Digital Commons Network^™

Burial Practices In Southern Appalachia., Donna W. Stansberry

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study was conducted in an attempt to determine whether certain burial practices are unique to the people of Southern Appalachia. Eight individuals were interviewed, including a minister and a funeral director. As a result of the research, it was found that, although a strong sense of community and religion still prevails, making certain burial rituals distinctive to the people of Southern Appalachia, they are slowly eroding due to the growing presence of the modern American funeral industry.

Qualitative research methods were used to analyze a segment of the Southern Appalachian population, with literature reviews of related material and in-depth …

Secrets In Common: Intellectual Foundations Of The Lodge That Found Billet In The Dens And Klaverns, Damien Borg

Masters Theses

Secrets in Common is an anthropological history that undertakes to explain the similarities of membership and ideology between the Freemasons and two formations of the Ku Klux Klan. The work is divided into seven sections. It was compiled from both extant, which was of principle significance, and secondary printed material. After many hours of reading and countless attempts at “understanding,” three short ethnographic narratives were compiled: they makeup the central axis of the material. The first narrative describes the Freemasons, while the second two are on the “Reconstruction Klan” and the “Klan of the ‘20’s,” henceforth referred to as Kuklux …

Understanding Ethno-Nationalism: Sikh Diasporic Imaginings In Southwest Michigan, Rory G. Mccarthy

Masters Theses

Diaspora as a category is both useful and troublesome for researchers in the discipline of anthropology. It is useful, for it allows anthropologists to approach cultural studies from a position that recognizes flaws in the conception of culture as geographically bounded. Studying diasporic populations, therefore, enables anthropologists to apply new theoretical approaches to culture, without reifying and essentializing social practices. Conversely, using diaspora as a category can homogenize groups by glossing over differences in ethnicity, religion, and migratory expenence.

This study aims at bettering the understanding of diversity within a diasporic population by examining the role that religion plays in …

National Identity And The British Empire : The Image Of Saint Paul’S Cathedral, Rebecca Pierce

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This paper considers the historical geography of place and identity construction through the case of English Nationalism and the British Empire as encapsulated in London’s Saint Paul’s Cathedral. The research explores several themes: 1) the British Empire’s use of Saint Paul’s Cathedral as a representation, both physically and symbolically, of the ideals and power of the empire; 2) the British Empire’s employment of the Cathedral as the emotional and ideological center of national identity and imperialism in the English population; and 3) the British Empire's manipulation of the image of Saint Paul’s Cathedralas a national and religious landmark. Data analysis …

The Sources And Nature Of Social Representations In A Multicultural Peer Group : Implications For Friendship And Inter-Group Relationships, Christina Callow

Theses : Honours

The historical, political and social nature of Australian society provides a backdrop for the ways in which exclusion and inclusion are perpetuated. It is from within this context adolescent identity development and relationship formation occurs. While there is a wealth of literature focussing on inter-group relationships and adolescent development, very little research has focussed on the implications of the wider context on everyday social knowledge, or social representations, held by adolescents in a multicultural peer group. Using social representation theory, this study investigated the social representations adolescents held in relation to ethnic, cultural and national identity. It also investigated the …

Keeping The Money Under The Soap : Constructions Of The English And English Migrants In Australian Nationalist Texts, Ann Rule

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Where does an Englishman hide his money?' 'I don't know. Where does an Englishman hide his money?' 'Under the soap'. This thesis interrogates representations of ‘Englishness’and by extension, English migrants, in a variety of Australian cultural texts, including film, television, newspapers and academic publications. Underlying this investigation are two major research questions: What are the factors informing the ambivalent place accorded 'Englishness' in Australian cultural texts? and What can this form of investigation tell us about Australian culture and associated national myths? I have attempted to reinterpret these national myths through the texts/ narratives of Englishness and class. One of …

"Walking The Queen's Highway": Ideology And Cultural Landscape In Nothern Ireland, Deborah J. Miller

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The use of public art and ritual in Northern Ireland leads to the creation of cultural landscapes heavy with symbolism – ideological landscapes – that maintain social divisions and incite conflict. Mural and curbstone painting, flag bearing, the construction of memorials, and parading are activities that inscribe messages in the landscape. This study documents the types of symbolism prevalent in Northern Irish landscapes, the meanings attributed to them, and the reactions and subsequent cultural landscape re-creations that result. Loyalist and nationalist marches that incite riots and civil disorder have disrupted and delayed peace efforts in Northern Ireland for decades. Both …

Travels In Louisiana: Journeys Into Ethnicity And Heritage By Two Hispanic Groups, Dominica Dominguez Ramirez

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis addresses how the notions of ethnicity and heritage are experienced, negotiated, and displayed by two Hispanic groups in Louisiana. Hispanic identity is a nebulous term anywhere and Louisiana is no exception. In this investigation the two groups- a heritage foundation of descendants of Canary Islanders and descendants of the of the Los Adaes communities- both profess Hispanic heritage, display it, and promote this heritage in divergent ways, with significant differences in the meaning of their heritages. Differences between groups are also reflected in the historical spatial representations of the two groups, with Isleños connecting with a far-away but …

"Of More Consequence Than The President": Frances Folsom Cleveland And The Role Of First Lady In The Late Nineteenth Century, Ellen E. Adams

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.

Warfighter-Peacekeeper Psychological Aptitude: Assessing The Soldier's Psychological Aptitude For Effective Performance In Combat Or Traditional Peacekeeping Operations, Matthew Charles Densmore

Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects

No abstract provided.