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The purpose of my thesis is to examine the interactions among the Senegalese staff, international volunteers, and Senegalese loan participants, and the ways in which their constantly evolving reactionary relationships impacted the program. The paper provides a context of Saint-Louis, Senegal as well as the Projects Abroad Organization and outlines the loan process prior to examining the daily activities of the program. I highlight important factors such as religion, education, gender roles, and saving techniques in order to show how juxtaposing values and traditions played key roles in the program’s evolution. Ultimately, I argue that the heterogeneity of values, norms, and expectations among those participating in the program created both obstacles and opportunities for program implementation and the ways in which to gauge its success.
By sharing my personal observations and experiences, I hope to provide the reader with a greater understanding of the complexities of intercultural communication in the microfinance arena. In the words of the American economist and philosopher Tyler Cowen, “Real cultural diversity results from the interchange of ideas, products, and influences, not from the insular development of a single national style.”
This thesis aims to gain a broader understanding of the perceptions of Jewish identity amongst Jewish adults of three generations. In doing so, I aim to contribute to research and previous scholarly works that have examined how the views and perspectives of those the three different aging ‘tiers’ contribute to furthering cultural perceptions, stereotypes, theories, and ideologies of identity in Judaism. People of different ages possess varying views and understandings of aging and the aging process. Society, too, says different things about aging and how aging plays a role in relationships amongst people. People have certain and often strong views as to what is considered “old” and “aging”. There are societal benchmarks establishing that people of the age of 60, 62, or 65 are considered “seniors” and therefore put in a special box relegated to those of that age. In addition, there are many perceptions of aging and Jewish identity, varying among those with different backgrounds and cultures, experiences, familial relationships, and more. These views and understandings are not singularly applicable. Cultures may have their own unique customs and beliefs, and at the same time many cultures are also influenced by the larger American understanding - these perceptions contribute to many subgroups, including Judaism, and are evidenced in Jewish culture. In this study, I endeavored to survey members of the Jewish community to find out their experiences and perspectives relating to Jewish identity and what it means to them, both in the personal and Jewish cultural context.
Inside of evangelicalism, there are many young adults frustrated with dating. Generally, they are taught to go to the Bible for answers. However, when they find no explicit roadmap to figure out how to get to marriage, they are left confounded in their romantic pursuits. How is one supposed to figure out if they are ready to marry, and how shall they know when they find someone they should consider for marriage? And who gets to speak into these habits and the beliefs that undergird their outworking? This paper explores such questions through interviews with couples, both dating and married. The interviews are compared and contrasted. The patterns that emerge from each interview are put into conversation with the other interviews. The findings expound on the overlap of the interviews and note degrees of resonance and dissonance between them. The implications of the themes are then outlined, best practices for the premarital experience are briefly noted, and areas for further study are identified.
Superman has been a cultural figure in America for 85 years- blasting out from the comic book page and into our collective consciousness. Yet, does the character still hold relevancy? Do people care about Superman, and know why he is important to our country? To understand where he stands now as a cultural figure, Superman's reciprocal history with America is defined, and with that definition comes highs and lows for the character that ultimately solidify his place as an aspirational figure of hope today.