Major
Performing Arts, Social Justice
Research Abstract
"This project is based on a case study of the lives of people in Mongolia who have a disability as a result of working as a small scale miner (with a focus on artisanal and ninja miners). The research for this project was conducted after the culmination of a four month study abroad experience in Mongolia in Spring 2017. It was carried out over a four week period in Ulaanbaatar, Bayankhongor, and Naiklah and consisted of nine in person interviews, two phone interviews, two visits to mines (one coal mine and one gold mine), a visit to the Bayankhongor Aimag disability center, a meeting with the Artisanal Mining Project, and questionnaires that were sent to participants who were not interested in participating in a phone interview. This project aims to answer the four main focus questions of “How a mining-caused disability has affected one’s life in a social context?,"" “How disabled miners view safety in the mines?,” “How the disability has affected one’s stance on mining?,"" and “How much accessibility people with disabilities have in Mongolia?”
The goal of this project is to illuminate the voices of those who are often overlooked in society by shedding light on the way that for some, mining is not just a job; it is the cause of a physical impairment that can never be reversed. This research of this project highlights the need for stronger safety regulations in mines and for improved accessibility and social acceptance for people with disabilities in Mongolia. Within this project lies a metaphor for the way that physical impairments can never be reversed just as the environmental effects of mining can never be reversed. Overall, this research aims to provide an account of the experiences of miners who have become disabled from mining, explore the miners perspective on the industry, discuss the way that the disability has affected the lives of Mongolians socially, and offer opinions on the level of accessibility in Mongolia for people with disabilities."
Faculty Mentor/Advisor
Battulga Ganbaatar
Small Scale Mining from the Perspective of Disabled Miners
"This project is based on a case study of the lives of people in Mongolia who have a disability as a result of working as a small scale miner (with a focus on artisanal and ninja miners). The research for this project was conducted after the culmination of a four month study abroad experience in Mongolia in Spring 2017. It was carried out over a four week period in Ulaanbaatar, Bayankhongor, and Naiklah and consisted of nine in person interviews, two phone interviews, two visits to mines (one coal mine and one gold mine), a visit to the Bayankhongor Aimag disability center, a meeting with the Artisanal Mining Project, and questionnaires that were sent to participants who were not interested in participating in a phone interview. This project aims to answer the four main focus questions of “How a mining-caused disability has affected one’s life in a social context?,"" “How disabled miners view safety in the mines?,” “How the disability has affected one’s stance on mining?,"" and “How much accessibility people with disabilities have in Mongolia?”
The goal of this project is to illuminate the voices of those who are often overlooked in society by shedding light on the way that for some, mining is not just a job; it is the cause of a physical impairment that can never be reversed. This research of this project highlights the need for stronger safety regulations in mines and for improved accessibility and social acceptance for people with disabilities in Mongolia. Within this project lies a metaphor for the way that physical impairments can never be reversed just as the environmental effects of mining can never be reversed. Overall, this research aims to provide an account of the experiences of miners who have become disabled from mining, explore the miners perspective on the industry, discuss the way that the disability has affected the lives of Mongolians socially, and offer opinions on the level of accessibility in Mongolia for people with disabilities."
