Achieving complete health requires a deep understanding of complementary cultural competency sensitivity between physician and patient. This may include but is not limited to access to preventative health care resources, access to health educational resources and access to cultural healing resources, for example, shamans, Ayurvedic physicians, and herbal healers. Advocates of cultural competency emphasize great importance on knowledge of the patients' cultural background; however, the transcendence of this knowledge can be explained further through complementary cultural competency sensitivity. This is when the cultures of the physician and patient complement each other in terms of understanding what is in the patients' best interest in the overall goal of healing and complete health for the patient. The explanation of this concept revolves around the idea that health is not just found within body wellness physically, but also mentally and emotionally. The tragedies of poor health outcomes we face have psychological repercussions with a significant social determinant that bio-medical medication cannot and should not solve. The purpose of research includes theoretical discussions that address questions of: What roles do Evidence Based Results play for Medical Anthropologists? How will having knowledge of socioeconomic status, cultural practices and determinants of environmental insult and structural violence as experienced by the individual patient influence the facilitation of the process of creating a positive health outcome for the patient? How can "End of Life" issues be better addressed? How does language influence health? Does a positive dialogue between health professionals and patients contribute to better health outcomes? Research will emphasize the idea that Ethnomedicine (traditional medicine) and Western Bio-medicine complement each other within the model of complementary cultural competency sensitivity. The Holistic Complementary Structure of Western Bio-medicine and Traditional Healing is a multifaceted mean by which the manifestations of complete and positive health results occur. The methods of research used in the research include ethnographic interview content discussions, primary and secondary literature sources, and research of bio-statistical data. The interview discussions consist of dialogue with Medical Anthropologists, a Nurse Practitioner, a Global Health Studies Ph.D. professor and an Africana Studies Ph.D. professor. In order to prove the hypothesis, explanations through examples of Ethnomedicine (traditional medicine) and Western Bio-medicine working together, show how the combination of the two modalities along with the factors of complementary cultural competency sensitivity between patient and physician contribute to positive health outcomes.

This thesis postulates the narrative of Venezuelan psychiatrist and novelist Francisco Herrera Luque as one that demystifies the official historical discourse of his nation. Our argument is developed through a two-part analysis. First, we present and examine the author's characteristic method, one that he called "fabled history", and the way it deals with elements of Venezuela's historical past. Secondly, we analyze the way Herrera Luque, while crafting an undoubtedly historical narrative, also analyzes many elements of the Venezuelan idiosyncrasy and identity through the illustration of colonial life in the nation, in particular within the oligarchic social class known as mantuanos, a group of people who controlled the beating of the nation's young heart from its birth until its independence. To support our idea, we have used the theories of French philosopher Roland Barthes as our main theoretical basis for the mystification-demystification argument, for it is our view that his theory about myth as a self-justifying discourse is very proximal to what we believe to be Herrera Luque's vision about the role that patriotic or official history has played in Venezuela. We have also relied on the works of Linda Hutcheon and Hayden White to bring up the relationship between literature and history, especially regarding the narrative element in historiography, an essential element in what has been called the "new historical novel", a genre that presents new narrative approaches to history. Our work also presents several elements that show how Herrera Luque's work not only seeks continuity in a usually fragmented discourse, but also takes advantage of its literary condition to present some observations and analysis about Venezuelan collective identity. His attempt to narrate Venezuelan history from its beginnings until the first quarter of the 20th century has produced not only an irreverent look at the historical record, but also an effort to make sense out of a series of events whose disconnected condition has influenced the way that Venezuelans relate to their past. Furthermore, we conclude that perhaps the strongest message of Herrera Luque's narrative is that because of this distortion of the past, Venezuela is unable to have a clear understanding of its present.

Abstract Sanitation coverage in the Republic of Panama is 5 to 10 percent below the Millennium Development Goals targets set for the country. Population growth, urbanization, unplanned development and waste mismanagement have resulted in improvised trash sites and waste discharges into river systems that are important components of the biologically diverse natural environment of Panama. The study sought to investigate and estimate the burden of waste from domestic and agricultural sources in three regions of the Chilibre corrigimiento (district). It was hypothesized that the water quality and land cover data would reflect that the most populated region in the study sample (Region 2) would have more water quality violations than the adjacent background and attenuation regions (Region 1 and Region 3) in the study sample. The results supported that Region 2 had the most water quality violations -- particularly at the CHIL 3 monitoring station. Based on the results the most appropriate best management practices (BMPs) were recommended for the household, community, watershed, and regional level waste management in the study region. Future research will look determine the effectiveness of microfinance programs in bolstering sanitation-based entrepreneurship in Chilibre and across Panama.

