Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Honduran Americans'

PRODUCTO CENTRO AMERICANO: MADE IN HONDURAS By Alma Leiva Master of Fine Arts A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2011. Thesis Director: Robert Paris, Professor Kinetic Imaging / Photography and Film I was born in 1973 in Honduras, a country under military regime. In 1982 after 20 years of military rule, Honduras finally had democratic elections. During that decade, and as a consequence of the cold war, the kidnapping, torturing, murder and disappearance of civilians became common practices among the Honduran military. Peasant activists, university leaders, union workers and intellectuals were among its favorite targets. In Producto Centroamericano: Made in Honduras I present the viewer with a "product" entrenched in Honduran history; the disappearance of almost two hundred civilians in the 1980's for political reasons. The work also presents the viewer with the imminent threat of the return of this practice after its military coup in 2009. By juxtaposing references of torturing tools such as knives, metal poles, chains and meat hooks, against more frail materials such as paper, wax and fabric, I make allusions to the vulnerability of the individual against such repressive forces. Through the elements presented in the installation, I try to take the viewer on a journey that will hopefully, confront one with one’s own humanity and ultimately with one’s own mortality.

Thesis (M.S.)--Central Connecticut State University, 1998.
Thesis advisor: Al Richard. " ... in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in International Studies." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-120).

The period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War, and its legacy, have been the subjects of long debate among historians. Scholars, though, have yet to fully explore important connections between American Reconstruction, the New South that followed, and the period of U.S. imperialism in Central America in the late nineteenth century. The storied career of Major Edward Austin Burke—a Kentucky-born Louisiana Democrat who went on to become a proponent of expansionism and imperialism in Honduras—illuminates the transnational implications of Reconstruction and its aftermath. Through careful examination of personal papers, news accounts, promotional materials, Congressional testimonies and other government records, this thesis finds the roots of Burke’s involvement in Central America in postbellum New Orleans. It demonstrates the importance of participation in Reconstruction and New South politics to the long political career of one of the most prominent U.S. imperialists in Central America in the late nineteenth century.

The present study examines the spatial relationship between archaeological sites on the island of Roatán, Honduras and their topographical and biophysical location, as well as how these relationships are and continue to be impacted by the island's current socioeconomic context. Despite several studies and explorations conducted on the island's history, archaeology, and geography since the early twentieth century, little is known of its place and role within the larger cultural and socioeconomic spheres of interaction in this region: Mesoamerica and the Intermediate Area. Previous archaeological research has shown that hilltops on Roatán were chosen in prehispanic times for the location of the largest and most prominent sites, and several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the unique location of these sites. Despite the island's potential for addressing questions regarding the culture and history of this poorly understood region of Honduras, Roatán's status as Honduras' top tourist destination has resulted in the altering of its landscape in irreversible ways, including the destruction of archaeological sites. Given this unique situation, site preservation and the study of settlement patterns on Roatán are intricately related, and they both need to be carried out simultaneously if research into the past of this island is to continue, since without immediate site preservation what little we can learn on prehispanic settlement patterns might be lost. Using data compiled from previous archaeological research on Roatán, as well as data acquired through pedestrian survey carried out during the 2009 season of the University of South Florida (USF)'s Project Roatán, I have developed a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) geodatabase in order to provide a broader perspective on both prehispanic and modern settlement patterns. An analysis of site locations with regards to their topography shows that the majority of sites recorded on Roatán are in fact located on hilltops, an observation which, when complemented with other archaeological and ethnohistoric data from northeast Honduras, suggests a possible ritual importance of these spaces. An analysis of current settlement and urban growth patterns shows the degree to which development has encroached upon previously untouched areas of the island, which has impacted an increasing number of archaeological sites. I analyze the various factors and agents that have resulted in this situation, and highlight the need to carry out archaeological research that has heritage management and site preservation as one of its core priorities. These efforts must address the various components that define the management of archaeological heritage in Roatán and Honduras, including local socioeconomic context, national and international policy and law, as well as the various stakeholders with vested interests in cultural heritage. Due to the lack of adequate structures for managing and preserving archaeological resources on Roatán, I argue that approaches such as community participation and increased engagement from the part of researchers outside of Honduras' heritage management sphere are adequate and realistic short-term solutions to the pressing issue of protecting archaeological sites constantly in danger of being affected or destroyed.

Project Roatán was initiated in 2008 as a collaboration between the University of South Florida (USF) and the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History (IHAH) to investigate the prehistory of the island of Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras. Based on data from the 2009 field season of Project Roatán, this study examines the ways in which native islanders of the Postclassic period (A.D. 900-1500) expressed their social identity and cultural affiliations with contemporaneous groups on northeastern mainland Honduras through their ceramic traditions. These initial investigations serve to evaluate the relationship between islanders and mainland groups and any major differences in terms of their status or occupation, islanders' ties into regional trading systems, and the primary function of sites on the island. Although the materials presented demonstrate a strong tie to the indigenous groups of the mainland, which were most likely ancestors of present-day Pech populations, a significant difference is apparent in the types and quantities of exotic materials present on the island, as compared to those found on the mainland. Published accounts and reports from previous expeditions to the island are examined to support this trend. It is argued that models of political economy are best suited to address the heightened importance of social relationships within economic interactions of the indigenous Bay Islanders. The practice of creating an inclusive group identity, deemed the corporate strategy of power, was employed by elites in the region with the aim of maintaining the status-quo. Extreme exploitation and the accumulation of resources were not necessarily central goals in an environmentally self-sustaining region, and the practice appears to have contributed ultimately to long-term cultural stability in the region. Drawing from external connections, indigenous populations of this region appropriated symbols and designs in an emblemic manner to express a common identity and reinforce a cultural practice of inclusiveness. Within this setting, the data indicate that the island of Roatán likely either represented a special physical location for the northeastern region - in terms of access to outside trade networks and resources, or perhaps in terms of spiritual or ideological significance -or was inhabited by group of individuals that enjoyed privileges not shared by those on the mainland. A combination of emblemic style and corporate strategy is presented as a possible explanation for standardization within the ceramic assemblage of the island in the absence of mass production. Lastly, the results of the study are used to critique the ways in which archaeological data have been exploited within the heritage tourism industry to represent past inhabitants of the island and commoditize identity. The future of tourism and issues of representation on the island are also considered in light of recent political disruption.

Florida is ranked as one of the United States' top three destination states for human trafficking; many of those victims originate from Mesoamerica--Southern Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Human trafficking is a growing problem which hinders universal human rights for hundreds of new victims in Florida every year. Mesoamericans have a high risk of becoming victims due to the situations in their home countries. The issue of human trafficking has only recently gained the national and state attention of law makers and law enforcement officers. This study uses several human trafficking cases to educate and exemplify why Mesoamerican victims are selected and how human trafficking takes place in Florida. The results of this study demonstrate that traffickers use their knowledge of victims and victims' societies to lure and then enslave them into sex and labor trafficking. This research uses criminal cases to illustrate the conditions of the enslavement of human trafficking victims, the methods used by the traffickers, and the culmination of the court cases for both victims and perpetrators. Furthermore, it provides points of discussion to initiate future research and to guide legislature and law enforcement in methods to end this barrier to universal human rights.

