the unifying role of satellite Arab TV channels, in which national challenges are cast as common regional worries, democratization and social development have suffered. One primary factor is the... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/13s698mx Thu, 19 Sep 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Elouardaoui, Ouidyane https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bv7z5wn Should a developing nation embrace foreign direct investment, or are such decisions more likely to result in a dependency that inhibits growth in the long run? The recently elected presidents of neighboring countries Bolivia and Peru have opposing attitudes in this regard, despite their analogous reliance on mineral exports and predominantly indigenous populations. I closely examine the impact of two lucrative mines—both in production for over one hundred years, privatized around the turn of the last century, and most recently owned by Swiss company Glencore. I find that Morales’s choice to renationalize the mine in Bolivia is justified based on the perceived impact of foreign involvement, the desires of his constituents, and his overwhelming concern for the environment. However, though the country has made significant financial gains thus far, it is still too soon to fully realize the repercussions of his decision. On the other hand, as Peru enjoys a relatively prosperous economy,... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bv7z5wn Wed, 19 Jun 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Peinado, Daniela https://escholarship.org/uc/item/729197cx Cholera, a disease with a long history, continues to devastate populations around the world. Due to the route of transmission of <em>Vibrio cholerae</em>, the bacterial pathogen that causes the disease, cholera only seems to affect developing countries, giving rise to a health disparity. For developed countries with adequate water and sewage treatment systems, the threat of cholera is irrelevant. Meanwhile, developing countries which have underlying vulnerabilities of poverty and lack basic access to clean water and proper sanitation are disproportionately affected. There are many factors that put different populations at risk for cholera outbreaks. Epidemiological studies of cholera outbreaks show that the combination of poverty with the effects of conflict or natural disaster produces the most vulnerable population of refugees or internally displaced persons (IDP). Not only are these populations more susceptible to the risk of cholera outbreak, but they are more vulnerable to... https://escholarship.org/uc/item/729197cx Fri, 31 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 Sim, Christianna