Date of Award
1-1-2017
Document Type
Masters Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Organizational Unit
College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Anthropology
First Advisor
Esteban Gomez, Ph.D.
Second Advisor
Christina Kreps
Third Advisor
Maik Nwosu
Keywords
Cultural heritage, Humanitarian aid
Abstract
This thesis explores how cultural knowledge, beliefs, and practices affected the humanitarian aid response to disasters in Haiti and Aceh Province, Indonesia. It examines the importance of local knowledge in post-disaster response situations and how aid workers' "expertise" interplays with local knowledge, decision-making structures, and leadership. I questioned how knowledge of cultural practices could contribute to a more effective humanitarian aid approach and identified housing, social institutions and local leadership, economic systems, religious belief and practice as primary focuses. Examples detail how cultural beliefs and practices - as well as cultural heritage - may be vehicles for social stability and advance recovery in the social and economic spheres.
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Natalie Ruhe
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
en
File Size
219 p.
Recommended Citation
Ruhe, Natalie K., "A Comparative Study of Culture and Cultural Heritage in Humanitarian Aid Efforts: Post-Earthquake Haiti and Post-Tsunami Aceh" (2017). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1295.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1295
Copyright date
2017
Discipline
Cultural Anthropology