Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Technological Bodies, Serena Riley

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

The human body: a vessel of health, of life, of expression. Our bodies house systems of complex behaviors, chemical reactions, and intricate biology beyond human comprehension. Internal and external bodily systems allow us to not only survive, but also allow us to perceive the world in our own unique ways. We are stimulated by various external forces; by nature, by modern technological advancements, by other’s physical forms. Modern society is full of increasingly unattainable societal expectations and rapidly changing technological advances that impact the ways we view and change ourselves, both physically and mentally. As the world continues to advance …

Learning To Fish Together: Imperialism And Hope In International Volunteer Service, Sadie De Luca

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

An anthropological look at (neo)imperial frameworks of international volunteering, and at new directions for cross-cultural understanding and justice. This paper seeks to investigate many questions. For instance, since the majority of international volunteer organizations appear to be based in previously-colonizing countries in the “Global North,” mainly with aims to provide humanitarian aid in previously-colonized countries in the “Global South,” how does that preexisting history and relationship impact “humanitarian actions,” in intent, practice, and consequences? Additionally, in acknowledging this history and potential relationship, is it possible for an international volunteer organization to exist outside of Empire, or are they inseparable? And …

The Eastern European Fertility Crisis, Sebastian Dominic Zgirski

Anthropology Department Scholars Week

The Eastern European Fertility Crisis by Sebastian D. Zgirski

In the years following the 1989 collapse of communism in Eastern and Central Europe, demographers noticed a sharp decline in total fertility rates in many of the countries of the region. While this trend is consistent with a general worldwide trend, it does seem to be even more pronounced in the region, with many countries having fertility rates significantly below replacement. This puzzled demographers as in previous years the region was considered to have some of the highest fertility rates in Europe. Additionally, there is worry that with fertility rates below …

A Review Of The Mandible, Emily Hill

Anthropology Department Scholars Week

A Review of The Mandible by Emily Hill

The mandible is one of the 22 bones in the human skull. This paper aims to encapsulate the basic features of the human mandible while also addressing the evolution and morphological mandibular variation between mammals. It also aims to address the role that anthropology and all its sub-disciplines has played in the exploitation and erasure of Indigenous peoples. There must be a significant push to decolonize the field of osteology. The mandible is useful for forensic applications such as post-mortem identification. In a rapidly expanding technological world, new ways of studying the …

Left In The Dust: How Staff At River Heights Assisted Living Facility Adjusts To Change And Covid-19, Victoria Hill

Anthropology Department Scholars Week

“Left in the Dust: How Staff at River Heights Assisted Living Facility Adjusts to Change and COVID-19”, by Victoria Hill

In this study, the Housekeeping and Caregiving Departments at River Heights Assisted Living Facility in Bellingham are being investigated. The initial research was aimed at understanding how the lax regulations of the Housekeeping Department affected its capacity to complete necessary job duties. Collected testimony pointed to the conclusion that specific individuals within the department proved to be problematic which resulted in the overall quality of work to stray from facility standards. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the employees at this facility …

Is The Risk Worth It?, Porter Mcmichael

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

This is a video ethnography that includes audio from interviews with alpine climbers and footage from first ascents in the North Cascades. The topic focuses on risk, why the risk is worth it, how they come to terms with increased risk, and how they think about death. The goal of this project is to expand the understanding of how risk is approached by climbers who are pushing the limits of their mortality. The big takeaways of how climbers justify risk can be applied to everyday life and the decisions we make.

Barriers And Facilitators To Adaptive Sports On College Campuses, Lisa Osadchuk, Sean Bruna

Anthropology Department Scholars Week

Barriers and Facilitators to Adaptive Sports on College Campuses by Lisa Osadchuk and Sean Bruna

This research examines scholarly literature regarding attitudes and behaviors related to adaptive sporting events. A literature review was conducted in anthropology, disability studies, and other databases using key terms such as disability, higher education, and adaptive sports. Articles were reviewed and categorized into three areas: anthropological perspectives, institutional challenges, and participant experiences. This review sheds new light into how adaptive sports can create inclusion and integration in the postsecondary environment for students with disabilities, while also highlighting changing attitudes of those students from their peers, …