An estimated one in five Hondurans live outside of Honduras, and 25% of the Honduran GDP is measured in remittances from migrants living abroad. This means that all Hondurans are implicated in international migration. Utilizing qualitative interviews with Honduran migrants and their families in the context of modern Honduran society, this thesis focuses on the ways in which international immigration structures impact the lives of Hondurans. Over the past two decades, the reasons and mechanisms of migration have changed dramatically and have become increasingly dangerous due to US and Mexican immigration policy. This thesis explores the experience of migrants and their families by focusing on deportees, migrants who are injured in the journey, and those who disappear en route. I conclude that structural violence intersects every aspect of Honduran migration, from the construction of push and pull factors motivating migration to the implications of natural, legal, and structural barriers.

CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO
Honduras e El Salvador, desde a época de suas independências, em 1821, têm uma relação bastante conflituosa. Após várias tentativas de resolução pacífica de suas disputas fronteiriças, alguns fatores demográficos, políticos e sócioeconômicos são agregados à natureza da relação desses dois Estados e dão origem, em julho de 1969, a um confronto armado conhecido por - Guerra do Futebol - ou - Guerra das Cem Horas -.A resolução imediata, ou administração, da Guerra do Futebol foi realizada pela Organização dos Estados Americanos (OEA), através da atuação coordenada de quatro de seus órgãos: a Comissão Interamericana de Direitos Humanos, o Conselho Permanente, o Secretário Geral e a Reunião de Consulta dos Ministros das Relações Exteriores. A principal contribuição do presente trabalho, trazida à tona através da análise da ação coletiva da OEA no caso em estudo, permite concluir que esta organização exerceu três importantes papéis, que contribuíram para a resolução imediata da Guerra do Futebol, a saber: (i) ator autônomo; (ii) modificador do comportamento do Estado; e (iii) arena/espaço de discussão. Ademais, trata-se de um conflito que não conta com a participação, direta ou indireta, do membro mais poderoso da OEA, o que configura uma exceção à política intervencionista norteamericana para a América Latina na década de 1960.
Honduras and El Salvador, since their independences in 1821, have a conflicting relationship. After countless attempts to achieve a peaceful resolution in their frontier disputes, new factors - demographic, political and socioeconomical - are added to the nature of the relationship between these two states and would give rise, in July 1969, to a armed conflict known as - Soccer War - or Hundred-years War -. The immediate resolution of the Soccer War was accomplished by the Organization of the American States (OAS), through a coordinated action of four of its main bodies, that is, of the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, the Permanent Council, the Secretary-General and the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.The main contribution of this study, brought up through the analysis of the OAS collective action in this case, leads to the conclusion that this organization has played three main roles, which have largely contributed to the immediate resolution of the Soccer War, namely (i) autonomous actor; (ii) modifier of state behavior; and (iii) forum/space for dialogue. Moreover, it is worth noting that the most powerful member of the OAS has not participated, nor direct or indirect, to the achievement of the immediate resolution of this conflict, which can be considered as an exception to the North-American interventionist politics towards Latin America in the 1960s.

Water is an essential resource for human life. Even in the tropical environment of the Maya Lowlands, water scarcity is a concern, because the region cycles between abundant rainfall and seasonal droughts. To understand how societies flourished during periods of water scarcity, archaeologists have studied prehispanic water management in the Maya Lowlands. Yet, water management research has tended to focus predominantly on large urban Maya populations, excluding smaller-scale societies that face the same challenges associated with water scarcity. This study investigates the neighboring non-Maya society of Late Classic (A.D.650-900) Palmarejo in northwestern Honduras to explore how water management was organized in a rural setting. Utilizing GIS, soil science, and archaeological investigations, this study explores how Palmarejo's residents may have collected and stored water for certain sectors of the population. This investigation suggests that the elite may have legitimized their rights over water using monumental architecture and site planning.

This study investigated leadership emergence and growth from the perspective of a purposeful criterion sample of Evangelical pastors in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Their description of their stories regarding how they emerged as leaders and how they grew as leaders was the primary source of data acquired through semi-structured interviews.

There is a need for greater clarify regarding the processes by which a person emerges and comes to embody the virtues and attributes needed for leadership. Leadership is culturally contingent, but there is a lack of specificity in understanding how the Latin American culture influences leadership emergence and growth.

Three research questions guided this study: (1) How do Evangelical pastors describe how they emerged as leaders?; (2) How do Evangelical pastors describe how they grew as leaders?; (3) What Latin American cultural elements can be observed in the Evangelical pastors' descriptions of how they emerged and grew as leaders?

The literature discussed caudillismo, a prototype of leadership in Latin America, which includes elements of high-power distance, machismo, and paternalism.

Using snowball sampling, twenty-five pastors were chosen and the interview data revealed twelve processes by which these pastors emerged as leaders. For instance, the accompaniment of others was key as was having firsthand experiences in ministry, which moved them to compassionate, on-going action. They emerged because someone saw something in them, named it and opened up spaces (opportunities) for "acts of leadership." Contrary to expectations, training played almost no role in emergence but did in leadership growth.

Seven processes were identified that promoted their growth, like being self-taught, sharing interdenominationally, and keeping an open mind. Six cultural dimensions were observed as having a direct influence (both positive and negative) on leadership emergence and growth: (1) High tolerance for uncertainty; (2) Diffuse culture; (3) Image of limited good; (4) Caudillismo; (5) Ascribed status; (6) Self-effacing (modesty).

This study meets the need for academic inquiry on leadership in Latin America, in Spanish, in the hope that it stimulates Latin Americans to analyze their own leadership, and informs expatriates who serve Latin Americans how to better participate with God in helping leaders emerge and grow.

This study seeks to understand how short-term medical missions fulfill health needs for their recipients in Honduras, and how in turn, mission participants experience need fulfillment as well. By using the theoretical concept of co-construction of health to see how health needs are or are not met, I conducted a thematic analysis of the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI) resulting in the following themes: 1.) Mission workers receive fulfillment from their experiences in the mission field. 2.) Mission recipients receive partial fulfillment of needs from the mission. 3). Through a calling, missions are a means to an end. Through these themes, this projects examines ethical stances on missions, communication about health in mission contexts, and whose needs are met, privileged, and silenced.

Youth gangs, so-called Maras, in Central America have for a long time been one of the major factors contributing to the great amount of organized crime and violence in the Central American countries. The citizens in this region are exposed to violence and other crimes from the gangs on a daily basis. The vast amount of teens joining but also being forced to join the gangs is due to the high levels of poverty in the countries. Becoming a member in a gang is often seen as the only option to make a living. The study focuses on three countries in Central America: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. The reason why the author chose these three countries is because they are the ones with the highest youth gang activity in the region as well as the ones who have faced and still are facing high levels of violence and corruption. They have all faced political, economic, and social challenges after civil wars and increasing drug trafficking in the region. The method used in the study is qualitative through an analysis of secondary sources on young women in youth gangs. The material is analyzed from a gender perspective and also power and social control theory. The maras mainly recruit teen boys, but also young girls and women. Teen girls are in some cases forced to join the gangs but many times they join the gangs as self- protection from other local maras. The young girls are used for different tasks and duties while in the gang, but also face abuse by being taken advantage of in a male dominated environment. The essay focuses on the role of young women in gangs. The research questions are: why the young girls join the gangs? What are their roles in the gangs? Are their roles differentiate to the mens?  It is important to observe how the youth gangs function, reflect the patriarchal structures of society in general which has created differences between the sexes where males are seen as superior to females, which also is evident in criminal youth gangs. The essay shows that the main reasons why young women join gangs are because they are looking for a safe environment due to lacking support and safety at home. The young women’s roles in the gang differentiate from the men in the way that they are assigned tasks according to traditional gender roles where the women are expected to do domestic tasks and excluded from some of the gang activities because of their gender.