Inspired by the visual allegory ("Conquista, embarcáronse a las Indias" fol. 73 of the Nueva corónica), Legnani contends that the development of the laws of peoples (jus gentium) by 16th century Spanish jurists should be analyzed within the corpus of commercial law (lex mercatoria) employed by sea merchants, bankers and mercenaries throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. This dissertation explores the movement from figure to fiction in discourses of capital and violence. / Romance Languages and Literatures

The recent attacks on ethnic studies programs both in Arizona with house bill 2281 and locally at the University of Central Texas serve as an urgent call to address how ethnic studies programs impact the educational trajectories of students. Additionally, research done on ethnic studies programs has largely focused on high school programs, overlooking programs in higher education. Therefore, this study addresses the following question: In what ways does being a Mexican American Studies major influence the experiences of Latinas at a predominately White institution (PWI)? Using Chicana feminist thought and Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model as theoretical perspectives this study seeks to; 1) understand an educational approach (ethnic studies) that has shown success with students of color, 2) fill in the gap in the literature of ethnic studies programs in higher education, and 3) look at the gendered experience of Latinas at PWIs. Through a thematic analysis of six in depth interviews and a focus group conducted with six Latina undergraduates the author finds that Mexican American Studies represents a site or process of reclaiming and redefining. Four major themes are identified and discussed; reclaiming knowledge, the self, and space(s) and redefining la mujer. The findings suggest that there is a relationship between student retention and ethnic studies programs, adding epistemic and mestiza capital to Yosso’s community cultural wealth model, and using ethnic studies programs as models of how to best support students of color at PWIs. The author concludes with the suggestion that more research is needed on the experiences of other undergraduate students (White, African American, men, etc.) that are ethnic studies majors in order to further understand the impact, importance, and wealth of potential in these programs. / text

In the centuries since the colonization of the New World, the people of Cuba created a strong musical tradition. Initially, their music mirrored the European composition canons of structural, melodic and harmonic order. The eventual confluence of its distinct cultural elements (i.e. the European, African, and, to a lesser extent, Amerindian) led to the emergence of a new, distinctly Cuban musical tradition. The wars for independence that began in the United States and Europe in the eighteenth century created a surge towards political and cultural autonomy that swept across the Latin American colonies, generating a wave of nationalism during the nineteenth century. After finally gaining its independence in 1902, Cuba sought to define itself as a nation. Cubans looked inward to their regional folklore—their indigenous and popular traditions—for the source of their national identity, a trend that became of primary interest to Cuban artists. The nationalist trend found full musical expression during the twentieth century, when composers turned to folklore for their inspiration in creating new art music (works for the concert hall) with a unique sound and vitality. This study concerns itself with the Cuban nationalist movement and its role in the creation of art music by twentieth-century Cuban composers, most specifically that of Mario Abril. The monograph is organized into three general sections: the first section (Chapters 2 and 3) identifies the significant characteristics of nationalism, describes the manifestation of some relevant nationalist movements (e.g., in Europe and Latin America), and explores the manifestation of the nationalist movement in Cuba. The second section (Chapters 4 and 5) provides a history of Cuban art music, concluding with a biographical sketch of composer Mario Abril. The third part (Chapters 6 and 7)consists of a study of the music, beginning with a description of the pertinent characteristics of Cuban popular music, followed by an examination Mario Abril’s Fantasía (Introduction and Pachanga) for clarinet and piano. The document concludes with remarks about the characteristics that qualify the work as an example of Cuban nationalist art music with suggestions for the study and interpretation of the work.

This research utilizes an agency framework to examine the complexities of the participation of indigenous women in local, national, and global spaces of activism. By examining the connections between processes of globalization of indigenous and women’s rights, development agendas, local politics, and gender dynamics in indigenous organizations, this research highlights the connection of ethnicity, gender, and power in an indigenous organization of Cotacachi, Ecuador, and for Ecuadorian and Latin American indigenous leaders and professionals working in national and global arenas. Four interconnected topics are explored: (1) the understanding of indigenous women’s participation in the history of their organization within a context of interethnic discrimination and poverty that especially affects indigenous women; (2) the relation between indigenous women and the changing demands on indigenous leadership due to reconfigurations of rural livelihoods, the ascendance of the indigenous movement as a political actor, and the sustained presence of development projects; (3) the challenges indigenous women face and the strategies they enact as local leaders in their communities and organization negotiating essentialized constructions of indigenous women’s identity and forms of gender inequality; (4) the transition to local, national, and international formal politics and indigenous activism in which indigenous women’s legitimacy increasingly necessitates both experience in the indigenous movement and professionalization and expert knowledge. Using an ethnographic methodology including interviews and participant observation, the research explores the participation of indigenous female leaders who, even if their strategies have favored working within the indigenous movement’s wider agenda, are also contesting forms of gender, ethnic, and class inequality they find in their own organizations and beyond. Thus, the research highlights the challenges they face, the strategies they resort to, and the possibilities of articulating a differentiated agenda that reflect their particular interests.

