Tag: Kathie Carpenter

How Music is Used to Preserve Ainu Culture

Presenter: Lily Strobel – Asian Studies, Global Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Alisa Freedman, Kathie Carpenter

Session: (In-Person) Oral Panel—Sex, Drugs, & Music

The Ainu are an indigenous population native to northern modern-day Japan who have historically been suppressed and erased by the Japanese government. One of the ways they have resisted this governmental action is through music. In this presentation, how the Ainu use music as a tool to preserve their culture will be analyzed, both historically and in the modern context. To develop an understanding of the Ainu as a population, an in-depth literature review of their history was conducted, particularly as it pertains to music. This information informs an analysis of how music is used in the modern day. Two principal musical approaches were identified: the traditionalist approach, where artists perform music in traditional styles; and the fusionist approach, which combines traditional Ainu music with elements of more modern music, such as reggae or dub. Both of these approaches have the dual purpose of exposing non-Ainu to Ainu culture, as well as a way for Ainu to find belonging and express their heritage. Because the two approaches are drastically different styles of music, they will naturally attract different demographics. By understanding how music specifically is used to preserve Ainu culture, a more robust understanding of how arts in general can be used to the same end will develop. The underlying framework needs only to be slightly altered to map onto other fields, such as dance or literature.

Selling Sustainable Fashion: How Small Apparel Companies Communicate Social and Environmental Responsibility

Presenter: Aubrey West

Mentor: Kathie Carpenter

Oral Presentation

Major: International Studies

The apparel industry is responsible for much of today’s global pollution and many human rights violations, but quite a few small apparel companies are refashioning the industry’s dirty façade and becoming successfully sustainable by focusing on quality and consumer awareness. My research compiles the opinions of small apparel company managers and consumers regarding sustainable fashion in order to recommend viable solutions for creating a more sustainable fashion industry. Interviews were conducted with Hilary Fischer-Groban, VP of Operations and Sustainability at The Reformation in Los Angeles, California and Tina Cheung, Senior Manager of Social and Environmental Responsibility at Aritzia in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were chosen based on their company’s small size, brand image of sustainability, and willingness to participate. The interviewees agreed that the biggest sustainability challenge they face is lacking influence over their suppliers, but they believe that consumers feel well informed about their efforts. I also surveyed 80 male and female consumers contacted through my Facebook network, who called for an increase in accessibility and information about sustainable clothing and a decrease in these garments’ prices. Thus I discovered a crucial disconnect between company and consumer opinions about information exchange. Based on this information, I show examples of current marketing approaches, evaluate them, and make recommendations about how small apparel companies can better communicate their sustainability. These recommendations focus on efficient and informative marketing techniques that make known their garments’ origins, materials, and certifications in an accessible and interesting manner using technology such as Quick Response codes partnered with Smart Phones.

Barriers to Survival: The Japanese Legal Framework As a Risk Factor in Refugee Services

Presenter: Nobuyuki Tomiuga

Mentor: Kathie Carpenter

Oral Presentation

Major: International Studies 

Refugees in Japan who entered the country without a resident status (official passport and visa) are not given the right to work or obtain health insurance during the refugee recognition application process. The application process usually takes more than three years, but very few are granted refugee status. In 2013, only 6 out of 3260 applicants were admitted as refugees, and 856 of the applicants did not have a resident status. This study includes interviews with refugees who had to survive in Japan without the right to work or obtain health insurance, even though they fled their home countries to evade persecution and seek protection in Japan. The interviews found that many face a choice between living without any income or working illegally to survive, even if they risk incarceration. Most abstain from seeing a doctor because they cannot afford to pay the full medical fee without health insurance. The study also includes the kinds of assistance various organizations, social workers, and professionals have been giving to those refugees in need, and found that there is a limit to the number of people they can help and the degree of support they can offer. As a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Japan has the obligation to protect refugees. The government needs to modify the legal framework by allowing refugees to work and obtain health insurance regardless of their legal restrictions, because these are fundamental rights for survival, and refugees often are unable to leave their countries with official documents.

