Tag: Global Engagement ARC

Presenter(s): Lucas Shannon

Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster 193

Session: Global Engagement ARC

The Muslim population in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland is growing in a manner parallel to the ever more polarizing political spectrum in the German Sphere. Two extreme views of Islam have developed: Islamophobia and Islamophilia. Both are on opposite ends of a spectrum, and both are equally unhealthy. While one is blinded by hatred for Islam, the other is blinded by a seeming infatuation with it. Complicated by Germany and Austria’s history, these attitudes often prevent proper discourse from taking place, something all the more necessary as migration brings more and more people of Islamic cultures to Western Europe. Islamophobia and Islamophilia are part of a self-fueling cycle that incites and increases each other’s outrage. If better tempers prevailed, the public debate around Islam and immigration would be more nuanced, allowing for the possibility to find real solutions to the problems caused by mass migration. To gauge public opinion on the matter, we will be analyzing polls, political documents, and be looking at media coverage on public opinion within Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. These statistics will show the trends and differing attitudes within the debate, and will also point to possible solutions for a more civilized debate over the issues.

Presenter(s): Helen Robinett

Co Presenter(s): Emma Synder

Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster 191

 Session: Global Engagement ARC

In an increasingly isolationist society, multiculturalism is becoming less of a goal and more of a buzzword as citizens are subjected to arguments against the variety of languages, religions, and social norms that come naturally with living in a “melting pot”. Nationalists warn against the flow of immigrants, predicting increasing conflicts between religions and ethnicities as more and more diverse identities come into close proximity every day. Our research compares the spread of eastern religion and Islam in catholic countries such as Argentina and Chile to Islam in the United States, where religious and cultural tensions are more prevalent. Through statistics surrounding religions in Argentina and Chile and research on current tensions (or lack thereof) between the different religious communities, we seek to set Latin America as a model for tolerance, and identify ways that the United States can follow its example.

Presenter(s): Francesca Muchow

Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster 189

Session: Global Engagement ARC

A city built on drugs: Medellin, Colombia. For most that live in the city, especially those in more impoverished neighborhoods, the illicit drug trade is a large part of daily life and affects citizens both politically and economically. What this study will investigate further is the direct impact the cocaine industry and drug cartels have on the functioning of not only Medellín’s economy but Colombia as a whole. The methods of our research were conducted by reading articles, journals, thesis, and using the extremely informative website Cocaineconomics, created by Netflix to give an accurate historical depiction of Pablo Escobar’s, one of the most infamous drug lords, business and its shaping of society. In 2009 cocaine was a bigger business than Google, brining in an estimated 38 billion. For the seemingly abandoned lower class of Colombia, the narco money was a blessing cursed with unimaginable violence. Escobar’s legacy is often discussed as a modern day Robin Hood taking from the rich Americans and negligent government to fund social programs and put money in the hands of the lower class. Cocaine has played a huge role in Colombian economics and continues to today. Although an exact figure would be difficult to find, understanding how deep the ties go between cocaine and the current quality of life in Colombia is important. As the world continues to attempt to eradicate drugs, it’s important to know the implications of the industry beforehand.

Presenter(s): Emily Kraschel

Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster 188

Session: Global Engagement ARC

This project explores Venezuela’s oil based economy and how that exacerbates employment and poverty issues. In Venezuela, there have been many issues regarding trade, poverty, and hunger. Within Venezuela there is a high rate of poverty, with much of the population being under the poverty line. The economy relies almost fully on oil, lending itself easily to monopolization, which creates more poverty among working folks. The oil economy has an effect on the country as a whole. News sources and books on the structure of the Venezuelan economy were particularly useful in researching this topic. The high rates of poverty and suffering among the Venezuelan people is due to the unitary reliance of the Venezuelan economy on oil and the high level of political unrest and corruption. We find the Venezuelan situation particularly jarring because the path the Venezuelan economy and government took in the 20th century bears a striking resemblance to the path many Western economies are taking today, presenting reasonable fear that other prominent countries may fall victim to the same negative effects.

Presenter(s): Mason Klepp

Faculty Mentor(s): Matthias Vogel

Poster 187

Session: Global Engagement ARC

Japan has a rich history with the medium of tattoo that stretches back thousands of years, a history which has occupied a fascinatingly unique place in Japanese society. This traditional form of art has been and is currently going through vast changes, both in form and in social standing. We are using multiple media sources to research this topic; the book The Japanese Tattoo by Donald Richie and Ian Buruma as our main historical references, and multiple online sources for the contemporary aspect. The common thread throughout all of the literature around Japanese tattoo it that, for better or for worse, the art and economy of Japanese tattoo is changing faster now than it has ever has before. Tattoos are slowly losing their social stigma, “beauty tattoos” are appearing in the fashion industry, a new generation of skilled “neo-Japanese” style artists tattoo-seeking tourists are expanding the market and attracting foreign tattoo tourists, and the focus of the Japanese tattoo community is shifting away from traditional style, imagery, and method. Despite these changes, the form of art remains criminalized across Japan. The tides of this form of art are slowly shifting, but this changing tide is not yet a tsunami.