An anti-social, grieving son avoiding his 21st birthday, his overworked mother stranded on a business trip, and his commitment-phobic older sister reliving her youth, reunite during a major blackout in Puerto Rico after a devastating loss to the family.

Nutrition problems have been given much consideration in recent years. Today, when devastated areas of Europe are suffering from hardships due to the lack of sufficient food, the whole world is acutely aware of foods and nutrition problems. It is necessary, in order to improve the world food picture, that the need of each country be understood and the available foods used to meet needs without waste, either from the standpoint of economy or nutritional well-being. Agricultural and home economics workers in Puerto Rico have felt the necessity of teaching the people of their country methods to improve the quality and quantity of food products. The Puerto Rican people need to learn how to get the most from their soil, how to use fertilizers, and how to conserve the value of the soil. Much has already been accomplished in this work, but it is necessary to obtain more interest on the part of the people in improving their production and use of food. In addition to learning improved methods of production and conservation, the people of Puerto Rico need to emphasize wise use of the available food products. Many foods are available because Puerto Rico has a rich soil, and with the aid of only a small amount of fertilizer, many products may be grown. Vegetables and fruits may be produced throughout the year in sufficient quantities to meet the needs of the people. This makes it possible to have an adequate intake of vitamins A and C, if they eat available foods. Of course, the amount of sunlight the year around gives an ample supply of vitamin D. (Rickets due to deficiency of vitamin D is almost unknown.) In spite of the fortunate geographical position which makes the production of many foods possible, the people still need much information about the best methods of preparing and preserving this food. Home economists in extension work must make continued efforts to plan programs to meet the needs of the Puerto Rican people. Those who are responsible for choosing and preparing foods must be given more knowledge of foods and nutrition and thus improve the nutritional status of the people and use well the available foods. In order to develop new plans that would aid the extension program of one area, much can be learned from a study of methods in use elsewhere. For that reason, this study of extension work in foods and nutrition in the southern United States was begun. In studying the foods and nutrition extension work of the southern United States and Puerto Rico, as much information as possible was secured from the library. In order to augment this material, a questionnaire was sent to extension foods and nutrition specialists working in the southern states of the United states. This questionnaire was designed to obtain information about the type of work done, the methods used, and the success of these methods. A copy of the questionnaire may be found in the appendix. From the foods and nutrition extension information obtained from other states, a comparison is made with the Puerto Rican extension work, and some plans based upon this study for furthering the work in Puerto Rico are presented. Information from this study, it is hoped, may be useful to the author upon returning to a position in foods and nutrition extension in Puerto Rico. In this study, it was thought advisable to give brief consideration of the nature of extension work in general, and emphasize the work of specialists, especially the work of foods and nutrition specialists. In order to develop the problem, it has been necessary to explain at some length the extension work and its background in Puerto Rico. Only with a clear picture of the Puerto Rican conditions, accomplishments and future needs, is it possible to see relationship between extension in this country and the southern United states and apply ideas gained from the study in plans for future extension work. It is hoped from this study to (1) Study the food and nutrition needs of the people in the southern United States and the methods used to meet these needs. (2) Compare the needs of the people of Puerto Rico with those of the people of the southern United states. (3) Compare the methods used in the southern United States with those used in Puerto Rico. (4) Apply ideas gained from the study in suggestions to further foods and nutrition work in Puerto Rico. / M.S.

