User:Sraman195

About me
Hi everyone, my name is Shivani and I am a sophomore majoring in Cognitive Sciences and minoring in PJHC, on a pre-med track. I am passionate about poverty alleviation, sustainable development, and public health issues. I look forward to this semester and listening to the unique perspectives of all of my peers in this course! Sraman195 (talk) 02:05, 1 September 2016 (UTC)(SRaman)

During the Fall of 2016, I completed the PJHC core course titled "Poverty, Justice, Human Capabilities" and it was an incredible learning experience. This semester (Spring 2017), I will take the second core course for the minor, called "Human Development." I look forward to expanding upon the knowledge I gained last semester and further improving my Wikipedia skills. Sraman195 (talk) 23:14, 16 January 2017 (UTC)

My Wikipedia contributions
Fall 2016: Mineral Industry of Peru

Interest: Through this topic, I will be exploring social justice issues in the context of transnational corporation activity using the core-periphery model. I became interested in this topic after living in the rural highlands of Peru for two months, where I was exposed to the impacts of Newmont Mining Corporation’s mining operations on the indigenous population.

Wikipedia Contribution: There is an existing Wikipedia article titled “Newmont Mining Corporation.” I plan to add to the subsection titled “Yanacocha Mine, Peru” under the “Controversies” section. The existing article discusses only political controversies and fails to mention local protests that have arisen as a result of environmental degradation and its consequences. I plan to elaborate more on this aspect of Newmont’s mining activity.

References to Scholarly Sources:

Bebbington, Anthony, Denise Humphreys Bebbington, Jeffrey Bury, Jeannet Lingan, Juan Pablo Munoz, and Martin Scurrah. "Mining and Social Movements: Struggles Over Livelihood and Rural Territorial Development in the Andes." World Development 36.12 (2008): 2888-905. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Bury, Jeffrey. "Livelihoods in Transition: Transnational Gold Mining Operations and Local Change in Cajamarca, Peru." The Geographical Journal Geographical J 170.1 (2004): 78-91. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Bury, Jeffrey Todd. "Livelihoods, Mining and Peasant Protests in the Peruvian Andes." Journal of Latin American Geography 1.1 (2002): 1-19. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Echave, José De. "Peruvian Peasants Confront the Mining Industry." Socialism and Democracy 19.3 (2005): 117-27. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Gifford, Blair, and Andrew Kestler. "Toward a Theory of Local Legitimacy by MNEs in Developing Nations: Newmont Mining and Health Sustainable Development in Peru." Journal of International Management 14.4 (2008): 340-52. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Gifford, Blair, Andrew Kestler, and Sharmila Anand. "Building Local Legitimacy into Corporate Social Responsibility: Gold Mining Firms in Developing Nations." Journal of World Business 45.3 (2010): 304-11. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Jaskoski, Maiah. "Environmental Licensing and Conflict in Peru's Mining Sector: A Path-Dependent Analysis." World Development 64 (2014): 873-83. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Li, Fabiana. "Documenting Accountability: Environmental Impact Assessment in a Peruvian Mining Project." PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review 32.2 (2009): 218-36. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Li, Fabiana. "Relating Divergent Worlds: Mines, Aquifers and Sacred Mountains in Peru." Anthropologica 55.2 (2013): 399-411. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Triscritti, F. "Mining, Development and Corporate-community Conflicts in Peru." Community Development Journal 48.3 (2013): 437-50. Web. 7 Sept. 2016.

Spring 2017: WikiTopics
Topic: Food Insecurity in the United States

Interest: I became interested in this topic after learning about the link between food insecurity and noncommunicable diseases while conducting public health research through a non-profit organization in Houston called Brighter Bites. As a pre-medical student, I am interested in understanding the ways in which community-level factors impact the health of vulnerable populations. Additionally, I did my PowerPoint presentation on this topic for SOCI 371. Thus, I would like to use my extracurricular experiences and prior knowledge to further explore this issue.

Wikipedia Contribution: There is an existing Wikipedia article titled “Hunger in the United States.” I plan to add to the section titled “Causes,” as the existing article only discusses poverty as the cause of hunger and fails to mention the political and environmental factors that influence food availability and access. I also plan to add to the “Fighting hunger” section to include more indirect solutions (e.g. improving transportation infrastructure), as the existing article only provides solutions that are directly targeted at hunger (e.g. SNAP, School Lunch Program, etc.).

References to Scholarly Sources:

Alaimo, K., R. R. Briefel, E. A. Frongillo, and C. M. Olson. "Food Insufficiency Exists in the United States: Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III)." American Journal of Public Health 88.3 (1998): 419-26. Web.

Banerjee, Abhijit V., and Esther Duflo. Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. New York: PublicAffairs, 2011. Print.

Burchi, Francesco, and Pasquale De Muro. "A Human Development and Capability Approach to Food Security: Conceptual Framework and Informational Basis." United Nations Development Programme (2012): n. pag. Web.

Collier, Paul. "The Politics of Hunger: How Illusion and Greed Fan the Food Crisis." Foreign Affairs 87.6 (2008): 67-79. Web.

Fairris, David, and Michael Reich. "The Impacts of Living Wage Policies: Introduction to the Special Issue*." Industrial Relations 44.1 (2005): 1-13. Web.

Fields, Scott. "The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor Health?" Environmental Health Perspectives 112.14 (2004): n. pag. Web.

