SUMMER RESEARCH REPORTS

Summer 2005 Research Grants Offer Fieldwork Experience

Ten students received grants from the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University to conduct field research in the summer of 2005. Students traveled to Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay and Nicaragua to delve into areas of study first hand. They received $23,800 in grants to provide for their lodging and travel expenses. The bulk of these funds came from a grant from the Tinker Foundation, and another portion was provided by CLAS' Venezuela Program. The projects varied in scope and interest. The experiences abroad provided the students with research practice as well as data, questions and a greater understanding for future projects and fields of study.

Tarik Perkins focused his research on the effectiveness of micro-loans in Brazil as a means of economic development and centered his research within the city of Salvador. His thesis was is examine the "dynamics of this interaction between the helper and those in need of help…" as being "crucial to determining whether a project that is geared toward social benefit will be successful or not." He contacted specific families and companies that utilized micro-credit as well as inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations that sponsored small loans. He traveled to Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paolo and Buenos Aires. His field work will be used as preliminary data for his master's thesis.

Andrés Felipe Villamizar directed his fieldwork towards an examination of the state of democracy in Venezuela and the effects of the 1999 Constitution on increased participation. The new constitution had abolished mandatory voting, as required under the 1961 Constitution. Andrés looked at electoral data and noticed a pattern of a lack of developed political parties, as well as high participation during major national elections but low turn-out during municipal contests. He is interested in the effectiveness of the new social state established by the recent constitution and how that affects political attitudes and activity.

Lorena Buzon Perez traveled to Argentina to examine the budgetary process. She is interested in how laws, regulations and institutions shape the preferences, choices and strategies of actors involved in budget negotiations. Her initial questions arose from observations in the United States and Mexico, where there are also powerful executive branches along with bicameral legislatures. Whereas in the US the effectiveness of the President's budget plan is dependent on their majority in Congress and in Mexico the president is much more restrained, Lorena saw how the constitutional changes of 1994 grant the Argentine executive much more power and influence in drafting and passing a budget.

Agustina González-Nunez also traveled to Argentina, but to examine the role of female physicians and their influence on the formation of public policy and attitudes in the early twentieth century. Argentine women played an influential role in the development of health policy and shaped ideologies concerning a healthy citizen and nation, yet their contributions are often overlooked. Little research has been done concerning the role of female physicians in Latin American history. Agustina researched in Argentina and the United States and read medical journals, personal archives of the doctors as well as their dissertations. She noticed that the gender of the academic advisor often influenced the topic of research of dissertations. She contacted the family of the Elvira Rawson de Dellepiane, who served as an influential physician in many ministries along with being director of the Consejo Nacional de la Mujer from 1909-1917. The family agreed to grant Agustina access to Dellepiane's private papers.

Deneyse Kirkpatrick went to Montevideo to examine education policy concerning Uruguayans of African descent. She was in contact with individuals at the major universities and at Mundo Afro, an organization that advocates on behalf of Afro-Uruguayans. She attended conferences and workshops. She noticed that a major issue for Afro-Uruguayan students was self-esteem. Mundo Afro works to improve self-esteem amongst children through lobbying for changes in education policy to present those of African heritage in a more positive manner in lessons and books. There are few organizations this issue is often ignored.

Angela Weldt researched the role of the feminist organization and action within the Argentine suffrage movement. She traveled to Buenos Aires to examine documents at the National Library, National Archives and National History Academy. The Argentine suffrage movement gained momentum in the early twentieth century as women called for greater political participation, yet the right to vote was not granted until 1947. It is unique in that many in the feminist movement opposed the right to vote as given under the rule of President Juan Perón. Angela is interested in analyzing the reactions and actions of the Argentine feminist leaders to the "victory" of the right to vote. She ultimately hopes to determine whether the leaders were driven by ideological or class differences to oppose Perón's actions.

Megan Morrissey focused her research on urban planning and the development of Ciudad Guayana in Venezuela. The city has grown tremendously in recent years and its growth exemplifies societal and class divisions. The Western part of the city was partially built by foreign corporations and is the more affluent district. The Eastern areas of the city are more populous and have grown almost independent of any state action. Megan traveled to Boston to examine an urban planning study and recommendations for Ciudad Guayana compiled in the 1960s. In Venezuela she looked at planning records as well as interviewed citizens of different classes to gage their experiences and attitudes concerning the growth of the city.

Naomi Lee Parker looked at the role of the female body in the context of political struggle in Venezuela. The hypothesis focuses on the central idea that two-thirds of Venezuelan women say they "think about what they look like all the time" according to an international marketing survey, that Venezuela has won four Miss Universe competitions and that 70% of Venezuelans come from poor families. Lee examined how women of different classes feel about appearance, clothing, natural beauty and plastic surgery. In Venezuela today, within the new Bolivarian state under the rule of Hugo Chávez, many talk of growing social stratification and division. Parker notes that attitudes of women toward beauty seem to reinforce and foment class differences, as opposed to increasing tension and trying to challenge the social hierarchy.

Patrick Scallen traveled to Managua, Nicaragua to look at recent urban renewal. He traveled with a hypothesis that the political leaders and the economic elite of the city in the 1990s had sought to transform the old Managua into a cosmopolitan Western city. He discovered that many of the major projects were carried out by foreign companies and their party actors. He found that even though local officials were not responsible for the outward sprawl of the city, the transformation of public spaces into private ones and increased segregation, they were unable to implement their own urban plan. Instead, they followed the actions of whichever developer wished to build.

Carolina Covarrubias will travel to Bolivia and Peru in early December in order to study education structures, policies, and perspectives in the Lake Titicaca region on the local and national level. Carolina plans to travel within the region to locations including Ancoraimes, Copacabana, Sicuani, Yunguyo and Puno, where she intends to interview teachers in the region and visit school sites, and document her research and travels through photographs.

The ten students who received grants all had positive research experiences. They were able to gain fieldwork experience as well as prove and challenge their opinions and hypotheses. They obtained useful data and information for further research.

2001 Article & Individual Reports
2002 Article & Individual Reports
2003 Article & Individual Reports
2004 Article & Individual Reports