Since the 1800's, technological advances have extended the foundation on which telemedicine could build. With its evolution, telemedicine has proven to be a means of offering effective health care interventions, from a multitude of disciplines. Teledermatology, a specialty application of telemedicine, offers great potential in improving the standard of dermatologic care by bridging the gap between the expert opinion of dermatologists and those without access to basic dermatologic care, particularly in developing nations, where skin disease continues to be a major public health problem. In Honduras, the setting for this study, and other developing nations, technology to support telemedicine is available. Dermatologic disease is among the most common disease presentations in the developing world, which left untreated due to a lack of access to adequate medical care, can progress causing increased morbidity or even death. A potential but untested solution is teledermatology. Teledermatology offers great potential in improving the standard of dermatologic care by bridging the gap between the expert opinion of dermatologists and those without access to basic dermatologic care. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and types of dermatologic conditions and the feasibility of a store-and-forward teledermatology system in an underserved area of Honduras, so as to potentially provide more timely diagnosis and treatment, implementation of preventative measures, and offer long term solutions.so as The justification and significance of this study was the potential of store-and-forward teledermatology to improve the standard of dermatologic care by improving access of populations in underserved areas to dermatology specialists through affordable technology. The methodology of this study was primarily case study descriptive. This study was conducted at a public primary care clinic (JMA Clinic) and satellite sites in underserved areas of Francisco Morazán, Honduras. During a four week period in Spring 2011, patients with dermatologic conditions were examined and photos taken of condition. The patient information was sent to 3 U.S. board certified dermatologists, who provided diagnosis and treatment within 24 hours, which allowed the clinic physician sufficient time to review recommendations before patient follow-up. Patients would receive follow-up within 48 hours of initial visit. Diagnostic agreement, image quality, and user satisfaction were evaluated. IRB forms were submitted and clearance given. The data was analyzed with SPSS using descriptive statistics. The primary findings were the types of dermatologic conditions, interobserver agreement, image quality, and patient and physician satisfaction. The findings of this study substantiate the need for dermatologic care, as approximately 1 out of every 5 patients of the JMA Clinic presented with a dermatologic condition. The majority of these patients were children or women in their late 20s and early 30s; many of whom had their condition for more than a year and most had not received prior therapy. The types of dermatologic conditions observed were typical of that seen at a dermatology clinic in the U.S., yet inclusive of tropical and regional differences. Dermatitis, infectious and pigmentary conditions were the most common presentations. The interobserver diagnostic agreement achieved was 78%, and improved when considering differential diagnoses. Image quality received high ratings. Patients and physicians recorded a high level of overall satisfaction. Physicians indicated improved knowledge of teledermatology. Because of the unique environment and circumstances, the results are limited to the setting in which the study occurs. This project was a pilot study limited to 4 weeks of data collection and will be limited in significance by its duration and small sample size with respect to the conclusions that can be drawn about the prevalence and types of dermatologic conditions. This study illustrates that teledermatology is a viable means of providing dermatologic care to those in an underserved area of Honduras, where a lack of or limited access to general healthcare or specialty dermatologic care exists. The data offers insights to draw conclusions and recommendations on the potential for similar models to be implemented in underserved areas throughout Honduras and other similar regions.
Ph. D.

The Xicaque, a people of colonial Honduras, confronted Spanish settlers who sought their acculturation through diverse strategies. When Spanish settlers implemented policies such as entrada, reducción or misión, the Xicaque or Xicaque capitanes responded with dissidence and flight. Despite the foundation of a few misiones the Xicaque progressively became avoidant of the Spanish settlers who continued to seek their change by Spanish policy, at the Spanish misiones or at their homelands. This aversion became more pronounced in 1751 when a smallpox epidemic decimated the Xicaque populations at the misiones. Aside from this general distrust that existed between the Spanish and the Xicaque, the Xicaque did engage in trade outside of the previously discussed channels made by Spanish policy. Yet, the overarching pattern of avoidance would characterize Xicaque/Spanish interaction until 1821. Unlike previous scholarship, this study of the Xicaque ethnohistory offers the most complete description of Xicaque culture during the colonial period. Furthermore, it analyzes interaction between the Xicaque and the Spanish since the inception of contact, circa 1676, towards 1821. The broadest range of contact between the Xicaque and the Spanish studied to date.

The five countries that lie on the isthmus connecting North and South America have endured a past of colonialism, civil war, and natural disaster. As these countries evolve in the 21st century, growing economies and political peace provide a promising outlook for the citizens of these nations. The media industries in these nations have varying levels of development which are explored in this thesis. Using Michael Porter's 1990 framework and a case study methodology, this thesis explores the differences and similarities of media industries in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and what may be done to ensure future success in an increasingly global world.

I address the problem of the lack of academic attention to evidentiary issues in Honduras in comparison to Common Law Countries. I feel that Honduran law students need to be taught a working scheme to deal with issues of admissibility and weight of evidence in order to achieve the rational determination of facts.
Moreover, I draw such a scheme from the conceptual basis for admission of evidence and the probative processes identified by Wigmore. I think that if this scheme were applied to trial records, academicians would identify problems in the admission and weight of evidence and would develop approaches to make reason and justice prevail.
The scheme is presented in the form of a chart and because it is adapted to the Honduran context I consider that it will have a positive effect on academic research, theorization and teaching of issues of admission and weight of evidence in Honduras.

The world desperately seeks alternative fuels to eradicate its reliance upon unsustainable oil extraction; however, emerging biofuel technology is contingent on a more precious natural resource: water. Essential in all stages of biofuel production, including growing, processing, and refining oil feedstocks, water still represents a vital necessity for the surrounding population. This research assesses the immediate and long-term impacts of the expanding palm oil biodiesel industry on local water availability and privatized water management in San Pedro Sula, Honduras and the surrounding Sula Valley. Analyzing regional changes in water accessibility and quality caused by the palm oil commerce, the report also explores the reasons behind the impending water scarcity in San Pedo Sula. Finally, the study examines the potential consequences of these transforming water realities on future water provision as well as possible service adaptations required of the privatized company.

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The starting point of this work is to study the development of the caricature as an artistic expression in the local newspapers of the time, making an analysis of the discourse implicit in these cartoons. In a discussion about the importance that this had in the country between the 1960s and 1980s, an attempt will be made to interpret the socio-political context in which the cartoons were created, directly studying what happened in this period of history of the nation, highlighting the role played by the caricature as an element of criticism.
El punto de partida de este trabajo es estudiar el desenvolvimiento de la caricatura como manifestcion artística en los periódicos locales de la epoca, haciendo un análisis del discurso implícito en esas caricaturas. En una discusión sobre la importancia que ésta tuvo en el pais entre las décadas de 1960 y 1980, se hará un intento por interpretar el contexto sócio/político en el que fueron creadas las caricaturas, estudiando directamente lo que aconteció en este período de la historia de la nación, destacando el papel que tuvo la caricatura como elemento de crítica.
Personal, FJMD, Honduras

Context: Literature suggests that prenatal care and prenatal supplement use improves pregnancy outcomes. However, we do not know the factors associated with prenatal care and supplement use in Honduras.Objective: To identify characteristics of Honduran women who are the least and most likely to use prenatal care and supplements.Methods: Data from a 2001 Honduras cross-sectional survey of women was used to assess their use of prenatal care and supplements. All data was weighted, resulting in a sample size of n = 5647 women who had a live birth since January 1996. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to examine factors associated with prenatal care and supplement use.Results: Current education level was highly positively related to prenatal care and supplement use. Women who were 35 years or older at the time of their most recent birth, currently unmarried, of non-Catholic religious affiliation, and of low SES were significantly less likely to have used prenatal care and supplements. Women who reported the intentionality of their most recent birth as unwanted also were significantly less likely to have used prenatal care and supplements. Prenatal care was the most significant determinant of prenatal supplement use.Conclusion: There are significant differences between Honduran women who use prenatal care and supplements and women who do not. Efforts to increase prenatal health services among underserved women, especially women who are older, unmarried, with no formal education, of low SES, of a non-Catholic religious affiliation, and at risk for an unwanted pregnancy, may significantly improve pregnancy outcomes in Honduras.