<p> <b>BACKGROUND: </b> Though significant gains have been made in preventing cervical cancer over the past 30 years, it continues to cause morbidity and mortality among women in the United States, particularly among those women who are screened infrequently or not at all. More than half of cervical cancer deaths in the U.S. are among immigrants, and the incidence and mortality from cervical cancer is increasing among foreign-born women. Arab and Hispanic women living in the U.S. continue to have cervical cancer screening rates that are lower than the general population. Understanding what factors influence their cervical cancer screening practices and what new screening options may overcome their barriers to preventive screening may be effective in reducing disparities in the disease burden of cervical cancer. </p><p> HPV DNA testing has taken on a larger role in cervical cancer screening, and there is increasing evidence and support for the use of HPV testing alone as a primary cervical cancer screening test. Novel health screening devices have been developed that allow women to self-screen for HPV, which may offer opportunity to simplify the cervical cancer screening protocol and reach women who are not receiving recommended cervical cancer screening services. </p><p> <b>OBJECTIVE: </b>Because self-administered screening devices are not yet available and most women have not had exposure to them, there are limited quantitative and qualitative assessments of women's attitudes towards and likelihood to use such devices, particularly in the U.S. This study informs the development of culturally appropriate interventions and policies intended to improve cervical cancer screening rates among Arab and Hispanic women in the United States, and discusses implementation challenges and policy implications associated with incorporating self-administered HPV testing into the cervical cancer screening protocol in the U.S. </p><p> <b>METHODS:</b> A paper-based survey (n = 476) and individual interviews (n = 31) were used to explore Arab and Hispanic participants' screening behaviors, their likelihood to use HPV self-administered tests to screen for cervical cancer, their perceived self-efficacy in using self-screening tests, and the major concerns they have about self-screening. </p><p> <b>RESULTS:</b> Participants who were 1) uninsured, 2) knowledgeable about HPV and cervical cancer, 3) had high self-efficacy in their ability to use a self-screening test; and 4) had no concerns about the self-screening test were significantly more likely to use a self-screening test. Hispanic participants (74.0%) were significantly more likely than Arab participants (43.8%) to report they would be likely to use a self-administered cervical cancer screening test if it were available. Approximately half of uninsured (52.7%) and underscreened (47.1%) participants reported they would be more likely to get screened for cervical cancer if an at-home self-screening test were available. </p><p> <b>CONCLUSIONS:</b> A majority of participants responded positively to the option for HPV self-testing as a cervical cancer screening option, suggesting that it may an effective screening modality to reach women who are not accessing routine screening. More research is needed on implementing a self-screening option, particularly among underscreened populations.</p>

In Latin America, violence inside and outside of soccer stadiums has generated negative publicity and has given the sport a negative image. This violence is often premeditated and carried out by the barrabravas, organized groups of radical fans who have strong senses of identity and attachment to their soccer club. Members of these groups are mainly young men from lower socio-economic backgrounds who have found themselves to be marginalized by society. Moreover, these groups are usually employed by club officials, and even have connections with politicians and political parties. This thesis will closely examine this issue, performing case studies of specific barrabravas, as well as providing characteristics that distinguish this model of radical fan support from the Hooligans of England. The final chapter of this thesis will shift focus from the barrabravas of countries such as Argentina, Columbia, and Chile, to the torcidas organizadas of Brazil. An investigation as to the security measures taken by Brazil and FIFA will be performed, especially as the 2014 FIFA World Cup quickly approaches. Ultimately, this thesis will demonstrate that the issue of the barrabravas reflects the systemic issue of corruption that permeates in Latin American society and government. Without true reform of the system, this issue is likely to continue.

In the three decades surrounding the Spanish-American war (1880-1910), three prominent Puerto Rican artists, Francisco Oller (1833-1917), Manuel E. Jordan (1853-1919), and Ramón Frade (1875-1954) created a group of paintings depicting "el jíbaro," the rural Puerto Rican farm worker, in a way that can be appropriately labeled "nationalistic." Using a set of motifs involving clothes, customs, domestic architecture and agricultural practices unique to rural Puerto Rico, they contributed to the imagination of a communal identity for creoles at the turn of the century. ("Creole" here refers to individuals of Spanish heritage, born on the island of Puerto Rico.) This set of shared symbols provided a visual dimension to the aspirational nationalism that had been growing within the creole community since the mid- 1800s. This creollismo mythified the agrarian laborer as a prototypical icon of Puerto Rican identity. By identifying themselves as jíbaros, Puerto Rican creoles used jíbaro self-fashioning as a way to define their community as unique vis a vis the colonial metropolis (first Spain, later the United States). In this thesis, I will examine works by Oller, Jordan and Frade which employ jíbaro motifs to engage this creollismo. They do so by painting the jíbaro himself, his culture and surroundings, the fields in which he worked, and the bohío hut which was his home. Together, these paintings form a body of jíbaro imagery which I will contextualize, taking into account both the historical circumstances of jíbaro life, as well as the ways in which signifiers of jibarismo began to gain resonance amongst creoles who did not strictly belong to the jíbaro class. The resulting study demonstrates the importance of the mythified jíbaro figure to the project of imagining Puerto Rican creole society as a nation, and the extent to which visual culture participated in this creative process.