Master of Arts, Miami University, 2007, Geography

In Sub-Saharan Africa, food production is declining and many people are malnourished. My study asks: (1) what are women doing to meet their household food needs; and (2) how do they perceive opportunities and challenges towards achieving food security. I worked with two women's groups in a semiarid region that is at risk because of low incomes and agricultural potential. Activity schedules and seasonal calendars show how these women rely equally on their farms and purchases. They photographed enterprises that provide food for their homes and small incomes. Venn diagrams show how the role of outside institutions increases during “bad years” but the women emphasize that their security cannot rely on this support. Food security agencies need to focus on women's triple role by working with women's groups to increase the production of crops that can also be sold, and to plan for the distribution of food aid.

Committee: Kimberly Medley (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 0, Anthropology

This dissertation explores the nuanced perceptions of success amidst a backdrop of increasing transnational migration in rural Nepal. It seeks to juxtapose local conceptions of success against the experiences of non-migrants and transnational migrant returnees from traditionally agricultural households. This research utilized eleven months of ethnographic fieldwork and was conducted over two phases. Phase one uses purposive sampling methods to obtain emic definitions of success while phase two uses network sampling methods to explore how livelihood capitals are accumulated and mobilized within returning migrant and non-migrant networks. Findings suggest that within these communities, success is not merely quantified by financial accumulation or material possessions, but deeply entrenched in the ability to navigate life's adversities with resilience and hard work, coupled with a strong emphasis on health, happiness, and community contribution. These communities challenge the idea of the culture of the migration, revealing that the impetus for migration stems not from a cultural dismissal of agrarian life but rather from the compelling necessity dictated by the dearth of viable opportunities within Nepal. Additionally, governmental stance appears to be skewed towards promoting labor export over fostering domestic opportunities or facilitating the smooth reintegration of migrant returnees. Contrary to state-led strategies, the findings underscore the critical influence of diverse networks in mediating connections between individuals and their agrarian heritage, whilst concurrently paving pathways to future possibilities, essential resources, and employment avenues, both within Nepal and transnationally.

Committee: Lee Hoffer (Advisor); James Spilsbury (Committee Chair); Lawrence Greksa (Committee Chair); Lihong Shi (Committee Chair) Subjects: Cultural Anthropology

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2015, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

The subject of climate change and adaptation strategies in sub-Saharan Africa is at the forefront of the conversation of poverty and its close link to environmental degradation. Climate experts argue that poverty and natural resource based livelihoods coupled with the low adaptive capacities of those living in sub-Saharan Africa make the region one of the most vulnerable to environmental disruptions associated with climate change. Sub-Saharan African women are viewed as the most vulnerable to climate change because their daily reproductive responsibilities rely heavily on a changing physical environment. Current research into climate change and sub-Saharan African women has prioritized women's short-term vulnerabilities and has, therefore, failed to explore the role of women's agency in long-term livelihood adaptive strategies. This thesis will use a hybrid of feminist political ecology framework and emotional geographies to identify the manifestation of women's emotional agency in climate change livelihood adaptation strategies. This thesis will highlight research gathered as part of a case study of Maasai women in Kirya sub-village of Northern Tanzania. Semi-structured interviews with the Maasai women of Kirya sub-village were used as the primary method of data collection. In Kirya sub-village the women's adoption of irrigated farming practices, creation of their own small business, and the working of paid laborers to neighboring farms were the predominant methods of livelihood adaptation strategies. Emotional agency can be clearly identified throughout women's participation in livelihood adaptation strategies. Emotions act as key motivators in navigation of space. Women in Kirya sub-village found motivation in the anger they experienced related to their inability to meet their reproductive responsibilities. This emotional agency ultimately manifested itself through women's participation in livelihood adaptation strategies, as they are able to mobilize their a (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Edna Wangui PhD (Advisor); Risa Whitson PhD (Committee Member); Tom Smucker PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Gender Studies; Geography