Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Bioarchaeological Analysis Of Oak View Landing (40dr1): An Archaic Population In The Kentucky Lake Reservior, Katy D. Grant-Mclemore

Master's Theses

The biocultural examination of the Archaic population recovered at Oak View Landing (40DR1) investigates the lifeways and adaptations of prehistoric people as they reflect sociopolitical and subsistence strategies.

A comprehensive bioarchaeological analysis was conducted on the adult individuals (18 males, 16 females, 16 of indeterminate sex) excavated from a multiple occupation site located along the Tennessee River in Decatur County, Tennessee. Skeletal indicators used to understand biocultural phenomena were assessed macroscopically on cranial and postcranial elements. Furthermore, mortuary data, for adults and subadults, were used to determine any patterns of preferential treatment at death.

Results from this study indicate that …

Realizing The Witch: Science, Cinema, And The Mastery Of The Invisible [Table Of Contents], Richard Baxstrom, Todd Meyers

Cinema & Media Studies

Benjamin Christensen’s Häxan (The Witch, 1922) stands as a singular film within the history of cinema. Deftly weaving contemporary scientific analysis and powerfully staged historical scenes of satanic initiation, confession under torture, possession, and persecution, Häxan creatively blends spectacle and argument to provoke a humanist re-evaluation of witchcraft in European history as well as the contemporary treatment of female “hysterics” and the mentally ill.

In Realizing the Witch, Baxstrom and Meyers show how Häxan opens a window onto wider debates in the 1920s regarding the relationship of film to scientific evidence, the evolving study of religion from historical and …

Challenges To Cultural Heritage Interpretation And Preservation At The Falemata’Aga, The Museum Of Samoa, Elizabeth Bennett

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to ascertain and analyze the challenges the Museum of Samoa faces in its efforts to preserve and interpret aspects of Samoan history and culture. The Museum strives to interpret and preserve Samoan culture. Samoan culture is still practiced today, but is impacted by globalization, climate change, and loss of skills such as oratory and knowledge of genealogies. Participant-observation was conducted at the Museum of Samoa, as were interviews with relevant personnel. The challenges the Museum faces stem from Samoa’s status as a developing nation: education, healthcare, and infrastructure receive priority funding. Many people question …

Rethinking Combined History Departments: An Argument For History And Anthropology, Ageeth Sluis, Elise Edwards

Ageeth Sluis

Many opportunities for more integrated teaching that better capture the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary scholars' work and better achieve the aims of liberal arts education still remain untapped, particularly at smaller schools where combined departments are often necessary. The disciplinary boundaries between history and sociocultural anthropology have become increasingly blurred in recent decades, a trend reflected in scholarly work that engages with both fields, as well as dual-degree graduate programmes at top U.S. research universities. For many scholars, this interdisciplinarity makes sense, with the two disciplines offering critical theoretical tools and methods that must be used in combination to tackle …

Rethinking Combined History Departments: An Argument For History And Anthropology, Ageeth Sluis, Elise Edwards

Elise M. Edwards

Many opportunities for more integrated teaching that better capture the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary scholars' work and better achieve the aims of liberal arts education still remain untapped, particularly at smaller schools where combined departments are often necessary. The disciplinary boundaries between history and sociocultural anthropology have become increasingly blurred in recent decades, a trend reflected in scholarly work that engages with both fields, as well as dual-degree graduate programmes at top U.S. research universities. For many scholars, this interdisciplinarity makes sense, with the two disciplines offering critical theoretical tools and methods that must be used in combination to tackle …

Pressing: Where The Objective Meets The Subjective, Mariana Parisca

Undergraduate Theses—Unrestricted

Through this essay I describe the theoretical and anthropological ideas that led to the creation of the Cushing Series. An interest in the obsession with photography in popular culture leads to an understanding of the permeation of structured reasoning beyond scientific research and into everyday life. Taking evidence from photography, and philosophy of science I establish the limitations of structured reasoning, both as a way of perceiving the world and as an understanding of identity, and define surface and frame as its physical representation. Using Sartre’s existential theory and phenomenological anthropology I then describe the infinite subjective existence of …

International Power Relations And State Collapse: The Ephemeral State Of Sovereignty In The Modern World Order, Christopher Allen Reese

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.

Bridging The Gap: The St. Cloud Somali Community’S View Of Illness And Disease In A Western Society & Its Effects On Patient Care, Jeffry J. Anderson, Sinloria C. Macrae, Katee A. Meckeler, Jennifer N. Yang, Sheng Xiong

Celebrating Scholarship & Creativity Day (2011-2017)

In this ethnographic study, we looked at how the Somali people view illness and disease in a Western society. In addition, we looked at how differing views and cultural practices affected their treatment and interpretation of Western medicine. Due to the ongoing increase of Somali people in the United States, this topic is important in showcasing the difficulties that newcomers face when it comes to medicine and how these experiences shape their view of Western medicine. These difficulties include language barriers and cultural differences. Our main focus was on the St. Cloud area due to its close proximity to the …

Opinions On Divorce In Georgia Between Different Demographic Groups, Rachel A. Melcher

Honors College Theses

Divorce has always been a divisive topic; indeed, divorce rates differ wildly among members of different demographic groups. What of their opinions, though? What are the differences in opinions on divorce in Georgia between separate different demographic groups? My research suggests that the different lines of thought are drawn largely on religious and ethnic lines, rather than such factors as gender, age or annual household income.