This document outlines the foundation and first year results of the H.E.L.P. Honduras organization, which was formed as a student-based, student-governed international outreach initiative at the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University. Specifically, in its first year the organization focused on providing microcredit and service relief to victims of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras.After studying the case of H.E.L.P. Honduras, readers should conclude that educators interested in sponsoring sustainable student-run service learning organizations at private universities must address three primary issues: the problem of student selection and turnover, the need for administrative and faculty endorsement, and the need for sustainable internally-generated funds.This document outlines how the H.E.L.P. organization has changed in the three years since its inception, and it provides tactical suggestions meant to guide all parties interested in replicating the H.E.L.P. model. It also contains suggestions on how the current teaching and implementation model could more closely match with the basic tenets of service learning.After reading the following information and reviewing related literature, readers should conclude that at private universities, such as Brigham Young University, students and faculty interested in managing student-based initiatives need to take more time to build support across their institution. They also need to improve the process of student selection, find sustainable sources of funds, and tightly ground their work in the basic tenets of service learning.

Debido a la posición geográfica de Latinoamérica en comparación con Europa, Estados Unidos quiso concentrarse en el desarrollo económico de la región y creó nuevas políticas que ayudarían al crecimiento económico en Latinoamérica. Sin embargo, estas políticas tenían un segundo interés, el cual era prevenir la proliferación del socialismo en Centroamérica, ya que después de la Revolución Cubana, Estados Unidos sintió que era necesario evitar que los países vecinos llegaran a ser una amenaza para sus intereses en la región. No obstante, la intervención del gobierno estadounidense en Guatemala, El Salvador y Honduras se diluyó y los gobiernos nacionales se convirtieron en los nuevos protagonistas de la violación de los derechos civiles y humanos. A consecuencia de esto, surgieron grupos y líderes que decidieron luchar por una nación más justa. Es por esto que he elegido trabajar con textos de testimonio que nos ilustran algunas de las consecuencias de seguir políticas que favorecen a los más privilegiados, tales como también la austeridad, la violencia y la violación de los derechos humanos. Asimismo, pretendo analizar algunos cuentos cortos para ilustrar el sentir de algunos intelectuales en respecto a las condiciones sociopolíticas de sus respectivas naciones. Due to the geographical position of Latin America in comparison to Europe, the United States focused on the economic development of the region and created new policies to help the economic growth in Latin America. However, these policies had a second interest, which was to prevent the spread of socialism in Central America, since after the Cuban revolution, the United States felt it necessary to prevent neighboring countries from becoming a threat to the region. Nevertheless, the U.S. government intervention in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras was diluted and national governments became the new protagonists of the violation of civil and human rights. As a consequence, there were groups and leaders who decided to fight for a more just nation. This is why I have chosen to work with testimonials that illustrate some of the consequences of following policies that favor the privileged, such as austerity, violence and violation of human rights. I have also analyzed some short stories (fiction) to illustrate the feelings of intellectuals in regard to the socio-political conditions of their respective nations.

Background : Atrazine is an agricultural herbicide used extensively in corn production worldwide. Atrazine is an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to many other deleterious health outcomes. Exposure assessment studies have been carried out in Iowa among farm and non-farm populations. However, commercial pesticide applicators have been left out of those studies. Atrazine is also used in developing countries in grain production. In developing countries there is great concern about acute pesticide poisonings, but chronic exposure to less acutely toxic pesticides has not been studied extensively. This study assessed the in-home contamination of atrazine among commercial pesticide applicators in Iowa and then quantitatively analyzed these results with results from similar studies. Occupational inhalation exposure to atrazine was also assessed in Honduras. Methods : Dust samples were taken from 29 commercial pesticide applicator households in four different locations. This sampling was done once during the atrazine application season and again six months later during winter months to assess atrazine persistence. Occupational and household characteristics were analyzed for associations with atrazine dust levels. Data from two previous studies that analyzed farm and non-farm household dust samples for atrazine were combined with data from the commercial applicator's homes. This new and larger dataset was analyzed to identify which population has the greatest risk for take-home atrazine exposure and what determinants were associated with in-home atrazine dust levels. Lastly, corn production practices in Honduras were evaluated and personal air samples were taken from pesticide applicators during atrazine application to assess inhalation exposure. Results : The first study found that atrazine levels persist into the winter months in the homes of commercial applicators. Atrazine handling (days, pounds, and acres sprayed) were all positively associated with in-home atrazine levels. Commercial applicators that change their shoes inside had higher atrazine levels. More frequent floor cleaning was associated with lower atrazine levels. The second study identified commercial applicators' homes as the most contaminated compared with farmers who apply atrazine to their own land, farmers who hire out atrazine application, and non-farm homes. Farmers that apply their own atrazine also had significantly higher atrazine levels in their homes. The association between atrazine handling and household atrazine levels was highly significant in this study (p < 0.001). In Honduras, atrazine is applied to corn fields with tractor/boom equipment and manual backpack sprayers. Despite applying about one-fifteenth the amount of atrazine, backpack sprayers are exposed to nearly equal amounts of atrazine via inhalation exposure and likely have greater exposure via the dermal route. Among backpack sprayers, which type of spray nozzle used is associated with inhalation exposure. Among tractor/boom applicators, tractor drivers have much lower inhalation exposure than workers who operate and observe the boom. Conclusions : The amount of atrazine handled is the most important determinant for predicting in-home atrazine levels in Iowa. Ubiquitous atrazine contamination and its distribution within homes and among household type provide strong evidence for the take-home pathway. While some improvements have been made in Honduras regarding pesticide application, poor farm workers and small farmers still use antiquated pesticide application techniques which leads to a higher risk of inhalation and dermal exposure.

Plazas and patios were important spaces for expressing power and social identity in prehispanic Mesoamerica. However, plazas can be analytically problematic, because they were often kept clean of material debris. Previous geoarchaeological studies of anthropogenic soils and sediments have shown that specific activities leave characteristic chemical signatures on prepared earthen surfaces. The research presented here uses soil chemical residue analysis and excavation data to examine use patterns in the North Plaza of Palmarejo, Honduras during the Late Classic period. The goal is to determine whether the plaza was used for residential or ceremonial purposes. The chemical results indicate that activities in the northern half of the plaza were distinct from those that occurred in the southern half. These results, along with the artifact assemblage recovered from excavations, suggest ceremonial use. Additionally, this research compares various soil properties, including pH and organic matter, from the North Plaza to broaden our reach in prospecting for activity loci using soil chemistry. Recent studies tend to rely on spatial differences in elemental concentrations for identifying activity patterns in the archaeological record. However, other related soil properties sometimes correlate with chemical residues, especially phosphates. The research presented explores these interconnections with the greater goal of identifying the ways and extent to which various soil properties are linked in the formation and preservation of ancient activity loci. Results suggest that the deposition and adsorption of chemical residues in anthropogenic soils at Palmarejo are generally too variable to be accurately characterized by either pH or organic matter. Chemical elements may best reveal the use of the North Plaza in antiquity.