Vôla Manganika Vôla: An Ethnographic Study of Vanilla Exportation in the SAVA Region of Madagascar

Presenter: Caellagh Morrissey

Mentors: Kathie Carpenter, International Studies; Lindsay Braun, History

Oral Presentation

Major: History 

From ice cream to body lotion, everyone knows the taste and scent of vanilla, but where does it come from and what are its impacts? This study aims to determine the negative impacts of vanilla production and exportation in Madagascar by exploring the sources of these negative impacts and identifying ongoing or potential solutions. Data was collected through interviews with growers, collectors, exporters, and community members. People involved with each stage experienced exportation differently and held distinct views concerning what they saw as specific issues within the industry. However, there was a general consensus that the boom-bust cycle was detrimental to poverty- stricken growers, and that quality has declined as international competition has increased. Previous solutions to these issues included farmer cooperatives, governmental and regional legislation, regional associations, and international fair-trade practices. From interviews it was discovered that vanilla exportation leaves Malagasy farmers vulnerable, while shielding both producers and exporters from many of the negative impacts of poverty and dependency. This case study reveals the modern impacts of colonial extraction and how discourse can diffuse blame when each level of production considers others to be culpable for faults in the system. It also reveals a complex system of active negotiation, which brings vanilla to the world market, and ultimately allows us to enjoy that distinct flavor.

Benefit Corporations for the Environment: Avenues for Chinese Belt and Road Initiative in the Pacific

Presenter(s): Ana Garibay Mares − International Studies, Planning, Public Policy And Management, And Chinese

Faculty Mentor(s): Yvonne Braun, Kathie Carpenter

Poster 121

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: Ford Family Foundation Scholarship (funding provided for the independent study period, including travel), and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (employment to continue to pursue relevant research).

China’s unprecedented economic growth has raised concerns about the world’s natural resource reserves; as small island developing states, Pacific Island nations bind in solidarity to address concerns regarding their economic and environmental vulnerabilities as well. This is the era where merging the Chinese State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) model with Benefit Corporations (B Corps) will help facilitate China’s push for green economic growth along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). This unique combination can strategically address the triple bottom line that green economies are applauded for: social, economic, and environmental growth. The BRI offers opportunities for China and the Pacific to use SOE funding to address sustainability goals under a B Corp business model. More specifically, the Maritime Silk Road, which forms part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), offers opportunities for China and the Pacific to promote a holistic sense of development, reduce the island’s loan dependency, and propel the island nations towards self-sufficiency. This model equates economic growth to both social and environmental capital. In other words, Chinese SOEs can help standardize green economies by merging the BRI with B Corps to tackle mutual concerns in the Asia-Pacific region.

How Climate Change Has Affected Food Production in Afghanistan and Therefore Added to the Number of Afghan Refugees Seeking Asylum in the United States Between 2001-2016

Presenter(s): Sara Fatimah − Interntional Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Kathie Carpenter, Leigh Johnson

Poster 122

Research Area: Social Science

Funding: Global Studies Undergraduate Award; Undergraduate Studies; International Studies; DC Ducks Alumni Award

Afghanistan is the second largest source country of refugees with one-tenth of its population applying for asylum in 2015 alone (UNHCR, 2016). Already plagued with conflict, violence, and war, Afghanistan was also ranked second at most risk of risk of water shortage, conflict and displacement of people on the 2014 Global Climate Risk Index. This research investigates how climate change has affected food production in Afghanistan and therefore added to the number of Afghan refugees seeking asylum in the United States between 2001-2016. Four-fifths of Afghans depend on rain-fed agriculture and cattle grazing; the country’s main water sources are glacier-fed rivers and rainfall causing Afghans to face many climate risks in securing their livelihoods. In 2017, I collected data on more than 30 individuals to investigate the relationship between climate change, conflict, and out-migration from Afghanistan. I reached out to members of the Afghan refugee community living in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia to learn about challenges created by climate change. The results showed that they faced plenty of hardships in farming over the past 15 years. A consistently recurring theme across interviews was the lack of water available to farmers due to unsustainable water management and the constant occurrence of droughts over the past decade. My results show a strong correlation between livelihood security and climate change, and therefore serves as a case-study for lawyers, policymakers and environmental activists to obtain additional evidence on the close relationship between climate change and outmigration. This research contributes to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 5th Assessment Report’s plea for more comprehensive evidence, collected across multiple locations, to test theories about relationships between climate change and livelihoods, culture, migration, and conflict. As currently, UNHCR’s international protection mandate does not recognize climate refugees.