Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This pilot study examines the use of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program by the Burmese population in Indianapolis, Indiana. A significant number of Burmese people migrated to the Indianapolis area starting in 2004. Many of them are families with young children and are enrolled in the WIC program. Language barriers and cultural differences make it more difficult for the WIC program to meet the needs of these families. To what extent is the WIC program meeting their needs? To answer this question, Burmese WIC participants enrolled in the Marion County WIC program were invited to participate in this study. Study participants received a survey at the time of their appointment at the WIC office. The survey included questions that focus on how the Burmese people feel about the foods provided and the nutrition education they receive on the program. Of the 30 study participants, 28 of them or 93.3% reported WIC as being very helpful. Some foods were reported as not being utilized as frequently by the Burmese population on the WIC program, including tortillas, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta. In addition, twenty six of the 30 participants or 86.7% reported the nutrition education they receive on WIC as being very helpful. Participants reported learning many new things through WIC nutrition education including how best to feed their infants and children, as well as breastfeeding being the best for their babies.

This qualitative study explored the experience of 21 Burmese refugee adolescents as they acculturated into public schools in Salt Lake City, Utah. Unstructured, open-ended interviews were conducted to elicit information on the students' perception of the U.S. educational system, as well as their feelings about acculturation. The interviews were conducted with the aid of a Burmese/Karen translator and were transcribed and analyzed utilizing a grounded theory approach. The findings detail the acculturation process of the Burmese refugee students, the positive effect motivation has on the pace of acculturation, the impact of unfamiliar technology and language-based misunderstandings on the students' educational performance, the need to develop an individualized career plan for the student upon arrival, and the value of expanding the Burmese refugees' social networks.

University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Communication

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Philosophy

The Va nationality, despite its small population compared to other nationalities in China, has preserved most of its traditions largely due to limits placed by historical circumstances and geographical isolation. To non-Chinese anthropologists, the Va people still remain unknown, as there is little or no information about them in English or other Western languages. One of the purposes of this study is to narrow this gap by presenting an ethnographic description of the Va, giving them a place in the world anthropological studies. Since the Va have retained their own cultural characteristics, their societal development has been rather slow. Part of the reason for this slow development is inherent in the basic nature of Va culture, and part of it lies in misguided administrative policies and programs. This study proposes ways to help the Va make progress toward development without destroying their culture and examines several possible ways of modifying or revamping government policy and programs directed toward the Va people. / Graduation date: 1992

Thesis (D. Miss.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 1996. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-241).

This paper examines the acoustic characteristics that differentiate the four tones of Burmese: high, low, creaky and stopped. The majority of previous work on Burmese tone is impressionistic but recently has become experimental. There are conflicting analyses of how the tones are distinguished. In particular, there is disagreement about the f0 contour of the high and low tones, the consistency of creakiness in the creaky and stopped tones, the role of f0 in distinguishing the creaky and stopped tones, and the vowel quality of the stopped tone. Recordings were made of four native speakers of Burmese, aged 24-30, who read sentences containing a carrier word with one of the four tones and one of two vowels, /a/ and /i/. Seven variables were measured: f0 contour (onset, offset, peak f0, peak delay), duration, voice quality, and vowel quality. It was found that the high and low tones are differentiated from the creaky and stopped tones by onset f0, peak f0, relative peak delay, duration, and voice quality. The high and low tones are distinguished from one another by offset f0, peak f0, relative peak delay, and voice quality. The creaky and stopped tones appear to be differentiated from one another mainly by vowel quality. This paper adds necessary acoustic analysis to the literature on Burmese tone, with the finding that a variety of characteristics is used to distinguish each tone. The findings of this experiment also add to the current understanding of the interactions between tone and phonation, as well as phonation and vowel quality. / text

Thesis (M.P.H.M. (Primary Health Care Management))--Mahidol University, 2008. / LICL has E-Thesis 0038 ; please contact computer services.

Thesis (M Arch)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2009. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Christopher Livingston. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Miss.)--Western Seminary, Portland, OR, 1996. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-241).