The agrarian conflict in the Aguán Valley of Honduras is among the most violent and distressing in contemporary Latin America. It has roots in both local and global political economic processes, including structural adjustment and the proliferation of neoliberal economic policies in the region. In particular, the Ley de Modernización y Desarrollo del Sector Agrícola, or Law of Modernization and Development of the Agricultural Sector, drastically altered the landscape in rural Honduras, both literally and figuratively. An analysis of this policy reveals much about the nature of the current conflict, as well as that of the campesino (small farmer) movements that have organized to regain their land. This thesis seeks to shed light on the interconnectedness of economic policy, political violence, and popular resistance in the Aguán Valley and to examine the ways in which campesino movements frame their struggles and assert themselves as legitimate actors in the policy realm.

This thesis presents the findings of an investigation of the spatial and temporal distribution of soil macrofauna at multiple scales within smallholder agriforestry fields in a remote, mountainous area of western Honduras. Since 1990, smallholder farmers in the study area have switched from traditional slash-and-burn agriculture to a form of slash-and-mulch agriforestry based on cultivating maize, beans and sorghum amongst dispersed trees. The principal objective was to examine the influence of the slash-and-mulch agricultural system on soil macrofauna abundance, biomass and community composition, and relate soil macrofauna distribution patterns to environmental variables. The initial stage of the research comprised transect-based sampling of soil macrofauna and biophysical variables in four common land uses of the study area. All four land uses (secondary forest, young milpa (agriforestry), mature milpa, and pasture) supported abundant, diverse and heterogeneous soil macrofauna communities, with few notable differences in soil macrofauna distribution among land uses. The most abundant soil macrofauna taxa were termites, ants, earthworms and beetles. Of the 'explanatory' environmental variables that were measured (including land use and selected soil properties, vegetation characteristics and topographic variables), those that had the strongest relationships with soil macrofauna abundance were land use, tree density and soil organic matter content. The second stage of the research was spatially-orientated and used stratified sampling based on within-field differences in farmer-defined soil type, as well as grid-based sampling of soil macrofauna surface activity. There was substantial within-field variation in soil type and topography, which was related to distribution patterns of at least one agriculturally-important soil macrofauna taxon. Earthworm activity was higher in areas of fertile soil and lower slope positions. At a finer scale, there was a positive spatial correlation between tree distribution and earthworm casting activity. The final phase situated the biophysical research in the local socio-economic context through participant observation and interviews with farmers. The results of the three phases of the study were incorporated into an original conceptual model of the relationships among soil macrofauna and environmental variables in the study area across multiple spatial scales and along a chronosequence of land use changes. Specific pointers are provided for further research on the role of soil fauna in influencing soil structure, nutrient cycling and pest species abundance, and for further investigating local knowledge and the socio-economic and cultural drivers of land use change.

Even from afar, transnational migrants influence how their households and communities of origin use natural resources. This study depicts the circulation of people, funds, and ideas within transnational families that extend from a Honduran village to the United States. Developing a "political ecology of migration" approach, I show how these circulations can reshape resource use practices and the socio-economic and bio-physical topographies of emigrants' former homes. The project advances anthropological thought by linking rich literatures on political ecology and transnationalism through a multi-method ethnography of transnational families. The study is also relevant to emigrants, community members, and practitioners interested in incorporating emigrants and remittances into development and conservation projects. The multi-sited project is anchored in a 380-household Honduran village, located in Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park, and encompasses the movement and practices of its residents and emigrants, including two secondary study sites in the United States. Research began with four focus groups. These formed the basis for 51 household village-wide structured interviews on experiences, practices, and beliefs related to remitting, migration, communication, farming, and natural resource use. I worked closely with four of these families in Honduras and at their emigrant family members' homes in south Florida and Long Island, New York. Through in-depth interviews, participant observation, and diaries tracking remittances and discourse through phone conversations, the multi-sited project traces transnational flows of funds, people, and ideas within the families. The ethnography highlights factors that shape, encourage, or impede emigrants' participation in natural resource management and development activities, as well as unintended socio-economic and environmental consequences of their actions. Study participants spend remittances not only on more commonly documented health, education, housing, and food, but also on a number of areas that directly impact the socio-natural landscape: farm inputs, cattle-ranching, land, labor, firewood collection, and a village-wide potable water project. How money is earned, sent, and spent is affected by emigrants' perceptions of home - perceptions shaped by phone calls, visits, nostalgia, precarious economic and immigration status, plans to return, and dreams of a better future for themselves and their children. Some environmental impacts are directly related to spending decisions, such as the decision to buy agrochemicals. In other cases, impacts arise from nonmonetary relationships, such as lending land. The study's political ecology of migration approach shows how emigrants' remitting and communication practices within transnational family networks translate into material, landscape impacting practices in their households and village of origin. The study contributes to a more nuanced treatment of material practices and places in migration research and provides political ecology with a network based approach to capturing transnational dynamics impacting local livelihoods and landscapes. Ethnographic understanding of these dynamics has the potential to assist researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to take migrants into account in development of interventions and as well as to understand how their practices and beliefs shape and reshape the topographies of their current and original homes.

Abstract

Essay in Political Science, D-level, spring 2010. “Do the American mass media serve foreign policy interests? – A scrutiny of two American newspapers’ coverage of the coup d’état in Honduras in the summer of 2009”, Author: David Scott. Tutor: Anders Broman

 

The bias of the American mass media has been widely discussed among scholars. Not only has this phenomenon caught the attention of political scientists, but also academics from other scientific fields. Two of the most known researchers of the American media are the linguist Noam Chomsky and the professor of Finance Edward Herman. They apply, on the American media, a so called “propaganda model” which claims that the media will serve the interests of the domestic power elites. One of the interests that the media try to satisfy is the foreign policy goals of the American state, which is to vilify enemy states and idealize client states. This thesis is applied on the American media coverage of the coup d’état that resulted in the ousting of leftist President Manuel Zelaya from the presidency in Honduras in 2009. In this case the model predicts that Zelaya will be vilified as an enemy and that the cause of the coup will be portrayed as legitimate. The essay studies, in the newspapers New York Times and Wall Street Journal, the portraiture of three aspects of the coup: the cause of the coup, the role of the military and the victims of violence and, finally, Zelaya as a president and the support to versus the resistance against his presidency. Through a textual analysis of the material, the essay concludes that there is a bias and that this means that the propaganda model can be verified. The bias consists of that the papers tend to legitimize the clients (the perpetrators of the coup) by portraying Zelaya as violator of the Honduran constitution and as a radical leftist aligned with Venezuela’s president Hugo Chávez. The legitimization goes further through the toning down of the military’s role in the use of violence against demonstrators. Although this is the bias, it must be stressed that it is subtle and has been detected through an extensive interpretation of the material.