The identity of Latin America is composed of elements inherited from Europe, Asia and Africa. This identity has been defined with a series of images, roles, behaviors and rules created to maintain a particular unification among the citizens of these societies. Cultural ideologies involving marriage, separation and divorce have been subjected to historical changes. Divorce in Latin America typically has had a negative connotation and communities have considered divorced women as outcasts. The purpose of this study is to examine Puerto Rican and Dominican women's perception of divorce with particular emphasis on divorced women's image and experience in these countries. There are similarities and differences between the two countries based on geographical, cultural, historical, economic and legal issues. Due to the cultural presence of the United States in Puerto Rico, many issues now separate the two countries. I consider this "duality" (Traditional/Latin American and Westernized/American) to be an interesting context for exploration particularly as it relates to women's perception of divorce. / Master of Arts

This written thesis is a companion to a 30-minute documentary video of the same title. The documentary is a presentation of the historical conflict between the United States Navy and the people of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico. For over 60 years the island was used by the United States Navy as a military training facility. The documentary attempts to present an analysis of the struggle between citizens of the island and the Navy. This written component presents a summarized history of Puerto Rico, Vieques and the conflict with the United States Navy. In addition, the preproduction, production and post-production process of the documentary are discussed. A theoretical analysis of the filmmaker's approach and technique are addressed and analyzed as well. The thesis's goal is to provide a clear understanding of the Vieques conflict to United States audiences who do not a familiarity with the topic. The thesis is presented from the perspective of a person who grew up in Puerto Rico.

This thesis, written in the Spanish language, merges historical documents, literature, and interviews in the form of a creative story that explores the Puerto Rican identity through the lens of one family. Cuca, the main character, is an allegory of the island’s current and historical state of “in-betweenness”. As a former Spanish colony, then U.S. territory, and now a U.S. commonwealth, the island has incorporated elements from each imperial regime, though never fully being a part of any. The story begins in 2008 and centers first on Cuca, and then her granddaughter who struggles to understand her own identity as both an American and a Puerto Rican. The story then goes back in time to 1930, the year in which the Puerto Rican government legalized divorce. After Cuca’s mother divorces her Spanish father, and then marries an American, Cuca comes to have two paternal figures much like Puerto Rican has had: one Spanish and one American. Taking place between 1930 and 1942, the story focuses on the island’s evolving identity between the Great Depression years and the beginning of Operation Bootstrap, the latter which sought to modernize the island and to increase tourism. The thesis raises the complexities of being Puerto Rican, but also more generally the complexities of all those who feel caught between cultures and identities.

This thesis explores the relationship between colonialism and the environment through a study of hurricanes in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Because hurricanes do not discriminate between international borders, they reveal much about the influences of political, economic, and social structures on vulnerability to hurricanes, hurricane preparation, and hurricane relief efforts. The Caribbean is a region that has been disproportionately impacted by hurricanes. It is also a region that has been wholly shaped by colonization. Prior to Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the Caribbean, natives on islands like Puerto Rico and Cuba built and structured their societies around hurricanes and other catastrophes. Different aspects of colonialism altered the relationship between Puerto Ricans and Cubans and their respective environments. Though Puerto Rico and Cuba share incredibly similar histories, competing trajectories have emerged on both islands as they have undergone processes of decolonization and independence. An examination of Cuban and Puerto Rican history prior to Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María in 2017 provides a deeper understanding of the divergent histories of both islands. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that the legacy of colonialism continues to impact the identities and security of Cuba and Puerto Rico today.

Researchers agree that Puerto Ricans lack basic financial knowledge that would allow them to participate in the financial system actively. However, the literature did not provide any data about the knowledge transmission practices that Puerto Ricans use to gather and transmit financial knowledge. As a result, there was a limited understanding of the social learning processes used by Puerto Rican college students to make financial decisions. Using consumer socialization and family financial socialization models as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this quantitative, nonexperimental study was to identify the information sources that Puerto Ricans use to gather financial knowledge. A sample of 198 Puerto Rican college students answered a portion of the College Student Financial Literacy Survey. The research questions examined the preference of 4 financial information sources, their level of influence, and the impact of exposure frequency of these socialization agents. Descriptive statistics showed that participants preferred to gather financial knowledge from parents. A combination of one-way ANOVA and RMANOVA confirmed that parents also had the highest level of influence. The results of a multiple linear regression test suggested that the frequency of exposure did not predict the financial knowledge of students in the sample. The outcomes of this study may be helpful in optimizing the communication vehicles used to transmit financial knowledge to the public. Researchers, educators, and policymakers may also use this study as foundation for the development of effective financial education strategies that will promote positive social change in Puerto Rico.