Global Flows And The Globalization Of Nothing: Synthesizing The Incongruous, Elliott H. Valentine

Black & Gold

Increasingly pertinent in contemporary society, globalization is a force that promises to change the way people interact with others in almost all aspects of life. As scholars attempt to theorize about such situations, disparate perspectives about the dynamics and possibilities of globalization arise. In order to develop a more comprehensive theory of globalization, this piece engages the theory of global flows and the five “-scapes” as presented in Arjun Appadurai’s Modernity at Large (1996), as well as George Ritzer’s conception of the globalization of nothing as presented in The Globalization of Nothing 2 (2007). A rich synthesis of these two …

Curating Ali`I Collections: Responsibility, Sensibility, And Contextualization In Hawai'i-Based Museums, Halenakekanakalawai`Aomiloli`I Ka`Ili`Ehu Kapuni-Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the curation of aliʻi collections in the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum and the Lyman House Memorial Museum. The aliʻi were once the ruling class of Hawai'i, whose chiefly ranks and statuses reflected their prestigious and complicated moʻokūʻauhau (genealogies). Although the aliʻi are no longer a visible social class in Hawai'i, their moʻokūʻauhau (genealogies) and moʻolelo (stories) are continually honored and preserved within the walls of museums. Through the use of a research design that draws from multiple museologies, indigenous epistemologies, and anthropological theories and methods, I examine the physical care, storage, exhibition, and interpretation of aliʻi collections, …

Pocket Monsters And Pirate Treasure: Fantasy And Social Platforms In The 21st Century, Jacob Waalk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

POCKET MONSTERS AND PIRATE TREASURE: FANTASY AND SOCIAL PLATFORMS IN THE 21ST CENTURY is an anthropology project examining media, fantasy, ideology, and social groups in order to build a better foundation for the ways in which economic and social changes influence social networking, popular media, and values by using the anime-manga subculture as an example. The thesis draws from three major theorists: Thomas LaMarre, Anne Allison, and Ian Condry as well as major anthropological theorists such as Pierre Bourdieu. As an ethnography, the project was split into two sections: one consisting of interviews with eight anime-manga subculture participants drawn primarily …

Writing About Aj Pop B'Atz': Bruce Grindal And The Transformation Of Ethnographic Writing, Sarah Ashley Kistler

Faculty Publications

The works of Bruce Grindal teach us many things about anthropology’s humanistic tradition. With examples such as Redneck Girl and “Postmodernism as Seen by the Boys at Downhome Auto Repair,” Bruce Grindal demonstrated how we can creatively engage our ethnographic writing to reflect lived experiences. In this article, I examine Bruce’s influence on my ethnographic writing and collaborative research in the Maya community of San Juan Chamelco, Guatemala. Since 2006, I have worked collectively with a group of Chamelqueños to investigate the story of their local hero, Aj Pop B’atz’. In the sixteenth century, Aj Pop B’atz’ welcomed Spanish invaders …

Small Islands, Big Heart: Reproducing The Marquesas Islands Through The Body, Patrick E. Molohon

All Master's Theses

Through the analysis of a Marquesan family in a touristic setting in Tahiti, this thesis explores the notion of the Polynesian body as a site of struggle between the gaze of cosmopolitan French tourists on the exotic other, and the resistance and self-interiorizing of the body by Marquesans. Many contemporary Marquesans choose to migrate to the more urbanized, popular tourist destination of Tahiti, for work, schooling, and medical procedures. Removed from their native land, Marquesans build upon traditional cultural practices and worldviews, while simultaneously actively creating innovative aspects of their experience in the new setting, on and within the body. …

The Fall Of Teotihuacan, Elizabeth P. Ale

Undergraduate Research Posters

In this project I present a survey of multiple theories regarding the dissolution of the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan. This complex city-state was established around 100 BCE and became one of the largest and most powerful sites in Mesoamerica. Located about 25 miles northeast of what is today known as Mexico City, Teotihuacan was home to many advanced technological and social structures, including a pyramid called The Pyramid of the Sun that boasted a base as large as the Great Pyramid of Giza’s. At some time between the 7^th and 8^th century CE, Teotihuacan went into decline. …

Proactive Conversation, 3d Printing, And An Old Nintendo, Tesha C. Ellis

Undergraduate Research Posters

Abstract

One hundred years from now, it would be a true historical treat to be able to showcase 20th and 21st century digital entertainment by presenting video game consoles in mint condition for interactive, educational, play. Arguably, it would be more enlightening and informative for future audiences to be able to physically engage with the electronic artifacts instead of simply observing them behind glass. With the use of 3D technology, components of video game systems can be preserved, and then printed as needed for repairs. It will help keep them functional for future researchers, educators, and enthusiasts.

Creating Healthy Community In The Postindustrial City, Brian A. Hoey

Brian A. Hoey, Ph.D.

Capitalizing On Distinctiveness: Creating Wv For A New Economy, Brian A. Hoey

Brian A. Hoey, Ph.D.

This article explores use of images and ideas of place to promote particular social and economic agendas within the regional context of Appalachia. Despite prevailing imageries of backwardness and isolation that adhere to the region, as well as recent history of often-bleak economic conditions, communities such as Huntington, West Virginia, are ideal places to observe inventive forms of community-building, place-making, and place-marketing that borrow from emerging cultural and economic models and stand in sharp contrast to a once dominant paradigm that encouraged capital investment by relying simply on tax breaks and the provision of cheap land and labor to attract …