Natural disasters are uniquely transformative events. They can drastically transform physical terrain and the lives of those unfortunate enough to be caught in their wrath. However, natural disasters also provide an opportunity to reflect on past failures and, at times, a clean slate to correct those shortcomings. This project takes a political economic approach and recognizes natural disasters as occasions for agenda-setting on behalf of transnational commercial enterprises and market-oriented policy elites. These reformers often use the post-disaster policy space to articulate long-term development strategies based on market fundamentalism, and, more importantly, advance a set of policies consistent with their particular interests. This dissertation delves into that process and identifies the actors, their preferences and the policy outcomes. Using the business conflict model alongside changing transnational processes, this project identifies and traces post-disaster policy making in the Caribbean Basin. It also explores and provides a more nuanced explanation of its effect upon and within certain socioeconomic groups. What becomes apparent is that natural disasters are opportunities to first fracture national economies and then integrate them into transnational processes of capital accumulation. Given that economic viability is increasingly determined by assimilation into the global production processes, reformers in both developed and developing countries use disasters as occasions for re-orienting national economies towards this end. It is within this distorted integrative process that disaster capitalism is located.

This project elucidated the explanatory model of dengue fever held by members of urban communities in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The study was conducted over a four-month period from May-August of 2011, and it was divided into two stages. The first stage of the project consisted of volunteer participation with dengue fever surveillance brigades in the three communities with the highest incidence of dengue fever during the beginning of 2011. This initial stage employed participant observation as its research method. The second stage was conducted in a different community within Tegucigalpa. The primary research methods employed during the second stage of the project were participant observation, semi-structured questionnaires (n=18), and ethnographic surveys (n=32). The semi-structured questionnaires were conducted in three different low-socioeconomic status neighborhoods within the research community, and the ethnographic surveys were administered in a higher-socioeconomic status neighborhood within the same community. Participant observation was conducted in all four neighborhoods. The conceptions of dengue fever were evaluated across differing socio-economic statuses and the possibility of a folk characterization of dengue fever was investigated. The study also explored new avenues for prevention and assessed the impact of surveillance and informational campaigns. In significant aspects, the results from this study ran contrary to previous investigations on the topic (Kendall et al 1991); the results indicated that participants had an explanatory model of dengue fever very similar to the biomedical explanatory model. However, results also indicated that participants had a local-particular, etiological characterization of dengue fever that did not coincide with the biomedical explanatory model of dengue fever. In the latter respect, results were similar to those reported by Kendall et al (1991). Similarly, the participants in this study recognized poor communal cohesion and inadequate/inefficient governmental support or intervention as a prime promoter of dengue fever. The lack of communal cohesion and tension towards governmental authorities in relation to dengue fever has been described by Whiteford (1997). Finally, there were no apparent differences in the explanatory models held by low-socioeconomic status and high-socioeconomic status participants. This study contributes to the fields of anthropology and public health by 1) exploring differences in explanatory models across socio-economic status, 2) discussing local etiologies of dengue fever relating to dirt/filth, and 3) assessing local conceptions of dengue fever within the framework of a folk illness.

La thèse analyse, dans une perspective historique et comparative, le parcours suivi vers la citoyenneté sociale par les populations afro-descendantes d’Amérique centrale entre 1948 et 1966. Avec le système esclavagiste puis son abolition comme points de départ de la réflexion, les Africains et les Afro-descendants du monde entier ont commencé à systématiser leurs réflexions, leurs luttes et leur organisation, notamment au travers de personnalités comme Marcus Garvey ou d’organisations comme le Mouvement panafricaniste, afin de rejeter la stigmatisation apportée par l’invention coloniale de la « race noire ». Ce processus s’est initié entre la Première Guerre mondiale et l’émergence du système des Nations unies, qui a fourni la base d’un nouvel ordre international, se traduisant notamment par la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme et le début de la décolonisation en Afrique. Après les indépendances centraméricaines au début du XIXe siècle et au cours des processus de construction républicaine à l’oeuvre dans chacun des pays de la région, le développement national au Guatemala, au Honduras, au Nicaragua, au Costa Rica et au Panama a toutefois été marqué par l’empreinte identitaire laissée par la Couronne espagnole dans la région ainsi que par des politiques de métissage et/ou de blanchiment de la population. À partir de la deuxième partie du XIXe siècle, la vague d’immigration d’origine africaine en provenance des Caraïbes a remis en question cet imaginaire collectif et l’idée de citoyenneté portée par les élites de chaque pays. Si la question normative de la citoyenneté afro-descendante en Amérique centrale s’est donc longtemps inscrite dans un contexte international d’exclusion raciale, qui renvoie notamment au système de ségrégation aux États-Unis, le développement progressif de dispositifs légaux dans chaque pays a ouvert une nouvelle ère d’intégration citoyenne après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, faisant écho aux nouveaux instruments juridiques internationaux et à la Charte internationale des droits de l’homme
The thesis analyzes, through comparative and historical perspectives, the path followed by theAfrodescendant populations in Central America, between 1948 and 1966, towards social citizenship. Having theslavery system and its latter abolition as a starting point, the African and Afrodescendant populations around theworld systematized their thoughts, battles and organization, especially through personalities such as Marcus Garveyand the Pan Africanist Movement; as means to counteract the burden created by the colonial invention of the “blackrace”. This process had place when the World War I and the United Nations System provided the base for a newinternational order; which after World War II, turned into creating the Organization of United Nations, the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights and the beginning of decolonization in Africa. In addition, after the Central AmericanIndependence and in the middle of their republican construction, the differentiated national development followed byGuatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, took over the identity footprint institutionalized by theSpanish crown in the region; which afterwards turned into the miscegenation and/or population whitening. However,the wave of Caribbean Afrodescendant immigration from the second half of the nineteenth century, confronted thecollective imaginary as well as the citizen profile chosen by each of these country elites. Therefore, the singularnormative and social citizenship progress of the Afrodescendant populations in Central America, fell within theinternational racial exclusion context, such as United States’ racial segregation; as well as the paradoxicalrefinement of civil matters legal provisions in each country, and the strengthening of national measures restrictingimmigration; all of the above as part of a new human rights era, with its international legal instruments and theInternational Bill of Human Rights

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)
Maras e pandillas são termos usualmente empregados em El Salvador, Guatemala e Honduras - que, juntos, compõem o chamado Triângulo Norte da América Central - em referência a gangues de rua, cujos membros são tradicionalmente jovens (e, em sua maioria, do sexo masculino) e compartilham de uma identidade comum, o que pode incluir desde o uso de formas de comunicação e expressão cultural específicas (entre gírias, gestos corporais, tatuagens, grafites em muros e ritmos musicais) até a aplicação de rigorosas normas de conduta. A expansão desses grupos pela região e sua responsabilização pela escalada da violência nas grandes cidades têm incitado a adoção de medidas não só domésticas, mas, também, internacionais, envolvendo, por conseguinte, tanto autoridades centro-americanas como instituições de outros países, como os Estados Unidos. Com base nessa constatação, questiona-se, nesta pesquisa, qual é o interesse dos Estados Unidos em atuar no combate a gangues de rua fora de suas fronteiras, considerando que isso é comumente visto como um problema de segurança pública do Estado em cujo território tais grupos operam. Através do método hipotético-dedutivo e a partir da consulta a relatórios oficiais e outras fontes do governo estadunidense - além da literatura específica sobre as gangues no Triângulo Norte e sobre a história recente e contexto atual da região -, testam-se ao menos quatro hipóteses, que se referem à possível percepção dos Estados Unidos de que as gangues I) têm ou almejam ter vínculos com grupos tidos como terroristas; II) atuam de forma expressiva no tráfico internacional de drogas, inclusive em cooperação com grandes cartéis da região; III) são grupos transnacionais do crime organizado, capazes de coordenar delitos em solo estadunidense com seus pares lá estabelecidos; e que IV) a violência concernente às gangues em...
Maras and pandillas are terms usually employed in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - which jointly comprise the so-called Central America Northern Triangle - with regard to street gangs, whose members are traditionally youngsters (and mostly men) and share a common identity, which can range from the use of specific forms of communication and cultural expression (including slangs, body gestures, tattoos, graffiti on walls and musical rhythms) to the enforcement of rigorous standards of conduct. The expansion of these groups throughout the region, and its accountability for the growth of violence in big cities have been prompting the adoption of not only domestic measures, but also international ones, which consequently involves both Central American authorities and institutions from other countries, such as the United States. Based on this finding, it is questioned, in this research, what the interest of the United States is in combating street gangs out of its borders, considering that this is commonly seen as a public security problem concerning the state in which territory such groups operate. Through the hypothetical-deductive method, and by the consultation with official reports and other American governmental sources - besides the specific literature on gangs in the Northern Triangle and on the recent history and current context of the region -, at least four hypothesis are tested, which refer to the United States possible perception that the gangs I) are (or are willing to be) tied to groups seen as terrorists; II) have a significant participation on the international illicit drug trade, even in collaboration with great cartels of the region; III) are transnational organized crime groups, capable of coordinating crimes on American soil with their peers established there; and that IV) the violence concerning gangs in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras feeds migratory fluxes ...