Original thesis submitted in HTML and can be accessed at http://www.lib.usf.edu/ETD-db/theses/available/etd-07252001-113744/unrestricted/default.htm / Title from PDF of title page. / Document formatted into pages; contains 103 pages. / Thesis (M. Arch)--University of South Florida, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. / Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. / ABSTRACT: My interest in the environment has led me to study the effects of space on people, both natural and man-made. This project explores how architects and designers can design spaces conducive to the healing process. The emphasis of this thesis is on my design methodology, with the hope that this project will help other designers in their struggle to create spaces that heal the body, soul and spirit. To develop this project, I chose a shelter for battered women as the building type. This shelter is theoretically located in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. Its main goal is to create an environment in which battered women can recuperate physically, emotionally and spiritually. In order to accomplish this, I first studied my personal responses to a variety of built, as well as, natural spaces. I used two types of case studies, one looking at spaces and the other looking at the building type. / ABSTRACT: Besides utilizing traditional building analysis, I also used literature to study space, since it allows me to study human's reaction to space.These helped to shed light on why or why not certain spaces fulfill the building's purpose. Later, through a series of art workshops with women at a local shelter, I was able to better understand the user. These workshops culminated in a collaborative art installation in which their reality and mine were combined. In addition, I researched other fields that are also trying to understand why we respond to space the way we do. Some of these fields are environmental psychology, sociology, behavioral studies, and art. Their findings led me to design flexible spaces that allow each woman to shape their own space, and spaces that appeal to all six senses. Following this exploration, I developed a program to meet the user's requirements. This program described a prototypical facility that embodies ideal conditions. / ABSTRACT: I then explored this program and its spatial requirements through physical models. A series of models interacting with the site gave birth to three design concepts. From these various schemes, a final design was selected and brought to the design development phase. / System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader. / Mode of access: World Wide Web.

My dissertation, Feminine Subjectivity and Discourses of Modernity in Puerto Rico and Brazil (19th and 20th century), explores the construction of modern feminine subjectivities during the social, cultural and industrial modernization of Puerto Rico and Brazil throughout the 19th century. With this investigation I analyze, from the perspective of gender studies and recent analyses of modernity, the construction of the idea of "woman" that derived from marginal discourses focused on notions of progress. For this purpose, I will analyze the works of the following writers from Puerto Rico: Alejandro Tapia y Rivera (1826-1882) and Ana Roqué de Duprey (1853-1933), and from Brazil: Joaquim M. Machado de Assis (1839-1908) and Julia Lopes de Almeida (1862-1934). Studying these writers and their literary production, I will be able to contribute to current debates on how modernization generates new forms of feminine subjectivity. Moreover, these new forms rearrange and transform the process of modernization from a feminine perspective. This approach is essential to the understanding of the cultural production of the modern woman within one of the more complex periods of Latin America's history. In the first part of the dissertation, I explore the novels of Tapia y Rivera and Machado de Assis. These writers present different aspects of spiritualism regarding women. With the work of these two male intellectuals, I will focus on how spiritualism influences femininity while simultaneously participating in new economic forms. In the second part, with the novels of Roqué de Duprey and Lopes de Almeida, I study the dynamics between rural and urban zones and how this impacts the configuration of gender. As a result of these processes of modernization, a modern feminine subjectivity emerged, yet it was one that did not necessarily share the new social and cultural ideals of progress. On the contrary, this subjectivity combined traditional cultural patterns with new ones. This contradiction generates different visions of modernity than that proposed by intellectuals and politicians. This shows how, in Puerto Rico and Brazil, the role of women in modernity allows for new interpretations in this period of crisis and national changes. / text

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 349-361). / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xi, 361 leaves, bound 29 cm