Fitchen, Janet M. "Hunger, Malnutrition, and Poverty in the Contemporary United States: Some Observations on Their Social and Cultural Context." Food and Foodways 2.1 (1987): 309-33. Web.

Gundersen, Craig. "The Economics of Food Insecurity in the United States." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 33.3 (2011): 281-303. Web.

Ratcliffe, C., S.-M. Mckernan, and S. Zhang. "How Much Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reduce Food Insecurity?" American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93.4 (2011): 1082-098. Web.

Riches, Graham. First World Hunger: Food Security and Welfare Politics. New York, NY: St. Martin's, 1997. Print.

Walker, Renee E., Christopher R. Keane, and Jessica G. Burke. "Disparities and Access to Healthy Food in the United States: A Review of Food Deserts Literature." Health & Place 16.5 (2010): 876-84. Web.

Wunderlich, Gooloo S., and Janet L. Norwood. Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States: An Assessment of the Measure. Washington, D.C.: National Academies, 2006. Print.

Detailed Proposal
[A] 1. Causes

I will first add information about the political/economic causes of hunger/food insecurity. My additions will focus on agricultural policies that subsidize the production of certain crops such as corn and soybeans. I will make the claim that subsidization of these crops results in the food industry producing a surplus of highly-processed, packaged goods. Using simple economic principles of supply/demand, I will go on to show that a surplus of these food items results in them being sold at a disproportionately lower price than fresh produce (fruits and vegetables). This makes these food items more financially accessible to low-income populations, thereby confirming the link between hunger and poverty. I will also discuss the political and economic forces that result in a scarcity of grocery stores in low-income neighborhoods. Specifically, I will describe grocery stores’ goal of profit maximization and the aspects of low-income neighborhoods that hinder the long-term sustainability of businesses (employees require more training, insurance and security are costlier, etc.).

References:

Acemoglu, Daron, and James A. Robinson. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. New York: Crown Publishers, 2012.

Burchi, Francesco, and Pasquale De Muro. "A Human Development and Capability Approach to Food Security: Conceptual Framework and Informational Basis." United Nations Development Programme (2012): n. pag. Web.

Fields, Scott. "The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor Health?" Environmental Health Perspectives 112.14 (2004): n. pag. Web.

Gundersen, Craig. "The Economics of Food Insecurity in the United States." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 33.3 (2011): 281-303. Web.

Nussbaum, Martha Craven. Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. 2011.

Walker, Renee E., Christopher R. Keane, and Jessica G. Burke. "Disparities and Access to Healthy Food in the United States: A Review of Food Deserts Literature." Health & Place 16.5 (2010): 876-84. Web.

[B] 3.1. Public sector hunger relief I will add information that discusses indirect solutions to hunger/food insecurity, such as policy changes in the agricultural/food industry and investment in transportation infrastructure. For each of these solutions, I will discuss the advantages of implementing such changes as well as the practical limitations. For example, in regard to policy changes in the food industry, I will propose that reducing the subsidization of crops such as corn and soybeans and providing more subsidies for the production of fruits and vegetables can substantially increase the supply and decrease the cost of healthful food options, making them more accessible to low-income populations. After this, however, I will mention that such changes are limited by the fact that the agricultural industry is an oligopoly in which a few big corporations dominate/heavily influence the food supply. In regard to transportation, I will propose that improving infrastructure can greatly increase low-income individuals’ access to healthful food options. After this, however, I will make the claim that the efficacy of this solution is hindered by growing population sizes, the limited time of low-income populations (due to work, kids, and other obligations), and the fact that the issue of inequity between neighborhoods remains unaddressed. Offering additional solutions will make the article more comprehensive, and including the limitations of these solutions will ensure that my article remains neutral and well-balanced.

References:

Acemoglu, Daron, and James A. Robinson. Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty. New York: Crown Publishers, 2012.

Burchi, Francesco, and Pasquale De Muro. "A Human Development and Capability Approach to Food Security: Conceptual Framework and Informational Basis." United Nations Development Programme (2012): n. pag. Web.

Collier, Paul. "The Politics of Hunger: How Illusion and Greed Fan the Food Crisis." Foreign Affairs 87.6 (2008): 67-79. Web.

Fairris, David, and Michael Reich. "The Impacts of Living Wage Policies: Introduction to the Special Issue*." Industrial Relations 44.1 (2005): 1-13. Web.

Fields, Scott. "The Fat of the Land: Do Agricultural Subsidies Foster Poor Health?" Environmental Health Perspectives 112.14 (2004): n. pag. Web.

Fitchen, Janet M. "Hunger, Malnutrition, and Poverty in the Contemporary United States: Some Observations on Their Social and Cultural Context." Food and Foodways 2.1 (1987): 309-33. Web.

Gundersen, Craig. "The Economics of Food Insecurity in the United States." Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy 33.3 (2011): 281-303. Web.

Nussbaum, Martha Craven. Creating Capabilities: The Human Development Approach. 2011.

Ratcliffe, C., S.-M. Mckernan, and S. Zhang. "How Much Does the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Reduce Food Insecurity?" American Journal of Agricultural Economics 93.4 (2011): 1082-098. Web.

Riches, Graham. First World Hunger: Food Security and Welfare Politics. New York, NY: St. Martin's, 1997. Print.

Walker, Renee E., Christopher R. Keane, and Jessica G. Burke. "Disparities and Access to Healthy Food in the United States: A Review of Food Deserts Literature." Health & Place 16.5 (2010): 876-84. Web. Sraman195 (talk) 19:28, 15 February 2017 (UTC)