Despite the benefits of antiretroviral therapy in treating HIV/AIDS, government responses have varied substantially, from provisions guaranteeing nearly universal access to insufficient provisions providing almost no access. This research seeks to specifically examine primary explanations, such as economic capacity, and emerging explanations, such as the role of electoral accountability and the presence of stigma, and the coordination between the epistemic community and political leadership as potential causes for the variance in the government provision. By controlling for state economic capacity, this research furthers the importance of examining other explanations for state response in light of a public health crisis. While electoral accountability and the role of stigma had marginal impacts, the level of scientific coordination and understanding among the states political leadership had perceptible impacts. This research also tests broader aspects of the political economy such as the role of state capacity and subsequent government crisis response.

[EN] The world, and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Region are going through a period of high International agrifood price volatility and an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters due to changes in climate. In the context of increased integration of LAC into international agriculture markets, public action is required, in partnership with private sector, in order to avoid the impact of increased poverty and food insecurity of the most vulnerable families, while sector competitiveness increases in a region that each day is more important for global food production. With that objective of analyzing the public policies and programs that contribute to a more integrated and less volatile agrifood sector in LAC, this research proposes multiple approaches to demonstrate that market integration can be accompanied by measures that support the reduction of the impact of increased market volatility and the effects of natural disasters. The demonstrated impacts of these agrifood price and production shocks on food security and poverty of rural families justify this research and intends to demonstrate that market integration can be accompanied of public policies that protect the most vulnerable rural families from the increased exposure to price volatility and natural disasters, maintaining a market approach. The methodology adopted combines: (i) literature review; (ii) development of theoretical economic models of price transmission; (iii) empirical evaluation (with econometric models) of the impact of risk management policies and programs on poverty and welfare; (iv) market research and analysis of agriculture risk management tools such as insurance and commodity exchanges; and (v) rapid review of agriculture risk management public policies and programs. The research proposes an analysis of the level of integration of LAC agrifood markets and of the agriculture risk management public policies and programs for sector volatility reduction. The research begins with an analysis of agrifood price transmission from International to domestic markets, and then continues with analysis and evaluations of different public policies and programs in LAC that attempt at managing agriculture sector risks. The results of the research show that: (i) the price elasticity (transmission) between International and domestic markets is a function of the elasticity of substitution of demand and supply, and of price adjustment costs; (ii) the development of agricultural Insurance and of price hedging, is very heterogeneous and depends in the ability to overcome institutional, financial, technical and operational barriers; (iii) improving coverage through increasing the quantity and availability of financial instruments such as futures and options for agrifood products, depends directly in the development of agriculture commodity exchanges in LAC, which in turn depend on public policies that support a favorable business climate for its development; (iv) to ensure a positive welfare impact on the low income families of a food price response program, the measures need to target the most needed families without distorting prices and local food markets; (v) climate contingency programs that compensate the income of small farmers based on a climate Insurance coverage have had a positive welfare impact, measures through moderate poverty reduction; and (vi) there is a need to work on the Integration and coordination of public policies and programs in order to have a larger impact on agriculture risk management.
[ES] El mundo, y la región de América Latina y el Caribe (ALC), están pasando por una época de alta volatilidad de los mercados internacionales de agroalimentos y de un aumento en la frecuencia e intensidad de desastres naturales debido a cambios en el clima. En el contexto de una mayor integración del sector agropecuario de ALC a los mercados internacionales de agroalimentos, se requieren acciones públicas, en concierto con el sector privado, para evitar el impacto de aumento de la pobreza y de la inseguridad alimentaria de las familias más vulnerables, al mismo tiempo que se aumenta la competitividad del sector en una región que cada vez es más importante en la producción global de alimentos. Con este objetivo de analizar las políticas y programas públicos de ALC que contribuyen a un sector agroalimentario más integrado y menos volátil, la investigación ha planteado enfoques múltiples para demostrar que la integración de los mercados puede ir acompañada de medidas que ayuden a reducir el impacto de una mayor volatilidad de los mercados y de los efectos de desastres naturales. El impacto demostrado de estos shocks de precio y de producción de agroalimentos en la seguridad alimentaria y pobreza de las familias rurales, justifica esta investigación que pretende mostrar que la integración de los mercados puede ser acompañada de políticas públicas que protejan a las familias más vulnerables de esta mayor exposición a la volatilidad de precios y a desastres naturales, manteniendo una visión de mercado. La metodología empleada combina: (i) la búsqueda bibliográfica, (ii) el desarrollo de modelos económicos teóricos de transmisión de precios, (iii) la evaluación empírica (con modelos econométricos) del impacto de políticas y programas de gestión de riesgo en la pobreza y el bienestar social, (iv) el levantamiento y análisis de información de mercados de instrumentos de gestión de riesgos agropecuarios como los seguros y las bolsas, y (v) la revisión integrada de políticas y programas públicos de gestión de riesgos agropecuarios. La investigación propone un análisis del nivel de integración de los mercados agroalimentarios de ALC y de las políticas y programas públicos de manejo de riesgos para reducir la volatilidad del sector. La investigación inicia con un análisis sobre la transmisión de los precios internacionales hacia los mercados domésticos de productos agroalimentarios, y luego sigue con el análisis y evaluación de diferentes políticas y programas públicos de ALC que apuntan al manejo de riesgos del sector agropecuario. Los resultados de la investigación muestran que: (i) la elasticidad de transmisión de precios entre el mercado internacional y el doméstico es una función de la elasticidad de sustitución de la demanda y de la oferta, y de los costos de ajuste; (ii) el desarrollo de los seguros agropecuarios y de las coberturas de precio, es muy heterogéneo y depende de poder sobrepasar limitaciones de carácter institucional, financiero, técnico, y operacional; (iii) mejorar la cobertura a través de aumentar la cantidad y disponibilidad de instrumentos financieros para productos agroalimentarios, depende directamente del desarrollo de las bolsas agropecuarias de la Región, las cuales dependen de políticas públicas que pueden ayudar a crear un amigable clima de negocios para su desarrollo; (iv) para asegurar un impacto positivo en el bienestar de las familias de bajos ingresos de un programa de respuesta a la subida de los precios de alimentos, estas medidas deben enfocarse en las familias más necesitadas y sin crear distorsiones en los precios y mercados de alimentos locales; (v) programas de contingencia de eventos climáticos que compensan a pequeños agricultores en base a una cobertura de seguro climático han tenido un impacto positivo en el bienestar; y (vi) hay que trabajar en la integración y la coordinación de los programas y políticasexistentes
[CAT] El món, i la regió d'Amèrica Llatina i el Carib (ALC), estan passant per una època d'alta volatilitat dels mercats internacionals de agroaliments i d'un augment en la freqüència i intensitat de desastres naturals a causa de canvis en el clima. En el context d'una major integració del sector agropecuari de ALC als mercats internacionals de agroaliments, es requereixen d'accions públiques, en concert amb el sector privat, per evitar l'impacte d'augment de pobresa i d'inseguretat alimentària de les famílies més vulnerables, al mateix temps que s'augmenta la competitivitat del sector en una regió que cada vegada és més important en la producció global d'aliments. Amb aquest objectiu d'analitzar les polítiques i programes públics d'ALC que contribueixen a un sector agroalimentari més integrat i menys volàtil, la investigació ha plantejat enfocaments múltiples per demostrar que la integració dels mercats pot anar acompanyada de mesures que ajudin a reduir l'impacte de una major volatilitat dels mercats i dels efectes de desastres naturals. L'impacte demostrat d'aquests xocs de preu i de producció de agroaliments en la seguretat alimentària i pobresa de les famílies rurals, justifica aquesta investigació que pretén mostrar que la integració dels mercats pot ser acompanyada de polítiques públiques que protegeixin les famílies més vulnerables de aquesta major exposició a volatilitat de preus i desastres naturals, mantenint una visió de mercat. La metodologia emprada combina: (i) la recerca bibliogràfica, (ii) el desenvolupament de models econòmics teòrics de transmissió de preus, (iii) l'avaluació empírica (amb models economètrics) l'impacte de polítiques i programes de gestió de risc en la pobresa i el benestar social, (iv) l'aixecament i anàlisi d'informació de mercats d'instruments de gestió de riscos agropecuaris com les assegurances i les bosses, i (v) la revisió ràpida de polítiques i programes públics de gestió de riscos agropecuaris. La investigació proposa una anàlisi del nivell d'integració dels mercats agroalimentaris de ALC i de les polítiques i programes públics de consum de risc per reduir la volatilitat del sector. La investigació s'inicia amb una anàlisi sobre la transmissió dels preus internacionals cap als mercats domèstics de productes agroalimentaris, i després segueix amb l'anàlisi i avaluació de diferents polítiques i programes públics d'ALC que apunten al maneig de riscos del sector agropecuari. Els resultats de la investigació mostren que: (i) l'elasticitat de transmissió de preus entre el mercat internacional i el domèstic és una funció de l'elasticitat de substitució de la demanda i de l'oferta, i dels costos d'ajust; (ii) el desenvolupament de les assegurances agropecuaris i les cobertures de preu, és molt heterogeni i depenen de poder sobrepassar limitacions de caràcter institucional, financer, tècnic, i operacional; (iii) millorar la cobertura a través d'augmentar la quantitat i disponibilitat d'instruments financers com els futurs i opcions per a productes agroalimentaris, depèn directament del desenvolupament de les bosses agropecuàries de la Regió, les quals depenen de polítiques públiques que poden ajudar a crear un amigable clima de negocis per al seu desenvolupament; (iv) per assegurar un impacte positiu en el benestar de les famílies de baixos ingressos d'un programa de resposta a la pujada dels preus d'aliments, aquestes mesures han d'enfocar en les famílies més necessitades i sense crear distorsions en els preus i mercats de aliments locals; (v) programes de contingència d'esdeveniments climàtics que compensen a petits agricultors en base a una cobertura d'assegurança climàtic han tingut un impacte positiu en el benestar, mesurat a través de la reducció en la pobresa moderada; i (vi) cal treballar en la integració i la coordinació dels programes i polítiques públiques existents per tenir un major impacte en
Arias Carballo, D. (2016). La integración y la volatilidad de los mercados agroalimentarios de América Latina y el Caribe [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/62196
TESIS

Cette thèse analyse l’articulation entre les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) et le tourisme dans l’optique de la coopération internationale. Elle étudie les relations internationales entre le Mexique, le Belize, le Guatemala, le Honduras et le Salvador (1992-2012) dans le contexte de l’Organisation du Monde Maya (OMM) dans laquelle le tourisme est placé comme un vecteur de développement économique. Elle répond à la problématique suivante : le tourisme électronique peut-il favoriser la création et la consolidation des liens de coopération entre les pays de la multi-destination de l’OMM ? Ce travail de recherche montre comment, en dépit des difficultés liées au principe de la concurrence, aux intérêts nationaux et de politique extérieure, l’accord de coopération en matière de tourisme électronique s’est concrétisé à travers une offre englobant toute la Région du Monde Maya à partir de la marque Monde Maya sur le Web. La thèse souligne l’intérêt du tourisme électronique tout en préconisant son renforcement afin d’accentuer la coopération régionale entre États et de consolider le rôle du tourisme dans les régions à partir d’une perspective commune, ce qui permettrait de créer une synergie dynamisante et constructive. Cette recherche vise à apporter une contribution à l’étude de thèmes : tourisme, coopération internationale, Région du Monde Maya
The linkage between information and communication technology (ICT) and tourism is analyzed in the context (1992-2012) of international cooperation between Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Salvador in the framework of the Maya World Organization (MWO). Tourism is a vector of economic development for this organization. Can electronic tourism create and consolidate cooperation in tourism between the countries taking part in the MWO with its multiple tourist destinations? Despite the difficulties of competition, national interests and foreign policies, the agreement on cooperation in e-tourism has led to an offer for the whole Maya region through the Maya World website. This thesis emphasizes the importance of e-tourism and advocates strengthening it so as to foster cooperation among countries in the region from a joint perspective, thus creating a constructive, dynamic synergy. It contributes to the study of tourism, international cooperation and the World Maya Region
Esta tesis analiza la articulación entre las tecnologías de la información y de la comunicación (TIC) y el turismo en la óptica de la cooperación internacional. Estudia las relaciones internacionales entre México, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras y El Salvador (1992-2012) fen el marco de la Organización Mundo Maya (OMM) en la cual el turismo es identificado como un vector de desarrollo económico. La tesis responde a la cuestión siguiente: ¿El turismo electrónico en el marco de la OMM puede favorecer la creación y la consolidación de los lazos de cooperación entre los países de la multidestinación de la OMM? Este trabajo de investigación muestra cómo, pese a dificultades vinculadas con el principio de competencia, a los intereses nacionales y de política exterior, el acuerdo de cooperación en materia de turismo electrónico se materializó a través de una oferta turística abarcando toda la Región Mundo Maya a partir de la marca Mundo Maya en la Web. La tesis subraya el interés acerca del turismo electrónico y recomienda su reforzamiento con el fin de acentuar la cooperación regional entre Estados y consolidar el papel del turismo en las regiones a partir de una perspectiva común, lo que permitiría crear una sinergia dinámica y constructiva. La investigación pretende contribuir al estudio de los siguientes temas: turismo, cooperación internacional, Región Mundo Maya